U2 - Twickenham - 8 July 2017
I was lucky enough to see U2 at Wembley in 1987 on the
Joshua Tree tour, the album that made the band arguably the biggest band in the
world. I was very interested in how U2 would approach this tour as I couldn’t
imagine it just being a nostalgia show.
The crowd were brought to life by the rousing intro music
of Whole of the Moon, by The Waterboys, The opening four songs, Sunday Bloody
Sunday, New Year’s Day, Bad and Pride (in the Name of Love) were played on the
small stage set out in the audience without the backdrop of the big screen. This
forced the crowd the focus entirely on the band. Showing that these songs are
still relevant today the lyrics to Pride were amended to reference the three
year old Syrian child, Alan Kurdi, who as washed up on Turkish beach.
Performing The Joshu Tree in the order it was recorded did
seem a bit risky to me, it opens with three classic anthems – Where the Streets
Have No Names, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For and With or Without
You but does end with the more sombre Mothers of the Disappeared. I shouldn’t
have worried because it all worked perfectly, by the now the band were on the
main stage and supported by a super back drop broadcasting amazing vistas. Red
Hill Mining Town, a song not often played live is delivered in a rearranged
style with the support of a Salvation Army Brass Band , and again as if to
reflect how contemporary these songs still are Exit is opened by a clip from a 50s TV
programme called Trackdown, which features a character called Trump who claims
he build a wall to save a small town.
After the Joshua Tree is finished the show is restarted with
Miss Sarajevo, before the band throw in three lively songs in the shape of,
Beautiful Day, Elevation and Vertigo. Ultraviolet (Light My Way) is dedicated
to the late Jo Cox MP and featured a video backdrop of a host of inspirational women
from across history, very thought provoking. The wonderful One and the Little
Things That Gave You Away, from the
forth coming Songs of Experience bring the set to a close. There is just time
for Noel Gallagher to join the band for a final encore with the Oasis song Don’t
Look Back in Anger.
A truly wonderful show that highlighted the great songs
from the Joshua Tree in a new light.
NH