In 1987 the album. Joshua Tree was released by an Irish band called U2. On Tuesday night, Eventalaide was privileged to be witness to a history making concert at Adelaide Oval performed by that iconic band on a balmy spring night.
Former Oasis member Noel Gallagher and his band High Flying Birds opened the concert with their current songs under the scorching sun making it a tough act to get the crowd energised. He sang numbers from his Oasis days, with Don’t Look Back In Anger being a crowd favourite. Wonderwall was enhanced by a huge singalong. His wicked sense of humour has not changed, and we were lucky to hear a cover of The Beatles’ song All You Need Is Love to prepare us for what was to follow.
While we were waiting for U2, poems were displayed on screen to inspire us all. The silhouette of the Joshua Tree shone bright upon the massive screen. The screen was touted as the largest LED video screen used on any tour (60 metres long and made up of 1040 individual panels).
It was not long until Larry Mullen Jr provided a drum introduction into Sunday Bloody Sunday.
The concert did not disappoint with the four band members and a career spanning 40 years. The dedication and admiration was witnessed by all.
It was also great to see Bono pay tribute to the volunteer firefighters battling fires all over Australia.
The band’s lyrics cover many topics, from emotions to adversity.
The screen provided stunning visual effects, such as Where The Streets Have No Name showing the band travelling down a deserted road.
I could not fault the concert. All the diehard fans, young and old, were not disappointed. It’s A Beautiful Day was a fan favourite and had everyone singing.
We were lucky to spend a beautiful night witnessing an influential band.
The set was breathtaking, singing was flawless, and the messages were encouraging. Remarkably, the band members have not changed at all over their more then forty year journey.
U2 are great performers who are truly loved and respected all over the world. and especially in Adelaide on this warm November night in 2019.
Review by Pat Bibbo
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