Fans From All Over the World Savor U2′s Return Home

Silvano Constantini sits in Dublin’s Temple Bar, nursing a Guinness, and needing above all else to gather his thoughts.

He has just crossed the Atlantic from Toronto, Canada, to see U2 perform in their hometown.  The sights of Friday and Saturday night’s Croke Park shows have left him with an unruly stampede of thoughts and emotions to wrangle.

“I have to let it sink in,” he says, slowly.

For Silvano – as well as Dublin residents and people all over the world – U2′s homecoming has been nothing short of perfection. Starting off with a brilliant and energetic performance on July 24th, then continuing with a rainy but stalwart gig on the 25th, U2 have shown that there is still no better live band in the world, and that when doubters and skeptics try to spoil their party, the band comes with its best and won’t let down without a fight.

Certainly for Silvano and many others, the overwhelming emotion stemming from the shows was not a given. With heavy criticism at home for their tax and businesses management, slower than average sales for their new album, and increased questioning about their place in rock & roll, nothing is a given for U2 these days, either, especially in Ireland.

Following the wave of skepticism, Silvano was as interested as everyone else to see how U2 would redeem themselves in the eyes of their home country.

That is why Friday, with 85,000 of their closest friends, critics and neighbors gathered in Croke Park, it is extremely gratifying to see U2 waste no time in dusting off such fan favorites as Until The End of The World, Bad and Elevation, then unexpectedly augment them with treats especially for the hometown crowd, such as a rousing cover of unofficial Irish anthem “The Auld Triangle” (also performed over the years by The Pogues, Dropkick Murphys, and Bob Dylan).

The song – about the goings-on in a prison just before an execution – lends a melancholy-but-familial aura that is a perfect counterpoint to the still-searing, emotionally-charged protest song “Sunday, Bloody Sunday,” here accompanied by a snippet of the equally-searing Clash classic “Rock the Casbah”, while the Claw is appropriately bathed in Irish green.

With such an outstanding performance on Friday, it certainly could not be expected that Saturday’s show would reach the same heights, especially with one more gig on Monday… and it doesn’t.  However, the rain and the band’s smooth performance give way to a fun show where Bono, Larry, Adam and The Edge actually make it feel like the huge stadium event is an intimate gig.

It has been an incredible weekend for fans like Silvano in Ireland.  With people from every corner of the world descending upon Dublin, the energy has been electric, and the atmosphere nothing short of a weeklong party.

“Still speechless,” says a giddy fan from Colombia, Ricardo Hernandez. “Seeing U2 in Dublin is nothing short of a dream come true.”

When asked to rate Friday night’s show, Canadian follower Tony Chiappetta doesn’t hesitate: “Any show you get Until the End of The World and Bad is a good show”.

Unexpectedly, Croke Park has been perfectly suited for the Claw stage configuration. There has been much talk about the fact that Croke doesn’t allow for a full 360-degree configuration, due to the lack of seating in the back.  While true, this has actually made the shows better instead of being a handicap; by not having an extra 20,000 people behind them, U2 have been able to play to the front and sides almost the entire show, playfully holding hands, jumping with fans and creating a sense of brotherhood.

As Silvano Constantini walks back to his hotel after Saturday night’s show, he is asked what he expects from Monday.  He says, “I have no idea what they will do, but it will be wicked”.

And when asked how the gigs have been so far in Dublin, he answers: “The highlight of my life”.

-words and photographs by Jaime Rodriguez

Setlist – July 24th, Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland (song info links courtesy U2gigs.com):

1. Breathe
2. No Line On The Horizon
3. Get On Your Boots
4. Magnificent
5. Here Comes The Sun (snippet) / Beautiful Day / Blackbird (snippet)
6. Elevation
7. Desire
8. Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of
9. The Auld Triangle
10. One
11. Until The End Of The World / Break On Through (snippet)
12. The Unforgettable Fire
13. City Of Blinding Lights
14. Vertigo / Do You Remember Rock ‘n’ Roll Radio? (snippet)
15. O Come All Ye Faithful (snippet) / I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight
16. Sunday Bloody Sunday / Rock The Casbah (snippet)
17. Pride (In The Name Of Love)
18. MLK
19. Walk On / You’ll Never Walk Alone (snippet)
20. Where The Streets Have No Name / All You Need Is Love (snippet)
21. 40 (snippet) / Bad / Fool To Cry (snippet)

encore(s):

22. Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
23. With Or Without You
24. Moment of Surrender

Setlist – July 25th, Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland:

1. Breathe
2. No Line On The Horizon
3. Get On Your Boots
4. Magnificent
5. Beautiful Day / Here Comes The Sun (snippet)
6. Mysterious Ways / Mothers Of The Disappeared (snippet)
7. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For / Stand By Me (snippet)
8. Angel Of Harlem / Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough (snippet)
9. In A Little While
10. Unknown Caller
11. The Unforgettable Fire
12. City Of Blinding Lights / Rain (snippet)
13. Vertigo / Thunderstruck (snippet)
14. I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight / O Come All Ye Faithful (snippet)
15. Sunday Bloody Sunday / Rock The Casbah (snippet)
16. Pride (In The Name Of Love)
17. MLK
18. Walk On / You’ll Never Walk Alone (snippet)
19. Where The Streets Have No Name
20. One

encore(s):

21. Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
22. With Or Without You
23. Moment of Surrender