Like Chicago, Boston’s Fleet Center (er, BankNorth Garden) have posted their GA policy for the shows coming up next week:

http://www.fleetcenter.com/U2.pdf

It has a map of the arena and where GA line will happen. (Note: It’s the same spot as in 2001 for Elevation).

The policy is 2 pages long - good grief!

I’ll be seeing you in the GA line!

Artichoke, champagne perhaps, and who-knows-what
Originally uploaded by atu2.

Here’s Bono in a photo taken who-knows-when at Club 55 in St. Tropez. It’s the cover photo from the Sunday Observer’s “Observer Food Monthly” magazine this past Sunday, May 15, 2005.

The cover article is titled “50 Things Every Foodie Should Do (Before They Die)”, and Bono does get a brief mention … though dining with yer man is not one of those 50 things. Link to full article is below. If you’re a steak and potatoes guy like me, be sure to tilt your nose slightly up before clicking.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/foodmonthly/story/0,9950,1481375,00.html

1115539485903529
Originally uploaded by u2log.com.

Wulfer discovered the United Center’s webcams were active earlier today, and Caroline (of U2log.com fame) quickly grabbed more than three dozens shots from today’s pre-Chicago 4 soundcheck, all of which you can see here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/u2logcom/sets/330160/

Looks like it’s Dallas, Sam, and the techs doing the actual soundcheck … sorry. But still a cool set of photos.

Chicago 5/9
Originally uploaded by massa213.

Our friend Tim C. tells me that the lighting has been really different these past couple nights in Chicago, ostensibly for the DVD shoot they’re doing. Says Tim:

“Most notable was the use of the electronic LED signs that are usually showing ads for some sort of sponsor during a Bulls game. These signs are located in front of the railing of the 2nd and 3rd Balcony. Willie somehow hooked up into these signs and used them to display horizontal lines of color during points of the show.”

He’s referring to the image above right, which is something I certainly haven’t seen in any photos from the tour so far — using the main arena lights?? Nice addition. Anyway, Tim continues:

“Secondly, multi-colored LED strobe lights were placed in the stands above almost every single entrance/exit. These were used at certain
points of the show.

I dug through the photos submitted from Monday’s show to U2tours.com, and here some shots that show things I’ve not seen before where lighting is concerned:

http://www.u2tours.com/reviewfiles/2005/18/5463/5463-2.jpg
http://www.u2tours.com/reviewfiles/2005/18/5463/5463-3.jpg
http://www.u2tours.com/reviewfiles/2005/18/5463/5463-5.jpg
http://www.u2tours.com/reviewfiles/2005/18/5467/5467-1.jpg
http://www.u2tours.com/reviewfiles/2005/18/5494/5494-2.jpg
http://www.u2tours.com/reviewfiles/2005/18/5494/5494-3.jpg

That 3rd shot listed above — where the band’s images are on the LED curtains — what song was that??

One last note: if you noticed that it was super-hot inside the arena, it’s because U2 told the United Center to turn off the ventilation system. Why? They didn’t want the airflow to interfere with the confetti drop during “Blinding Lights.”

Song list
Originally uploaded by mattmcgee.

This is interesting and perhaps worth some discussion. Or at bare minimum, it’s worth some idle speculation about what songs have been rehearsed for the Vertigo Tour.

This is a photo that I’m told was taken backstage during the recent Seattle shows. The white board has two lists of songs. (That stick figure on the right is apparently “Flat Stanley”, which I believe is a harmless and bizarre Zootopia creation, but I’m not really sure, and not really sure I want to know!) Anyway, back to the song lists. Gary P. has kindly written out the two lists:

Semi Tone Down:

City of Blinding Lights
Cry/Electrico
An Cat Dubh/Heart
Walk On
One
New Years Day
Streets
Still Haven’t Found
With or Without You
Bullet
Running to Stand
Zoo/The Fly
Real Thing
Gloria

Concert Pitch:

Love & Peace
Beautiful Day
Miracle Drug
Sometimes
Stuck In a Moment
Yahweh
Pride
All Because of You
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Wild Horses

“Semi Tone Down” and “Concert Pitch” are releated to how songs are played in concert. If you saw the recent VH-1 U2 special, you heard Dallas talk about how they’re waiting for Bono to decide in which pitch he’ll be singing various songs. Once that’s decided, the instruments have to be tuned accordingly. (This is one reason why Edge changes guitars so frequently during a show.) ANYWAY…….

“Walk On”…?
“Real Thing”…?
“Stuck In a Moment”…?
“Wild Horses”…?

Makes you wonder what surprises new additions are still to come as the tour chugs along.

BTW, great thing about the internet — I have a feeling we’ll know more about this photo in no time flat. At least I hope so. (Thanks Gary!)

Where’s U2isABLE?
Originally uploaded by U2isABLE.

I’d like to thank whoever thought of broadcasting a more complete (but not *fully* complete) version of U2’s Brooklyn surprise gig back in November 2004. After watching the DirecTV broadcast in spots in slow motion, I have found several of my friends who were there that night. In a strange turn of events, I even found myself….my dear husband is in the background and can be seen singing the word “Day” during Beautiful Day.

Now I’ve got a credible alibi…really, Mom…it wasn’t me who did it…I was in Brooklyn!!!