Special thanks to Michael Richardson for filing his latest report from Sydney. He’s also passed along some photos - check them out here.
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The anticipation of seeing U2 for the second time in 3 days was more intense than waiting 11 months to see them on the Friday after purchasing the tickets. Getting into the inner circle on the first night was amazing; could I do it again? What songs would change for this concert? Would the band be in a party mood with three gigs down and this the last night in Sydney? Would it rain again as they had forecast? How would my 14 year old daughter find her first ever concert? The answers to these anxious questions follow.

With apologies to those that missed out on any night, the answer to the first question I’m pleased to say is “Yes”. I had resigned myself to not making it in tonight because of how far back in the queue I seemed to be, but I really wanted to be there so that my daughter could witness U2 up close and personal. (Editor’s note - we’ll have her review shortly).

I have to say the Lord was gracious and not only got us in but had us near the main stage. For the Love Town shows in 1988 I was 3 rows from the very back of the Sydney Entertainment Centre and I can tell you that it is a completely different experience when you are so close to the stage. You feel like you’re a participant in the show not just an interested observer.

Despite a sudden but heavy down pour at lunch time, the show was dry (other than a Bono induced shower mentioned below).

There were 6 song changes for the night. Gone were Yahweh, Walk On, Zoo Station and The Fly; while End of the World moved from the main set to the first encore and Angel of Harlem from the second encore to the main set before Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own.

The first change for the night came after Elevation when the opening siren call of I Will Follow rang out across the stadium. How excited was I? Had the band read my earlier review and the disappointment of not hearing anything from Boy on Friday night? If songs could have a genealogy then Elevation and Vertigo would surely be descendents of I Will Follow; sharing intensity and a sense of urgency as common genes.

The next change was the inclusion of Still Haven’t Found, which had an elongated intro chord as Bono firstly mysteriously disappeared from the stage only to return and talk to the crowd before introducing some tiny young cousins, complete with ear muffs to protect their hearing. It seemed like Edge or Larry must have signalled to him to get a move on because he rushed them off stage and started the song. This great sing-along song was followed by another with the relocated Angela of Harlem.

Was the band in party mode? Absolutely! I don’t think I have ever seen Edge pogo up and down so much (or at all) in any of the concerts I’ve attended or watched on video or DVD. He just seemed to be so relaxed and intent on enjoying the night. Adam likewise strutted around full of exuberance, constantly smiling at the crowd. Larry was he usual self, tight in his drumming and equally tight with expressing emotion.

Bono was in his element of course; flirting with the girls, talking incessantly to the fans and singing so many snippets of other songs. His appearance with Kylie the previous night had clearly had an impact as he tried his hand at “Spinning around” and “I should be so lucky”. I’m sure I also heard lyrics from the Beatles, Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin during the course of the evening.

At one point Bono acknowledged that other bands would visit our shores and that we would want to see them too; but he asked that we keep U2 as our number one band. Which we all promised, of course. He also noted that no one had ever played 3 nights at this venue and that someone had said it was a record that would not be broken. He then raised our hopes by asking “Do they not think we’ll come back” and with that he promised not to leave it so long.

During Sunday Bloody Sunday he hauled a young boy out of the audience, similar in age to Gareth from the Chicago DVD. He talked about how young people like Sean were the hope for a peaceful future and got him to belt out “no more” a few times.

The first encore brought the next two changes with the slot machine footage being followed by End of the World and then Mysterious Ways. During this song Bono danced with an aboriginal looking girl and made her hang around for With or Without You.

The last change and biggest surprise of the night was kept for the second encore when Party Girl made an extended appearance. I’m sure that most of the second generation of U2 fans were wondering where this one came from but for the fanatics and diehards this was a welcome bonus. Bono brought out a bottle of champagne to mark the occasion and promptly sprayed it all over the audience. Then there was this odd moment where he, Edge and Adam stood in a huddle and seemed to just talk among themselves, oblivious to the crowd around them, although Edge was still strumming away. Eventually they broke up and launched into the song with us all singing along too.

It’s always hard to compare concerts and I’m sure the most recent always leaves the strongest impression but I think I would have to say that the combination of being closer to the stage, the different set list and taking my teenage daughter to her first ever concert made this the best U2 show I’ve witnessed.

It wasn’t quite up there with the sheer joy and ecstasy of the Slane Castle show, but they were definitely in a very relaxed and comfortable frame of mind. Yet they were never in danger of being lazy or complacent. Tonight’s set list had bouts of energy, moments of seriousness and some poignant, reflective moments. But most of all it provided so many opportunities for band and audience to interact and be one. And that is what makes U2 the best in the world for arena shows.