Even Better than the Real Thing

Well, not exactly, but only in this U23D adventure can you actually get right up in Bono's face, unless you're the one chosen to dance at the real show...

If you did not go to any shows on this tour, or if you want to see the gigantic stage set up they used abroad, with the 90-foot bank of effects/lights, this is like being there. Well, it's actually more like being a bird and being there. And it's kind of overwhelming, this view. At one point, from the side, you see the crowd jumping up and down, making a weird wave-like effect, and Joann and I both pointed and said - 'Dublin!' It was that overwhelming...

It wasn't filmed in Dublin though, it was filmed mostly in Argentina - it's a reminder of U2's huge popularity when you watch fans for whom English is not their first language, singing along with every song. And a reminder too, of how really uptight Americans are when it comes to expressing emotion and really enjoying themselves at a show. The shows I went to locally were just a pale comparison in terms of audience appreciation and participation. Not to mention, way more aggressive idiots here.

The film is not just a 3D concert either, it's an aesthetic experience, a work of art in its own right. If you've been to some shows you know that they incorporate mostly video art, but they have also produced some spectacular effects just with lighting - like projecting the names of the 9/11 victims onto the crowd itself... but this gives them a chance to combine art and show in a way that feels natural - the art enhances the effects of the songs, and there is a feeling of immersion in it that you couldn't get at a show, because you are always aware of your surroundings.

There was a moment in the last 5 minutes of the Dublin show where I was right up front and the bank of lights was displaying words and images faster than I could comprehend them, and the music was incredibly loud (second go of Vertigo), and I was off my feet, taken along with taller people who were moving forward, and jumping up and down - I felt like I was out of my body, and actually had a bit of trouble reorienting when it was over... There were a couple minutes like that in the movie - totally unexpected.

So anyway, go, even if you're the most casual fan, (and you'll like the setlist then) it's worth it.