U2 review, O2 Arena London: Absorbed by their own spectacle

The self-mythologising rock god images so often blasted across the gigantic screen stretching the length of the O2?suggest that Bono's?modesty is skin deep

Mark Beaumont
Wednesday 24 October 2018 04:16 EDT
Comments
?
U2: eXPERIENCE & iNNOCENCE Tour heading to Europe in 2018

As their eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE tour winds to a close, completing a four-year encapsulation of U2’s lives and career over the course of two semi-autobiograpical albums, what have the band learnt? That forcing 2014’s Songs of Innocence into 500 million iTunes accounts isn’t a benevolent gift to the world but, to many ears, the sonic equivalent of having your front room unexpectedly selected to host the inaugural Piers Morgan Lecture? That, come last year’s sister-piece Songs of Experience, they’re no musical William Blake? And, perhaps, that a little humility might go a long way in winning over new generations of music fans who see U2 as the epitome of smug, cosy, ego-riven and tiresomely preachy rock superstardom?

To their credit, they’ve gained an inkling. “We’re the greatest rock’n’roll band on the north side of Dublin!” Bono cries before launching into a desert disco-style “Even Better Than the Real Thing” out on a glitterball festooned second stage. But the self-mythologising rock god images so often blasted across the gigantic screen stretching the length of the O2 tonight suggest that his modesty is only skin deep.

Instead, after Songs of Innocence and its accompanying tour explored the band’s youth and roots on the rough end of Dublin’s Cedarwood Road and Songs of Experience tackled the personal and political ills of the modern day, the conclusion their journey has brought them to is that “wisdom is the recovery of innocence at the far end of experience”. Or, as Bono puts it in one of his many confessional between-song TED talks, they’ve reconnected with the “four Irish boys lost in the Eighties…”

If anything, U2 have become lost in technology over the past four years. They first appear playing inside their elongated transparent screen hanging along the centre of the arena, repurposed from 2015’s Songs of Innocence tour to display images of modern dictators like Trump, Putin and Kim Jong-un as Charlie Chaplin’s rousing speech from The Great Dictator booms out and “The Blackout” declares “democracy is flat on its back, Jack”. There’s no more fitting metaphor for the way U2 have become absorbed by their own spectacle.

Their music is entirely predictable – panoramic pomp rock, devilish disco, the odd spot of gospel. The thrill is almost entirely in the show, a technological marvel that fills the O2 with war footage, brain scans, clacker board soundbites (“Ambition bites the nails of art”, “Taste is the enemy of art”, “Watch more TV”) and, during one interval, a five-minute U2 comic book animation. But this seems a little scattershot in the wake of Muse’s similarly arena-strafing – but far more coherent – Drones tour.

There is a loose narrative to the night: a potted history of U2. As the band emerge from the screen onto a fixed stage, Bono yells “we’re U2 and this is our new song!” and they launch into 1980’s quasi-punk “I Will Follow”, stripped to its raw bones and standing righteously on its own two feet. If Bono wasn’t doing his stature enhancing leaning-into-the-wind pose like a billionaire Marcel Marceau, we could be back in a Dublin club basement in 1979.

There is a loose narrative to the night: a potted history of U2
There is a loose narrative to the night: a potted history of U2 (PA)

Before long, he’s reminiscing about “playing to 34 people at the Hope and Anchor”, riding the central walkway as it transforms into a Berlin subway carriage for a gnarled, rattling “Zoo Station”, and recalling band breakdowns while recording in Berlin’s Hansa studios in 1990 in search of “the spirit of David Bowie and Iggy Pop”, dark days marked with the gorgeous, slow-cooked groove of “Stay (Faraway, So Close!)”. Bono’s demonic 1993 alter-ego MacPhisto even makes a cameo, digitally mapped onto his face and claiming responsibility for destroying world unity like a cheap CGI Pennywise the Clown.

Such interjections are, by turns, touching, revealing, humanising and just plain laughable. After a virile “Vertigo”, there’s a moving integrity to Bono dissecting how fame and ego “went to our heads” in the Nineties. Yet a tears-of-a-clown confessional that finds him admitting “I had just enough low self-esteem to get me where I needed to go” during a soppy fake call home could make a house brick cringe. The narrative lacks its cornerstone too: having played The Joshua Tree in full on an anniversary tour last year, they ignore it here, leaving a gaping hole at the heart of the gig and faint echoes of its majesty reverberating through the far inferior recent material.

There are powerful moments – a stirring “Beautiful Day”, a storming “Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses”, an uplifting tribute to Aleppo with “Summer of Love” – but too often the politics stifle the songs. As the EU flag is hoisted behind the stage and Bono applauds it as stoically as a statesman, old-school crackers like “New Year’s Day” and “Pride (In The Name Of Love)” suffer from being infused with political poignancy rather than hammered out full-throttle.

And Bono still hasn’t grasped that, as much as we might agree with his messages of unity and togetherness, it’s still a little galling to be lectured on poverty and social dissolution by a billionaire with labyrinthine international tax arrangements and a major stake in the notoriously HMRC-shy Facebook. Still, as hollow and self-important as it can all seem, the U2 spectacle is still capable of sucking you in. A rollercoaster eXPERIENCE.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
soxtry.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
maw-pr.com
zaaksen.com
ypxsptbfd7.com
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
onlinenewsofindia.com
worldgraphic-team.com
bnsrz.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
webmanicura.com
osostore.com
softsmob.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
odskc.com
inzziln.info
leaiiln.info
cq-oa.com
dqtianshun.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
bartoysdirect.com
taquerialoscompadresdc.com
aaoodln.info
amcckln.info
drvrnln.info
dwabmln.info
fcsjoln.info
hlonxln.info
kcmeiln.info
kplrrln.info
fatcatoons.com
91guoys.com
signupforfreehosting.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
topsedu.xyz
xmxm7.com
x332.xyz
sportstrainingblog.com
autopartspares.com
readguy.net
soniasegreto.com
bobbygdavis.com
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
qazwsxedcokmijn.com
parabis.net
terriesandelin.com
luxuryhomme.com
studyexpanse.com
ronoom.com
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
snn01.com
hope-kelley.com
bancodeprofissionais.com
zjccp99.com
liturgycreator.com
weedsmj.com
majorelenco.com
colcollect.com
androidnews-jp.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
nova-click.com
abeautifulcrazylife.com
diggmobile.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
sizam-design.com
kakakpintar.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
bamthemes.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com
avgo.top