Ed @ Work

I've never been around so many...

U2 fans that is. They've been everywhere.

Of course it has to do with their epic return to Croke Park, the three shows over four days that had people come from around the world, the Irish leg of the Vertigo tour.

I didn't have tickets. Don't cry for me, I didn't want tickets...not the biggest U2 Fan. While Sange was sleeping in the street waiting for the boxoffice to open I was safely home in my bed. When others were shelling out £175 (yes thats Sterling) for tickets I was laughing at the fervor worked themseves into for the band that shamefully produced Pop.

But this weekend it was unavoidable. After I dropped Nat at the gates I walked around the stadium and hung out with the other people who didn't have tickets.

The difference between them and me was they were watching the stadium lights like they could see Bono himself and emphatically sang along to every chorus. There were hundreds of people crammed into the small lanes along the North Circular road with a bag of cans and a bellowing voice. Only in Dublin.

I walked around wand watched the touts go home and the crap vendors pack up or wait around to grab the people on their way out. (By the way what the hell is with Irish people and those multicoloured, leopard print, zebra print, flourescent cowboy hats? I thought they were a staple of Hen parties but apparently they're so hot right now as concert gear as well.)

I watched the interviews and marvelled at how meaningful U2 is to people, how every song has something so special. To me they were/are just another band.

But the emotion and stories people told almost made me want to find the closest scalper and spend whatever it takes. (Point of interest, they call scalpers "touts" out here. Apparently they didn't have the same experience of meeting natives, screwing natives, getting scalped by natives in retribution like we did in North America.)

Almost. I got over it. I listened to the music and U2 was still just a band.

Clancy and Wolfgang succumbed tho, being fans and all. It is Clancy's first concert ever (he's Aussie, give him a break, they son't get the big shows all tucked away down there) so he was obviously excited. Like a kid in a candy shop he wore the tour shirt Nat bought him the night before all day, just waiting to go.

I had to keep my eyes on the prize - Electric Picnic tickets (camping) today, hopefully Sonic Youth with the Chemical Brothers on payday... It's a brilliant concert season.

Now I just have to get Oxegen sorted out and I'll be grand...

posted by Eddie @ 2:11 AM