Thursday, November 17, 2022

Bono


We had some sun yesterday, a welcome change! The garden's color scheme is slowly shifting to yellow and red. The Japanese maple really stands out in the back. It always sends up a flame of blazing color in November. The walnut and hazel have normally shed more of their leaves by now, I think.

Looking at this photo makes me glad the tree trimmers are coming in January. It's all getting a little out of control.

Yesterday's visit from Thames Water was pretty anticlimactic. The guy showed up about 10:30, ran a couple of tests and announced that they were "negative" and he would "take us out of the system," which means we don't have any leaks. The water company recently replaced some kind of junction box or meter at the street, and he theorized that our "leak" was detected prior to that, and then corrected when that work was done. Regardless, that's one less thing I have to think about.

It was nice to have the morning off, though. I didn't read a lick of "Great Expectations," but I got caught up on a bunch of housework, like cleaning the dining room windowsill and rinsing off the orchids. We're going to get quite a few flowers in a couple of months -- seems like almost every plant has a flower stalk.

I finally got to work about 11:30 a.m. and spent an uneventful day before meeting up in the evening with some co-workers to see Bono, of U2, perform in Soho. He's just released a memoir -- which he jokingly calls in an exaggerated Irish accent "me book wot I wrote meself" -- and his show involved telling stories from his life interspersed with snippets of songs. I've liked U2 since the '80s, around the time of "The Unforgettable Fire" (which I still think is their best album), and in fact I saw them in concert many, many years ago.


Here's my ticket stub from that show, which I still have. Pretty amazing that in 1992 it only cost $25 to see them live. (Last night's ticket was £140.) And that 1992 show was special, because it was the launch of their "Achtung Baby" tour. The Lakeland Civic Center is not a big arena by modern standards, and it felt pretty intimate compared to the stadium tours they did later. Here's my account from my journal at the time:

I saw U2 in concert on Saturday -- it was the most UNBELIEVABLE show I've ever experienced. I actually touched Bono's leg! (What a groupie!) I'm sure I'll never forget it. The set was incredibly slick -- with all these video screens flashing images and messages ("Call your mother," "Guilt is not God," etc.) and cars hanging from the ceiling. Bono came out onto a runway stage that brought him within feet of our seats. (That's when I touched him. He was wearing black leather pants that felt very weird.) Our seats really made the experience for us, too -- they were great -- 15 rows back in the media section. Arthur got the tickets purely by luck; the show's been long sold out, but he called late and they released these tickets at the last minute.

It was the same week I saw George H. W. Bush make a campaign appearance at the Strawberry Festival in Plant City, and I was kind of star-struck -- though obviously I was much less excited about Bush than Bono. I did not touch Bush's leg.

Anyway, it was interesting last night to watch Bono on stage, a 62-year-old man, and think of that earlier experience, when I was 25 and he was merely 31. A copy of his book came with the ticket. I will surely read it and probably donate it to our school library.

One interesting side note: Audience members at last night's show were required to put their phones in security bags and leave them with the theater attendants, to prevent illicit photos or recordings. (The show was being recorded professionally for some kind of future production.) Knowing this in advance, I didn't take my phone at all. It felt weird to be without it, but I'm not very phone-dependent so I coped!

27 comments:

Moving with Mitchell said...

Two special experiences (I’ll discount George H.W.) That first concert must have been something else. I saw Springsteen & the E Street Band in the '70s when he was just becoming a name. Small venue. Amazing show. I would have left my phone at home, as well. It must have been annoying to have to collect it after the show.

River said...

Now I have to go to youtube and listen to some Bono so I know what you are talking about.

northsider said...

I saw U2 around 1980 at Greenbelt Festival before they were famous. I didn't think they were very good. Just shows how much I knew.

Frances said...

Unusually I haven't got an orchid in flower at the moment, normally got 2 or 3, but just had a look at them and delighted to find 3 of them sending up flower stalks!

Andrew said...

I haven't seen Bono for years and I am surprised he is 62. The show sounds like it was entertaining. Couldn't you stretch up and touch more than his leg when he was younger? I would rather hand my phone in than not bring it as I would be without it for less time.

Sabine said...

Sometime in the mid 1980s when I was living in Cork, Ireland, we would go to Sunday afternoon summer concerts in a local park, performers were the usual small Irish bands, local people etc. Imagine the atmosphere with kids and blankets and picnic baskets. One Sunday when we were packing up after the last performance, a friend who worked for the local radio whispered in my ear, stay you won't regret it, and I watched as more people stayed behind whispering in hushed voices and before we knew what was happening, U2 appeared on the small open air stage and played a full 2 hour set for free.

Yorkshire Pudding said...

Some audience members will surely have been suffering from panic attacks as lots of people are so addicted to their phones these days that it's like drug dependency. It's nice that though you have a phone, it does not rule your life. I thought "Bono" was a crunchy dog food.

Ms. Moon said...

I never understood U2's appeal but I know that a lot of people surely did love them. I read an excerpt from Bono's new book in the New Yorker.
You truly WERE a groupie! I never touched a famous performer's leg in my time but BB King did shake hands with people from the stage at the end of his concerts and I am very proud to say that I was one of the lucky ones once.

Ed said...

I wonder if he lubed up his leather pants so rabid fans couldn't latch on? I know if I was ever idol famous, I wouldn't wear grippy clothes when close to fans.

Pixie said...

I listened to an interview by Bono sometime this past week. I know the music but didn't know much about him; it was a very interesting listen. The thing that has always bothered me about him is those stupid glasses, turns out he has glaucoma and he needs sunglasses. Now I feel bad. Years ago I went to a science centre and there was a laser light show combined with U2's music, I've never forgotten that and when I hear the music, I am transported back to that time.

Sharon said...

What an exciting day you had. I can't believe that $25 got you seats close enough to touch him back in 92.
They must have had a complex system for checking phones. That's a lot of phones to get back to people at the end of the concert. I don't blame you for not taking one at all.

NewRobin13 said...

I never listened to U2 or Bono, but now I'm going to go to youtube and find something. I love that you got to see him again all these years later.

The Bug said...

Very cool! I had seen Bono pop up here & there & wondered what was up - book tour!

I probably wouldn't have been able to find the venue without my phone - ha!

The Padre said...

Righteous Ticket Stub - I Was So Fortunate Enough To Have Seen Them Live Twice In San Diego - That Japanese Maple Is Flipping Gorgeous - Bring On The Olga Girl Photos

Yahooo000

Janie Junebug said...

Did you ever washed the hand that touched Bono's leg?

Love,
Janie

Kelly said...

What a fun evening! I use to really enjoy U2. I'm pretty attached to my phone, but would much rather leave it at home than turn it over to someone at an event like that. Good that you knew in advance.

Bob said...

Bono was on Graham Norton recently and talked about how, in the space of one week in high school, he met the guys who would become his bandmates and his future wife. Very cool, I thought.

Margaret said...

I would love to see U2 in concert. I recently went to The Who and was amazed by how those 77 and 78 front men can still rock and roll!! I did take a number of photos and videos--oops. No one said not to.

sparklingmerlot said...

How great that he still has the power to thrill.
Putting phones away is a great idea on many fronts. I wonder if it will happen more often at shows. Next, let's do restaurants.

Debby said...

I regularly forget my phone. Born too early to get fully addicted, I suppose.

I would love to see U2. In addition to being a great musician, Bono is a good human bean, as well.

Elizabeth said...

I wish I'd saved all the concert tickets -- I remember seeing big, big bands in the seventies and eighties for under $10 at the Omni in Atlanta!

Steve Reed said...

Mitchell: We were the first in line getting out the door, so my friend got his phone pretty quickly -- but yeah, it must have been a nightmare for people farther back.

River: You've heard U2, I'm sure, whether you knew it or not! Their most famous songs include "Pride (In the Name of Love)," "Where the Streets Have No Name," and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For."

Northsider: Well, maybe they weren't! Every band has an "off" performance, and 1980 would have been about the time they were going through some problems that almost broke them up.

Frances: Ours seem to send up flowers over the winter. I have no idea why. We have four in flower at the moment and flower stalks on almost all the rest.

Andrew: I didn't want to get arrested! I could only reach his ankle.

Sabine: THAT sounds amazing! Great to see them on their home turf.

YP: It's true. My friend was really annoyed that he had to surrender his phone.

Ms Moon: BB King is a great "brush with fame"! I read that New Yorker excerpt and I enjoyed it a lot. I hope the whole book is like that.

Ed: Ha! I'm surprised the cat walk was narrow enough to allow us to touch him. They should have made it wider.

Pixie: I didn't know that about the sunglasses! He didn't mention that during his show. I had a similar experience with a laser light show and Genesis in the '80s. Every time I hear "Abacab" (which isn't often) I picture those lasers.

Sharon: Yeah, I have no idea how they tracked whose was whose.

Robin: I kept looking at his ankles and thinking, "I touched that ankle!"

Bug: Well, we did wander a bit out of our way, to be honest!

Padre: Cool that you saw them twice! You might have the opportunity to catch Bono's solo show if he takes this on the road.

Janie: Ha! Yes, I did. The germophobe in me triumphed over the groupie. :)

Kelly: It felt kind of good to be free of it, honestly. I should leave it at home more often!

Bob: Yeah, he mentioned that during the show!

Margaret: Well, I suppose not all bands mind. If they didn't tell you not to I'd say you were within your rights!

Merlot: I agree, although I have to admit I've hauled my phone out in restaurants now and then in order to Google something.

Debby: I agree. It's never been an addiction with me. In fact I didn't even have a cell phone until about 2006.

Elizabeth: Yes! It's crazy how cheap concerts once were.

ellen abbott said...

It's astounding to me how expensive concert tickets are now. How can anyone afford to go? Your experience with Bono reminded me of the Donovan concert I went to. I got off work the day of the concert and went to buy tickets. When I walked in the guy was on the phone. He hung up, asked me what I wanted, two tickets to see Donovan, you're in luck two front row seats have just been released. That was the phone call he was on when I walked in. Turned out front row was really second row since front row was reserved for family and special guests.

Linda d said...

My absolute favorite band! Love the music and the man.

Saw them in Paris on my birthday a few years back. A definite best birthday.

Thanks for sharing your night and the old memories too.

Ps. I’m pretty partial to Joshua Tree 🎶

Jeanie said...

First of all, glad there is no leak. Cross that off the list! And the concert sounds great. I like Bono too and have seen him promoting his book. I'll be curious as to how you like it so when you get it read, do share! (We were all a lot groupier back then!)

Steve Reed said...

Linda D: "Joshua Tree" is phenomenal too. I can't argue with that. :)

Jeanie: Yeah, being a groupie (or groupie-ish) goes with being that age and seeing a band you love, I guess.

Steve Reed said...

Ellen: Wow! THAT was a score! It's all about the timing! :)