PORTLAND, APRIL 15
Ten Things You Might Like to Know About U2 in Portland for Elevation 2001
1. It was Easter Sunday and some surprise songs were resurrected for the occassion. They played 24 in total (see set list)
2. Special guests included Woody Harrelson (and friends - he's currently on a cycling tour of the U.S), Paul Allen of Microsoft, Robbie Robertson (of The Band).
3. For The End of the World Bono is a bull with horns and Edge a matador with electric guitar.
4. The band covered The Ramones 'I Remember You', a tribute to Joey Ramone who died of cancer today (see news story). U2 debuted the track at their Irving Plaza gig in December and Joey had attended the bands' Saturday Night Live appearance at the time as their special guest. Bono also dedicated One to Joey Ramone, adding a snatch of Amazing Grace.
5. Amongst the signs carried by fans tonight are 'Sunday Easter Sunday'; 'Take me slow dancing'; 'You touch my heart and move my lips, you get in my head and sway my hips and I love it.'
Someone in the heart looks suspiciously like Macphisto.
6. Bono introduces the members of the band.
'I'd like to do something that's almost impossible for a singer to do, I'd like to introduce you to the band.
Before we were U2 or even the Hype, before we lived up to that, before all those names, for one lunchbreak we were The Larry Mullen Band.
The man who gave us our first and only jobs and has never stopped reminding us, Larry Mullen Jnr.'
There is a deafening response as Larry walks from the drums to the front of the heart, whispering in Bono's ear as he passes.
'Larry says he's big in Portland.'
And then.
'The jazz man, the musical conscience, the man with the biggest instrument, the first manager and by far the poshest member of the U2, Lord Adam Clayton.'
And also, as well, not forgetting.
'The scientist of the band, he could fly the space shuttle but no, he came to Portland on the train, even his mum calls him The Edge.... The Edge, would you like some breakfast?'
7. Edge is wearing a No.16 t-shirt.
8. The huge audience become massed choirs for Sunday Bloody Sunday, all singing the words to the opening bars, threatening to raise the roof, the Sunday Easter Sunday banner riding high.
9. If the spirit of a Ramone is present tonight, The Ground Beneath Her Feet was written by another 'famous punk rock singer, Salman Rushdie.' Desire is 'for anyone who is starting a band, this is for you...call Robbie Robertson.'
10. Bad segues into Forty, a psalm, which everyone is singing as Bono is reading another over the opening chords of Streets, 'And when I go there, I go there with you...'
