Vertigo

The second show was right up there again. Well, what do you expect ? This is U2 and New York!

Just a short report from us on the second night of our week long stay in New York: there's lots going on what with TV shows, photography exhibitions, Q Awards in London... Oh, and the small matter of three shows in the next five days.

'Oh Manhattan, Oh Manhattan,' sang Bono as another show got ready to leave the ground. 'City of blinding lights ­ how are ya?'

No surprises that there were plenty of beautiful people in for the second night, including Minnie Driver, Jon Bon Jovi, John McEnroe and Salman Rushdhie. But a great surprise to find I Will Follow back in the set list.
Lovely touch too when Bono announced he wanted to introduce the next song to a friend of his on his birthday ­ and with the arrival of a conveniently arranged phone, he proceeded to ring up one Gavin Friday who turned out to be celebrating his special day across the other side of the continent. We all sang him Happy Birthday and then it was all our birthdays because All I Want Is You was the song for Gavin and boy does a U2 crowd know how to sing that song.

Maybe the debut on this leg for that eighties classic signalled that the band are intent on mixing it up even more for their week here. We knew the wonderful Miracle Drug would turn up, but you can never tell who it might be dedicated to ­ tonight it went out to another great medicine man. 'We'd like to dedicate this to Dr Alan Rosenthal - this is for you.'

Everyone in the Garden was high on U2 love by now, barely noticing as one song passed into another. Bono announced another special guest would appear during One, this one not on the phone but in person. As Larry, Adam and Edge kicked off One, Bono sang the first verse and then brought Mary J Blige on stage. She can sing this song like no one else - remember her performance with U2 for the Hurricane Katrina relief concert ? - but tonight, live in front of 20,000 people, she seemed to take it to another level.