U2360° TOUR Leg 3: 2011

Show Report

Moviegoers watching 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon', which opens in cinemas this week, will hear a new song by U2 - North Star - but not before 75,000 fans at the Sun Life Stadium in Miami tonight.

The North American debut of the new track, ' a love song to the universe' as Bono called it, was one of the stand-out moments on a hot and sticky evening where the rain stayed away and the 360 space ship took off again.

'We love Miami,' explained Bono. 'That's well known. The balmy summer heat, the palm trees, the dolphins, the Marlins... by the way we love the Marlins.' (That went down well - the Marlins had to move several games from this, their home stadium, to accomodate the 360 show this week.)
'Miami is a sort of crossroads between South America and North America, the Caribbean and Ireland. Irish people are like Latin Americans... who don't know how to dance.'

An opening quartet of tracks from Achtung Baby set the scene tonight before we went back to 1979 ('I Will Follow') and forward to 2009 ('Boots') and when we arrived in the 1980's, 'Still Haven't Found' paid tribute to Clarence Clemons with a tip of the hat to Jungleland.

A shout- out to Lebron James - who is here and gets a mighty reception - and also to Carl Willner, the father of producer Hal, a longtime friend of the band. Carl has recently published a remarkable book, Carl's Story; The Persistence of Hope, a memoir of how as a teenager he survived the concentration camps of Auschwitz, Buchenwald and Dachau.

'Unos, dos, tres...'
'Are you ready to take the roof off... if we had a roof?' By Vertigo everyone was ready and the roof we didn't have was duly removed. 'Crazy' became ' a love song to Cuba - one day Cuba will be free' and as Walk On arrived, Bono invited everyone to remember Cuban human rights activist Dr Oscar Elias Biscet. Dr Biscet endured many years in prison in Cuba for opposing the government and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George Bush in 2007. 'Let everyone in Cuba know he is special to us and we are watching... we are watching.'

A barnstorming Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me gave way to a transcendent With Or Without You before Moment of Surrender paid tribute to the late and great Clarence Clemons, whose brother Bill was here tonight.
'There's one brighter star in the firmament, his name is Clarence Clemons, his family and friends are here tonight... good night Clarence Clemons, good night Miami.'

Were you in Miami tonight ? How bright was the North Star ? What was the moment you'll never surrender ? Write up your own review of the show and post your photos below.

U2360° FANCAM in Miami!