U2 Elevation 2001 MONTREAL MAY 27 2001
U2 Elevation 2001 MONTREAL MAY 27 2001
U2 Elevation 2001 MONTREAL MAY 27 2001

U2, Elevation 2001 MONTREAL MAY 27 2001

Spice Girls Play Montreal

27 May 2001
Spice Girls Play Montreal

This is a first. Down at the front of the heart stage tonight are six girls and a guy wearing a carefully choreographed selection of individualised
t-shirts. Reading from left to right, their message is Do - You - Feel -
Like - It's A - Beautiful - Day.

In Montreal tonight, for the first of two shows, everyone does. In fact it is such a beautiful night that Bono later declares this audience the loudest of the tour.

'Twenty years ago this week or last week,' remembers Bono. 'We played a place imaginatively called Le Club. I don't remember how many people were therebut I promise you this is just great.
'We've got friends here,' he adds, as 20,000 people agree. 'This is for Michael Hutchence who we lost along the way.'

The End of The World gets its own kind of dedication tonight, 'Judas, This is Judas' explains the singer, introducing the track, before turning to another song about 'about death and destruction, about letting go of someone that you love and don't want to let go of.'

'Could be a girl, could be a child, could be an old manager.' he explains and then 'This is Kite' taking up his shining red acoustic guitar.
Gone becomes New York as Bono swaggers down the heart catwalk, taking a bunch of flowers from a fan, bowing, blowing kisses back to fans and, in Out of Control, drop-kicking a cup of water into the crowd.

'How are we doing?' he asks. 'I'd like to introduce you to the rest of the Spice Girls.
'On drums, Baby Spice...come on down, Larry Mullen Jnr.
'On the bass, Posh Spice, Lord Adam Clayton.' Here the analogy gets shaky as he asks Edge, 'Are you Sporty or Scary?'

'Wearing No. 7 this evening, he could have come on the space shuttle but he chose a cream Les Paul...'

Cue ovation for latest band application - looks like they got the job in Montreal.

Desire, with Bono and Edge performing at the tip of the heart shaped catwalk, is 'For any punk rock bands, any garage bands.'

And Stay ? 'What's the story ? It started when we were recording in Berlin at the start of the 90's. The Berlin Wall had come down to unite the two countries. When we got off the 'plane we wanted to go to the celebrations for the unification of Germany. So we went and everyone looked like they were having a crap time - very, very worrying how the Germans party.'

Wrong party!

'Then we realised this was the protest at the wall coming down party. I can talk some more if you like...'

No one would have minded but no need. They play music too, this time Stay, illuminated by lighters and sparklers auditorium-wide. The song finishes with lyrical homage to the evening, 'London, Belfast, Montreal.'

For The Fly, Bono takes centre stage, wonders down the catwalk and obtains a pair of glasses from a fan, trying them on for size and style, then taking a camera and attempting to take a photo of himself.

And if this show is getting wilder with every song, this audience are getting louder - technology confirms it.

'Every night we have an instrument that measures the crowd noise, explains Bon before introducing One. 'And this is the noisest crowd of the whole tour.
'Thank you for coming out and spending your hard earned on a rock show.
'We played a big gigantic Olympic thing (Olympic Parc), we played there on PopMart and Zoo TV and had some great nights there in difficult circumstances, so thank you for that and thank you for following us down the Jubilee 2000 road, it meant a lot too.'

As a special treat Bono sings an acoustic version of the song he wrote for Roy Orbison, Mystery Girl before Walk On completes the loudest night of the year.

MORE NEWS

ALL NEWS
Carnaval De Luz Indie Record Store Edition
CARNAVAL DE LUZ

Limited Edition Third Man Records Yellow Vinyl of New Album Arrives November 13 at Independent Record Stores

30 SEP 2026
Central Bank Deputy Governor Vasileios Madouros presented the coin to Larry Mullen Jr.
50TH ANNIVERSARY

Central Bank of Ireland launches U2 commemorative coin marking 50 years since the band's formation.

28 SEP 2026
Fifty
50TH ANNIVERSARY

Live in Dublin fifty years on. Pat Carty was there for U2.com.

27 SEP 2026
'CARNAVAL DE LUZ' - New Album In November.
CARNAVAL DE LUZ

The band's first studio album in nine years will be released on November 13th. Silencio, second track from...

24 SEP 2026
It’s Arrived (with a surprise)
SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVES

The Days of Ash Propaganda Magazine & EP bundle is here… complete with a bonus Easter Lily edition...

17 SEP 2026
'2027 Persons of the Year'
HEARTS + MINDS

Band to be honoured by Musicares for 'five decades of musical achievement and humanitarian service'

10 SEP 2026
’Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah’
COMPILATIONS

Release of Pogues cover today, Friday, from stellar line up for '20th Century Paddy - The Songs Of...

28 AUG 2026
'Fireflies'
COLLABORATIONS

Out today!  Martin Garrix teams up with U2 on new track 'Fireflies', debuted live with Edge at Tomorrowland...

24 JUL 2026
'In a place called Mexico…'

Behind-the-scenes with band and crew on the shoot for 'Street of Dreams'.

17 JUL 2026
Street Of Dreams - The New Single is Here.
SINGLES

Listen to Street of Dreams, the first single from the band's upcoming studio album.

07 JUL 2026
’BALLROOM BOOM’
TV

'Ballroom Boom' screening at the Galway Film Fleadh this Thursday.

07 JUL 2026
What a wonder. They're calling it "The Obamalisk"
BONO

Bono and Edge performing City of Blinding Lights at the grand opening of the Obama Presidential Center in...

22 JUN 2026
SHOWING 12 OF 4770 STORIES KEEP SCROLLING FOR MORE ↓

Related Topic

LATEST COMMENTS

THE NEW ALBUM
CARNAVAL DE LUZ

The new album. Out 13 November 2026.

PRE-ORDER

SUBSCRIBE TO U2.COM

Special editorial and video, exclusive newsletters and events, 25% coupon for the shop and first access to ticket sales when the band tour.