Where do I start? This concert was big, and I mean really big. The timing was perfect. New Zealand was totally embracing U2 at that time and the media went into a frenzy as they touched down and held press conferences for the media. Christchurch was the first date of a 3 city tour (Christchurch, Wellington, Auckland) and to cap it all off BB King would open! This was my first concert ever and everyone at school was gonna damn sure be there. In the end 65,000 crammed into Lancaster Park (the biggest crowd ever) and all walks of life were there. Opening act Bamboo was just ok--it was like cheesy funk but they managed ok all things considered--BB made his appearance and played the crowed like he played guitar, effortlessly. Nobody had seen a showman like him before He made the guitar look like an extension of himself--I didnt talk, just watched. Seeing him do the vibrato on his gibson was freaky--amazing.

He left (temporarily) and The red background and opening strains of "Streets have no name" kicked in. That was it.....The crowd went crazy and stayed that way for 2 and a half hours. If youd seen "Rattle and Hum" then it was all very familiar--maybe surreal to actually see it for real. I have never screamed at the top of my voice for so long--but then again, everyone was. It was all a blur really and I remember reading an interview where Bono said that the band were just so overwhealmed that they couldn't connect with the audience which was sad because everyone was with them that day. I remember some strange moments like Bono saying "how does it feel to be Kiwi" hmmmm difficult one to answer that. The other was when they brought an audience member called "JB" onstage and he played the opening chords to "desire" or something similar. It was only afterward that i found out that the crowd outside the park had almost rioted in an attempt to get in and see U2 (pushed down fences -the lot) before police stopped them. Such was the fervor of the Christchurch people to see U2. An epic concert. a once in a life time thing. Consider yourself a lesser man for not being there. Enough said.

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