U2 proves it's still in top form with live-concert 'Vertigo 2005'
By David Barton -- Bee Staff Writer
It's been 20 years since U2 first gained widespread attention as a
live act, attention that was built through its first three albums but
that suddenly exploded with the release of the 1983 concert video
"Under a Blood Red Sky."
The performance, filmed at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado, was a
tour de force that featured songs such as "New Year's Day," "Sunday
Bloody Sunday" and "I Will Follow," powered by a post-punk energy, a
passionate idealism and a flair for the dramatic that would soon make
U2 the biggest rock band in the world.
Still, who would have imagined then that 20 years later the band, its
members now in their mid-40s, would still be the biggest rock band in
the world?
And who would have imagined that they would rock even harder than they
did when they were young and hungry?
But what is striking about the new U2 concert DVD, "Vertigo 2005/U2
Live From Chicago" (Interscope, $19.99, $32.98 deluxe edition), is
what a brilliant rock band this still is. Sure, Bono's heavier than he
was 22 years ago, but his stage presence is more solid and less
jittery than it once was.
And from the blistering punkish energy of "Vertigo" through the bluesy
showpiece "Love and Peace or Else" to the extended showcase of songs
from "Achtung Baby," the band barely lets up. Maturity has only served
this band.
The Vertigo tour has been the year's hottest ticket, with 110 sold-out
shows, which is saying something in a year in which Paul McCartney and
the Rolling Stones also have toured. According to Pollstar's
preliminary figures, it will likely prove to be the
second-biggest-grossing concert tour ever.
And like McCartney and the Stones, U2 is sure to cover its bases when
it comes to the group's most popular songs: "Vertigo 2005" is
chock-full of classic U2, from "Where the Streets Have No Name" and
"Pride (In the Name of Love)" to "Mysterious Ways."
But U2 also mixes in a number of more-obscure older tracks, notably
"Electric Co." and "An Cat Dubh/Into the Heart" from its 1980 debut,
"Boy." Both are still mesmerizing and underline how great this band
was from the start.
And unlike other big headliners, U2 is still turning out best-selling
new albums, and those songs come across brilliantly live. "Beautiful
Day" soars as high as it ever has, "All Because of You" rocks
relentlessly and "Yahweh" deepens in its new acoustic rendition.
"Love and Peace or Else" is a revelation live, with Bono tackling a
single floor tom drum and turning a simple beat into a political
protest against war and torture. With a blindfold with symbols for
Christianity, Islam and Judaism written on it, U2, led by Bono, is
unafraid to take on political causes, even challenging the dominant
values of the time.
U2's passion for issues, such as ending extreme poverty in Africa,
freeing prisoners of conscience and forcing modern democracies to live
up to their ideals, informs the entire concert. If all you want is
some good tunes, U2 will give you more than you bargained for, whether
dedicating "Running To Stand Still" to U.S. soldiers fighting and
dying in Iraq, or introducing "Pride (In the Name of Love)" with a
reading of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, with a
special emphasis on the line, "No one should be subject to torture."
U2 also is unashamed about wearing its religious faith on its sleeves,
and the band members' passionate belief in religious notions of right
and wrong, charity and faith, further fuel their fire.
All of this comes across so well on DVD because U2 has been playing
with visuals in its live shows for as long as it has been performing.
The 1983 "Under a Blood Red Sky" video made terrific use of the
venue's gas fires and overarching rocks, and the 1992 Zoo TV Tour was
the zenith of multimedia concert production.
The Vertigo tour was relatively stripped down, but the visuals are
still stunning, and Bono makes use of every moment to connect with the
audience, both through his body movements and his interaction with the
visual production.
The result is to make the home viewing experience nearly as immediate
as the live one.
Sadly, as with most live concert DVDs these days, the director -
Hamish Hamilton - doesn't trust the performers enough to be visually
interesting, so we get constant jumping from camera to camera, as
though the director is trying to communicate the excitement of the
concert experience. The result is condescending and irritating. Some
respectful long shots would be a welcome relief.
And the second DVD in the deluxe set is a disappointment, a casualty,
perhaps, of the Interscope marketing department. Although it's
entitled "Beyond the Tour - Documentary," the short film is neither.
"access" (zzzzz) and samples of earnest, but hardly interesting, fan
passion. Save your money and get the cheaper edition.
But this is the biggest rock band in the world, with the biggest rock
star in the world fronting it, addressing issues more boldly than any
other rock band. Thus, "Vertigo 2005," like the many U2 concert videos
before it, is an essential document of the essential rock band of our
time.
http://www.sacticket.com/movies/reviews/story/13981901p-14815539c.html
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"I don't care (if I get booed). I don't know any of those people. As long as my kids tell me that they love me, I'm fine. My motto is, when people talk about me, I say, 'Who are they? They're not God.' If God was out there booing me, I'd be upset."
-- Bonzi Wells, Sacramento Kings
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