Double triumph for U2: Vienna and Live 8

Written by The Rock Radio staff, July 2005 © The Rock Radio

"Thanks to the miracles of aeroplanes and television we can be at two places at the same time." U2 were playing Live 8 and Vienna on the same afternoon. A mere 6 hours and 11 minutes after the final verses of "Unchained Melody" in London's Hyde Park, Vienna's Ernst Happel Stadium was being intoduced to the opening chords of "Vertigo".

July 2, 2005 - one of the most important days in music history and one of the most stressful for Bono, The Edge, Larry Mullen Jr., and Adam Clayton. From the very moment that U2 agreed to do the Live 8 show on the same day as their only Austrian date of the "Vertigo" tour, it was very clear that it would be a race against time.

Showtime was fast approaching and 55.000 fans were holding their breath. 45 minutes to the scheduled opening time and the U2 plane had not even landed. Local radio stations run minute-by-minute reports on U2 wherabouts. Not surprisingly, the support acts (The Magic Numbers, The Thrills) got little attention.

Playing in two different countries on the same day is tricky and everybody in the audience knew that there are only two ways the show could go: Either down, or all the way up.

Unlike in Gelsenkirchen, Vienna got U2 at its finest. The show started 45 minutes late but the timing was just perfect. With the moon making it's way through the Viennese sky, a very cheerful Bono leaded his bandmates through storming renditions of "I Will Follow" and "The Electric Co."

"This day is historic and I am glad to spend it in Vienna" said Bono. If he knows one thing, it's how to win an audience. And when he finished "Beautiful Day" and launched into "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" - the song he sang with Paul McCartney some 390 minutes before to launch Live 8 in London - it was very clear: This is not a victory, this is a triumph for the Irish rockers.

But that was only the beginning. After "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" and "All I Want Is You" - two songs hardly played during the "Vertigo" tour - U2 switched their gigantic LED screens to full power and paired rock history with infotainment. "Sunday Bloody Sunday" got religious symbols on the screen, "Where The Streets Have No Name" colourful African flags and "One" a SMS-text-mesage-service for the audience: Text us your name and be part of the show!

Two encores and six songs (including another go at "Vertigo") later, every single member of the audience felt that he or she was part of something bigger than a rock show. Although some 1237 kilometres away, Live 8 was in Vienna too - thanks to U2.

View photos from the Vienna concert

The setlist was as follows:

Vertigo
I Will Follow
The Electric Co. / Bullet With Butterfly Wings / I Can See For Miles
Elevation
New Year's Day
Beautiful Day / Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
All I Want Is You
City Of Blinding Lights
Miracle Drug
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
Love And Peace Or Else
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Bullet The Blue Sky / The Hands That Built America / When Johnny Comes Marching Home
Running To Stand Still / Happy Birthday / Walk On
Pride (In The Name Of Love)
Where The Streets Have No Name
One

Encore 1:
Zoo Station
The Fly
With Or Without You

Encore 2:
All Because Of You
Yahweh
Vertigo