U2, Jay-Z @ Etihad Stadium,Melbourne (01/12/2010)

Fri 3rd Dec, 2010 in Gig Reviews

Three hundred and sixty is a lot of degrees. Too many for most bands, but apparently not enough for U2. Not content with making sure that the whole crowd can actually see Bono’s arse while he talks out of it, the Irish lads land a ‘spaceship’ at Etihad, complete with expanding, egg-sac like wraparound projector screen and a light display to rival Sydney’s new year fireworks. Seems like they mean business then. Add to this a cleverly devised set list and a head-scratchingly different support act and the stage is set for an intriguing night in the Dome.

Sharing little in common with the headliner other than a social conscious, Jay-Z remains a strange choice of opening act. Staying decidedly 270 degrees, much to the chagrin of fans at the Coventry end of the stadium, his set does still manages to lend a glorious festival atmosphere to the occasion, bringing a sense of fun to the sun-soaked crowd. Ripping at relatively high speed through classics like Dirt Off Your Shoulder and Run This Town, his talents as an entertainer have the punters bouncing imaginary basketballs like nobody’s business before hit single Empire State of Mind gets bodies swaying to Alicia Keys sultry, albeit piped-in, vocals. Best of all is 99 Problems which, in its faster live incarnation, ends up strangely reminiscent of a Beastie Boys tirade.

A sea of body popping hipsters is testament to the fact that, for many, Jay-Z is the headliner of the show, or at least a welcome addition to what now seems like a mini festival bill. His chosen genre isn’t for everyone in attendance, especially the good few thousand who chose to hang around outside the stadium while he performed, but with a full band and a great sense of occasion Beyonce’s beau is more than worth half the price of admission. However, as a giant projected clock counts down to an imagined midnight (about 8.55) and U2’s imminent arrival, the palpable tension around the stands leaves no doubt as to who the masses are here to see.

There’s no Pride, New Years Day or The Sweetest Thing on the U2 setlist – that’s the bad news out of the way. Good news is that everything else (just about) is bang on script from the instant Dublin’s best waltz onstage to the moment they scamper away amidst a flurry of camera phone flashes. Delivering a set-list with a perfectly judged mix of old favourites and new hits, there is something tonight to please everybody, as if the spectacle of a space age spider spewing light and sound like a cartoon acid trip wasn’t enough. Sunday Bloody Sunday and Surrender both make the cut from War, the former notable for an appearance by Mr. Z and the subsequent rap-off with Bono, the latter a spine-tingling highlight courtesy of a truly affecting and authentic vocal performance by the artist formerly known as Paul Hewson.

As charismatic performers go, there aren’t many better than Bono, and on a stage that allows him to run and preen, he really flourishes. Ripping into rockers like Elevation and Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me, with his trademark gusto and 2 point ‘rock-n-roll’ stance, the singer has the crowd in the palm of his hand from start to finish, aided by the technical jiggery-pokery of the projector screen which beams his face and dance moves at 20 times life size to all and sundry. When said screen suddenly starts to stretch downwards and turn into a hundred mini televisions, each framed intermittently with an array of flickering colours during City of Blinding Lights, the affect is devastatingly profound, while The Edge’s haunting guitar licks echo Bono’s yearning vocals. A minor complaint may be that anthems like Beautiful Day and With or Without You are marred by the singer’s propensity to change the vocal melody, leading an ebullient crowd astray, but it’s a minor annoyance in the grand scheme of things.

Inevitably the band give up on the whole 360 thing after a while, performing from a more traditional set-up in the centre of the stage for mid-set before returning to their nomadic ways for the last few songs. Even with all angles covered, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen still manage to remain relatively anonymous while The Edge goes unassumingly about his business, lending vocals where needed, but mainly concentrating on pumping out those distinctive, ethereal melodies while wandering around the swivelling bridges and all-encompassing walk ways that the environment provides. All up, regardless of the number of dimensions on offer, this is a stellar performance from a band that knows all about stellar performances.

The obligatory humanitarian declaration rears its head in the form of a love-letter to recently liberated Burmese human rights campaigner Aung San Suu Kyi, but aside from this U2 let the music do talking and proved that they are the masters of stadium rock.