Tribute to roadie as U2 wow crowd
U2 frontman Bono paid a touching tribute to his former Kiwi roadie Greg Carroll last night.
Carroll died in a motorcycle accident in 1986, two years after befriending Bono and subsequently touring with the Irish rock group.
The band is in New Zealand for two massive gigs at Auckland’s Mount Smart Stadium — the opening two nights of their Joshua Tree Tour.
It’s U2’s first visit to our shores since their record-busting tour played the same venue back in
2010.
Named after their most famous and critically lauded album, the Joshua Tree Tour sees the band play the now 30-year-old album in full every night, alongside a smattering of other hits from their diverse career.
Taking the stage a little after
8.30pm, the band opened with Sunday Bloody Sunday from its album War, with Bono promising us an “epic night of rock ’n’ roll” we wouldn’t forget.
“Thank you for having us back in your country [and] in your lives.”
But it was Bono’s rendition of One Tree Hill, written after Carroll’s death, that hit home the most for the 40,000-plus strong crowd.
“We sort of adopted him, or perhaps it was the other way round,” Bono said.
“We were very grateful for his companionship over those precious times.
“He was taken from us too soon, but in a way he’s still very present.”
The technicalities of putting on a show like this can’t be forgotten either.
The pre-show publicity for the Joshua Tree Tour boasted about it having the largest high-res LED video screen ever used in a touring show. I think that’s a fair boast — the visuals are something to behold.
Seeing it up close, thanks to some media privilege, really makes you appreciate how much effort goes into staging such a monumental performance.
And while the theatrics of this tour don’t quite match U2’s last visit to Auckland (I mean, come on, that tour had a massive claw stage), the visuals of the Joshua Tree are vibrant, crystal clear and incredible to witness.
It was so good that the lady in front of me had to FaceTime it all to a loved one. I’m sure he had a party in his living room.
Earlier in the night, former Oasis vocalist Noel Gallagher opened with his group, the High Flying Birds.
After illness reportedly prevented Gallagher from appearing on TV3’s The Project on Thursday, the English rocker showed no sign of anything holding him back.
Delving into Oasis’ catalogue of hits — despite the ongoing feud with brother Liam — the crowd were more than prepared for U2.
Finishing with a cover of The Beatles’ All You Need is Love felt a bit ironic though. Send Liam a message, Noel! We want an Oasis reunion.
Regardless, for those unlucky enough to miss last night’s incredible performance, U2 — alongside Noel Gallagher — are back to do it all again tonight.
With final tickets on sale now, this is a night you won’t want to miss.