U2 360 Zagreb, August 10, 2009

Second show in Croatia where a total of 120000 U2 fans watch the band play over two nights in the Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb. In the afternoon, there’s a full band rehearsal of ‘Your Blue Room’ – including Adam’s spoken verse. Fans organised a balloon mob during Breathe and during Mysterious Ways a girl from Italy, Simona, is invited on stage. It’s her second time since she also joined Bono on stage in Rome in 2005. With or Without You has its ‘Shine Like Stars’ ending. For the first time, Bishop Tutu’s appeal is played before ‘One’ instead of ‘Streets’.

Setlist

1. Breathe
2. No Line on the Horizon
3. Get On Your Boots [ Video ]
4. Magnificent [ Video ]
5. Beautiful Day (snippet: Croatian ode to independence “Oh Sweet Freedom)
6. Mysterious Ways [ Video ]
7. I still haven’t found what I’m looking for (snippet: Stand by me) [ Video ]
8. Stuck in a moment [ Video ]
9. Unknown Caller
10. The Unforgettable Fire
11. City of Blinding Lights
12. Vertigo [ Video ]
13. I’ll got crazy if I don’t go crazy tonight (remix)
14. Sunday Bloody Sunday
15. Pride
16. MLK
17. Walk On
18. Where the streets have no name (no Tutu intro)
19. One (with Tutu intro) [ Video ]
20. Ultra Violet (Light My Way) [ Video ]
21. With or without you [ Video ]
22. Moment of Surrender [ Video ]

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U2 360 opening night: Barcelona June 30, 2009

We’re sat behind a computer, but fans inside the stadium are bringing the show to us semi-live through the wonder of Twitter (and Twitter related services) and mobile streaming.

The band played the same set as they did yesterday at their dress rehearsal. Things didn’t all go according to plan. There was a bit of a tuning problem during ‘One’ which made the band stop and start again.

Although Aung San Suu Kyi masks were handed out to the audience, people didn’t seem too pushed to wear them during Walk On, despite masked kids walking on the stage ramp giving the example. Lesson for the band… perhaps let the audience arrange their own flash mobs, instead of trying to control their creativity.

The large suspended circular screen can be lowered and can also conjure up nifty 3D effects. Friends at the show were in awe of the production during The Unforgettable Fire (so pleased that song is back!) and were especially impressed with the sound in the stadium. We can also reveal that the red flood of lights is back for Streets.

There were a few other surprises. When Bono took off his jacket he revealed, perhaps predictably, a Barcelona FC team shirt, which was then swapped for an LED-encrusted jacket during Ultra Violet.

Perhaps the most surreal moment of this Space Age inspired show (the last song of the intro tape was Bowie’s Space Oddity, the outro tune was Elton John’s Rocket Man) was the live link up (video) with astronauts in the International Space Station (ISS), one of the crew apparently signing up for Bono’s ONE campaign on the spot.

Click for setlist, video and pictures

[SPOILERS] U2 360 Dress Rehearsal

U2 played the dress rehearsal for their U2360 tour in Barcelona on Monday evening for invited guests only. No fans were let in, but around 300 people had gathered outside queuing up for Tuesday’s opening night of the tour.

Click for the dress rehearsal setlist and brief video