For the first time in their career, U2 play the capital of Russia. Security at the stadium is very strict and the place is full of police and military. In the afternoon, police shut down the Greenpeace, ONE Campaign and Amnesty International stands at the stadium. One Amnesty International activist is reported to have been arrested. Police claim the activists organised an ‘illegal rally’. However, as at every U2 show, these volunteers are actually authorised to set up stands and distribute information. In a Greenpeace blog post about the matter it’s stated “U2′s management are puzzled” by the situation and Bono’s been informed of what went on.

The head of Amnesty International in Russia, Sergei Nikitin, has stated that police detained five volunteers who were distributing leaflets and displaying banners for holding an unsanctioned protest at Moscow’s Luzhniki stadium. “I am very sorry about what happened … it overshadowed the concert,” Nikitin said. The activists were later released without charge.

It rained quite hard hard during the show which is attended by Mikhail Gorbachev, “a great hero of mine”, Bono says, “I’ve known him for over 10 years.” Most of the new songs were dropped from the set, except Return of the Stingray guitar and the band delighted the crowd by playing Knocking on Heaven’s Door with Russian rockstar Yuri Shevchuk. Shevchuk has become a significant figure in Russia’s opposition movement since he delivered a rare public rebuke to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin in May.

Reports from fans inside the GA area say Russian police wouldn’t allow the fans to leave the GA area and clashed with U2 security. Fans claim Russian soldiers hindered U2 security when they wanted to move the barricades to let fans out. Other people stepped in to separate Russian solders and U2 security.

Unprecedented security measures at U2 concert

Return of the Stingray Guitar
Beautiful Day
New Year’s Day
Get On Your Boots
Magnificent
Mysterious Ways
Elevation
Until the End of the World
I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
Pride
In A Little While
Miss Sarajevo
City of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
I’ll go crazy if I don’t go crazy tonight
Sunday Bloody Sunday
MLK
Walk On
One
Where the Streets Have No Name
Ultra Violet
With or Without You
Knocking on Heaven’s Door (video, with Yuri Shevchuk, singer of Russian band DDT)
Moment of Surrender

Setlist details, as always, at U2gigs.com

Photo by @ximaera

The second of two nights at Horsens’ tiny stadium. In the afternoon the band rehearsed. U2gigs.com reports that In a little while, Miss Sarajevo, City of blinding lights, Hold me, thrill me, kiss me, kill me (Bono: “We have to fix this problem. We need another bass sound.”) and Ultra Violet were played. U2start.com reports they heard Pride, Breathe and No Line On the Horizon. (When U2 start rehearsing songs for their shows, it usually takes a few concerts before they actually play them in front of an audience. Helsinki II, get ready.)

Eventually, the band dropped The Unforgettable Fire and Until the end of the world from the set and instead played Ultra Violet after HMTMKMKM, the first time it’s played on this leg of the tour. Having introduced the band as Star Wars characters and luxury cars at previous shows, this time he referred to them as Helena Christensen (Adam), Heidi Klum (Edge) & Brigitte Nielsen (Larry).

Setlist

Return of the Stingray guitar
Beautiful Day
New Year’s Day
Get on your boots
Magnificent
Mysterious Ways
Elevation
I still haven’t found what I’m looking for
Glastonbury
In a little while
Miss Sarajevo
City Of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight
Sunday Bloody Sunday
MLK
Walk On
One
Where The Streets Have No Name
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
Ultra Violet
With Or Without You
Moment of Surrender

More setlist details

The gig will be part of of the 16th MTV Europe Music Awards, as a part of it will be beamed into the awards show, held at the O2 World in Berlin.

Paul McGuinness on U2.com:
‘It’ll be an exciting spot to be in, 20 years almost to the day since the wall came down.’ said Paul McGuinness, U2′s manager. ‘Should be fun.’

Tickets to attend ‘MTV EMAs present U2 at the Brandenburg Gate’ will be free of charge and available here from 0900 (CET) on Wednesday 28 October 2009.

Berlin welcomes U2, February '09

Glen Power and Mark Sheehan of The Script, who supported U2 in Dublin, talk about a very important lesson they learned from U2. (The quote’s at 1’20” into the video)

U2 turned up unexpectedly at the Island Records 50th Anniversary Gig in O2 Shepherds Bush Empire London on Thursday night. Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) was the headliner. The band joined support act Baaba Maal as they covered “One”, followed up with an accoustic ‘Vertigo’ (see video) and introduced Cat Stevens to the crowd.

See pictures of the show on Facebook
Urban Image TV photos

Watch the video for ‘Magnificent’, the second single off U2′s album No Line on the Horizon. It was directed by Alex Courtes and shot in Fez, Morocco. Which is such a beautiful place they had to cover it up with sheets, like Christo. Um, that’s a wrap?

Go on, click him, you know you want to!

EMO BONO has a fully articulated body with 30+ points of articulation. Authentic likeness of the Irish frontman of U2, dressed in trademark slimming black undershirt, black leather jacket, black pants. EMO BONO wears black 2-inch-creepers for that extra ‘elevation’.

Comes with two interchangeable sunglasses, a working (RED) credit card, a replica green Gretsch guitar, and water-soluble liquid eyeliner in two colours: black and blue. Make him up as you go along!

EMO BONO is available from U2log.com for only $9,99.
Special discount for U2.com members, just $12,99!

Previously in our line of U2-related toys

• Promo Bono (mark I)
• The Plastic Promo Band
• Promo Bono (mark 2)