by JOSE PAOLO S. DELA CRUZ
Excitement (bordering on panic) started to set in as the queues remained long and winding outside the Philippine Arena at 7:45 p.m of Dec. 11 – and understandably so. It was just a few minutes before U2’s one-night only show for The Joshua Tree was supposed to kick off, and the guests, some of whom have been in the area since 12 noon, were starting to get antsy.
In the end though, a jampacked crowd welcomed Bono and co. as they took the stage for the first time on Philippine soil. It was their 2050th show. “We know it took a while to get everyone into the arena tonight. It took us four decades,” said Bono, lead singer of U2. “I don’t know what took us so long, we should have been here every year,” he would later say.
The show was a musical and visual feast, the latter of which was a result of a spectacular screen that projected landscapes and images that added drama to U2’s live performances.
More than the music though, band-members Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. truly left a mark with their socially conscious and inspiring words, which touched on a few key issues in society. And in doing so, the musicians from Dublin truly stood out – proving in true U2 fashion that they are, indeed, one of the world’s few socially aware and progressive rock bands.
From Red Cross volunteers to journalists whom the band referred to as “truth tellers,” the night was filled with tributes for “everyday heroes” who left a mark with their selfless deeds. Women also stole the limelight during some parts of the show.
“When women rewrite history as her story, that is a beautiful day,” says Bono, before singing “Ultraviolet,” as images of iconic women from around the globe were flashed onscreen. Among the Filipinos featured in the video montage where revolutionary heroine Melchora Quino, former President Corazon Aquino, Sen. Pia Cayetano, activist Lidy Nacpil and even world-renowned music legend Lea Salonga. Bono also gave a special shoutout to Rappler founder Maria Ressa, whose image also appeared in the montage.
Then of course, there’s songs such as “With or Without You,” “Elevation” and more U2 standards, which entertained the crowds unanimously, regardless of their political opinions.
While it happens in many, many concerts since the advent of cellphones, one truly magical moment was when the crowd transformed to a sea of lights as Bono dedicated the concert to human rights. “Your country is a miracle of a place but we have to be careful. Even the most beautiful place can turn ugly if we’re not careful,” he reminded.
The two-and-a-half hour concert was also held as part of SMART Music Live. As such, the telecommunications giant invited VIP guests and members of the media to witness the concert for a night of “One love, one life, and one night of rocking to the soundtrack of our lives.”
With their music and their words, U2 proves that they don’t simply have songs to sing – they also have a strong, profound message to say – the kind that needs to be heard
