ShowBiz Ireland - U2 report from 'Gay Paris'

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26-07-01 news BY TALIA SOGHOMONIAN
U2 report from 'Gay Paris'...

"Next time you write about U2, you have to write 'Bono is my favourite'. How do you say that in French?" Bono est mon pr�f�r�. And he scribbles it in both English and French for me, in case I might forget.

The day before my meeting with U2, the band, accompanied by their families, arrived in Paris for a two-night stint in the French capitol as part of the Elevation Tour.

Our favourite Rock Star With A Conscience took advantage of U2's day off performing to pay a visit to L'Elys�e, the presidential palace, where he paid a visit to Prime Minister Lionel Jospin.

Bono thanked Jospin for France's efforts to cancel Third World Debt. "I have come to thank the Prime Minister, but also the President (Jacques Chirac), who have helped us a lot and all those who are involved in these activities."

France has, in fact, canceled the debt of 34 of the world's 41 poorest countries. And Bono wanted to give them some recognition. "The fact that France is the country in the world which has done most to write off the debt is not very well-known."

As one of the most active lobbyists of the Drop the Debt campaign, Bono also urged Jospin to "finish what we have started".

Jospin, accompanied by the former Minister of Culture Jack Lang, even attended the first night of U2's Paris shows. Over 34,000 fans saw U2 and their opening act, the Stereophonics, perform at the Bercy arena in Paris on July 17 and 18.

Some French fans wanted the first show to be special and different by paying tribute to U2. The French fanzine site AchtungU2 had planned to distribute 17,000 balloons in the colours of the Irish flag but was not granted final permission. No reasons were officially announced. However, many Irish flags are seen all over the arena, some bearing messages, such as Drop the Debt, which Bono acknowledges by making a V sign.

The band plays their classical Elevation Tour setlist with a few surprises. The band plays two songs from the 'Pop' album, usually absent from the setlist - 'Gone' and an acoustic version of 'Wake Up Dead Man'. The screens enlighten the crowd with a mini-film showing that France is one of the five leading countries involved in the sale of arms.

Politics aside, it is a family event as well. "Don't by shy. Why are you so shy?" Bono asks his two daughters as they join their father onstage during 'Mysterious Ways'. Other family members and friends get dedications. 'Beautiful Day' is dedicated to his newborn son. 'Kite' is played for his uncle, also in the audience.

'In A Little While' honours the memory of Joey Ramone, who passed away last spring while listening to that song.

"Hier soir, Bercy nous a �clat�s. Ce soir, mon coeur EST pr�t � exploser" ("Last night, Bercy exploded us. Tonight, my heart is ready to explose").

Bono, who has made some excellent progress in French, tells the crowd of the second Parisian show, right before playing 'Kite' "pour mon fils Elijah qui EST l� CE soir" ("for my son Elijah who is here tonight").

They are the ones who explode Bercy on the second night as they give one of their most electrifying performances yet. It is almost as if the rain has sparked all their circuits. In front of an audience composed of fans who have braved the cold and rain and celebrities - amongst whom are Naomi Campbell, football star Fabien Barthez and the French Elvis, Johnny Hallyday - U2 show France that they are, indeed, the Greatest Band On Earth.

"The goal is soul," yells Bono at the end of 'Beautiful Day'. Souls seem to be elevated as the band goes into hit after hit. The setlist is a Best Of U2, amongst which are 'With or Without You', 'The Fly', 'Where the Streets Have No Name' and 'One'. 'Pride' also proves to be very popular with the crowd, much in the same spirit as 'Sunday Bloody Sunday'.

The crowd sings along to the "love song", 'All I want Is You'. The most defying moment is 'Bullet the Blue Sky', where the famous anti-guns film, featuring Charlton Heston is shown, for it was by a gun that John Lennon was killed. A strong reference is made to the Beatle as Bono yells the name of his killer, Mark Chapman.

'Stuck in a Moment' is, as always, dedicated to the person for whom it was written, late INXS frontman Michael Hutchence. The setlist contains two surprises. Bono reminisces about the band's early days, when they performed at the small but legendary venue Elys�e Montmartre and, to add to the nostalgia, the band performs their first single, 'Out of Control'.

Bercy witnesses Bono and The Edge play an acoustic version of 'Wild Honey' which is rarely, if ever, played in public. "I hope we don't fuck it up," says a modest Bono, but at the end of the song, he feels that they did. "I knew there was a reason why we never played it."

As the show reaches its end with 'Walk On', Bono and a little help in French from The Edge, he also thanks all the supporters of Jubilee 2000 and the fans. "Merci Bercy. Thank you for a great life, une grande vie."

And Bono, The Edge and Adam Clayton had shown their thanks to the fans the day before as they signed autographs and posed for both the fans and the paparazzi. The Edge was practicing his photographic skills with his own camera as he snapped pictures of fans and of his bandmates interacting with fans. "Everybody, hold up your cameras as I take a picture!"

Larry Mullen preferred to sit in his car than share a few moments with his record-buying public, even bluntly rejecting an autograph to a fan who had been waiting hours under the rain.

The band left soon after the second show to "elevate" other parts of Europe. The band will be performing in their homeland at Slane Castle on August 25 and September 1.

Oh, I almost forgot. Bono is my favourite.