As we arrived it was raining, we got to our seats around 7.30pm, the crowd already streaming in. Sidewinder had started their set, they were good. I went for a walk towards the main stage, my seat was about 100 metres from it. Hundreds of Security made it almost impossible to breath without them asking you "where are you going".
You could feel something different. Almost as if Michael had turned the rain away himself, the lights went down, the rain stopped and U2 appeared on stage. At the end of the third song, I swear I heard Bono yell "Michael"... that was all, I hope maybe someone else who went might be able to say the same thing.
The song list was great, I don't know if it was different in the USA, the crowd went berzerk for the older stuff. The new songs from POP were recieved well, but when they cranked it up for songs like New Years Day
and I Will Follow, it went off.
Half way through and Bono and The Edge walked out to the small stage to do a few acoustic songs. Desire was brilliant, all lighting off, only a spotlight on the two of them. When they finished, attention turned to a
maniac who had climbed on of the speaker towers in the centre of the Stadium. It had to be 40 metres high... Here he was standing on top of it with his arms in the air. Everyone was cheering, I looked over and I think Bono took a photo, but it was dark on the stage.
He was removed by Security and the band took a break. They came back, different dress and did Discotheque. They made their way through the songs, till they said goodnight.
The encore is what I had waited for all night. Two songs, including Mysterious Ways then another song, which I forget the name of, which showed flashes of Michael along with other artists on the screen. I think there were about 4 or so photos which rotated with the rest.
It went dark, all was silent. The screen started up and Michael appeared. It was the photo of him from the cover of Full Moon, Dirty Hearts. There was five of him across in different colours. I couldn't do anything but look at Mike. Why did the world take him from us? The crowd cheered, Bono spoke. "We want to say goodbye to a friend...a singer...a great guy, we want to say goodbye in front of his fans, his band, his freinds and his family...so, goodbye Michael." Lightning was striking overhead, I could feel him there, he was watching. Bono broke into MLK, a song from The Unforgetable Fire. The stadium went from deafening to silence... U2 performed One, the lights were turned off at Bono's request, a clap of lightning hitting close to the Stadium, and the show was over. I saw Bono waving to the Mixing tent where INXS was sitting. He wanted them to come up, he waved, but they said no. Bono nodded, held up an open hand and walked off stage.
Never Tear Us Apart echoed throughout the stadium, the first verse was finished before the lights started to come on. Jon's drums belted out in between verses, and as the second verse started, 38,000 people sung "we could live, for a thousand years..." It was unbelievable.
Image of Michael with other musical legends
Image of Michael on screen during MLK
Bono on screen
