Experience: U2 on CD:UK*

dsmith2904 · 10-18-2004, 01:57 PM

By Jonathan Hammill
2004.10

Waking up to "You’ve won U2 tickets" at 8 a.m. has got to be the quickest recovery from the side effects of a good night out I’ve ever known. That’s exactly what greeted me when I logged on first thing Saturday morning to check my e-mails. The previous night I entered a competition on U2.com to win tickets for U2's live appearance on "CD:UK," a chart program that goes out every Saturday morning in England.

After a two-hour journey we arrived at the studios. Once I proved that I was a competition winner, we were let in to the studios and took our places at the front of the U-shaped stage. We saw Kings of Leon record two songs before the stage was changed to square shape, allowing 20 fans to go in the round. These 20 were chosen at random.

During the10-minute wait we were worked up into a state of near frenzy by the warm up DJ before Adam walked across the stage, closely followed by Larry, Edge and then Bono. The band mimed "Vertigo" before launching into several very live performances. First was "Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own." This is the song that Bono sang at his father’s funeral and I could hear the emotion in his voice as he performed. Next up was "City of Blinding Lights," a song with classic guitar riffs and drums that will make it a crowd favorite next year when U2 takes the new album on the road. Finally, we were treated to "Miracle Drug," a song U2 was inspired to write about author Christopher Nolan. Bono's introduction to the track was:

"We all went to the same school and just as we were leaving, a fellow called Christopher Nolan arrived. He had been deprived of oxygen for two hours when he was born, so he was paraplegic but his mother believed he could understand what was going on and used to teach him at home. Eventually, they discovered a drug that allowed him to move one muscle in his neck, so they attached this unicorn device to his forehead and he learned to type. And out of him came all these poems that he’d been storing up in his head. Then he put out a collection called 'Dam-Burst of Dreams,' which won a load of awards and he went off to university and became a genius—all because of a mother's love and a medical breakthrough."

This song is the best I've heard so far off of the new album and I can imagine it closing the new live shows. The album is worth buying for this track alone, it sweeps you along and makes you feel the four-year wait for this album has been justified.

There was time to hear "Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own" played again for the TV special and I couldn’t help feel that the next four weeks until "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" is released are going to very long. U2 is back, and the rest of the world is about to discover it, too.

Lancemc · 10-18-2004, 02:13 PM

I. Cant. Wait. For. Miracle. DRUG!

AussieU2fanman · 10-19-2004, 06:25 AM

didn't I say miracle drug would be the best song ever? Prove me wrong U2, prove me wrong!

davexl · 10-19-2004, 07:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by AussieU2fanman
didn't I say miracle drug would be the best song ever?

I'm with you buddy. Counting the minutes.

Paddy McCombe · 10-22-2004, 10:07 AM

How nice to have read ALL about this competition at INTERFERENCE when it was still open at U2.com...

celia · 10-24-2004, 12:23 AM

It looked amazing on TV yesterday I cant begin to imagine the experience of being there!

I cannot wait to hear miracle drug

10-18-2004, 01:57 PM	#1
dsmith2904 Rock n' Roll Doggie FOB Premium Gold Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Choosing Hope Over Fear Posts: 9,059 Local Time: 10:51 AM	Experience: U2 on CD:UK* By Jonathan Hammill 2004.10 Waking up to "You’ve won U2 tickets" at 8 a.m. has got to be the quickest recovery from the side effects of a good night out I’ve ever known. That’s exactly what greeted me when I logged on first thing Saturday morning to check my e-mails. The previous night I entered a competition on U2.com to win tickets for U2's live appearance on "CD:UK," a chart program that goes out every Saturday morning in England. After a two-hour journey we arrived at the studios. Once I proved that I was a competition winner, we were let in to the studios and took our places at the front of the U-shaped stage. We saw Kings of Leon record two songs before the stage was changed to square shape, allowing 20 fans to go in the round. These 20 were chosen at random. During the10-minute wait we were worked up into a state of near frenzy by the warm up DJ before Adam walked across the stage, closely followed by Larry, Edge and then Bono. The band mimed "Vertigo" before launching into several very live performances. First was "Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own." This is the song that Bono sang at his father’s funeral and I could hear the emotion in his voice as he performed. Next up was "City of Blinding Lights," a song with classic guitar riffs and drums that will make it a crowd favorite next year when U2 takes the new album on the road. Finally, we were treated to "Miracle Drug," a song U2 was inspired to write about author Christopher Nolan. Bono's introduction to the track was: "We all went to the same school and just as we were leaving, a fellow called Christopher Nolan arrived. He had been deprived of oxygen for two hours when he was born, so he was paraplegic but his mother believed he could understand what was going on and used to teach him at home. Eventually, they discovered a drug that allowed him to move one muscle in his neck, so they attached this unicorn device to his forehead and he learned to type. And out of him came all these poems that he’d been storing up in his head. Then he put out a collection called 'Dam-Burst of Dreams,' which won a load of awards and he went off to university and became a genius—all because of a mother's love and a medical breakthrough." This song is the best I've heard so far off of the new album and I can imagine it closing the new live shows. The album is worth buying for this track alone, it sweeps you along and makes you feel the four-year wait for this album has been justified. There was time to hear "Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own" played again for the TV special and I couldn’t help feel that the next four weeks until "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" is released are going to very long. U2 is back, and the rest of the world is about to discover it, too. __________________ Don't you know it's gonna be alright?

10-18-2004, 02:13 PM	#2
Lancemc Rock n' Roll Doggie FOB Premium Gold Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: In low orbit over the seas of Pandora Posts: 9,394 Local Time: 01:51 PM	I. Cant. Wait. For. Miracle. DRUG! __________________ http://shortfilmsblog.blogspot.com/

10-22-2004, 10:07 AM	#5
Paddy McCombe War Child Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 581 Local Time: 07:51 PM	How nice to have read ALL about this competition at INTERFERENCE when it was still open at U2.com... Last edited by Paddy McCombe; 10-22-2004 at 10:08 AM..

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10-19-2004, 06:25 AM	#3
AussieU2fanman Refugee Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Adelaide, Australia Posts: 1,594 Local Time: 05:21 AM	didn't I say miracle drug would be the best song ever? Prove me wrong U2, prove me wrong!

10-24-2004, 12:23 AM	#6
celia New Yorker Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: all maps welcome Posts: 2,759 Local Time: 06:51 PM	It looked amazing on TV yesterday I cant begin to imagine the experience of being there! I cannot wait to hear miracle drug