U2 get world tour underway again in Brisbane

U2 Live in 2005

Bono and co pay tribute to a local hero

U2 paid tribute to a local hero as they finally got the Pacific leg of their ‘Vertigo’ world tour underway last night (November 7) in Brisbane.

The band had been due to play the dates earlier in the year, but were forced to delay them until now due to a family illness.

Frontman Bono sang snippets of Brisbane band The Go-Betweens’ ‘Streets Of Your Town’ on at least two occasions. The song was written by Grant McLennan, who died suddenly of a heart attack earlier this year at his home in the city.

Bono also called for the release of the only Australian prisoner at Guantanamo Bay. He asked that David Hicks be sent home where he could have a fair trial.

The 31-year-old has been held at the US military prison without trial for the last five years on charges of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit war crimes and aiding the enemy, to which he has pleaded not guilty.

The setlist stuck roughly to the songs U2 have played throughout their world tour this year, with the exception of their new single, a cover of The Skids’ ‘The Saints Are Coming’, which they played in the encore.

The set was:

‘City Of Blinding Lights’
‘Vertigo’
‘Elevation’
‘Until The End Of The World’
‘New Year’s Day’
‘Beautiful Day’
‘Yahweh’
‘Walk On’
‘Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own’
‘Love And Peace Or Else’
‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’
‘Bullet The Blue Sky’
‘Miss Sarajevo’
‘Pride (In The Name Of Love)’
‘Where The Streets Have No Name’
‘One’
‘Zoo Station’
‘The Fly’
‘With Or Without You’
‘The Saints Are Coming’
‘Angel Of Harlem’
‘Kite’

The tour now continues with the following dates:

Sydney Telstra Stadium (November 10/11/13)
Adelaide AAMI Stadium (16)
Melbourne Telstra Dome (18/19)
Auckland Mt Smart Stadium (24/25)
Saitama Super Arena (29/30/December 4)
Honolulu Aloha Stadium (December 9)

‘The Saints Are Coming’, a collaboration with Green Day, was released physically this week (November 6) after going it entered the UK singles chart at Number Six on downloads alone last week (November 5).