1983 U2 concert memories

Still doing a lot of bootleg recording from Wolfgang's Vault. Don't tell anyone, okay? :)

This afternoon it's a concert by U2 from 1979. They're promoting their second album, "October". Lots of material from "Boy" as well. 1981 was three or four years before they really captured the attention of the masses, so the confidence they exude in this performance has nothing to do with mega-success. Nevertheless, it is real, and it is palpable.

It reminds me of the time I saw them in 1983. This time it was the "War" album they were doing. I didn't like that one quite as much as the first two, but I still thought it was a great record. The concert was phenomenal and I was lucky enough to be in the front row directly under the stage. I wasn't supposed to be that close to the stage, though...

I had been given my ticket for the show by a benevolent friend who couldn't make it...I think he won it on a radio station contest. It wasn't exactly the greatest seat, even though the venue was arranged in what was called "concert seating" (only half of the center was used, so there were very few seats that were not decent). It was okay, I wasn't complaining. Free, you know?

My brother was also attending the show, and his seats were much better. He had a friend whose uncle owned a stereo shop that handled ticket sales. Consequently his nephew always got front row seats, and he invited my brother along.

So we devised a plan to get me closer to the stage...No doubt there is nothing original about it, but we thought it was brilliant.

We both bought t-shirts. Charles hid his front row ticket stub in the fold of his and we planned a rendevouz by the partition that divided the cheap seats from the good ones. I don't think I'd bought mine by that time, my memory is a little fuzzy...but we acted like he had bought the shirt for me and gave it to me. I was thanking him profusely, just in case a security guard might be nearby (a security guard, I realize now, who would have been dumb enough to fall for a scheme as simple as ours was).

And yet it worked. I waited for about 10 minutes, then I made my way to the "dividing line". I showed "my" ticket stub to the guard and waa-laah! I was on my way to the front. Right there with my brother and his lucky friend (who had been my friend, too, at one time, but at this point he didn't think too highly of me).

The supporting act was The Alarm. Nobody had ever heard of them. During their first song the guards were adament about the crowd remaining seated. But Mike Peters, their frontman, encouraged everyone to get up and dance for the rest of their set. Which we did, and the guards didn't seem to have any power to do anything about it then.

Of course we all remained standing until U2 took the stage and never sat down. During one song Bono pulled a girl out of the audience and did an Irish jig with her...she had been right in front of me, if that gives you any idea of how close I was. If that doesn't, consider that Bono leaned down at one point, extended his hand, and I grabbed hold of it! You can bet I've told that story a million times.

Another thing I remember about it is that I had this crucifix and I waved it above my head, like it was a disposable lighter at a metal concert. I have no idea why I did that. To this day I wonder what in the world Bono must have thought of it!

My brother's friend was wearing a tacky camouflage hat, kind of like a safari hat or something. Bono took it from him, laid it on the floor and danced around it. Then he gave it back. The guy had not really heard much of U2. He was there more for the sake of having a sweet front row ticket and because my brother liked them. But I guarantee you, by the time Bono gave him his hat back, he was a U2 fan for life.