The one concert Bono called “the most extraordinary moment of our lives”
From day one, U2 was always meant to make music that was uplifting to people. Although the band had allowed their angry side to come out on nearly all of their albums, their most celebrated material came from songs about carrying on even when times seem harsh. While Bono has claimed that most of the band’s greatest material turns up on the live stage, he felt that one of the most enriching moments of their lives onstage came decades after they had started.
Before the band had started having lavish approaches to their live set, though, Bono was cutting his teeth as a singer in the waning days of the post-punk genre. After the band released their debut release, Boy, they had already started mining the typical sounds they would cultivate for years, with tracks like ‘I Will Follow’ being a champion of what was to come.
Although most of the band’s fanbase was put off the first time they heard the religious screeds on albums like October, that didn’t deter them from speaking their minds at every opportunity, turning in brilliant condemnations of bloodshed on songs like ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’ and ‘New Year’s Day’. While the band could also poke fun at their celebrity after The Joshua Tree on albums like Achtung Baby, they realised they needed to provide a comforting voice as the 2000s were dawning.
After they had tried their hand at making synthetic music on the album Pop, the band were struck down when they saw the destruction that took place on 9/11. While Bono was not present to see the Twin Towers fall, he knew that he wanted to be on the frontlines when it came time to offer relief for those who lost loved ones that day.
One of the most well-publicised events that U2 played after the tragedy was the Super Bowl, where the lead singer sang with a backdrop behind him, spelling out a list of innocent people who lost their lives that day. Once Bono exposed the inside of his jacket to reveal an American flag, the crowd were rapturous, sharing in the camaraderie that no terrorist organisation would break their spirit.
Although that football stadium may have been uplifted that night, Bono thought the band’s true power was felt when they played at Madison Square Garden in the months following 9/11. Looking back on those times, Bono thought those shows were the most enriching experiences he ever had, telling Rolling Stone, “That was one of the most extraordinary moments of our lives. When ‘Where the Streets Have No Name’ went off and the lights went up, I think half the house was in tears. New York let us into a very private moment. We did not feel in any way like visitors or tourists. We were the same people”.
That was only the beginning of the healing process for the country, though. In the months that would follow, Bono would pour out his grief and his unbreakable spirit into the band’s next album, All That You Can’t Leave Behind, featuring songs that were indebted to the tragedy like ‘New York’ and ‘Peace on Earth’. While the band may not have been in the trenches with New Yorkers that day, All That You Can’t Leave Behind remains a ray of hope shining through those troubling times.
