Original subtitles

The big thing is, guys, Stay calm' stay cool.

We'll get you all in, and have a great time' all right.

This is our first U2 concert. We're' like' so excited.

-Are you excited? I'm excited. - I'm pretty excited.

U2.

-Yeah, we made necklaces too. -We made the necklace. "Bono."

Hello.

I've never been to a show, even though I've dreamt about it'

like, for about five years, every day.

Happy birthday, dear Bono

Happy birthday to you

I was hoping that you would actually say OK.

They've been the backbone and the music of my life.

Oh, that's me and two guys from the north side of Dublin'

and we played some music one night.

- Hey, I've missed you. - God bless.

They love their fans, and I think Bono loves coming out talking to us.

I think he really, really thrives of fall of us.

Happy birthday.

U2.

Wow.

We've always liked playing arenas. We kind of adopt the arena

and it's a perfect way to stage U2.

The audience, obviously, are a huge part of a show like this.

It's about a relationship the band have had over the years with the people of Chicago.

That's the Joshua Tree logo, and I've been a fan for quite some time.

Chicago, I love you.

That's pretty much it.

Good job, man.

I'm a black belt in tae Kwon do. so I'm hoping ninja skills and concentration

will help me get into the floor space. That is what I'm hoping will help us get in.

We've been here since way early in the morning.

We're exhausted, but so excited to be here.

I've never been to a show where there's so much energy. There's 40'000 fans'

and everyone's in the show. Bono says it's the church of the people and it's true.

I mean, there's such an energy and a life force about it.

From what I understand, randomly selected tickets are allowed in the ellipse.

To be in the middle of an exciting rock and roll band's performance

really makes it feel as if you are part of the show.

My day started yesterday at 4:20am.

I flew in from Charlotte to here, got here in line at 9am the day before the show'

I've been here ever since, and I look like it.

We understand the lottery system is it's luck of the draw.

You get in line and if you get beeped when your ticket’s scanned'

you get to stand by the ellipsis.

We've had to change, between the last tour and this tour'

the way that people get those tickets,

because it used to be that they were available

to the people who stood in line longest,

and the result of that was that the large number of people

who follow the tour around from town to town'

they would be in that part of the stage every single night.

It wasn't conducive for an exciting performance'

because they knew what was gonna happen each night.

So we've refined the system and those tickets are distributed on a random basis'

so you have as much chance - if you have a floor ticket - of getting in as anyone else

when you come in at the beginning of the evening.

Even if we're not inside the ellipse, we're still gonna have great seats'

probably in the front row, right along the catwalk thing' so...

- Hey, Jake. -You gotta get your blood pressure taken.

I'd like to say it's a ritual.

If it's bad, just fucking tell them it's good.

Jake, it's fantastic.

Excellent.

See, the blood pressure is good.

Scottie.

How are you, buddy?

-Are you not playing soccer? - I'm just the commentator on the game.

-You have the accent for it. - I think so' don't you?

I want to tell you something very secretive.

The girl I admire most is walking down the hallway right now.

- Come on. - Stop.

- Hey, remember that night? I'm sorry. -Jake.

All right.

We're a good example of how relevant they still are

because we're in our early 20s, there's fans here that are in their 50s'

and just, you know, they captivate everyone in between.

My little sister's 14 years old

and she went to Elevation with me in Dallas and she's all about it too' so it's...

it's a real testament to the kind of music they make and how relevant they still are.

We usually arrive at a design for the show

after six months, nine months.

This time we were able to refine the design into the ellipse shape we have'

and it's a Vertigo logo if you look at it from above.

It was Bono's idea to use that shape.

The idea behind that is so the band get rid of the barrier of a stage and an audience.

That's always something that this band have tried to break down.

For anybody in the ellipse, they see the show in an entirely different way

than the people who are in the expensive seats up beyond.

They see something that's much more immediate. They're really right there.

Hello.

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday, dear Bono

Happy birthday to you

Don't push in the back, please.

Take your pictures as we're walking by. We're gonna shake hands and say hello.

Bono, happy birthday.

We gotta go, kids.

OK, can I have a minute of"City of Blinding Lights"' please? This is a test.

I come to this gig as a massive, massive U2 fan

and my vision is to try and capture

the fantastic, almost spiritual, experience that a U2 gig is.

So what I want here is symmetry, so tilt it straight up from there.

- Nice. - Lovely' great. Stop. Keep Bono with you.

You know, they have a fantastic sense of theatre' great band' great music.

And, you know, the responsibility to capture that'

to put it onto DVD in a way that's really gonna move a fan when they watch it'

make them leap up and feel the joy and the exuberance

that you feel when you're at a U2 concert, that's my vision.

Jousting’s kind of get the truest, most amazing response from the viewer

that watches that DVD in wherever they're watching it.

I think we've always just regarded film and video tape

as a natural tool for keeping in touch with and communicating with the audience.

This format really is new and exciting

and we want to get as much out of it, and into it' as possible.

With our hand-helds, ideally' in your close-ups'

I want to see the screens, when the screens are down' soft behind them'

because otherwise it looks quite ordinary.

OK. You start. I'll say, "hello, hello", and you do the hola's.

- Can you do that? - OK. Yeah.

I look after The Edge's guitars.

In the studio, I look after all the band's guitars and Adam's bass.

Any other group I work with, I'll spend maybe two or three hours a day stringing'

but with Edge... for Edge's world, it's about eight or nine hours of stringing.

It's very flattering to take care of The Edge's sounds.

You can imagine. One of the greatest guitarists in the world' doing his sounds.

- Hey, Edge. - Hello.

- Hey, you're fantastic, Edge. - Thanks.

- Good luck. - Bye.

- Thanks for coming up. Appreciate it. - OK. God bless.

God bless. Thanks for coming up.

-We got some Guinness for you. - Thank you.

-Wow. Can I have a copy? -You can take it.

Can I have a kiss?

Happy birthday, dear Bono

Oh, my God.

We're trying to make the whole be greater than the sum of the parts.

That's the thing with U2. Any other band, they play tunes' they fuck off.

And we play the tunes and we fuck off,

but when we get it right, it feels like one tune. That's what I'm trying to say.

- Hi, darling. - Hi.

Oh, my God.

See you around, fellas. All right? See you.

The show is constantly being refined, even right to the very end of the tour'

and it's not because we're dissatisfied, necessarily'

but we just want to keep the thing alive.

Willie, there's no chance you'd be able to make out any of these images

if the strobe lights and stuff come on in the background.

So quite often, in rehearsals, we'll get the basic show up and running'

and then we gradually refine each area of the show.

The challenge for making a film like this is really to try and deliver' for the band'

something that they can be proud of and something that they can say'

"That is what we're on about." Not just about lights' video screens and guitars'

but also the feel of the philosophy of the show and where that's coming from.

Going in, I have a sense of what I want it to look like at the other end'

and that sense is born from me standing in the pit' watching a couple of shows'

watching shows from the back, watching a couple from the side of the stage.

I want it to be a brilliant record for fans.

Literally, I want them to feel they are in the concert' enjoying it'

and they get every view that they couldn't get from just one night seeing it.

If you came to see this show probably 15' 20 times'

then you'd probably not need to buy the DVD.

Except you'd want to play it again and again and again and again' and go "Yes!"

That's what it's all about for me.

OK, "Zoo Station".

I put the glasses on, like...

My name is Gavin. Mr Friday. Gavin Friday.

I'm a friend of the band. I've known the band all my life.

I think I met Bono when I was about 11 or 12 years of age on Cedarwood Road'

which is a little street on the north side of Dublin' and we grew up together.

Gav, will you give me a read on which you prefer?

It's like a brotherhood between us. We throw things by each other.

So I'm like aesthetic bodyguard - visual bodyguard - and then I'm like midwife.

You know, if they're starting a tour, I come and I pull that baby out by the neck.

I say, "Come on, get up. Stand' walk' run."

"Jump, smile. Uncle Gavin loves you."

Hold on. Don't speak.

The piece of video that now opens Zoo TV -

"Zoo Station", rather -the Zoo TV section, is new this week. It appeared in Chicago.

It's just one of those ideas that came up in the dressing room and we follow through.

John Abraham, Bono's youngest son, is sitting at the table' and I go'

"Here, say 'Mama'."

"Mama. Mama."

Mama.

Mama. Mama.

Mama. Mama.

Mama. Mama.

- Mama. Mama. - Do you get it?

Mama. Mama.

Mama.

Mama.

Amongst many ideas we had for the tour, I wanted to be able to use video'

but, more importantly, I wanted to be able to get rid of it.

The solution we came up with were these video curtains

which can drop in out of nowhere. The audience behind can see through them

and there's picture on both sides, of course' but it can roll up and go away.

The LED curtains, the pixel panels, we made them.

Originally we’d imagined that they would be infinitely fine filaments

with tiny little video pixels on,

and, as you see, the reality is like tennis balls on rope.

But they really work, and they've really been a talking point.

You can't believe what you're seeing -that these things can come out of nowhere.

- That's fantastic. -We got you birthday ice cream too.

Thank you very much.

Give me a kiss. It's my birthday.

- Thank you. - Thank you so much.

That is really, really cool.

- Thank you very much, everybody. - Happy birthday.

How does it feel to be in front of all...?

These people? I love it.

- 48 hours. 48 hours. - 48 hours.

We wouldn't do this for nobody. Not Madonna.

- Only U2. - Nobody.

-We got five, ten minutes before we enter. - Hopefully not more.

Hopefully not more. A pint of Guinness afterwards' a pint before' we're fine.

- Is this winners? -Yes.

These people won a competition to get the backstage tour.

They don't get guaranteed anything. They get dressing rooms' the stage'

but sometimes they'll bump into celebrities' like myself.

Most of my job as a production manager is done before the event'

advancing it and making sure we have the right amount of lab our'

the right amount of power, organizing the stagehands with the local promoter'

and things like that. It really gets a little easier on a day-to-day thing.

-Yes, Bruce. - Can I get Bart to bring down your truss?

I'll bring it down tonight, after the show. Absolutely. We'll do that. OK.

Dennis Sheehan, tour manager extraordinary

- The best guy around. -With The Irish Times

A big job in life, to make sure everybody has a copy of The Irish Times

We have to keep up with home, just to see what's going on.

He keeps the band in order. Everybody thinks they do it. It's him really.

If he didn't get them here for the 4pm sound check at 4:30' it'd never happen.

OK, don't run, guys, OK?

Enjoy.

Guys, you gotta get a wristband.

I got it, Susan.

I made it in.

- Let's go. - Rock and roll.

Come on, baby. Come on.

- Oh, you got it. -All right. Yeah.

Yes!

-You got it. - Holy... Yeah.

-You won it. -Are you kidding?

God. We're going into the ellipse.

-What's with the suit? - I thought it was cool. I like it.

- So it has nothing to do with U2? - No. I just decided to wear it.

-Are you on the floor? -Yes' we are.

I'm a little mad that there's not a lot of grass to eat around here. No grazing.

Hey, did we send Panavision insurance? I thought we did.

I heard that the show we are going to see tonight is a "back to the roots" style.

You play old songs, also new ones' of course'

but it's energetic rock and roll. ls it true?

What we’ve done is, to surprise people and change it' we're playing quite a lot -

not a lot, maybe four songs, depending on the night -from the Boy album.

It's that middle period. We're not playing so much from The Joshua Tree

We're letting that have a rest for a while.

Set change.

30 minutes. I'm going to channel 16.

Vaguely what that means is the Kings of Leon have finished.

We're getting ready to start so we've gotta do a set change.

- Good luck. - I'll see you.

Look, it's the Kings of Leon, just finished their wonderful set.

Hi, this is Jonathan calling to let you know that we're in the ellipse in Chicago.

We're at the very front. We're gonna be staring at Adam and Bono. We're excited'

and hopefully it'll be like this in Philly next week. Have a good night.

- This is amazing. - I'm so happy I can't see straight.

Did I walk down those stairs? I don't know. We'll see.

Hey, yes. And vocal.

I went first and I didn't get it, then he did.

I got so excited. We came from Mexico City just to see them.

Guys, this is the final preparation after the Kings of Leon.

Notice I don't physically do work. We're getting ready to shoot this thing.

- Hamish? Question. -Yes.

There are times when Bono's out on the ellipse and when the ellipse is interesting'

you want a wider shot because there are lights around it.

Would you like some compressed? Do you want me to vary them?

Vary them. Totally mix it up. You're a real wild-card camera.

When those discs are spinning, especially on "Miracle Drug"' it's important

cos you're the only person. Cos that thing's going round.

You can just make it out. It's, like, bang, you're there. You've got it. It's gold.

-What else? Anybody else got any? - Clean audience tonight at all' ever?

No. No.

I want to feel the love, don't want to give it a name.

I will quote you.

"Feel the love, don't give it a name."

Other than that, just really, really enjoy it. It's the best people here'

to shoot the best band in the world.

What can be more fun than that?

I promise I'm not gonna scream. Only with joy. I love my job.

Everyone.

Everyone.

Everyone.

One and a half minutes.

One.

Everyone. Everyone.

OK, come wide. Come back. Come back.

30 seconds.

House lights out.

Happy birthday.

Happy birthday.

Stay safe, the city of Chicago.

Beautiful city.

- It was awesome. lt was really cool. - lt was the best.

Beautiful day.

- Bono rocks. - Bono' Bono.

Awesome. Best show ever.

It was fantastic. I am exhausted.

- Number four in line. Exhausted. - Number two.

Number two, believe it or not. I was there all day with you.

- Happy birthday. Awesome show. - May 10.

- Sixth show. Every one gets better. -Awesome.

It was sweet, man. So many great songs.

I can't speak any more. I lost my voice.

When they played "One" and I was' like...

like, heartbreaking, but amazing. lt was great.

We came straight out of Sweden to see this show' and it's a blast' man.

Fantastic.

I'd say the highlight was when Bono said to Adam' "What's got into this man?"

I love that Adam was all over the stage.

This is for Father Scully at Notre Dame University.

This is for you.

Words cannot explain it. Life-altering concert. Thank you so much.

The show was fabulous. The stage was fantastic. The oval shape' it was great.

Some friends were on the inner circle. We were not' but it was great fun.

The music was good, a mix of everything.

The best show in the world.

Oh, yeah.