U2: Tour Is Under Way

Reported by Sal Cirrincione in Vancouver

45 months after ending their 360-Degrees tour in eastern Canada, U2 started their Innocence & Experience tour on the other side of the country, in Vancouver at the Rogers Arena.

Taking the stage in front of 18,000-plus, Bono said, "The night is about our first experience, our first love, our first fight in the playground, but we want to visit the past for a few minutes." And by that he meant his early life as he led the band into "Iris," a song about his late mother, and the first of seven off their latest album, Songs of Innocence.

There was still room for 17 songs from their catalog, and they did not disappoint as they delved back as far as "Out of Control" and "I Will Follow" off their first album, Boy, and covered a wide chunk of their career with such staples as "Sunday Bloody Sunday," "Mysterious Ways," "Desire," "Bullet the Blue Sky," "Pride (In the Name of Love)," "With or Without You," "Where the Streets Have No Name," "Beautiful Day" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For."

Perhaps the biggest star of the night was the production, which featured four stages. There was the main stage; a ramp/stage that extended down the middle of the orchestra to a round stage; and last but not least, a video screen suspended above the ramp that ran the length of the orchestra that the band was able to perform in. When inside, they had to stand side-by-side, albeit spread way apart, with Larry Mullen having to play the drums standing up. With cameras mounted inside, their huge images were projected onto the screen they were in, which gave the show a very intimate feel. The screen was also used to project their images from when they played on the other stages, along with videos and animation. Bono addressed all the special effects, saying, "I know we don't need this [crap], but technology is fun." He then pulled a girl out of the audience, and using a cell phone, she was able to shoot video of the band and have it projected onto the screen at the same time.

Bono didn't get too political, but there were messages for the fight against AIDS, as well as peace, especially in their native Ireland, where he thanked everyone for "compromising," adding that "because no one won, everybody won."

At the end of the night, Bono made a point of thanking Larry for "his strength for being back with us after saying goodbye to his father," who passed away on Sunday. Bono also thanked the late Larry Mullen Sr. before telling the audience that they "are the strength of this band. Without you we'd be back in a garage on the north side of Dublin."

After two hours and 15-minutes and 24 songs, the show ended with the band walking across the ramp to the small circular stage and down into the audience then into the backstage tunnel. However, The Edge fell off the stage and Bono joked that he himself was "trying to figure out how to get off the stage."

Show number-two is tonight, also in Vancouver, before the tour moves to San Jose, California for shows on Monday and Tuesday.

Prior to the show, a minister led the band and crew in prayer for a safe and peaceful tour, and Bono asked for forgiveness for any microphone stands he may break.

U2's opening night set list: