PHOTOSNow, I just found my little notebook from U2's Elevation Tour 2001, a time when blogs didn't exist (or at least I didn't use them yet). It's the same notebook I used to type up my 2005 diary (see first Blast from the Past link under July on this blog). Here's what it says. These are the exact words! Note, my second favorite U2 show ever was 8/19/01.
U2 ELEVATION TOUR
London, England
Slane, Ireland
August 2001
California, U.S., November 2001
(April 2001 not recorded--all time favorite show 4/20/01 San Jose)
Fri 8/17/01
Flying from SF to Toronto, I met a gal named Aislinn (same as Edge's ex-wife) who has sisters named Bronwen(!) and Kaylan (the middle name of my daughter if I would have children. Not.).
LONDON
Sat 8/18/01 U2 #22 (Elevation #7)
- solid wristband = neon green (heart), purple (standing)
- checkered wristband = red
-Second row; cried first 3 songs; upset re pushed to 3rd row; Val in 2nd
-Went to bar playing U2
Sun 8/19/01 U2 #23 (Elevation #8)
- solid wristband = red (heart), no. 152, black (standing)
- checkered wristband = turquoise blue
-Second row; cried intermittently; next to Rolla and Bard; negativity from 1st row but not as bad as 1st night
-Saw Nikki (from Anaheim)
Mon 8/20/01
- slept until 2pm (except getting up for breakfast)
- got dressed up to go to central London; noticed queue at box office and got tix for 8/21 & 8/22 instead :)
- went to Italian restaurant then to bed early for queue in a.m.
- up at 3:30a; took pillow + blanket to queue
- number 20 written on my hand by Val's friends (first in line); all stood up to move up for 1st wristbands only to wait
- 3:00p - still no wristbands; only one wristband to be given. Rumors of Bono's father passing. True 4pm :(
- solid wristband = neon green
- checkered wristband = neon orange (only 3:45p)
- speculation on band canceling show due to Bob Hewson's death but show went on :)
- chose to sleep until 1pm and take time getting ready (it's 3pm now :)
- sick of waiting in line and not making it to 1st row; so juvenile & negative some of these people and my Highly Sensitive Person trait is kicking in
- MET LARRY, U2's drummer; autograph, photograph!!
Thu 8/23/01
- flew to Dublin, Ireland w/Heather McCorkindale, who I've known since 2nd grade, from London airport
- as I was saying to her, "All that you can't leave behind" (U2's current album title) in reference to our luggage, Chris Starr heard me! So we bumped into him + met Patrick (Pat)
- I decided to stay with Chris + Pat in the Temple University dorm!
- went to our first Ireland pub
- went to Temple Bar area w/Chris + Pat to meet Heather + Frankie (whom she and I met during the Popmart Tour 1997)
- just as I really started to stress about getting my Slane ticket from Valerie, I ran into her + burst into happy tears
- went to a pub; Heather cried w/joy; I saw London fans outside
- took bus to Slane w/Pat + Chris around noon
- Got there around 2pm
- t-shirts already sold out @ 3pm!
- put on different wristbands and got into VIP Slane Castle area! Stayed and drank all day until U2 came on
- ran thru/tripping over the crowd (threw things at us) + got in the heart :):)
- last night stayed in hotel instead of dorm, found out Aaliyah died yesterday
- was supposed to meet Val, etc @ The Kitchen (U2's bar) but Chris + Pat flaked and I didn't feel like venturing out alone; had a meltdown in my separate dorm bedroom :(
(RETURN HOME)
- met U2concerts.com employee! [see 11/15 below]
- rented a car and drove to L.A. (in the pouring rain for the first half)
- saw show with Heather, Chris, etc.
- Courtney (Captive from "Exit") got on stage to play guitar! We waived at each other.
- went to second show w/Chris w/o tix. He introduced me to his friend, Dana.
- Dana walked up to a stranger asking if he had extra tix for sale. He turned out to be the President of Vegas.com and gave us SIX luxury suite tix for FREE!!!
- a guy in the parking lot w/a neon U2 sign on his car gave me a bunch of small laminated U2 posters
- drove home from L.A. w/Chris
- hosted U2concerts.com pre-party @ The Field in North Beach/SF and saw show w/Lori, Chris, Nikos
- hosted U2concerts.com pre-party @ The Irish Bank in downtown SF and saw show w/Annie, Alex, Chris
- after No Doubt opened, Gwen Stefani was in the heart and patted Annie's 7-mo pregnant belly
- hosted U2concerts.com pre-party @ The Field in North Beach/SF and saw show w/Lori, Chris, Nikos
- rented another car and drove back to L.A. w/Chris and saw show
- rented a different car and drove alone to Sacto and saw show w/Lori, Gail, and also Kent + Todd
