2009-07-20

Amsterdam ArenA, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Set List of Show:

Main Set:

"Breathe"
"No Line on the Horizon"
"Get On Your Boots"
"Magnificent"
"Beautiful Day"
"Mysterious Ways"
"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"
"Angel of Harlem"
"In a Little While"
"Unknown Caller"
"The Unforgettable Fire"
"City Of Blinding Lights"
"Vertigo"
"I'll Go Crazy if I Don't Go Crazy Tonight"
"Sunday Bloody Sunday"
"Pride (In the Name of Love)"
"MLK"
"Walk On"
"Where the Streets Have No Name"
"One"

Encore:

"Ultra Violet (Light My Way)"
"With or Without You"
"Moment of Surrender"

Additional Music

Pre-Recorded Exit Song: "Space Oddity" - David Bowie
Pre-Recorded Exit Song: "Soon" - U2
Pre-Recorded Intermission Song(s): "Rocket Man" - Elton John

Snippets of Other Songs Performed by U2:

Carousel

Show Details:

Amsterdam is the sixth city on the tour, and the band play two shows there at the Amsterdam ArenA.

According to U2Gigs.com the band does an extensive soundcheck ahead of the show, doing “Streets”, “Beautiful Day”, multiple takes on “Magnificent”, “I’ll Go Crazy”, “Unknown Caller”, “City of Blinding Lights” and “Elevation”. The band is starting to feel the pressure of returning to Dublin to play three shows and are doing advance press ahead of those appearances, and starting to work on some set list changes.

The show sold out in 15 minutes. A second show is announced and also sells out. Bono makes mention of the band first playing at the Paridiso while Larry was still a teenager and how the Dutch fans have supported them from the earliest days.

Sound is a little rough tonight, it’s the first venue where the band has played with a closed roof, and it appears to take a bit to get the sound worked out. The full stage does fit in under the roof this evening. Willie Williams mentions, “This has its advantages, especially given the fact that it was raining outside, but we did have to jam our stage structure in there, with the top mirrorball sitting just two meters below the roof.”

Bono introduces the International Space Station astronauts by talking about being a kid and being amazed by Neil Armstrong’s walk on the moon. Bono was just 9 years old. “I remember it so well, an image of making the impossible possible, and I’ve held on to that with more early problems. It’s the 40th anniversary of that moon walk. The astronauts on the International Space Station hold up signs reading “The Future Need a Big Kiss.”

Snippets include “Blackbird” during “Beautiful Day”, “Movin’ On Up” during “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” and “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” during “Angel of Harlem”. “Follow the Yellow Brick Road” appears during “City of Blinding Lights”, “Let’s Dance” opens “I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight”, “You’ll Never Walk Alone” appears in “Walk On” and “All You Need is Love” appears in “Where the Streets Have No Name.” A special snippet tonight is “40” at the end of the night. Fans had brought signs asking for the song which they held up during “Moment of Surrender” and Bono took note and included a little nod to the song. Bono also did the extended, “Hear Us Coming” verse during “One”.

Bono’s family are in attendance at the show, and he calls out to them, including his aunt Eileen who is 80 and at the show. Also in attendance is long time U2 photographer, Anton Corbijn.

Officially Released Tracks