Rock legends U2 played their first ever concert in Russia last week, performing to a sell out crowd at Moscow’s Luzhniki stadium, as part of their 360 Degree world tour.
Famous faces in the audience included at least one former president, as Bono called out: “I’d like to introduce a great hero of ours – he has been a friend of mine for more than ten years – Mikhail Gorbachev is in the house!”
Other poignant moments included the Universal Declaration of Human Rights providing the backdrop to ‘MLK’, and Bono’s touching tribute to imprisoned Burmese political leader Aung San Suu Kyi: “From Burma Action and Amnesty International, lets hold her up. Let tell the powers that be that they can’t touch her, she belongs to us.”
Most people of course were just there for the party, and despite the pouring rain the crowd was rapturous. Highlights included Russian superstar singer Yuri Shevchuck joining the boys on stage to sing Bob Dylan’s ‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door', in both Russian and English.
This was the biggest turn out for a rock show in Russia since Pink Floyd played two nights in the 1980s, and Bono made the most of it. Before the band closed the show with ‘Moment of Surrender’, the charismatic frontman addressed the crowd:
“There’s this beautiful country of Russia, ancient and modern, People who’ve fought their fires and people who’ve lost their lives, And we play this under the Milky Way for the people who died in the fires…”
{etRelate 41474, 36134}Bono also took time out before the show to meet up with current President Dimitry Medvedev, a self-confessed Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin fan. Topics on the agenda included poverty and the spread of HIV/Aids in Africa, with the President complimenting the singer on his work in this area, according to UK newspaper The Independent.
The hugely successful 360 Degree world tour has now moved on to Europe, with Athens and Istanbul next on the itinerary. And after so many years at the top, what’s the secret of U2’s amazing longevity? As Bono himself says: “A band that prays together stays together.”
Famous faces in the audience included at least one former president, as Bono called out: “I’d like to introduce a great hero of ours – he has been a friend of mine for more than ten years – Mikhail Gorbachev is in the house!”
Other poignant moments included the Universal Declaration of Human Rights providing the backdrop to ‘MLK’, and Bono’s touching tribute to imprisoned Burmese political leader Aung San Suu Kyi: “From Burma Action and Amnesty International, lets hold her up. Let tell the powers that be that they can’t touch her, she belongs to us.”
Most people of course were just there for the party, and despite the pouring rain the crowd was rapturous. Highlights included Russian superstar singer Yuri Shevchuck joining the boys on stage to sing Bob Dylan’s ‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door', in both Russian and English.
This was the biggest turn out for a rock show in Russia since Pink Floyd played two nights in the 1980s, and Bono made the most of it. Before the band closed the show with ‘Moment of Surrender’, the charismatic frontman addressed the crowd:
“There’s this beautiful country of Russia, ancient and modern, People who’ve fought their fires and people who’ve lost their lives, And we play this under the Milky Way for the people who died in the fires…”
{etRelate 41474, 36134}Bono also took time out before the show to meet up with current President Dimitry Medvedev, a self-confessed Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin fan. Topics on the agenda included poverty and the spread of HIV/Aids in Africa, with the President complimenting the singer on his work in this area, according to UK newspaper The Independent.
The hugely successful 360 Degree world tour has now moved on to Europe, with Athens and Istanbul next on the itinerary. And after so many years at the top, what’s the secret of U2’s amazing longevity? As Bono himself says: “A band that prays together stays together.”
