DECEMBER 9: For the first time in Canada / Bono cuts the towel in two / Dream´speech / No-participating audience / A POP´s concert to Amnesty International / For the first time at SNL / "Hands" debuts / 104th 'VERTIGO' show: several references to John Lennon / 131st (final) VERTIGO show: Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day joined the band for The Saints Are Coming-Eddie Vedder and Mike McCready of Pearl Jam joined the band for a cover of Neil Young's Rockin' In The Free World-We love The Edge-Larry had the final words of the night: "See you soon...."

"Boy" tour - december 9, 1980 - U2 play at the El Mocambo in Toronto. The gig, the first in Canada, receives ecstatic reviews in the Canadian press. Bono and The Edge remark that the concert was so energetic because they were still emotional upon hearing the news of John Lennon's assassination the day before.

"Pre-War" tour -december 9, 1982 - U2 perform in Groningen, Holland at Martinhal. "Fire" is interrupted when a fight breaks out in the crowd. Support is "Zerra I".

"The Unforgettable Fire" tour - december 9, 1984 - U2 perform in Cleveland, Ohio at the Music Hall. Bono leans into the crowd to shake some hands, and a girl reaches for the towel draped around his neck. He quickly pulls back, runs backstage, and returns with scissors. Bono cut the towel in two, and handed one half to the girl who had reached for it, and tosses the other half in the audience at the other side of the stage. Support is "The Waterboys".

"The Joshua Tree" tour - december 9, 1987 - U2 perform in Atlanta, Georgia at The Omni. During the second night's performance of "Pride(In the Name of Love)", Bono recites some of Martin Luther King's 'I have a Dream' speech: "I have a dream: all God's children, black man and white mand, Protestant and Catholic, will be able to join hands and sing...'Free at Last, free at last, Thank GOD ALMIGHTY, FREE AT LAST!' Support is "The BoDeans".

"ZOO TV - New Zeland/ Japan" tour - december 9, 1993 - U2 perform the final "Zoo" concerts in Tokyo, Japan at the Tokyo Dome. Bad acoustic, no-participating audience, Edge´s guitar malfunctions during "Even Better Than The Real Thing", MacPhisto phones to Akebono, famous Sumo wrestling champion.

"PopMart" tour - december 9, 1997 - U2 perform in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. They dedicate the show to Amnesty International. At the end of the night Bono dedicated One and Wake Up Dead Man to Amnesty International because tomorrow is a special day for that organization. Two great songs. Other great songs were Edge's rendition of Sunday Bloody Sunday, Gone, and Please.

"ATYCLB-promo" tour - december 9, 2000 - New York, NY - NBC Studios. U2 play for the first time in NBC programme Saturday Night Live, performing "Beautiful Day" and "Elevation". U2 was about rock n roll last night not celebrity. John Lennon got nodded to more than once. "All you need is love" and "Instant Karma" with nods to the Ramones also in there.

"The Hands That Built America" debuts - december 9, 2002 - New York - NY - New York Public Library. Bono and Edge give 'The Hands That Built America' its live debut in New York city, singing the song at the after-party following the world premiere of Martin Scorsese's film Gangs of New York. The song was written for the film, and appears on the movie's soundtrack as well as on U2's Best of 1990-2000 album.

104th 'VERTIGO' show - December 9, 2005 - Buffalo, NY - HSBC Arena - Institute - Snowstorm / several references to John Lennon! City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, Elevation, Gloria, The Ocean, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - In a Little While, Beautiful Day, Original of the Species, Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own, Love and Peace or Else, Sunday Bloody Sunday - Rock the Casbah, Bullet the Blue Sky, Miss Sarajevo, Pride, Where the Streets Have No Name, One - Help. Encore(s): Until the End of the World, Mysterious Ways, With or Without You, Stuck In a Moment You Can't Get Out Of, Instant Karma, Yahweh, 40. U2's plane doesn't arrive in Buffalo until 7:30 pm - three hours late - thanks to a snowstorm in Boston that had closed the airport there temporarily this afternoon. The show goes on, and Bono again includes several reference to John Lennon on the day after the 25th anniversary of his death. He mentions that U2 were playing in Buffalo the night of Lennon's murder. The band itself was on fire tonight, and the crowd was intense, especially during Where the Streets Have No Name, where Bono was even impressed after the song. Bono brought on a young boy during Sunday Bloody Sunday, a belly-dancer during Mysterious Ways, and a girl during With ot Without You....

131st VERTIGO show - December 9, 2006 - Hawaii - Honolulu.

U2 played the final show of the Vertigo Tour in Honolulu. The setlist included Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses for the first time since November 13, 2005, and it was performed with a fan from the crowd on piano. After an absence of four shows, Love And Peace Or Else returned for a final Vertigo Tour appearance. Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day joined the band for The Saints Are Coming. Eddie Vedder and Mike McCready of Pearl Jam joined the band for a cover of Neil Young's Rockin' In The Free World. The last song played on the Vertigo Tour was All I Want Is You. City Of Blinding Lights (Bono with US flag on b-stage) / Vertigo / Elevation / I Will Follow / I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For-In A Little While (snippet) / Beautiful Day-Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band-(snippet)-Blackbird (snippet) / Angel Of Harlem / Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (guest from the audience on piano) / The First Time / Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own-La Vie En Rose (snippet) / Love And Peace Or Else / Sunday Bloody Sunday-Rock The Casbah (snippet) (little kid on the front stage) / Bullet The Blue Sky-When Johnny Comes Marching Home (snippet)-The Hands That Built America (snippet) (Bono mit Fackel) / Miss Sarajevo / Pride (In The Name Of Love) / Where The Streets Have No Name (again someone on stage) / One / Encores: The Fly-(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction (snippet) / Mysterious Ways / With Or Without You (woman from the audience on stage) / Window In The Skies / The Saints Are Coming (with Billie Joe Armstrong/Green Day) / Rockin' In The Free World (with Eddie Vedder and Mike McCready/Pearl Jam, Bono is dancing with Eddie) / All I Want Is You. "Thank you for giving us a second chance," said Bono to the crowd, a few songs into the concert. "Thank you for hanging around." The crowd roared that it was all OK. Bono then turned to the Edge and thanked him for staying strong. "For a carbon-based life form, this cat can play," said Bono. A first encore that featured crowd favorites "The Fly," "Mysterious Ways" and "With or Without You" preceded a second encore that finally brought the concert its first wonderfully little-rehearsed suprises. Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong appeared on stage at Bono's request to accompany U2 on guitar and vocals for both band's hit "The Saints Are Coming." Welcomed back after Pearl Jam's incendiary hourlong opening set, vocalist Eddie Vedder and guitarist Mike McReady rocked with Bono & Co. on a cover of Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World." The spectacle of Bono and Vedder sharing a spontaneous dance on stage and McReady and the Edge trading soaring solos even had Kid Rock nodding his head and Anthrax's Scott Ian air guitaring with friends in a field level sound booth. Done co-leading a stadium-wide "We love the Edge!" chant with Vedder, Bono broke from script and motioned the band for one more song. With just Bono, the Edge, Mullen and Clayton on stage, U2 ended its Honolulu visit quietly with the lovely "Rattle and Hum" ballad "All I Want Is You." The song slowly coming to an end, each member disappeared from the stage with a wave. First Bono, then Clayton, then a final note from the Edge, until Mullen, bringing his beats slowly to a close, was the only soul left on stage. "Thank you for waiting," he said, clearly moved. "See you soon." No group hugs or bows for U2 at the end of another long road trip. They were ready to go home.
The full list of Vertigo Tour dates shows on screen during City of Blinding Lights, ending with "131. Honolulu." The band stops to bring a fan on stage during Angel of Harlem, but the fan wants to play Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses - on piano. So, they do, with U2 struggling to get through the impromptu set list addition. Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong plays and sings on The Saints Are Coming. Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder and Mike McCready join U2 for Rockin' In The Free World. The show ends with the band embracing their stage crew as they leave the stage one at a time.
Photos: honoluluadvertiser
U2-Vertigo-tour
Video: honoluluadvertiser
The Saints Are Coming:

Rockin' In The Free World:

Larry: See you soon...

DECEMBER 3: For the first time in France / It´s difficult locate Bono at the balcony / Crazy crowd during show for Amnesty International / A fan refuses to leave the stage / Mexico´s show is aired live to USA!

"London Club" tour - december 3, 1979 - U2 perform in Clapham, England at the 100 Club.

"Boy" tour - december 3, 1980 - U2 perform in Paris, France at the Baltard Pavilion, the last as support for the "Talking Heads". It was the first performance in France.

"Pre-War" tour - december 3, 1982 - U2 perform in Leicester, England at De Montfort Hall. During "A Celebration" fans clamour for the stage, and security pushes them back. During "Electric Co." Bono climbs to the balcony, the spotlight operators have trouble locating him. Support is "The Set".

"The Unforgettable Fire" tour - december 3, 1984 - U2 perform in New York City, New York at Radio City Music Hall. The 6000 tickets available for the venue sell out in 18 minutes--a record for the Radio City Music Hall. Proceeds from the show got to Amnesty International (Stop Tortue Week), a group dedicated to supporting human rights through out the world. Many celebrities and Amnesty International officials are in the audience. The excited crowd quickly leave their seats, and security, not used to handling rock concert audiences, start to rough up the crowd. During "I Will Follow", a fan is being beaten by two security guards, and when Larry notices, he jumps up from behind his drum kit and walks over to the edge of the stage. The Edge follows Larry to prevent him from entering the fracas. Bono shouts, "Where the hell are we? The last time we were here, this city just began for us. We won't have it spoiled now, aor any mistreatment to our people. These are our people! And if anybody spoils it, it's our fault, we make the music...it's rock and roll--not cabaret!" When the fighting stops, the band return to their positions, and The Edge discovers that when he dropped his guitar, it broke into two pieces. The band restart "I Will Follow" after The Edge gets another guitar. During "Gloria", the crowd is in a state of absolute mayhem. About 20 fans get hurt, and fans try to escape the crowd by jumping up on the stage. Bono stops the song and yells at the crowd to calm down. U2 re-start "Gloria" and again, Bono is forced to shout down a few fans in the front rows who won't stop pushing the crowd: "Why are you here/ You're not here for the same reason I'm here if you wont' move back. Because only one thing will be destroyed tonight--and that's the barrier between the stage and the audience!" The house lights are turned on by the head of security of the Radio City Music Hall, and security move onto the stage to push the crowd back. Bono stops "Gloria" yet again and yells, "We don't want any security people on the stage!" and attempts to get the crowd to calm down, "If you move back the guards are going to leave! Move Back!". The band again start "Gloria" and after a quick version of "40" leave the stage quickly. Support is "The Waterboys".

"The Joshua Tree" tour - december 3, 1987 - U2 perform in Miami, Florida at the Orange Bowl. There are three video screens in the stadium, one on each side of the stage and one behind the lighting tower. A guy called Joe plays along on "People Get Ready"and refuses to leave the stage by holding on to Bono. Support is Buckwheat Zydeco, and "Los Lobos".


"POPMart" tour - december 3, 1997 - U2 perform in Mexico City. This second of U2's two shows in Mexico City is aired live in the U.S. -- the first hour is shown on MTV while the entire concert shows on cable channel Showtime. During the second night's concert, a camera man falls off the stage and into a special VIP area. Bono publicly recognizes Internet fans by saying good-bye to "POPMartians" at the end of the concert.

DECEMBER 2: U2 play for only 25 people / 2nd, supporting Talking Heads / Edge takes his guitar off /Jerry Mele / ends "Elevation" tour!

"London Club" tour - december 2, 1979 - U2 perform in Earl's Court, England at the Nashville Rooms, as support for "Secret Affair". Only 25 people show up for the gig.

"Boy" tour - december 2, 1980 - U2 play the second support gig to "Talking Heads" in London, England at the Hammersmith Palais.

"October" tour - december 2, 1981 - U2 perform in Nashville, Tennessee at Vanderbilt University.

"Pre-War" tour - december 2, 1982 - U2 perform in Manchester, England at the Apollo Theater. "Sunday Bloody Sunday" is cut short after the band realize they can't figure out what comes after the second verse. "New Year's Day" is dedicated to the people who have been following the tour around(these same people were allowed to sit in for the soundcheck). After the encore of "A Celebration", The Edge takes his guitar off and hands it to a roadie. Bono yells at The Edge, "We're not done yet!", and after The Edge straps his guitar back on, the band perform "I Will Follow" for the second time that evening. Support is "The Alarm".

"The Unforgettable Fire" tour - december 2, 1984 - U2 perform in Worcester, Maryland at the Centrum. The 11,000 tickets for this concert sell out quickly, and hundreds of fans remain outside the venue. Bono thanks the crowd for their support over the years, and before "40", he mentions that "Last year when we came here, we were very firghtened of playing in places like this. It was because it was our ambition to just turn this place into a living room and I think we have done that here tonight. I hope it worked out for you, it really worked out for us." Support is "The Waterboys".

"POPMart" tour - december 2, 1997 - Mexico City - Mexico - Atodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Edge sings "Sunday Bloody Sunday". U2's first of two PopMart shows in Mexico City is marred by an off-stage incident -- the teenage son of Mexico's President attends the concert, and tries to leave through a restricted area of the stadium while the show is still in progress. A security guard brings the son to the ground shortly before he would've been hit by a large TV crane. That starts a fight as the President's son's bodyguards draw guns and go after security, not knowing they were only trying to save the teenager. As the President's son and his bodyguards get in their car to leave, U2's security chief, Jerry Mele, tries to stop them. The car moves slowly and Mele is dragged along as they go. He suffers severe injuries and will not be with the band when PopMart visits South America, Australia, Japan, and South Africa in the new year.

"Elevation tour - december 2, 2001 - Miami / Fl - American Airlines Arena. The Elevation World Tour ends tonight in Miami, just down the road from where it began (in Sunrise, Florida) back in March. Larry plays drums on 'Only Happy When It Rains', the last song of Garbage's opening set. 'In God´s Country' is complete with harmonica tonight. Bono stops to thank a bunch of people, including Sheila Roche, Paul McGuinness, and Chris Blackwell before 'One'. Bono ends the show by leading the crowd in the '40' chorus and singing 'Honey, I'm coming home!' Early estimates suggest the 113-concert tour has sold more than 2 million tickets and grossed some $160 million, half of that in U.S. receipts.
Please, acoustic:

DECEMBER 1ST: Edge plays with his hand in plaster / U2 support Talking Heads / starts Pre-War tour / on the 22nd floor of the Parker Meridien hotel / "Slow Dancing" for the first time / U2 releases Night and Day / "One Tree Hill" is played in New Zealand / MTV Brazil airs Edge´s message to World Aids Day / "Please" to Elvis Costello / The Saints Are Coming on MSN.com and on Top 20 VH-1 / Bono - cover of Q issue january 2007 / U2 fans are teaming up to turn Aloha Stadium (RED) for the band's Dec. 9 concert / On the Tokyo Skyline.

"London Club" tour - december 1, 1979 - Having borrowed 3000 Pounds from family and friends to finance a short English tour, U2 play their debut London gig as support for "The Dolly Mixtures" in the Moonlight Club in West, Hampstead. In a Sounds magazine review, Dave McCullough writes: "U2 are about four people. Their music has minimum distortion and their songs reflect the strength of the four individuals. There's a kind of naive, rushing feeling about their music." Edge plays with analgesic, cause his hand is in plaster followed a car crash

"Boy" tour - december 1, 1980 - "Talking Heads" start a tour--support by U2. The first gig is in London, England at the Hammersmith Odeon. Melody Maker reviewer Paolo Hewitt writes, "Easily the finest display of awe-inspiring rock that I've witnessed in a long time. It contained just about every emotion...from anger to savagery, beauty and that indefinable essence where mere words become useless."

"October" tour - december 1, 1981 - U2 perform in Atlanta, Georgia at The Agora.

"Pre-War" tour - december 1, 1982 - U2 perform in Glasgow, Scotland at Tiffany's. U2 perform several songs off the as of yet unreleased "War" album including "Sunday Bloody Sunday", "Surrender"(which is introduced as the album's theme song), and "New Year's Day". During "New Year's Day", The Edge's guitar fails and Bono invites people on stage if "they have something to say". No one moves for a few seconds, until one man jumps on stage and swears. Another person jumps on stage and does the same thing. Bono reiterates that people should only get on stage if they have something to say. Finally a woman gets on stage to wish her friend luck in some unknown venture. During the encore, Bono recieves a bottle of Champagne from "Simple Minds", and pours glasses for the audience. The band perform "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" during the encore of "11 O'Clock Tick Tock" as they will do for the rest of the December tour.

"The Unforgettable Fire" tour - december 1, 1984 - U2 begin the American leg of "The Unforgettable Fire" tour at the Tower Theater in Philadelphia. The shows on this part of the tour are set to generate interest for the arena dates next year. A few days before, while U2 is in New York preparing for the start of the American Leg, Bono gives an interview on WBCN radio in Boston. Bono explains his pensiveness, "I'm on the 22nd floor of the Parker Meridien hotel, there's alot of people downstairs. I can't walk out on the street because people are pushing up against us. So, as I say, I'm on the 22nd floor, in this hotel room, and I wish i was on stage. I don't like this waiting around." Immediately, the hotel manager was on the line to their room, explaining that the hotel switchboard was hopelessly jammed with calls. This nights concert could have been sold out many times over, and it is generally felt in the U2 camp that these dates will be the last small venue dates the band will play. Support is provided by "The Waterboys".

"LoveTown" tour - december 1, 1989 - U2 perform in Osaka, Japan at the Castle Hall, finishing a three night performance at the venue. The third night in Osaka features a completely different set list than was performed all along the "LoveTown" tour. This night fans get the message and leave their seats and make their way down to front row--one fan is particularily rowdy. During "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For", Bono announces, "At a U2 concert people do not push each other around! I don't care if you bought the front row or the back row...we're all the same in here!" U2 switch the set mid-concert and play "People Get Ready" in hopes that it will calm the crowd down. The fan is still rowdy, and Bono shouts, "Listen guy: One more piece of shit out of you, and you're out of here!" Bono sings "Slow Dancing" on stage for the first time B.B. King joins the band for "Angel of Harlem" in which parts of Elvis Presley's "Suspicious Minds" are included. This is the last "LoveTown" show in Japan. U2 now travel to Europe to perform in four cities--Paris, Amsterdam, Dublin and Dortmund, Germany.

U2 releases Night and Day - december 1990 - U2 releases "Night and Day" as 12-inch promotional-only single, taken from Cole Porter tribute album Red, Hot, and Blue, for AIDS benefit.


"ZOOTV: New Zooland/ Japan" tour - december 1, 1993 - U2 perform at the first stop of the two "New Zooland" concerts in Christchurch, New Zealand at Lancaster Park. "One Tree Hill" is played acoustically by Bono. Dring "Streets" hundreds of people manage to sneak into the stadium for free.

December 1, 2000 - MTV Brazil airs Edge´s message to World Aids Day, speaking to the necessity to have condoms, when the sexual life is active. Edge recorded it few days earlier, during U2´s ATYCLB promo tour in Rio.

"Elevation" tour - december 01, 2001 - Tampa, FL - Ice Palace. Bono dedicates 'Please' to Elvis Costello, who is in attendance tonight. (Costello has covered 'Please' in the past.) Bono wears an 'I (heart) NY' shirt for the entire second encore. Seats behind the stage are not sold for tonight's show, and a cloth screen showing the male/female 'Elevation' symbol hangs behind the stage.

The Saints Are Coming on MSN.com and on Top 20 VH-1 - December 1, 2006 - "The Saints Are Coming" video is highlighted today, December 1st, 2006 on MSN.com and on Top 20 VH-1.

Bono - cover of Q issue january 2007 - December 1, 2006 - here

U2 fans are teaming up to turn Aloha Stadium (RED) for the band's Dec. 9 concert - December 1, 2006 - (RED) is a brand created to raise awareness and money for the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in Africa. Gap, Motorola and Apple are participating in the effort, donating a portion of the sale of its (RED) items to the charity. Organizers are encouraging concert-goers through blogs to wear anything red that night in support of the campaign created by U2 frontman Bono. U2 will end its Vertigo tour on O'ahu. Pearl Jam and Rocko and the Devils will open the show, which starts at 7:30 p.m. honoluluadvertiser

On the Tokyo Skyline - December 1, 2006 - With the Tokyo skyline behind them, U2 performed two tracks live for Japanese TV tonight. Performing on the rooftop of TV ASAHI, the band greeted the presenters in the studio and went straight into Vertigo (Edge played with his Music Rising guitar) and the upcoming single Window in the Skies. Earlier Bono spoke to the show, Music Station, from the Red and White Reception, an awareness raising event hosted by Japan's 'hottokenai' (the national Make Poverty History campaign) to mark World AIDS Day.

**** Edge gives his message to the Japanese crowd... '...be yourself...'; after they up to the roof of the building to play 'Vertigo' and 'Window In The Skies'; Edge uses his Music Rising Epiphone guitar during 'Vertigo':