U2 – Live From The Mother City (Godfather Records GR 641/642)

 Live From The Mother City (Godfather Records GR 641/642)

Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa – February 18th, 2011

Disc 1 (71:56):  Intro (Soweto Gospel Choir Get On Your Boots Remix), Beautiful Day, I Will Follow, Get On Your Boots, Magnificent, Mysterious Ways, Elevation, Until the End of the World / Anthem, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, Stand By Me, North Star, Pride, In a Little While, Miss Sarajevo, City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo

Disc 2 (57:08):  I’ll Go Crazy (remix) / Relax / Two Tribes, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Scarlet, Walk On / You’ll Never Walk Alone, One, Amazing Grace / Where the Streets Have No Name / All You Need Is Love, Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me, With or Without You, Moment of Surrender

Live From The Mother City on Godfather documents U2’s February 18th, 2011 show in Cape Town.  U2’s appearance in such a politically charged city is itself significant, and the meaning is clearly expressed throughout the performance. 

Godfather utilize a loud, distorted, fuzzy, and generally unpleasant recording of the gig.  It was difficult to listen to, and this would appeal to those who were there that night as a memento of the occasion. 

The concert itself is not bad.  It starts off with the Soweto Gospel Choir singing  remix of “Get On Your Boots” and South African singer Yvonne Chaka Chaka sings with Bono during “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” and remains onstage for a full-band version of “Stand By Me.”

In a review “U2’s Epic Night In Cape Town,” Jannie Momberg writes:  “On Friday night the Irish rockers played the final of their two South African shows at the Cape Town stadium in front of an appreciative 75 000 – strong crowd. This, however, was no greatest hits effort.  Both the Johannesburg and Cape Town shows of the 360° tour had some customised local elements that were fairly unique in U2’s two-year world tour. There were also shout outs for Graça Machel and Zackie Achmat and numerous mentions for the band’s love for Africa.

“No song illustrates the modern ‘relevance’ of these veterans more than the dance remix of ‘I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight.’  The live version is a major improvement on the studio recording. The pumping beats acted as an introduction to the political section with the screen displaying images from the recent popular uprisings in North Africa.

“Cape Town resident Archbishop Desmond Tutu is the one local element that has been used in all the 360° concerts the last couple of years. Tutu spoke to the crowd via pre-recorded video drawing links between US civil right protesters, Northern Ireland peace marchers, Anti-Apartheid activists and the crowd at the concert.”

Live From The Mother City is packaged in a tri-fold cardboard sleeve with photographs from the tour on the artwork.  Godfather have been producing high quality U2 titles from the long 360º tour, but this is not among them.  This is best avoided.