The Other Side Of Silence (Godfather Records GR405/406)
San Siro, Milan, Italy – July 7th, 2009
Disc 1 (71:21): Intro., Breathe, No Line On The Horizon, Get On Your Boots, Magnificent, Beautiful Day, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For – Stand By Me, Angel of Harlem – Man In The Mirror – Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough, Party Girl – Happy Birthday, In A Little While, Unknown Caller, The Unforgettable Fire, City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo
Disc 2 (61:48): I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Pride, MLK, Walk On, Desmond Tutu speech, Where the Streets Have No Name, One, Ultraviolet, With or Without You, Moment of Surrender
U2 played two concerts in Milan in the first week of the 360° tour, selling out the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza. With over 77,000 in attendance per night, these are the biggest U2 concerts in Italy and among the biggest in the history of rock in that country. The excellent Godfather label have documented both shows with amazing sounding stereo audience recordings of both nights. The Other Side Of Silence is the first of the two Milan shows on two discs picks up the thrill and excitement of thousands of Milanese partying into the night and singing along to the better known songs like “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “Where The Streets Have No Name.”
Playing essentially in the round on the “claw” stage, the setlist remains similar to the other stops on the tour. “Angel Of Harlem,” which alternates with “Desire” in the setlist, is played in the first Milan show. Variations can be found in the various snippets Bono throws in to well known arrangements, such a singing a bit of “Stand By Me” in “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.”
Just as “Party Girl” begins, the crowd sings “Happy Birthday” for Bono’s daughter Eve, who turns 18 today. The band stops and sings along while Eve comes on stage. Bono shares a a champagne toast with her, and she gets hugs from the entire band before “Party Girl” resumes. “Sunday Bloody Sunday” is dedicated to the citizens of Iran, and the screen shows words from ‘The Song of the Reed,’ by the Persian poet Jalal ad-Dīn Rumi. Before “One,” Bono speaks about his “differences” with Italian Prime Minister Sylvio Berlusconi and urges him to keep past aid and debt relief promises during the upcoming G8 Summit in Italy. Packaged in a gorgeous trifold gatefold sleeve, The Other Side Of Silence is an excellent document of a great show.
3 Comments
Excellent packaging performance and sound quality!! What more could you ask for?
The fact that Bono cannot sing is an urban legend. He had
problems between Popmart and Elevation Tour (1997-2001) but since 2005 he has been extraordinary again.
Of course he is not the same guy of the 80’s when he could die screaming on stage every night but I can’t find around many lead singers better than him nowdays too.
I have seen 30 shows during the last and this current tour and he was 100% most of the time, but I am maybe a lucky man……
By the way it is enough listening to this double set to have an excellent idea!
What about Bono’s voice. Is he actually singing, does it crack up anywhere. He seems to be talking more than singing these last few years.