Friday 10th November, Telstra Stadium. The first of three shows in Sydney since U2 toured nine years ago.
We've been in the General Admission (standing only) queue for 5 hours now. The cool morning and gentle sunrise has gone. It's hot. Olympic Park is so exposed. The paving we're sitting on is so unforgiving and as the minutes pass it heats up like a BBQ hotplate. Maybe wearing jeans was a mistake.
It’s 11:30am.The hard core fans have constructed a shanty town at the front of the queue complete with cardboard shelters, mattresses, sleeping bags and eskis. Some have slept out for two nights just to be at the front of the queue. One guy is not even going in tonight, instead he's already queuing up for tomorrow. Dedication.
I've come with my old mate Peter and his wife Josie. Pete and I grew up together. We're so different, but we're like brothers. Pete is exhausted " he's had a shocker at work and is riding on very little sleep. I've barely slept. Didn't need the 5am alarm. I've got an enormous knot in my stomach " a lot of planning has gone into this night.
Plus it's my wife, Heather's only chance to get close to the band.
She's coming later because it was too difficult to leave our three-month-old baby for the whole day. It's not good form to allow people into the queue later in the day but we have a good excuse and the people behind us are cool with that. Which is amazing because they even slept out to buy their tickets back last November.
They're asleep now but we will spend the whole concert with them. One of the guys in front of us in the queue is a first-year Moore College student who's got his books with him " the Old Testament 1 exam is looming. Now there's a reason to thank God for the postponement!
2:30pm. Heather arrives. Relief. She made it. Donuts and cold drinks.
3:30pm. Security compresses the queue unnecessarily for about the fifth time today. A U2 employee is trying her best to make it all work. But as time goes by, this queue is disintegrating into chaos.
4pm. Everyone's up. We're standing. Why? Nobody knows. Gates don't open until 5:30pm?! The orderly queue is now a mob and we're already standing inside one of six "cattle runs' where security stands ready to check bags.
Queue psychology: Nerves are so tense in this queue that you only need one "sheep' to make a sudden move and the rest follow without a second thought. We'll be like this for another one and a half hours.
5:30pm. Gates open. Security check. Ticket swipe. One guy gets held up for taking his happy snap camera in. Then he's waved on.
"Don't run!"
We do the "Jane Saville' down the corkscrew road that leads into the bowels of the stadium. It's lined with police and security.
"Don't run!"
Concentrate. We don't want to get disqualified.
Out onto the pitch. The nervous patter of our footsteps turn into a military march. The grass is covered with protective steel gangways. Fans are pouring into the stadium arena from both sides. Quick! Everyone is focussed on getting a spot along the stage railing.
"Don't run!"
We enter the inner barrier and head for our agreed destination. We're one person back off the rail around the B-stage where Bono and Larry will perform Love and Peace.
Finally we can relax.
How was the concert?
Fantastic. Even U2 were stoked with their performance. The set was exactly the same as for Brisbane, but this time the band nailed it. Bono also raised a few less issues. It's cleaner, tighter, more focussed and therefore the teeth bite a little harder.
I think a lot has to do with the crowd too.
In contrast to Brisbane, where fans were a bit dead pan, Sydney fans really gave it to U2. U2 responded in kind, full of energy and clearly enjoying themselves. The first set finished with One and Bono screaming ecstatically (off mic) back at the crowd. When their first encore finished, Bono was clearly delighted with the band, slapping Edge on the backside, clenching fists with Larry and hugging Adam. It was as if to say: "We're back guys, we've still got it!'
While there were occasional minor technical issues (Bono's mic still "clunking' a bit), the ghosts of Brisbane were well and truly gone. It can only get better from here.
Coexist?
Bono is on the B-stage in front of us thrashing at one of Larry's drums, its Love and Peace. When the rage is over, he picks up a headband with the some graffiti on it. Larry's snare drum kicks in " it's an old favourite they haven't played for years, "Sunday Bloody Sunday'.
The band pause mid-song.
Bono: "I have some graffiti on my head. It says, "Coexist'.
He sings: "Jesus, Jew, Mohammed it's true. Jesus, Jew, Mohammed it's true. Oh father Abraham what have we done. Oh father Abraham speak to your sons.'
Originally written about the "troubles' in Ireland back in the 1980's, U2 have recently used the song in light of September 11 to call for an end to violence and to plea for compromise. Bono dedicates the song to the victims of the Bali bombings.
Bono: "This is your song now'.
He's right. We are no longer spectators. In the past we watched the troubles in Ireland, Bosnia, Rwanda, New York, Baghdad. Now the troubles are closer to home.
So what should our response be?
The song is not a rebel song. It's not a call to arms. It's a call for understanding, compromise and tolerance. In the middle of the song Bono says, "We have a prayer, and it is this: that we do not become a monster in order to defeat a monster'.
Borrowing a line from an earlier song, Peace on Earth, Bono's prayer is that we avoid revenge, avoid stooping to the level of those who have hurt us.
He's urging the crowd to sing "No more'.
He's altering the lyric "claim the victory Jesus won' to ‘understand the victory Jesus won'.
So what does he mean by Coexist? Is this pluralism?
No.
By connecting Christian, Jew and Muslim to their common ancestor " Abraham " Bono is pleading for us to recognise our common ancestor. It's a plea for tolerance and understanding.
Is it realistic? Is it workable?
In a more mature reflection, Bono spoke again of the troubles in Ireland on the "Pop' album's track called "Please'. The last line of that song says:
"So love is big bigger than us
but love is not what you're thinking of
It's what lovers deal, it's what lovers steal
You know I've found it hard to receive
Cause you, my love, I could never believe'
Without truth and transparency can people ever come to the negotiating table and compromise?
Now, I'm no expert on Islam. So I won't say much, perhaps others who do can chip in on the forums. However, I heard that the Quran was written with two different locations in mind. One location being applicable to when Muslims are in the minority. In this situation, apparently, Muslims should seek peace and harmony with infidels. The other location was when Muslims were in majority and able to gain power. In that situation, they should expel the infidel.
If this is so, will it ever be possible to reach compromise and tolerance with Muslims? Will they be willing to "understand' the victory Jesus won? Respect that victory and coexist? Or does that willingness to coexist go out the window when power can be seized?
"You my love I could never believe'
If we cannot trust each other, then is "coexist' a slogan that we are kidding ourselves with?
In the book Shake Hands with the Devil, The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda, UN Lt. General, Romeo Dallaire argues that one of the key reasons neither party was able to implement the Arusha Peace Agreement was because neither party trusted each other or was willing to budge on what they wanted. Truth, transparency and a willingness to compromise seem essential if we are to "coexist'. Can we ever expect this between Christian, Jew and Muslim?
What is even more necessary is forgiveness. This is where the Christian gospel is so powerful. On the one hand, each Christian can let how they have been wronged by others in the past to "frame' or determine the rest of their lives. Alternatively, having recognised their new history "in Christ', they can hold out the same forgiveness that God has given them to others.
Stephen Shearsby, children's minister at St Paul's, Menai, is attending each of the seven U2 concerts that the band will be performing in Australia. He will share his experiences of the concerts and the people he meets in a series of blogs in the coming weeks.
Read the news story, Stephen’s previous blog and next blog.
