U2 - Innocence & Experience 2015

In case you missed it, U2 are about half-way through the first leg of their Innocence and Experience tour. One of the striking things is how much technology has changed. Fans (and the Band), are streaming every concert via periscope or meerkat. Now you are able to experience the show from your computer on the other side of the world. It's a long way for waiting for an email with the setlist like during the PopMart tour.

So far, the band is in brilliant form, not only have the songs translated beautifully to the stage, the first act, is beautifully constructed play about innocence broken, from the sounds that inspired the band, to their friends, family, and country.

The most powerful segment of the show is the transition from Sunday Bloody Sunday-Raised by Wolves-Until the End of the World. Where you feel you living through the bombing in Dublin. I can only imagine would it would sound like at the arena.  

I can't complain about the set-lists. There is certainly enough variety to make you come back each night, and a few surprises. Ordinary Love and Lucifer's Hands were the most surprising.

I feel that there will be a few more surprises in their eight night stint in New York.  (A 'reversed' show like Osaka in 1989 would be awesome!)

The downside is, I have a suspicion that this tour will be like the Elevation tour and not come down-under.  I truly hope I'm wrong, because if it sounds and looks this good watching online...

Les Miserables - Sydney

It's no secret that Les Miserables is one of my favourite musicals. It beautifully tells a powerful story about us all, or capacities, and our capacity for love and mercy. I've lost count of the times I've listened to the CDs, watched the videos, and seen the stage production (and film).

I was delighted to read that Cameron Macintosh was putting on the his new production in Sydney, so I would get the chance to see it. I have regularly told people that the best production of Les Mis I saw was an amateur production in Wollongong, in the 1990s. There was something about the performances that night which connected and resonated with me. I'll never forget one of the girls in my year (Lisa O'Connell) playing the role of Epoinine in one production, she was amazing.

I got goose bumps when the first notes of the overture were played, and was just riveted through the whole show. One of the highlights were the drawings which were incorporated into the show as backdrops.

Simon Gleeson and Hayden Tee were great as Val Jean and Javert respectively - I loved the orchestrations for 'The Confrontation', and the chemistry between them, Hayden nailed 'Stars' and I loved Simon's performance of 'What have I Done'.

Patrice Tipoki's (Fantine) 'I Dreamed a Dream' was beautiful. The Thenardiers (Trevor Ashley & Lara Mulcahy) added the 'lightness' to the show, as needed.

The highlight for me was Kerrie-Anne Greenland who plays Epoinine. She's always the character in the show that I identified with the most. I just loved the performances of 'On My Own' and 'A Little Fall of Rain' (which usually brings tears). The other moment which really stood out is the song 'Drink with Me' and Grantaire's lines:

'Drink with me to days gone by / Can it be you fear to die? / Will the world remember you When you fall? / Could it be your death means nothing at all? Is your life just one more lie?'.

Would love the cast singing 'Do You Hear the People Sing?' again after they take their bows.

I always have a hard time comparing performers and performances, as each and every time the story strikes me differently, and I notice different things. I don't think I can recommend seeing the musical highly enough, and the cast going to Brisbane after the Sydney season finishes.