Song of the moment

Crumbs From Your Table - U2

From the brightest star
Comes the blackest hole
You had so much to offer
Why did you offer your soul?
I was there for you baby
When you needed my help
Would you deny for others
What you demand for yourself?

Cool down mama, cool off
Cool down mama, cool off

You speak of signs and wonders
I need something other
I would believe if I was able
But I'm waiting on the crumbs from your table

You were pretty as a picture
It was all there to see
Then your face caught up with your psychology
With a mouth full of teeth
You ate all your friends
And you broke every heart thinking every heart mends

You speak of signs and wonders
But I need something other
I would believe if I was able
But I'm waiting on the crumbs from your table

Where you live should not decide
Whether you live or whether you die
Three to a bed
Sister Ann, she said
Dignity passes by

And you speak of signs and wonders
But I need something other
I would believe if I was able
I'm waiting on the crumbs from your table

Words: [Bono] Music: [U2]

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Am posting this authored by my sister :)

Friday 15 October 2004: In the City of Blinding Lights

It was one of those typical Friday afternoons at work (in the office in East London), when you sit there counting down the minutes until 5.30 pm and the
weekend. I was idly checking my e-mails, when I found one from Duncan (my brother in Australia) saying that U2 were rumoured to be playing live in a carpark at the BBC studios at White City that evening, as part of the weekly Top of the Pops Programme.

Initially sceptical, I searched the net for confirmation, wondering if there was any substance to the rumour. But when I mentioned it to a colleague, she said she'd heard about it on the radio that morning.

That was sufficient grounds on which to race off after work, through the rain, to the other side of London. I was a bit dubious as to whether I'd even be able to get into the area, given what I'd heard about previous spontaneous live U2 performances. But I couldn't not try. And I couldn't believe my luck when I found myself three rows back from the front of the crowd waiting outside the gate of the carpark, peering at the stage through the bars, and (later) irritably asking the security guards inside to move when they blocked our view. We watched as those who'd been fortunate enough to win tickets to the event entered the compound. One section of the crowd tried starting up a chorus of 'I will sing ... sing a new song', but unfortuantely, despite its appropriateness, few of us ended up joining in. So we waited in relative silence (except for those desperately trying to hook up with friends on their mobile phones).

And then U2 came out. I couldn't believe how good a view we had! Bono joked that it was nice of the BBC to put on the rain for them. They launched into Vertigo and All Because of You, Bono working in some improvised 'BBC live' bits on a couple of occasions. Then he asked if we wanted them to rehearse some more. You can imagine what we said to that. After emphasising that this was the first time that these songs had been heard (live), he lead the band in the beautiful City of Blinding Lights. And then his exit line clarified to a crowd unable to believe its good luck that this had indeed just been a rehearsal, and that they would be back shortly to do the live performance.

Waiting in the rain a bit more was a small price to pay for that. When he came out again Bono made some tardis, 'exterminate pop music', joke, and then they launched (again) into Vertigo and All Because of You. Then we got about a stanza or so each of Desire and Mystery Girl [Bono being applauded when he held a particularly high note]. Bono told the Roy Orbison/Wembley story (although I couldn't really hear it), and then introduced City of Blinding Lights. He said it was about coming to New York and/or London as a kid, and about how innocence was worth so much more than experience. Coughing as he said this, he added some comment about how smoking 40 a day doesn't help. Then he talked of performing in the States after September 11, and the lights, and the sometimes tear-streaked, sometimes smiling and laughing faces of the audience, and how moved he'd been. It sounds like City of Blinding Lights is about all of this. It was certainly a very moving performance. I think the combination of his evocative description, the lyrics (e.g., 'What happened to the beauty inside of me?'), the beauty of the music (this was definitely my favourite of the new songs), and the magic of being here at this particular moment in time combined to leave me quite teary! Very moving.

It was great looking up at all the BBC employees on their balconies, hanging back at at work on a Friday evening so that they could be part of it too! Bono bade us farewell by telling us he'd see us next year. I couldn't work out what he said next to make the crowd crack up so much. But when I surfed the net at work on Monday morning, trying to relive the moment, it turns out that he'd forecasted (very plausibly, unfortunately) that it would still be raining!

I think the emotion that predominated on all the reviews I've read is one of pure and simple disbelief. None of us who were there seem to be able to come to terms with the fact that we wandered five minutes from a London tube station to stand outside a carpark for perhaps the best gig of the year - and didn't have to pay a single p for it!!!

And I'm still hugely amused that it was my brother in Australia who was the one to tell me about a U2 gig in London. But thank goodness he did! Just wish he and my Aussie friends had been there to share it with me!

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'Some things you shouldn't get too good at Like smiling, crying and celebrity'