AS I'M sure you've heard by now U2 are playing two nights at Belfast's SSE Arena. November 18 and 19 are the dates for your diary and the tickets go on sale on Monday.
These shows will be amazing – the current tour has again pushed the boundaries of rock performance to the extreme. This band are not only superb live but somehow always seem to have better sets, better lights and better stage production than everyone else while still letting the music take pride of place. Even if you don't think you are a fan, catch this tour and you soon will be.
To celebrate the mighty U2 heading our way once again here are 10 of my favourite monumental musical moments worth recalling from the band's rich catalogue (in no particular order – and, of course, I've had to leave out a multitude).
1 The Fly – from Achtung Baby (my favourite U2 album). This is the song that heralded U2 finding a brand new swagger and a sense of artistic adventure. They souped up their image and The Fly sound-tracked the transformation to perfection.
2 Bullet the Blue Sky – From The Joshua Tree, an absolute brute of a track with the music as heavy as the lyrical content. There are so many contenders on The Joshua Tree but this song rudely muscles its way to the front every time.
3 Bad – from The Unforgettable Fire. A relentless song that is both powerful and delicate, with that epic drifting refrain that seems to last forever taking the song way off into the distance. All about The Edge's digital delay!
4 All I Want Is You – from Rattle and Hum, this is that album's definitive cut. Hymnal and sparse, the song is understated and beautiful – understated that is until the majestic string section takes control at the end.
5 Kite – from All That You Can't Leave Behind. Larry's hypnotic drumming, The Edge's soaring guitar and Adam's rumbling bass line set the scene for Bono to unleash a gravity-defying chorus in one of the band's most emotional tracks.
6 New Year's Day – from War, a classic Clayton bass line and a song that helped to define an era. That call and response six-note piano figure is forever tattooed inside the head of anyone who has even only heard it once.
7 Cedarwood Road – from Songs of Innocence. Begins with a very Celtic and vintage U2 guitar pattern and then kicks in with funky rhythms and a killer Zeppelin riff. Stunning.
8 City of Blinding Lights – from How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb. A spine-tingling intro and then we're off and running into the New York night or any other huge neon city of your choice. A song of hope and celebration.
9 Stay (Faraway So Close) – from Zooropa. Simple but highly effective, this track is a real U2 gem and sums up so much about what has made the band so enduring for almost 40 years. Melodic and soulful, the song has only been used sporadically as an acoustic inclusion on recent tours. The full version would be most welcome, particularly since it name checks our great city in the lyrics. “Miami, New Orleans, London, Belfast and Berlin”.
10 Breathe – from No Line On The Horizon. A big, loosely structured romp that rocks out in all the right places and pulls back in others to allow the narrative to shine through. One of the band's best songs in recent years.
