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- Verified Buyer
U2 has consistently done a great job of documenting every tour with an excellent Blu-Ray release of a specific show from that tour. When I saw the iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE show in Boston in 2015, I was blown away... but also had the passing thought, "How in the HECK are they going to film this concert??!" The enormous video wall that ran the length of the arena connecting the A Stage to the B Stage was unbelievably creative and impactful in person, but hard to describe to someone who wasn't there. They didn't just interact with the video... they got INSIDE it and created an experience unlike anything I've ever seen, heard, or felt. Normally at a U2 concert I want to be as close to the front of the stage as possible. But for this tour, I was advised to hang back and carve out a spot where we could see the whole screen and both stages. And I'm so glad we did.To capture the experience on Blu-Ray DVD, U2 went to their 'go to' Director, Hamish Hamilton. He's the one who did a great job directing both 2001's "Elevation Live in Boston" and 2005's "Vertigo Live in Chicago" shows for DVD. For this "iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Live in Paris" event, the camera coverage and editing is really effective and powerful without calling too much attention to itself. I especially appreciate they way Hamilton lets a shot rest for a few seconds before cutting to the next one. On camera, there is already so much going on that we don't need lots of distracting quick-cut edits getting in the way. And the shots they choose are frequently fascinating as they get inside, beneath, and behind the screen and the band in so many interesting ways. Watching this, my jaw was often on the ground just like it was in person at the actual show that I saw (which, bottom line, has to be the highest compliment to a video production, yes?)This show in Paris had extra meaning and emotion given that the original concerts had to be postponed due to the bombings. Its poignancy reminded me of U2's post-9/11 Super Bowl halftime show. At one point during this show, the names of all 130 victims appear on screen, echoing the equally moving tribute during the Super Bowl. This show's encore also includes the band Eagles of Death Metal, who were playing at the Bataclan nightclub when it was tragically bombed by terrorists in November.As for the show's highlights, I personally couldn't wait to see the sequence of "Iris," "Cedarwood Road," and "Song For Someone" where on the huge screen Bono walks through an animated recreation of his childhood streets and home in Dublin. They really captured it beautifully here. So cool. The intermission of "The Fly" showed the band back stage changing clothes, touching up their make-up, and Bono actually singing the song! (who knew?! I'd assumed it was taped.) "Even Better Than The Real Thing" reveals all four band members enclosed within the screen while bright, cotton-candy colors swirl around each of them like psychedelic confetti.Bono seemed to make it his personal mission to interact with as many fans in the crowd as possible during this show, essentially making Paris an integral part of the eXPERIENCE. "Elevation" became a joyful 'Who's Who' of many stage dancers from U2's past concerts. "Streets" and "Pride," soar, per usual, and "With or Without You" is gorgeous and intimate. I think only Bono can create this kind of intimacy with a crowd of 20,000 people. On "City of Blinding Lights", Bono invited a young man from the crowd to sing with him and, eventually, wear his coat and shades (which evidently he let him keep - talk about a souvenir!)A lovely acoustic cover of Paul Simon's "Mother and Child Reunion" gives Bono a chance to speak to the need to keep fighting the battle against AIDS, which leads into solemn performances of "Bad" (which takes on new meaning, speaking to the disease of violence) and "One" (which feels like a unifying moment as the crowd sings the first two verses as One.) By the end of "One," everyone is arm-in-arm, singing at the top of their voices. When the Eagles of Death Metal finally join U2 because "they were robbed of their stage three weeks ago," their lead singer Jesse Hughes is genuinely choked up. Both bands tear into a powerful cover of "People Have The Power" and the crowd goes nuts. Finally, U2 graciously leave the stage and allow Eagles of Death Metal to end the show with their own song, ""I Love You All the Time." Another great U2 moment.Because U2 tweaks their set list from show to show, I'm really happy that the Bonus Material includes several songs from other Paris shows, including "The Electric Co," "Out of Control," and "Bad/People Have the Power" with Patti Smith. They've also included the music videos from the Songs of Innocence singles (since, let's face it, we don't get to see them on MTV anymore - or anywhere else for that matter.)
