Just Because....

I just had to post this photo. I love it!! Bono doing a little shopping in Monaco.

Enjoy...

Edinburgh Here We Come

Today was a miserable day weather-wise, and the rain drizzled down for most of the time. We got a taxi into town and I went to get some money from the bank before we headed to the bus stop. Sue had been told that the fare to Edinburgh was just £10 return, which seemed incredible, so we were ready to pay more. As we suspected, the fare was not £10..... it was actually £9.90!!! Incredible. But the journey was not the most comfortable, and it lasted 3 and a half hours. Torture!

We got there in one piece though, and got a taxi to our hotel, the Travelodge Haymarket. It was a lovely old building and our room, termed an "Ample Family Room", was indeed ample! We were gawping at it and saying it was the biggest room we had ever stayed in, until we suddenly remembered the Penthouse Suite at The Clarence. Duh! How could we have forgotten that!

We unpacked and got settled in, before it was time to head off to dinner. Sue had booked us a table at Vittoria's, a lovely Italian restaurant near to the Liquid Rooms. The food was gorgeous and we had a lovely bottle of wine too. The interior reminded us of The Clarence, with all the wood panelling and the laid back atmosphere. Well, it was laid back until a family at the next table had some quarrel with the staff! Something seemed to be wrong with their order, and the father of the family kept on glaring menacingly over at the kitchen pass. Everyone was handling him really well, but we reckoned he was just after a free dinner!

While we were in the restaurant, I got a text message from Alan (Boner from NU2) saying that the soundcheck had been a disaster because he could not reach the high notes. He had been suffering from a potentially deadly strain of man-flu (!!) all week, and now when he reached the higher registers, his voice disappeared! I tried to re-assure him that it would all be okay, but I was worried about Julie and what she would think. She had come all the way from Southampton and this was her first every NU2 show. Sue and I had been telling her how fantastic they were! Gulp!

But as it turned out, all was well. Boner was struggling a little at the beginning, it is fair to say, but as the gig wore on, he warmed to it and his voice held out very well. This band never disappoint, and they all work so well together, and work hard! As I always do, I marvelled at how accurate they are to U2, and Alan's voice is so close to Bono's it's spooky! Sometimes was stunning. Wild Horses was a nice surprise. And Discotheque rocked.

I had requested Ultraviolet through the forum and was eagerly awaiting that. However, it appeared in a very surprising and unique way! The Fly started, and Alan dedicated it to "the people from England".... A great version followed, and when he got to the Achtung Baby part, Alan changed it to Achtung Debbi, which made me smile! Then.... they sneaked Ultraviolet in there, which was amazing, and really a wonderful touch as it blended very nicely back into The Fly to finish! Great stuff.... and now known as Ultraviolet Fly!! It would be great to see U2 do that!

The crowd were wonderful, and the usual Airdrie lot were there. They really are dedicated NU2 fans and dance and sing along (drunkenly, it is fair to say!) to all the songs. It's obvious that the lads like them being there too. How great to always have that support. A little taste of what U2 feel when they look out and see the familiar faces in their audience.

Sue took some great pictures of the night, which can be found here, and towards the end, I crept to the front of the stage, taking he camera and capturing these two, one of Adam (John) and one of Alan.

Adam Claypole and Boner

After the gig, which we thoroughly enjoyed, we went outside and waited for a while to see if we could arrange somewhere to go and meet the guys. John came outside and said that Finnegans was a good place to go, and it was only two doors away, so we went there for a drink and eventually, Alan came and we had a brief chat. He had lots of people who wanted to talk to him, so eventually we decided to drift back to the hotel. We needed to get a train before midnight anyway... or else it would turn back into a pumpkin!!!

We said our goodbyes and headed back. On getting to the station we realised we would have over half an hour wait for the train, so we got a taxi instead, and ended the night with a nightcap in the bar of the hotel.

A great night. Thanks to NU2... Julie's first impressions of them were very high, despite Alan's worries.

On My Travels Again...

My working week is over at last!! I have only worked three days this week but it seems longer. I have been looking forward to this day for ages. My train to Carlisle was at 12.45 so I didn't have to get up too early either. Bliss.

The journey passed relatively smoothly and uneventfully, apart from when I fell asleep and didn't make my usual phone call to Sue from Penrith - yikes! But it could have been worse. I could have woken up in Edinburgh, which would have been ironic since I am going there tomorrow.

But the scenery outside the train was breathtaking - the Pennines really are beautiful. I managed, eventually, to phone Sue and she came to pick me up from the station. Back to her place, and a nice cup of tea. I had discovered, on reading my travel journal on the way, that the last time I had been at Sue's was just over a year ago - 31st March 2007 to be precise. It does not seem that long ago, but then we have seen each other a lot, just in different places.

There were a few subtle changes in decor in her flat, but nothing major. As usual, I settled in within about 5 minutes and it was like I had been there yesterday. After we had sat and chatted for a while, Sue went to pick Julie up from the station. The poor girl had been on a bus for over 10 hours! Eventually, we were all together and we had a chinese for tea.

Our weekend had started!

Poem Time

I Want To Write A Poem...

I want to write a poem
That’s what I want to do
Take some words and make them
Real and true

To capture, to nurture,
To make men fly
To show them that lowliness
Makes them high

Words that will wring tears
From the hardest heart
That will place life’s racers
Back at the start

Slow them, show them,
That this is it
The one chance to make life
A perfect fit

A lyrical sunrise with blue
And green
And pictures the faithless
Have never seen

A map of the world
Made from letters of truth
Charted by age-worn
To guide innocent youth

I want to write a poem
That comforts the soul
That crushes the doubters
And makes faith whole

A poem that strokes
With words that heal
So that losers get
Ahead of the deal

I want to write a poem
That will change a mind
From bitter and twisted
To loving and kind

A poem with power
To change the world
A poem that screams out
With flags unfurled

I want to write a poem
That will make the sick well
And bring them out gently
From their ravaged hell

And ode to a country
A nation in pain
A prayer for good harvest
A dance to bring rain

I want to write words
That put and end to all greed
Prejudice, anger
Bad thought and deed

I want to write a poem
But how do I start?

With clarity
Vision

And a hopeful heart…..

Copyright (C) Debbi Voisey 2008

I've made a re-discovery!

Lately I have been listening a lot to All That You Can't Leave Behind... I think because I remember how it felt to be waiting for that album, and I am feeling the same now as I wait for the next one.

There are some wonderful songs on ATYCLB, like Walk On, Peace on Earth, and this one here - When I Look At The World. I am obsessed with it at the moment. The lyrics are stunning. I've copied them here. They make me hungry for Bono at his best, and I am excited by various reports and rumours that Bono's lyrics are really going to be fantastic on this next album.

Fingers crossed!! When he is on form there is no one to match him, and his words have the ability to knock you off your feet. Just simple words that he puts together so well and in his unique way.

When I Look At The World - Copyright U2. Lyrics by Bono.

When you look at the world

What is it that you see

People find all kinds of things

That bring them to their knees

I see an expression

So clear and so true

That changes the atmosphere

When you walk into the room

So I try to be like you

Try to feel it like you do

But without you its no use

I cant see what you see

When I look at the world

When the night is someone else's

And you're trying to get some sleep

When your thoughts are too expensive

To ever want to keep

When theres all kinds of chaos

And everyone is walking lame

You dont even blink now do you?

Dont even look away

So I try to be like you

Try to feel it like you do

But without you its no use

I cant see what you see

When I look at the world

I cant wait any longer

I cant wait til Im stronger

Cant wait any longer

To see what you see

When I look at the world

Im in the waiting room

I cant see for the smoke

I think of you and your holy book

When the rest of us choke

Tell me tell me

What do you see

Tell me tell me

Whats wrong with me?