“It took us only four decades to come here! India, what a country! Tonight it’s going to be the best ever show. We have fallen head over heels in love with India. Our prayer for the evening is for an epic night of rock and roll which transcends beyond.” – Bono
Irish band U2 finally makes it to India for the very first time, on the last leg of their two-year world tour, celebrating the 30th anniversary of their legendary album “The Joshua Tree”. The band landed in Mumbai on Thursday evening to perform at the D Y Patil Stadium on the 15th of December. The enormous 45,000 bucket seater stadium was packed with people flocking over to the venue from not only different cities but also different countries. The event attracted many superstars like Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, Hritik Roshan, Anurag Kashyap, Sachin Tendulkar, and many others, who have been eagerly waiting to see the band perform live in their hometown. Frontman Bono, guitarist The Edge, drummer Larry Mullen, and bassist Adam Clayton opened the concert with their classic Sunday Bloody Sunday followed by songs like “Pride” and “Give Peace a Chance” The theme of the concert: peace, harmony, and non-violence resonated throughout the concert which was refreshing, keeping in mind the number of riots and chaos taking place recently. The Grammy-award winners are known for campaigning for human rights and social justice and when they came to India, it was no different, they highlighted topics like woman bravery, safety and empowerment when a small tribute was paid to Union Minister Smriti Irani, author Arundhati Roy and journalist Gauri Lankesh among others.
“It’s a beautiful day when women are safe in their homes and walking the street. When sisters around the world are in schools with their brothers, that’s a beautiful day. When women of the world unite to rewrite history as ‘herstory’, that’s a beautiful day.” – Bono
The band performance was tight throughout the concert and the songs sung were very similar to that of the studio versions. The crowd couldn’t help but hum and sing along to the melodious tune and meaningful lyrics of the songs. Music that touched the hearts of many and revitalized the souls and minds. The mesmerizing stage and aesthetic visuals left the audience in a blissful trance. One of the most beautiful nights & tours came to an end with as said by Bono, a gift to the world – “Ahimsa” meaning non-violence. The penultimate song is the latest collaboration of U2 with A.R Rahman which was released last month. A.R Rahman performed the song on the stage along with his two daughters, which was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s message of non-violence. U2’s last song “One” was the perfect choice to end their tour in India as the song signified strength in unity. U2 gave an unforgettable performance, leaving a gorgeous impression on the hearts of their fans.
