What a week in Chicago: a birthday, four shows and live concert shoot.
Miracle City
Introducing 'Miracle Drug' Bono spoke of U2's relationship with their Chicago audiences, reflecting on past and present.
'We don't really look back that much in our music. We don't look at the past but the best bits of our past we try to bring with us.
They're our songs - songs like 'Pride in the Name of Love', songs like 'Sunday Bloody Sunday', songs like 'Where the Streets Have No Name' - they are the best bits of the past and we'll take them with us.'
Miracle Drug was dedicated to Chicago: 'Because we're interested and we're excited and we have faith in the future. That's where we're headed. So for a city of the future, this is our music...'
Miracle Man
On the first night of filming, the second show in Chicago, Bono spoke eloquently of his love for Chicago and Miles Davis in particular.
'I fell in love in Chicago. I fell in love in a hotel room in Chicago listening to Miles Davis...didn't understand Miles Davis or how his music could make me feel until I was sitting in this hotel room looking out the window at this city. An Irish boy, 24 years old. And just looking around Chicago I kinda' understood Miles Davis somehow...'
Miracle Girl
Laura wanted to hear 'Party Girl' and got the call up to the elipse stage to play guitar with Bono. Laura went down a storm. It wasn't the last we'd be seeing of Laura. For the third show, second night of filming for the live concert DVD, she was back. Being Bono's birthday, 'Party Girl' was back too and Laura got up and joined the band on stage again to play guitar - as Bono broke open the champagne and sprayed the audience. 'Original of the Species' was also in tonight, dedicated to 'Jojo' - Bono's daughter Jordon - who shares her dad's birthday.
Miracle Shoot
Two nights of filming for a live concert DVD in the windy city. Director Hamish Hamilton looked pretty happy after the filming of night two, Chicago show three. And if his previous work with the band - 'Elevation: Live from Boston' and 'U2 Go Home: Live from Slane Castle' - is any indication, the results will be sensational.
Miracle Encore
Bono explained that 'encore' comes from the Italian 'encora' which means 'again'. Traditionally it means that the most popular number was played again. 'It's what we used to do. We would do it because we didn't have enough songs!' So Vertigo gets its encore, the final song of a great show.
