Planet Notion - U23D: "A unique cinematic experience..."

23/01/2008

U2 are a rarity; a band who have been plying their trade for over thirty years and yet retain an almost unparalleled ability to sell-out tour after recurring tour. The only band who rival them on such a scale; for sheer volume, showmanship, skill and extravagant-décor are the Rolling Stones. But U2 are our point of concentration; the first rock-band in history to release a three-dimensional concert film: U23D. Words: Dave Dryden

The relationship between this here writer and the Irish stadium-fillers has had peeks and troughs. Where once I would play classic albums ‘Achtung Baby’, ‘The Joshua Tree’, and ‘All That You Can’t Leave Behind’, back to back, the inflated ego of singer Bono caused the blossoming flower to wilt and die. It is an opinion greatly shared, that sometimes the fewer words spoken the better. But then, Bono is and never has been your run-of-the-mill rock star; he’s a truly unique, fascinating individual, and for everyone who knocks the frontman for his opinionated political and religious spiel, Bono has twenty followers.

U23D was described as “a unique cinematic experience that places viewers within the pulsing energy of a stadium concert”, by Revolver Entertainment, the distributors who are bringing the film to screens in UK and Ireland on February 22nd. The London BFI IMAX will be one of about 66 cinemas to show the film in this country and despite entering the building with a sense of overwhelming dread (a three-dimensional Bono grueling for even the most hardened of hacks to stomach) there remained a smidgen of hope that my once flourishing admiration for the band could be rekindled.

Having never entered the IMAX before, I didn’t quite know what to expect, only that the UK’s largest screen and 11,600 watts surround-sound was a pretty astronomical proposition. The film itself was shot early in 2006, during the South-

American leg of the band’s sell-out ‘Vertigo’ tour, with the majority of footage taken from the band’s performances at Buenos Aires' River Plate Stadium in Argentina. Given that both venue dates followed an eight-year hiatus in the country, the atmosphere captured; noise, expression and fanaticism, was bound to make for interesting viewing.

Unlike most music films where cutting live-performance with backstage footage is a staple, U23D simply showcased the latter. The docu-film aspect was stripped bare, something that could only be achieved with the use of ground-breaking 3D technology. If this had been bog-standard, 2D footage; song after song after song, the magic clouding a band would somewhat dwindle. But having been shot in 3D you’re thrown into the concert; good, bad, warts and all. Frankly, the photos just don't do it justice.

Put simply, U23D is the nearest you’ll get to a concert minus the blood, sweat and beer-stains. Oh, and maybe the odd tear following a rendition of ‘One’ or ‘With or Without You’, two of the songs handpicked for the band’s phenomenal encore.

Some of the more remarkable shots, and credit not only to the huge camera team that operated on the film, but the stage designers as well, took place when Bono performs on one gangway, deep in the heart of the throbbing masses, and The Edge, or bass player Adam Clayton, perform on a separate gangway. The 3D aspect creates an enormous sense of scale, Bono a three-dimensional spec in the background, surrounded by adoring fans; Clayton or The Edge at the forefront with an overwhelming sea of support in between and surrounding.

Yes, there were moments when Bono grated, including a decision to tie a headband around his head, cry for peace, love and harmony, and attempt to reach out to Mohammed. But, boy, can the man sing. Just at the moment you feel like punching the frontman (a realistic proposition when you’re watching the notorious singer in 3D), Bono redeems himself with a perfect rendition of ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’ or ‘Where The Streets Have No Name’. The Edge, Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen Jr. are equally impressive, particularly The Edge, who remains one of the greatest guitarists of his generation.

So, having witnessed U23D first-hand, did any of the love that once flowed so freely come flooding back once more? Maybe... Just maybe. You’ll figure out the answer if you too see this ground-breaking, mesmerising, and phenomenal live concert film.