U2: Elevation

ELEVATION: The Tour Diary ("For my sanity and your entertainment," M.) - Page 9

22 - 27 August 2001 - The Rough Cut

21 August – The Adventure Begins

Gifts from co-workers; hard to leave; OK as soon as on train; Blackbeard pint; Dinner at Dino's – it sucked; one of first places went to last time around

Portion of Diana Walk

22 August – U2 Earls Court #2

Kensington Palace

Over to the Old Police Station/Royal Parks Office

Harrods – the Dodi/Diana memorial – the wine glass and engagement ring (morbid)

All in walking distance of old flat, never really realized it

Oxford Hotel – great location

23 August – Arrive in Dublin

Check e-mail at Tesco – Talia can't make it

Benjy's – no cute waitresses this time; crummy service, but decent food; seems more clean than I remember

Gatwick Express from Victoria – no problems at airport, check in goes smoothly, just a short line (couple people) in front of me.  BUT the flight was delayed 25 minutes

Ryan Air – GA seating

Look around the duty free shops and people watch instead of reading; more a watcher than a reader, I guess

Bixton – Burberry Outlet just outside Oxford – must check out next time

They take your picture when checking in at the terminal, then that picture pops up when they scen your ticket piror to getting to the gate (bar code sticker added to boarding pass)

Immigration Officer at Dublin Airport – asked couple girls in front of me if they were going to Slane.  What?  They didn't know what Slane was or anything about a concert.  Who's playing?  U2 – they've come back home.

Oh.

And it's all sold out.

I step up, he sees my ZooNation T-shirt and says, "this man's obviously going to Slane" (so is the officer!)

He asks no questions, stamps my passport, and I walk on!
9 pints of Guinness… Feelin' good.  Not walking a straight line, but made it back to hotel without a problem.  Finding my room… was a challenge.

24 August – Ahhh… Dublin

The Groupies / U2 Walking Tour

-          Windmill Lane

-          Hanover Studios

-          Bonavox Hearing Aids

Rumors of where to get to pick up tix – all false – need to go to a trailer out at Slane morning of show

Turk's Head: Riverdance foursome/Irish music

Prep for Slane 1

Damian and company

According to Damian, previously, Slane wouldn't sell out, or would be a sell out only prior to the event To sell out two shows as U2 did is extra-phenomenal

All along the watchtower…

Newry, Ireland

Damian's parents

Train to Newry – angry old man, couldn't understand a word he said through his thick Irish accent

Irish Hospitality – the real thing – tea, biscuits

Damian's dad liked Beatles, but then got wrapped up in the Troubles

Slow, Slower, Even Slower – road signs

"Experimental Road Signs in Use"

25 August – Slane 1

The rain in Slane falls mainly in the plain.

In the Drogheda market, nice little old lady hoped we had good weather; tiller at the off licence, young girl, hopes it rains on us all day!
Chilly; $5 pants at JC Penney, Drogheda

Church – remains of…

The road to Slane – a surprise camping trip

Damian tokes it up in the men's room of a Slane pub

Damian and crew grab first patch of land they see

Endlessly repeated messages about exiting

Slane: Where the streets have no lights; "you're going the wrong way" and "show's over, you're too late"

Logistical challenge: Me, Damian, his girlfriend, and her 16-year-old sister – all sharing a 2-person tent with three sleeping bags.  Plus, Damian and his girl have business to take care of before she takes off for university in Scotland the next day.

After: Camp out, techno music all night; football game horns blowing all night

Note to Self: Tosca on Suffolk near Grafton, owned by Bono's brother

26 August – Recovery

"No liquor on your breath," – Mona, the motherly B&B owner

Kelly and her brother; Guinness tour

27 August – Dublin

Christ Church / Hot Press Museum

Confusing layout of Dublin – upper is south, lower is north

Dublin hasn't changed much over the past 8 years; more "bars" and clubs, feels a bit more trendy

Viva Bar

U2Dublin shuts down; no e-mail!

Walking Tours of Dublin – flamboyant couple from Texas

#8-)3

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