Rock and Roll Hall concerts bring together the greats

Michael Farragher

Published Wednesday, November 4, 2009, 3:11 PM

Updated Wednesday, November 4, 2009, 3:11 PM

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Bono and Mick Jagger at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame concert at Madison Square Garden on Friday night

The highlights in the pair of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th anniversary concerts that took place at Madison Square Garden last week were too numerous to mention, and since this is an Irish newspaper let’s focus on the Irish highlights, shall we?

U2 rocked MSG on Friday, the second night, and their set opened with a frantic read of “Vertigo” that was dripping with punk energy. “Mysterious Ways” is now caked with a swampy mud in a live setting without losing a bit of funk, and “Magnificent” from “No Line on the Horizon” is emerging as a highlight in a set full of highlights!

Bono introduces “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” with a long speech: “Here in rock and roll’s great cathedral, Madison Square Garden, think about all the pilgrims and pioneers that got us all here, the saints and the heretics, the poets and the punks that now make up the Hall of Fame.

“It’s a dangerous thing, this business of building idols, but at least rock and roll is not at its best about worshiping sacred cows. It’s about thousands of voices gathered at once in a great unwashed congregation, like tonight. For a lot of us here, rock and roll means just one word: liberation. Political, sexual, spiritual liberation.”

Bruce Springsteen soon strode onstage with E Streeter Roy Bittan, and after Bono’s long winded rant Springsteen cut his friend off like a designated driver escorting a drunk home. Alas, The Boss had had enough. "Let's have some fun with that," Springsteen said.

They performed “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” earnestly, with Bono and Springsteen trading lines. You don’t get better than that, you might say to yourself, until Patti Smith hopped on board and the band launched into a spine chilling version of “Because the Night,” a Springsteen-penned song made famous by the high priestess of punk. This was the first time the pair played it together, and Bono’s harmonies blended perfectly into their mix. The band played ferociously in the background as these legends belted out the anthemic chorus.

The Edge began a fluid guitar riff of “Gimme Shelter,” confirming the worst kept secret of the night. Mick Jagger, looking decades younger than his 66 years in tight pants and a navy jacket, was in the house!

He gyrated across the stage, cramming every sexy move he ever ripped off of James Brown into about two minutes of show time. You could tell this was a man who desperately missed not being onstage in about two years!

Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas, looking delectable in a short black skirt and thigh-high boots, broke into the female solo of the song made famous by soul singer Merry Clayton. “Rape, murder, it’s just a shot away,” she screamed, sending chills across the arena.

Bono stared at Jagger and Fergie, strumming his oversized green guitar absent-mindedly, seemingly unable to take in the sight before him. After a deafening applause and a bewildered “oh, my God” from Bono, the band broke into "Stuck In a Moment You Can't Get Out Of."

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Posted by cormacmac on November 7,2009 | 04:20PM

A powerful piece.Enjoyed it a lot.

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As the Irish people have a genuine sense of fun, Irish entertainment can be found in every town, village, city and county. One of the most popular forms is the festival, which is used to celebrate all sorts of occasions &emdash; everything from literary pursuits to a love of oysters. Here are a few highlights of entertainment in Ireland throughout the year: Londonderry boasts the biggest Halloween Festival in the world with around 30,000 celebrating the ancient Celtic New Year every October. Grab a dodgy mask and join the party! / The Belfast Festival at Queen’s is Ireland’s biggest International Festival and boasts an eclectic mix of music, talks, comedy, exhibitions and film. / The Galway Races, the Rose of Tralee Festival, Puck Fair in Killorglin, and the Oul’ Lammas Fair in Ballycastle are world famous and offer a great chance to enjoy Irish entertainment, life and laughs with the locals. / Food festivals are now a big draw in Ireland with local produce scoring high among international foodies. Head to the famous oyster festivals in Clarenbridge in Galway, or Hillsborough, County Down. / Tune in to a spot of music with the Open House Festival in Belfast, the Waterford International Festival of Light Opera, or the Feile an Phobail in west Belfast. Or grab a pint and tap your feet to some cool tunes at the Guinness Cork Jazz Festival. / If you prefer your festivals small and intimate, try the harp festivals in Roscommon or the rough and ready horse and pony fairs from Cavan to Cork. Even today, the horses are priced in guineas, and bought and sold with a spit in the hand. / At the other end of the scale of entertainment in Ireland lies the Wexford Opera Festival with full-scale opera productions, concerts, recitals, talks, cabaret, fireworks, and, of course, parties. / For something a little different, try the Magnus Barelegs Festival in Downpatrick offering a slice of Viking life, or the Eagle Wing Festival in Groomsport, County Down, which celebrates Ireland’s cultural links with America. / Theater fans should head to Dublin for both the Dublin Theatre Festival and the excellent Dublin Fringe Festival, with wildly exciting performances taking place in fabulous venues. / Around March 17, the country turns a shade of green for a host of St Patrick’s Festivals. All over the country, from the Saint’s hallowed burial place in Downpatrick to the more carnival atmosphere of parades and exceptional fireworks in Dublin and Belfast. / Literary lovers should head to Dublin in June for the intriguing Bloomsday Festival, where fans of Joyce’s Gargantuan Ulysses dress up in traditional gear and scoff old Dublin food like “nutty gizzards” and “urine-soaked kidneys”. Alternatively, seek out the delights of the Aspects Literature Festival in Bangor in September, an annual celebration of Irish literature with lectures, discussion and music. But festivals are just one aspect of Irish entertainment—let's not forget about music! From impromptu sessions in your local bar to the thrilling beat of U2, Ireland has always been home to the best sounds of music. Ireland’s massive successes in the Irish entertainment world include some bands and artists you may have heard of…U2, The Corrs, Enya, Westlife, Snow Patrol, Ash, David Holmes, Van Morrison and The Thrills, to name just a few. Unique and distinctive, the harp holds a special place in Irish entertainment and has come to symbolize the harmony of people and music in Ireland. It’s the earliest musical instrument mentioned in Irish literature and has been used as an official emblem for Ireland since medieval times. Today, it’s on Irish passports and stamps. But there's more: Fleadhs, or festivals, are a major part of Irish entertainment as well as cultural life, and impromptu trad sessions have become the stuff of legend at West Belfast’s Feile an Phobail, the Galway Racing Festival or Kerry’s Puck Fair. Rock and dance music festivals are also big news with the Oxegen Festival, Tennents Vital Belfast and the Electric Picnic held in summer.

Rock and Roll Hall concerts bring together the greats

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