If South America is known for just one thing, it would have to be the level of fanaticism that its residents have for soccer. Knowing this, Irish stadium-rockers U2 made the sensible choice to postpone their show on Tuesday so that soccer fans could watch Argentina’s World Cup qualifier.
U2 are currently in South America as part of a 30th anniversary tour for their record The Joshua Tree. The group were set to perform at La Plata Stadium in Buenos Aires on Tuesday, October 10th when they realised that their concert happened to clash with Argentina’s World Cup qualifying match against Ecuador, as Billboard reports.
Knowing how devastated Argentinian music fans would be by having to choose between a U2 concert and watching Argentina play for a chance to be in the World Cup, the band decided that postponing their show would be the best decision.
“Can you imagine what the show’s going to be like if Argentina wins?” said show producer Daniel Grinbank to Argentinian newspaper paper La Nacion before the show. “And if we lose, at least we can get rid of the bitterness with a great show. You can’t go wrong.”
Following a performance by tour supports Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, the high-profile match was shown on four huge screens at the stadium, allowing fans the chance to have the best of both worlds. Following the game, U2 took to the stage to perform a 22 song set which included a standout performance of The Joshua Tree in full.
Of course, Argentinian fans would have been in a brilliant mood by the time U2’s gig kicked off, due to a sound beating of Ecuador in the game. Suitably, U2’s closing song was ‘One’, which they more than likely dedicated to Ecuador’s score in the game.
Check out the concert setlist, along with the lead single from U2’s The Joshua Tree, ‘With Or Without You’, below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmSdTa9kaiQ
U2 La Plata Stadium, Argentina Setlist
‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’
‘New Year’s Day’
‘Bad’
‘Pride (In The Name Of Love)’
The Joshua Tree:
‘Where The Streets Have No Name’
‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’
‘With Or Without You’
‘Bullet The Blue Sky’
‘Running To Stand Still’
‘Red Hill Mining Town’
‘In God’s Country’
‘Trip Through Your Wires’
‘One Tree Hill’
‘Exit’
‘Mothers Of The Disappeared’
Encore:
‘Beautiful Day’
‘Elevation’
‘Vertigo’
Encore 2:
‘You’re The Best Thing About Me’
‘Ultraviolet (Light My Way)’
‘One’
