It’s been a long time for Australian fans of U2 who have been waiting to see the Irish preachers since February 1998. Back then, Larry Mullen’s band was shopping around the world with their PopMart supermarket trolley and managed to make it Down Under. Probably they didn’t have too much fun with us, as they didn’t stop here during their consequent tours. Until now, of course.

Vertigo tour was originally planned to come to Oz in late 2005 but was rescheduled for March and April 2006, since the group added more dates to the U.S. leg. And we thought American dollar was getting weaker! Tickets down here were almost impossible to get and even die hard fans were forced to get ripped off on eBay or consider less attractive venues instead (let’s be honest and specify that one could only purchase tickets for not-so-hot Adelaide).

And then, there came a two week notice and the dates were cancelled. Bugger! A short message on a U2.com offered just enough explanation for everybody to understand; the shows were cancelled “due to the illness of an immediate family member of one of the band”.

Yet within a week Bono made a trip to Sydney with his family (showing them kids our ZOO and maybe a TV, too) and said he hoped the band would make the tour by the end of the year. So did we. And the band delivered. Brisbane gig kicked off on 07 November, followed by three Sydney dates (10, 11 and 13 November) with one Adelaide and two more Melbourne concerts still to come.

Having nothing better to do, Bono also performed duet of Kids with our showgirl Kylie Minogue on 12 November, the only day off for a band while in Sydney. It was widely expected that Kylie would return the favour the next day, thought I was wondering what song would she sing along with Bono… Or would they dare to give us Locomotion? Kylie didn’t show up though, but Bono made few references to her (”last night, I’ve got to sing with Kylie, tonight, we’re all yours”) and included snippets of Spinning Around and I Should Be So Lucky. I couldn’t stop thinking he was spoofing the poor sheila.

U2 also indulged Sydney audience with The Saints Are Coming that was officially released as a CD single just a week ago, only to rocket to Australian No 1 straight away. Looks like there’s nothing better on the charts than a 30-year-old tune. However, they haven’t introduced upcoming Window in The Skies that is due to appear on U218 singles compilation album being released next week. We’ll need to pay again to see that one live.

Almost at the end of encore, just before the usual good-bye-and-run-for-a-cab song Kite, the band attempted to play Party Girl, 25-years-old piece that they last played well over a year ago and since then they again managed to forget how it goes. Fellas delivered a bit of a chaotic performance so Bono eventually summoned his boys (”excuse us for a second”) to get it right, however to little help. Audience enjoyed that bit tremendously (see it on YouTube here). Before a troubled finish, Bono added another snippet of I Should Be So Lucky, showed us how he advanced in learning the Kylie dance style and finally asked his fellows to stop trying and end it up.

And after Kite, that was it. I was one of the lucky ones who were flown to the City by a free local Shinkansen and I really don’t know what happened to the rest of cockroaches.

Just before nation landed at the parties across the City, we got a text from Bono thanking us for helping Africa… Thanking to whoever signed up for Make Poverty History campaign to have their name on a big screen behind the stage.

They’re smart, these Irish. Good on them, Oz can’t wait to see them again.