U2 360 and ONE: Astronaut becomes ONE member in opening show!
Share
Thanks to U2’s support of ONE, we’ve been given a chance to work with their current 360 tour. We’ve been working on this for months now, and finally, yesterday, we saw the first show.
I arrived last Friday to put together ONE’s booths at the concert and coordinate our volunteers. I’ve never seen a rock concert in the making, much less a stadium show for a crowd of 90,000. Within 10 minutes of arrival I was standing at the front of the stage looking out into an enormous sea of empty seats. The scale of the whole thing was overwhelming — and that was without lights, sound, or a crowd.
Between Friday and the first show yesterday, I worked on getting together the ONE booth and lining up volunteers for the shows. We have two booths at the venues where volunteers explain ONE and invite people to join up. New members get one of our special edition ONE wristbands, and can have their photos taken as part of “The Future Needs a Big Kiss” – a concept that fits perfectly with ONE’s optimistic view of shaping and embracing the future. The band are using these pictures in a segment of the show, so there is a chance that the best kissers and huggers will end up seeing themselves on the ginormous IMAG screen during the show.
Monday afternoon we ducked outside of the front gates where loyal fans had been queuing for days to ensure they got the best spot next to the stage when the gates opened. The fans came from all over the world, from Spain to Ireland to Chile. Lots of smooching going on. I think some new aquaintances may have occurred. One fan appeared at the photo booth dejected that she didn’t have anyone to kiss. A group of willing volunteers wasn’t far behind offering to help remedy that problem.
Tuesday was a long time coming, and my adrenaline kicked in as I watched the gates open and the fans rush in. For the next few hours we signed up as many fans as we could physically talk to, and took over 300 pictures of people giving their kiss to the future. As U2 started up, we packed up our booths as everyone was inside the stadium, and it was high time that we joined them.
The concert itself was stunning. I’d heard the rehearsals, but the show itself was an order of magnitude more powerful, punctuated by a stadium literally shaking as fans jumped up and down to the music. There were some amazing moments of the show that talked about ONE. First, they linked up to the International Space Station and Bono asked Frank de Winne, the UNICEF ambassador and astronaut, to join ONE, which he enthusiastically agreed to — a spaceman has signed up for ONE!! Later on a giant Archbishop Desmond Tutu appeared on the screen, talking about the people who’ve made great social changes throughout history and how we all are those same people, especially when we act together as ONE. And finally, Bono introduced the song “One” with the Kiss the Future photo montage, urging the audience to sign up as they watched the ONE pictures floating across the screen.
I left the show with a silly grin on my face as I packed up all our stuff and headed home for some much needed sleep. With all the excitement I hadn’t realised how much being on my feet all day in the 34 degree celsius heat had taken out of me. It was the best type of tired there is.
Ill be blogging from every show… Next time I’ll be shorter I promise, just wanted to catch you up.
-Weldon Kennedy
- Previous Post ONE at Cornerstone
- Next Post Flooding the Senate
 |
 |
 |
Featured Series
About the Blog
The ONE Blog is a daily log of the anti-poverty movement. The site is operated by ONE staff, with frequent contributions from volunteers, members and partner organizations.
The ONE Blog updates readers daily with the latest in global development news and analysis and what ONE members and our partners are doing around the world to influence world leaders in the fight against global poverty.
The content of each post and each comment represents the views of that author and does not necessarily reflect the views of ONE or ONE Action. ONE does not support or oppose any candidate for elected office, and any post expressing support or opposition for a candidate is not endorsed by ONE.
July 2, 2009 at 12:02 pm
How do you become a volunteer with One at U2’s Shows? I would love to help out!
July 2, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Hey Weldon, great report. Thanks for giving us your impressions from ONE’s perspective on the tour. As always, I do have a few friendly comments. (smile)
First, I really do like the concept of using the phrase “The Future Needs a Big Kiss” because it definitely does and that is what we all are doing AS ONE – whether paid staff or active volunteers. By securing the livlihoods of millions of the world’s poorest people, we are contributing to building a more POSITIVE future for us all.
And the kissing booths remind me of the ZOO Confessional booths that were part of U2’s ZOO tour fifteen years ago so this is a nice tie-in to the band & their history.
Two, I hope that ONE is VERY SUCCESSFUL in not only signing up but in MOBILIZING thousands of more people during the European leg of the 360 tour.
While we can always use more ONE members in the USA, we have a really successful structure and mobilzation of members here in the USA which continues to produce the necessary results for Africa.
But the need is so apparent for Europe to organize AS ONE, especially in France and Italy, so your efforts at the European U2 concerts are very much appreciated!
Anyway, I can go on a bit too in my posts so I’ll just say that I am truthfully there with all of you in spirit…but I think that y’all already know that.
ALWAYS FOREVER, ONE – debbie
http://www.myspace.com/mulago
July 6, 2009 at 10:03 am
Wow, what a blast! I hope I can help out at a show in the US!
July 6, 2009 at 10:14 am
Hey, between all this pictures which you could see on the first concert in the camp nou stadion there was a picture of my boyfriend and me kissing. it was a long time on the screen so we are pretty sure that it was us. is there any chance to find these pictures in the internet?
July 6, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Nick Stevens said: “Wow, what a blast! I hope I can help out at a show in the US!”
I second that emotion and hope that this time around that ONE & (RED) will actively recruit those of us who have proven our loyalty & our effectiveness at our grassroots levels for additional support to rally more concert-goers to our memberships.
It’s the only fair & logical way to keep your active cadre of volunteers energized to mobilize for you during the years when there isn’t a U2 tour.
Please think about this.~
All the Best, debbie
July 9, 2009 at 5:06 am
Yesterday to Milan 08 July .
Yesterday did not deserve a kiss for the way they behaved towards myself who had come to help but was rejected to errors of communication.
I took a day’s leave to go to give a hand, after having registered as a volunteer and I have not been accepted.
I was there from 11 am and arrived at 13:30, two hours of futile waiting, having also asked for confirmation on 03 July if everything was ok.
True mr Weldon yesterday you made a difference for One and Sorry is not served, they served good deeds, I was not come to listen to U2, but for the commitment of One in the world, to know other volunteers came from different Italian areas of the city or nation. Thanks to Mr Weldon averimpedito mutual knowledge and the smile of a day together.
Life gave him a big surname, it deserves respect and Mr Weldon Kennedy.
Thank you, more !
roberto ” bobby63 ” bianchi
July 9, 2009 at 8:32 am
Sorry for your experience, roberto. This is something that simply SHOULD NOT HAPPEN.
It is OBVIOUS that your dedication to the goals of ONE & for the world’s poorest people rests deeply in your heart and soul – and that should be EXACTLY the sort of volunteers that should be on the frontlines of our movement, not relegated to the backseat.
Also, it is very important, for the symbolic legitimacy of our outreach efforts, that ONE actively recruits volunteers of all races, all ages, all sexual orientations, both genders = you get the idea.
HOW DO WE EVER CONVINCE THE WORLD’S LEADERS THAT OUR MOVEMENT HAS BROAD SUPPORT if our public face all looks the same way?
Think about it.
Take good care, roberto. I hope things work out for you.
AS ONE, debbie
http://www.mpwn-uganda.org
September 9, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Hi Weldon
we all had amazing time at the u2 tour, we signed up sooo many new people, excellent two days ,thankyou
Kerry
October 2, 2009 at 11:17 pm
I was at the amazing Charlottesville show last night! My lady and I had our “kiss” photo chosen for the viewing at the end of the show. Wow! We wanted to know how we could see it again or get a copy. We were absolutely thrilled and honored.
Thank you,
Patrick Dodson and Carrie Sadler
November 12, 2009 at 7:05 pm
i be there on july 2 thanks for the free band the guys of the one stand turns crazy when they see my white rubber band i wear since 2005 and next year i wear again in sevilla !!!!!!!!!!!!!