I still haven't found what I'm looking for...

Playlist
Various – Compilations Jukebox on Shuffleplay

Today off to see U2 at Hampden – as a guest of a very large Scottish Company...

My companions were our host for the day, Russell – a great guy – even for a Hibee – coincidental childhood chum Nick...

...also a Hibee and whom I last saw at an Echo and the Bunnymen concert over three years ago, and, finally, Roland, whom I was meeting for the first time...

We had all been chosen by Russell for our love of music and the chat on the journey through and indeed throughout the day, reflected this...

We set off around 3pm, and fears of traffic chaos due to the clash of the Irish Rockers’ visit with that of the mighty Arsenal to Parkhead proved unfounded as we parked at 4pm and made our way to the hospitality venue...

Here are three of the four musketeers...

We were too early though and so walked to nearby Rogano for an opening drink...

The venue was ready upon our return and beer, wine, cocktails and very tasty food were all enjoyed...

Then, a bus trip to Hampden, our driver being familiar with various sneaky uncongested routes...

We had of course missed The Hours and Glasvegas were just finishing their set when we arrived and looked overwhelmed by the enormous stage set in the late evening daylight...

More drinks and nibbles and then U2 took to the stage around 8:15...

While the staging was impressive at first, it soon became clear that their showmanship merely comprised walking around it, over bridges to the outer ring and, erm, generally, that was it – it was like watching a video because, frankly, this gig was just too big...

I will admit however, that things did pick up towards the end of the set as night fell and the lighting set took center stage and the band played their “best” songs...

All in all though, they didn’t win me over (I would never pay to go to any stadium gig to be honest – or festival such as Glastonbury or T in the Park) and there were, let’s face it, just too many people in the audience - give me a sweaty club if you must - or a concert hall where the artisrts and repertoire are treated with a modicum of respect rather than sung along wiith like a drunken football crowd...

Here's my view as I was glad to sit down for the final encore...

Despite all my seeming negativity above, this was an impressive spectacle once it got going...

Of course even though they left the stage at 10:30, it was gone eleven by the time we got back to the bus...

...and almost midnight by the time we got back to the car...

To make matters worse, diversions on the M8 resulted in our hitting Edinburgh around 1:30am, by which point I was thankful that I hadn’t fully partaken of all of the hospitality on offer...

A most enjoyable day spent in the company of three entertaining compadres...

Tasty...

Highlight of the Day : Russell, Nick and Roland – top boys...