U2 Send Prayer To Aung San Suu Kyi During Final Wembley Gig [Music World News]

U2 frontman Bono called for the “safe keeping” of Aung San Suu Kyi as the band played their final show at London’s Wembley Stadium tonight.

The singer told the audience to send a prayer to the Burmese pro-democracy leader, who was last week found guilty of breaching the terms of her house arrest.

The Irish band then played their Grammy-winning hit ‘Walk On’, which was written about the 64-year-old.

Dozens of volunteers also took to the circular stage during the tribute, as Suu Kyi’s image was projected on a giant screen.

The powerful message provided a solitary political moment during what was an otherwise anthemic and energetic set from the Irish group.

“There’s nowhere else we’d rather be than here in London in August on a summer night,” Bono told the estimated 88,000-strong crowd.

As with previous nights on their tour, U2’s setlist mixed classics with a heavy helping of tracks from their latest album ‘No Line On The Horizon’.

The trio of ‘Breathe’, ‘No Line On The Horizon’ and ‘Get On Your Boots’ – all from the album – opened the band’s set, while other new highlights included ‘Magnificent’ and ‘Moment Of Surrender’.

But it was U2’s better-known numbers, including ‘Vertigo’, ‘Beautiful Day’ and ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’, that stirred the London crowd into action.

Other songs aired from the band’s extensive back catalogue included ‘One’ and ‘I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For’.

After ‘New Years Day’, Bono thanked the audience for “giving us a great life” and helping them to “build this madness”, referring to the group’s stage set.

The structure, which allows the band to play in the round, has been the talking point of their 360-degree tour with its dynamic video screen and giants crab-like claws.

Bono also revealed that the band’s soundman had visited Wembley while it was still being built and had left one of guitarist The Edge’s plectrum in the foundations.

U2 closed their two-night run at the stadium with two encores, the second of which included a moving rendition of ‘With Or Without You’.

The UK leg of the band’s tour is now scheduled to call in Glasgow, Sheffield and Cardiff later this month.

(by Jason Gregory)

U2 Send Prayer To Aung San Suu Kyi During Final Wembley Gig

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