June 14, 1997

EDMONTON - A Winnipeg journalist who saw U2's world tour kick-off date April 25 in Las Vegas and Thursday night's concert at Winnipeg Stadium says the show has drastically improved.

"The show now is 10 times better than Vegas, and I really liked Vegas," said John Kendle, entertainment editor of the Winnipeg Sun.

"In Las Vegas, I bought the (PopMart) concept, but I thought that musically the band was very tentative. You will be amazed by how much they've grown into this tour."

U2 butchered versions of Staring At The Sun and Discotheque in Las Vegas, and band members -- particularly Bono -- struck some observers as nervous.

"All that has changed," Kendle said Friday.

"Bono is in full tour mode now. He's offering up anecdotes, diatribes, explaining what the tour is about, really playing to the front rows. He's really made this tour his own."

Kendle described Thursday night's Winnipeg Stadium crowd as "euphoric, over-the-top, as loud as I've ever heard it."

Kendle said the band arrived in Winnipeg Wednesday night about 10:30 p.m., spoke briefly to the assembled media and signed autographs for waiting fans through a chain-link fence.

One lucky young woman even managed to snag a kiss from Bono after telling him it was her birthday.