Best Of 1990 – 2000 Chronicle.
By "Juan Carlos Flores Torres" <juancft@hotmail.com>

Translated by BonoMau

7:30 AM - We arrive at MixUp. When we get there there's no one... just a couple that, upon seeing us, sit beside us... we ask if they come for the U2 event and they do.

7:35 AM – A middle aged man arives... he asks if we have come to buy tickets for a football match... we answer "no"... we are here to buy a cd... a U2 cd to be more exact...

8:30 AM – The so-called Mix Up policeman arrives. He asks if we are waiting to buy tickets for a football match, but then he asks: "Are  you here for the U2 thing?".... "yes"... "but it's at 6.00PM!" "thanx... we already knew that." He tells us that he will hand out tickets so things don't get out of hand later in the evening. We look at our watch... it's way too early for the sale...

9:00 AM – Mix Up opens its doors. People who have come for the football match outnumber us 5 to 20.

11:00 AM – The sound equipment that UltraViolet, U2's cover band, will use, arrives.

12:30 PM – UltraViolet arrives with all their gear and roadies. A little later, Max , member of USGS fan club, arrives. People who are there for the football match tickets are told that the tickets have run out. Among whistling and rude words, they start to leave. We are still there, wating...

1:00 PM – We are told to start a line close to a little tree and the first track of the new CD begins to play from the outside PA system Ultraviolet will later use.. We are listening to U2's Best Of for the very first time. More people arrive and the line gets longer and longer. Meanwhile, the sky announces that a real electrical storm is approaching.

2:00 PM – The Best Of CD plays again. Some sign to it, others don't.

3:00 PM – The line is endless. I think 200 persons are here, plus the ones that are arriving and the ones that make their way into the line. Everyone who passes by asks, "Are you getting something for free?" We answer "No, we are here to buy a record." They look at us with a face that says "Poor crazy people."

Meanwhile, other ask... "Is U2 coming?"  "We wish they were, but unfortunately, this is just U2's Best Of Sale.

At this moment, UltraViolet begins rehearsing their material. They perform a breif soundcheck with Holy Joe and All Along the Watchower, eventhough no sound comes out from the store.

4:30 PM – Rain beings to fall. Gently at first, but then pours heavily. Everyone outside gathered round the small tree run to the store's entrance to seek shelter.

5:00 PM – UltraViolet's last soundcheck. They test the sequence volume for some tracks. They play Where The Streets Have No Name using a sequence, but unfortunately, during the show the sequences will malfunction. That does not stop them from playing Bad, Streets, With or Without You without the sequences.

5:30 PM – After handing out more tickets and explaining that the first ones were handed out at 9.00AM, we stare at our watches and begin the countdown at 30 minutes...

5:40 PM – Blessed is God... the sale finally starts. We are sent to the registers in groups of 10... we wait for the salesman to get some change and then...

U2's Best Of 1990-2000 sale officially begins. We pay $239 pesos (about $22 dollars) and we get a triple CD, a VHS... but WAIT! "Aren't you going to give us a MaxiCD? That's what the posters at the store say!" The salesman does not have info about this. We are happy anyways.

5:50 PM – We watch UltraViolet's show, which was amazing. We get some special newspapers.

6:00 PM – We go for a cup of coffee. We are very tired, we arrived at 7.30AM. and we made it till 5.40PM.

6.15 PM – Only after 5 songs, policemen arrive to report that surrounding stores have complained about the loud music coming from the store. The outside PA system is shut down, and UltraViolet is left only with indoor monitors to play with. The cover band and the fans make extra effors to avoid this situation to interfere with the enormous rapture and joyful feelngs, and keep on enjoying the show. However, fans outside get a little anxious and crowd the store by trying to get all inside at once. This proves to be a great idea: the crows begins to sing at every songs, producing backing vocals and even taking the lead on some songs. Pride (in the name of love) receives an extra chorus so fans can sing longer.

8:30 PM – UltraViolet's show is over, they played the best U2 songs: Angel Of Harlem, One, Please straight into Where The Streets…..Dirty Day (Wonderful!), Beautiful Day, Stuck In A Moment, Gone, Last Night on Earth, I Will Follow, Sunday Bloody Sunday, etc……and they finish off with Walk On / Halleluyah.