Today, U2 opened the Echo Awards in Berlin. Like at the Grammys and Brits, they performed Get On Your Boots. The performance was similar in style, with Bono starting the song on a podium in front of a screen flashing the song's lyrics. However, the pre-recorded intro was notably different to the two earlier performances: instead of Bono humming the melody of the national anthem, an instrumental version of the Deutschlandlied was sampled, as well as John F. Kennedy's famous "Ich bin ein Berliner" quotation from a speech on 26 June 1963. After a couple of verses and the chorus, Bono ventured down to the rest of the band. Unlike the last two performances, he did not remove his sunglasses to reveal eyeliner this time.

As a historical aside, the last time U2 performed on German TV was on 13 June 2005, when they played City Of Blinding Lights and Vertigo. Join us again in a couple of days, when U2 play on Le Grand Journal in France. This promises to be more than just Get On Your Boots, as the band are set to play two songs.

Posted on February 21, 2009 by Axver