Bono yesterday described the opening concert in San Diego of U2's new world tour as the "best first night" the band has ever had.
Speaking on 2FM minutes after coming off stage, he said he would give the night "a 10", describing it as "really special, really magical".
The Edge told Gerry Ryan that the band's Croke Park concerts this summer will be the highlight of the tour. "We did pretty well and even outdid ourselves and went beyond what we were expecting. Bono was brilliant as well, he was really on top form.
"It was just great and we're really looking forward to the rest of the tour and obviously the high point which will be Croke Park."
The band changed the running order of their songs just hours before the tour opened.
Bono put politics on the agenda when he preached about human rights and Africa. "San Diego is the base of the US navy so there was some stuff in Bullet in the Blue Sky that had to be said. We played The Declaration of Human Rights, a reading that Catherine Owens put together, which is a great piece of street theatre," he said.
U2 manager Paul McGuinness said he was amazed that the band, who recently celebrated their 25th anniversary, were still the best in the world. "It's all very well being the biggest band in the world but you also have to be the best.
"I was very proud of them - they absolutely pulled it off.
"We are all a bit puzzled by the phenomenon of it getting better and bigger."