At the show that night, the 10th, we took the same spot on the outside of the ellipse again. AJ stopped and chatted for a second before the show. He said something about me needing to practice. We mentioned the PA stuff and not hearing and he nodded understandingly. When Dallas was sound checking out on the ellipse, he saw me and tossed his pick. During the show at one point, John Sampson smiled and shook my hands, which were hanging over the rail. In hindsight, I suppose these were clues, but I was clueless at this point. Especially when they took another girl up during Mysterious Ways to dance. After she left the stage he said something about there being another girl, and said, “Where’s the beautiful giant?” My friends around me went crazy and I stood there shocked. John came running around the ellipse and gave me a leg up onto the ellipse.
As I walked around the ellipse, Bono was walking backwards in a coy manner, as if he didn’t want to get too close to me. When I reached him on the side of the main stage, he took me by the hand and we walked down the ramp to the center. Edge put his hand out for me to shake. Bono said, “Will someone get this girl a guitar?” They reached for one of Edge’s, (the Casino, I think) but Bono said, “an acoustic would be better.” They handed me Bono’s black acoustic and a pick. Bono looked at me, and into the microphone he announced that he had one birthday wish: “Could you please sit down?” Then he laughed and said he was kidding. Edge leaned in and asked Bono, “it’s in concert tuning, right?” I was in the middle of a band huddle…too cool.
Edge started in and I looked over and joined in. He winked at me. I could see the lyrics scrolling on the screen in front of the microphone stand. As I was playing, I looked to my right and saw Edge playing. I looked to my left and saw Adam jamming along, nodding his head. It was the most surreal moment of my life. Edge did the solo and I played rhythm underneath it. Near the end I watched him to see exactly what to play. As we were playing, he took a bottle of champagne, shook it, and sprayed the audience. He turned and sprayed my legs a bit, but smiled guiltily and sprayed the audience more.
When we finished, I nodded at Edge. As I turned to Adam and he leaned in towards me and said with a smile, “We got our **** together.” I smiled. I saw Larry standing there with his arms crossed. Apparently he looked a bit annoyed on the 9th, so as I walked past him I grinned and put my hand out for a handshake. Bono kissed my cheek, and I kissed his. He took me by the hand and started walking me back across the stage. His tech was holding out another bottle of champagne. Bono took it and said it was for me. We walked up the ramp, and there he took my hand one last time and kissed it. He looked me dead in the eye and smiled sweetly.
I turned and walked down the ellipse. John Sampson was walking right below me. When I got to the end, security helped me down and John lifted me back over the rail into my spot. He put the champagne against the barricade on the inside and told me I could get it after the show. With that I signed another waiver and that was that.
After the show, people were walking up to me and asking to have their picture taken with me. It was the craziest thing. I was also interviewed by one of the guys for the official DVD. On the 12th, people in U2’s camp were recognizing me. Rocco was walking around the ellipse before the show and said “Hey, Laura. What’s up?” It was so bizarre. The girl who had danced during Mysterious Ways was about 4 people down from me. During Mysterious Ways, Bono saw her and waved. Then he saw me, waved, put his hand over his heart and said my name."