U2 360 Stage Update from Utah

U2 360 Tour 2009 - Load Out from 2009 U2 is about to begin their North American tour, the U2 360 tour. The giant four-legged Claw will be set in the middle of the venue, and in the center there will be a revolving stage. All the technical hardware is hidden inside the four legs of the structure, and at the top is a huge video screen which will offer simultaneous footage of the concert to the farther audiences at the show. 

Over 130 feet high, weighing 390 tons and requiring 180 trucks to transport it from venue to venue, U2 have three different Claws at their disposal. While they are playing on one of them, the second one is being set up at another venue and the third one is being transported somewhere else.

Long-time U2 associates Willie Williams and Mark Fisher will be working as show directors for the 18-month tour. “Everyone who sees it says that it looks like something different,” says Williams. “It does look as though it has escaped from a giant space aquarium.”

The Claw was inspired by the four-legged Theme Building at Los Angeles airport. “Our work is all to do with the logistics of building a very large piece of technical infrastructure in a very short time, and to make something interesting out of it,” says Fisher. “Why do people go to shows like this in the digital age? It’s for the huge collective experience, the social and spatial, and memories. This set will contribute by creating a massive sense of anticipation and delivering an amazing kinetic performance.”

The base goal of The Claw is to create a feeling of intimacy for crowds of up to 90,000 people - no easy feat by any standard.

Details

  • U2 have three custom-built “claw” stages for their tour.
  • While one is in use, another is being dismantled and a third is being constructed for the next concert venue.
  • The stage designer is Willie Williams, who has been with U2 since 1982. Mark Fisher serves as architect.
  • A total of 189 trucks transport the stages around. There are 380 drivers and 12 buses.
  • The U2 entourage constitutes 550 people.
  • The video screens weigh 56 tonnes.
  • The claw-like edifice can take 165 tonnes of equipment freeing up more pitchside space for fans.

World Music Awards 2010 Winner

Just updated in Monaco on Tuesday night U2 picked up two awards. Worlds Best Rock Artist and Best Selling Artist from Ireland.That one we thought was a given. Currently we have not confirmed any members had attended the event. We know that Bono was in Seattle for part of the week. The U2 plane was spoted at the airport.  Rumors suggest that the band has been in New York gearing up for the tour. Our sources have spotted Bono a couple of times around town however that was last week during the Bono’s birthday dinner.

Trucks have arrived !

The trucks have arrived in Salt Lake City and the crews should be starting to build any day now. A U2 fan that lives in town has been posting videos. Greg Gunn has been posting them. As of last nights video the pitch has been placed and the parking lot is full of trucks. Just waiting arrival.

 Source: U2tours.com, 

U2 Sing from NYC

CALLING from New York on the Ryan Line still open.” U2 singer Bono echoed Gerry Ryan’s famous radio signature as he launched into a special version of his friend’s favourite song, his band’s classic anthem ‘With Or Without You’.

The supergroup was unable to attend the star-studded ceremony, but instead hooked up live via satellite from New York to make its own special contribution.

“Gerry, you shone like a star in the summer night. You’ll be alright, flying high, flying so high,” Bono sang.

As the song concluded at the end of the service, he added: “Goodbye Gerry, see you down the road.”

Boyband Westlife earlier performed an acapella version of their hit ‘You Raise Me Up’ in the small Clontarf church, located in the suburb where the broadcaster grew up and lived with his own family.

Dressed in matching black suits with white shirts and black ties, the group flew back to Ireland from the UK especially to perform at the funeral.

They almost didn’t make it.

Grounded

It was feared the band would be grounded by the volcanic ash cloud which had brought chaos to Irish airports again this week.

However, the opening of Irish air space at 4am got them home just in time.

The String Quartet from the National Symphony Orchestra and the Dublin Gospel Choir also performed at the funeral.

Mourners included such prominent figures in the Irish music business as Sharon Corr, pop manager Louis Walsh and Boyzone’s Keith Duffy.

Summer Heats up with U2

You do not know what a real concert experience is until you have seen U2 live, or so fans of the Irish rock quartet say.

U2’s concert U2360° Live from the Rose Bowl Stadium in California, United States last October is an example of how the band from Dublin, Ireland always pulls out the stops to give fans a memorable time.

The stage design featured a large four-legged steel structure that holds the speaker system and cylindrical video screen, and hovers above the performance area. Dubbed “the Claw”, the platform is surrounded by a circular ramp, which connects to the stage by means of rotating bridges.

“Bono is nothing if not a committed showman, which is half the fun of seeing U2 live,” the Daily’s Dusty Somers said of Bono’s stage presence in a review. “Being outfitted in a laser suit and swinging from an illuminated microphone is the kind of stuff he probably lives for, and with that superbly talented band behind him, it’s the kind of stuff that makes enduring the often impersonal nature of a stadium show worth it.” 

We have a couple of questions for you? Please post your answers on Facebook

  • How many shows do you plan on attending?
  • Do you have tickets already for each show your attending ?
  • Have you ever attended a fan meet up ?
  • What do you think of Fan meet ups ?
  • Blackberry or iPhone ?
  • What city will have the best show ?
  • Do you have U2TOURFANS APP loaded ?

Sorry we had to throw the last question in. We are working on a totally new app and really wanted to know if you had it loaded to your Iphone. - 

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U2 Deluxe, Concerts, Fans and U

The marketing machines could not have packed a better punch. June starts the North American tour which we have been talking about since the end of the tour last year. We are ready ! Of course we have our street team attending all of the shows. We have room for a couple of more members if your interested. Sign up here .

We are focused on the fan experience and we look to bring you the best possible concert updates we can. You can always follow us via facebook. We have a complete collection of our 360 social media properties outlined on Facebook. Or choose to take us on the road with you using our Apple App - Best of all its FREE.

Just thinking about the start of the tour, we also found out this week that a possible set change could be in store for us. “Breathe” is classic with moments of old Jefferson Airplane harmonies in the chorus. Bono appeals, “Walk out into the street, sing your heart out, the people we meet will not be drowned out,” but what seems like yet another U2 call to arm-in-arms is more like the wearing of a brave face.

Then, that aforementioned journey of the soul ends in the luscious “Cedars Of Lebanon” that gets real personal through lines like, “I have your face here in an old Polaroid, tidying the children’s clothes and toys, you’re smiling back at me, I took the photo from the fridge.” We’re all in that kitchen, in that photo, and in the scenario that follows, as told by, presumably, a sad, lonely soldier who is far from home. Sporadically-introduced edgy synth sounds intentionally prevent the listener from ever settling-in with the surroundings, mildly simulating what our soldier is experiencing.

Then, the song—as well as No Line On The Horizon—leaves the listener with these wise, sobering words: “Choose your enemies carefully ‘cos they will define you…they’re not there in the beginning, but when your story ends, gonna last with you longer than your friend.” Regardless of what the album title suggests, this group still knows how to help us keep our bearings.

It seems everyone and their mother has told you about the DVD release. We really would like to ask you consider getting your DVD from our link. Yes it helps our non profit site. To come to think of it anything you buy from the link helps our social media experience.

The set will include: a 32 page hardback book; limited edition 2-disc DVD of U2360° At The Rose Bowl plus 2 hours of bonus material; 1 blue-ray of U2360° At The Rose Bowl plus 2 hours of bonus material; 1 vinyl 7inch; 3 U2360° guitar picks; the Tour Programme; a limited edition numbered drawing of final stage design; and 5 art prints in an embossed wallet.


U2360° At The Rose Bowl was the penultimate gig of last year’s U2360° Tour and the band’s biggest ever US show, with a live audience in excess of 97,000. The show was also streamed across seven continents via YouTube. The first ever live streaming of a full-length stadium concert, U2360° at the Rose Bowl had over 10 million views on the channel in one week.

Shot entirely in HD, the concert was filmed with 27 cameras and directed by Tom Krueger who had previously worked on U23D, the first live action 3D concert movie taken from U2’s Vertigo Tour.

Available in standard and 2-disc deluxe DVD formats (see below), U2360° At The Rose Bowl will also be U2’s first concert available in Blu-ray. The deluxe formats and the Blu-ray will feature a new documentary called Squaring the Circle: Creating U2360° with new interviews from U2, Paul McGuinness and the team behind the touring production.

U2360° At The Rose Bowl Set List:

  • Get On Your Boots
  • Magnificent
  • Mysterious Ways
  • Beautiful Day
  • I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
  • Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of
  • No Line On The Horizon
  • Elevation
  • In A Little While
  • Unknown Caller
  • Until the End of the World
  • The Unforgettable Fire
  • City of Blinding Lights
  • Vertigo
  • I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight
  • Sunday Bloody Sunday
  • MLK
  • Walk On
  • One
  • Where The Streets Have No Name
  • Ultra Violet (Light My Way)
  • With Or Without You
  • Moment Of Surrender

U2360° At The Rose Bowl is released in the following formats:
- Single Disc DVD, live concert only
- 2DVD Super Deluxe Box Set (see above)
- Two Disc DVD Deluxe edition
- Blu-Ray Single Disc edition each featuring the live concert plus:
Squaring The Circle: Creating U2360° Documentary
U2360° Tour Clips
Bonus Track ‘Breathe’ (Live At The Rose Bowl)
Berlin Timelapse Video
Videos:
Get On Your Boots
Magnificent
I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight (Animated)
I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight (Live At Barcelona)
The Making Of ‘Get On Your Boots’ Video
The Making Of ‘Magnificent’ Video

U2 360° Tour Concert Team Wanted !

Are you attending a North American show? Do you want to be a part of the U2 360° Tour Concert Team? 

We are looking for some U2 fans to join us as we report the tour back to those that can not attend the shows.

To be a part of the team is easy. You first need to have your own tickets to the show. You will need to send us a photo of your tickets so that we know your attending the show. Pick your show city. For example Montreal on July 16th has been taken already by “A.E.” South Florida by “CET” we will select more than one person for each city. To be sure we have great converage of the show.

You will be posting photos of their trip to the show, concert photos and record some of the show. During the show when possible they will be tweeting via a special twitter account setup for the show team use.

We recommend the following.

Once we comfirm your part of the team we will be hosting a special call to provide you all the access tools you will need. The idea is that we are looking for the best documentary of your experience. We did this last year and the responce was great.  Submit to be considered at the contact center and we will be in touch with you

 

19 Days ! U2 Back in America

As this week comes to a close we pause a second to reflect back on a most interesting week. Of course by now, we all know that this week was Bono’s birthday. Monday May 10th and cyber world was a buzz for sure. Bono celebrated his 50th birthday with his wife, of 28 years, Ali. Though they would usually throw an extravagant party this year the two celebrated with a romantic dinner in Nobu, a Manhattan restaurant, which is part owned by Robert De Niro.

Ordinarily this intimate dinner would be followed by a blow-out birthday bash surrounded by their friends and family. However, given the recent death of Irish TV and radio presenter, Gerry Ryan, they opted for a quieter celebration.

Many of their friends had planned to travel to New York to celebrate with the couple but they decided to cancel the trip out of respect for the late Irish broadcaster.

Ali and Bono have quite a history when it comes birthdays. The most famous big birthday gift came in the form of the U2 hit “The Sweetest Thing”. The quick thinking lyricists and musician penned this tune for Ali when he forgot her birthday.

This year it will be a much less public affair. U2’s publicist said that Bono would be taking the next few days to spend with his family.

His family though residents of Killiney, in South Dublin, are spending some time in the United State while their house is being extended. The family has relocated to the San Remo penthouse, in Manhattan, which is worth $25.4 million.

Bono has had a hectic week working in Toronto as guest editor on the Globe and Mail newspaper with his fellow charity campaigner Sir Bob Geldolf. On arriving at the office Bono announced “We’re your bosses now!”

Their publication of the newspaper focuses on Africa and causes close to both Bono and Bob Geldolf’s hearts. Before he left the office to meet his family in New York the staff sang “Happy Birthday” to their new boss.

Adam Clayton, The Edge and Larry Mullen are all currently working in the United States. The band is gearing up for the next leg of their “360 Degree Tour” which kicks off in Salt Lake City on June 3.

We tracked about 2 million visitors in 24hrs.  Now that’s not as amazing fact as what we have come to find out since. Most of those visitors are brand new, first time visitors to the site. 

We finally launched our front door to facebook this week. The idea was to place all of our internet properties in one location to make a complete 360 experience. In order for you to have the best U2 experience we have many ways setup to follow U2 news. Concert videos can be found on youtube. As the tour starts you can expect to get daily tour video updates from fans attending the show. We have twitter updates from the show and of course our concert photo section. The easiest way sign up on facebook and start following.

Second to Dion ?

Irish superstars U2 came in at number two on a poll of America’s favorite musical artists. According to a recent Harris poll, the Celtic rockers came in only behind Celine Dion, who took the number-one spot. What who did they ask? People in Las Vegas one tweeter said. We tend to agree.

U2 All Day

The Sting; played U2 all day yesterday and well a few surprises thru out the day it was a great promotion of U2. They even had a call in from Willie which confirmed that we can expect to see some changes to the setlist. When you have chance take a look at the set lists from North America and define your own setlist. Let’s see what you can come up with.

Rose Bowl DVD

Rose Bowl DVD – By now if you have not ordered your copy, your computer must be broken. Or you have not had the chance. We offered you a link to pre-order; Our Suggestion. Better order it soon.

Concert Street Team

19 Days until the tour starts….. We are looking for people attending the show. Contact our team today.



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