U2 Inches Closer

U2TOURFANS / Mark Peterson /

U2TOURFANS / Mark Peterson /

New York:  Millennials, Gen X, Baby Boomers all nestled in MSG is late July, and the band is about to perform its last show in during the sold out week in New York.

What's next screams a fan? The future! That's what comes next. Questions should the band go large? Or return to smaller venues?

Time plays a wicked game with bands, as they get older, their audiences do too, and yet some may not be along for the ride as U2 starts to privot towards the future some could say they have heard that sound before others will embrace it as new fresh innovative, maybe even insightful. 

U2 / Bono/ U2TOURFANS / Mark Peterson

U2 / Bono/ U2TOURFANS / Mark Peterson

The band has its challenges coming forward in this new millennial music world. Downloads increase, less direct purchasing and the thirst for live music ever increasing.

Bono view of the future has grown increasingly important. One could wonder if this obsession with legacy could halt the creative flow of the band as it tries once again to reinvent its self the future blazes forward. 

U2 inches closer towards that October date, and fans grow restless for that U2 release. Given the timeline and the narrative from the band we could expect to see something very shortly. Betting on the live dates coming up, the boys could test some new songs just has we heard over the weekend.

The possibility has moved from maybe to a strong yea something is about to happen.  Summer is about to end,  The Hamptons becomes a ghost town, Fire Island awaits our return as we all ease back into full-on work mode.

U2's Return to Paris

Paris, France:  Over the last few days new rumors have started to surface that the band may be returning to France after the Dublin shows.

However this has yet to be to confirmed. The French authorities will decide when U2 returns to Paris according to Bono's comments during earlier interview.  

The band is currently in Ireland playing a total of 6 shows will continue to finish out this leg of the tour and return to the studio to finish up the next album which is due to be released early 2016. 

Mean time Bono reflected back on the MSG shows; The feeling of Madison Square Garden was just unbelievable. ... The feeling was just "this is who we are; you can't change us,"

Bono said" 'You're not going to turn us into haters, or you're not going to turn us around in the way we go about our lives.' That was the feeling of Madison Square Garden back then, and I hope that will be the feeling at Bercy (the arena in Paris) when we get back there."

Mark Peterson our lead photographer captured the complete MSG residency and has created one of the best U2 concert photo collection available this tour for fans.   Your can purchase this limited edition book directly from the website and the book will be shipped worldwide.

Berlin, New York, Putin, Obama and The Pope

Berlin:  U2 controls "Mercedes-Benz Arena" for the next few days. While the band performs from their current album and past albums. Bono will slip away for a day to address the UN in New York on some topics that are most dear to his heart.  Bono has never held back is voice for those that can not speak and for a brief moment you might forget he is the leader of the worlds largest rock band. The first of four sold out shows in Berlins' Mercedes-Benz Arena starts off with a sensational spectacle only expected from the boys from Dublin.  The boys have returned to their city. This is the where their boldest work was created some 24 years ago which still sounds current today. "Achtung Baby" the created works all started in a studio in Berlin.  The show for the most part has been set in stone. 

They revolutionized the conventional stage structure. Besides the large main day is on the "Mercedes-Benz Arena" that evening a smaller stage in the other corner of the hall, connected by a walkway. About this depends a housewife large video screen that is still accessible and the hall - is divided in the middle or as a mutant video cube suspended above all - depending on your height. During the concert, the four musicians will be split on this stage design again, so really many of the 20,000 spectators come to one or other times closer

Between takes Bono repeatedly opportunity to use the show as a political arena and to promote a solidary dealing with the refugees: "Europe is so far only an idea, but has a feeling," he says before "One" turn is.

The show on Thursday, it offers the grandiose prelude to the big Berlin U2 concert that lasts until Tuesday with a brief trip to New York to be interrupted. At the UN summit where Bono meets Merkel, Obama, Putin and the Pope.

Setlist:

  1. The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)
  2. Out Of Control
  3. Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio? (snippet) / Vertigo
  4. I Will Follow
  5. Iris (Hold Me Close)
  6. Cedarwood Road
  7. Song For Someone
  8. Sunday Bloody Sunday / When Johnny Comes Marching Home (snippet)
  9. Raised By Wolves / Psalm 23 (snippet)
  10. Until The End Of The World / Love And Peace Or Else (snippet)
  11. (Intermission)
  12. Invisible
  13. Even Better Than The Real Thing
  14. Zoo Station
  15. Mysterious Ways / Burning Down The House (snippet)
  16. Elevation
  17. Every Breaking Wave
  18. October
  19. Bullet The Blue Sky / Ode To Joy (snippet) / 19 (snippet)
  20. Zooropa
  21. Where The Streets Have No Name / California (There Is No End To Love) (snippet)
  22. Pride (In The Name Of Love)
  23. With Or Without You

Encore(s):

  1. City Of Blinding Lights
  2. Beautiful Day / Ultra Violet (Light My Way) (snippet)
  3. Mother And Child Reunion (snippet) / One / Invisible (snippet)

*Snips provided by U2GIGS

http://www.u2gigs.com - U2 performing Zoo Station live during their Innocence + Experience tour concert in Berlin, Germany, Mercedes-Benz Arena Berlin on September 24th, 2015. All show details incl. setlist here http://www.u2gigs.com/show1908.html

U2 Continues To Evolve Concert Staging

Mark Peterson / U2TOURFANS 2015

Mark Peterson / U2TOURFANS 2015

New York: U2 has been no stranger to extravagant set designs over the last three decades. While the band is most known from its hits from the 80s — spawned mostly from 1987’s classic album The Joshua Tree — U2’s lavish set designs did not start until after the release of Achtung Baby in 1991. The “Zoo TV” Tour that followed was the band’s first with massive screens and what was deemed an intentional “sensory overload.” Screens played a mixture of closeups, prerecorded videos and live television while renovated Trabants were a part of the lighting system. Since then, the evolution of U2’s concert experience has continued to place the band in a story played throughout the show.

Even as the show and production value continue to expand, it is the music that always brings fans back to the shows. Editor-In-Chief/Founder of U2TOURFANS.com Andres Gonzalez is one of such fans, noting that “Young rock bands should take notice. U2′s original sound builds a success-long career which includes sold out shows at Madison Square Garden.” U2 still has six shows remaining at Madison Square Garden, the last of which will be Friday, July 31.

The mixture of sound and show has brought the experience of U2 concerts from its simple atmosphere of the 80′s to the massive production it is today. 1997’s “PopMart” Tour featured a 150’ by 50’ LED screen – the largest of its time – along with a 100-foot high arch and a 35-foot-high mirrorball that transported the band between main and side stages. U2 has continued to build upon its unique stage designs with each passing tour and there has been no shortage of innovation since. Such originality has continually kept ticket demand high, especially for U2 tickets on the secondary market.

Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/jesselawrence/2015/07/21/with-video-cage-u2-continues-to-evolve-concert-staging-and-experience/

U2's Toronto Tour Dream Stop

Toronto, Ontario: Toronto fans may change the name of this tour stop to the U2 Dreams Come True stop for a few fans U2 departed from the norm and changed a few peoples lives forever. U2 has always been about their fans. This tour happens to be a bit different.

Mark Baker @U2BROTHR / U2TOURFANS

Mark Baker @U2BROTHR / U2TOURFANS

This tour seems to be about making some dreams possible. The band may not even know that a few of their fans have a couple of U2 experiences that they would like to have in their life time. Or maybe they do? Either way the Toronto shows had a few dreams come true. As we reported earlier about Mark Baker A.K.A @U2BROTHR and his band Acrobat and their opening night performance.

To fans and the band amazement they killed it. Bono and The rest of the band can be spotted watching off stage with smiles.  Well you would have thought that would have been the end of surprises. No a chance. U2 fans should not assume anything.

The band second night performance introduced Stephanie This fan played the guitar with the band for not one song but two. She played "Angel Of Harlem" and "All I Want Is You"  Which she killed it ! It was a very emotional performance and you could tell that she knew this was a once in a life time experience. Maybe that's what this tour really is about. Experiences that take your breath away.

This was a departure from the original set list which we received earlier in the evening and our Editor squashed our attempt to share it via social media. "The one thing I know is that a printed setlist is and has been always subject to change without notice he said" 

Well so true it was. "The Crystal Ballroom" did not make an appearance and the set continued as printed.  U2 moves on to Boston and New York to close out this leg expectations are high. This North American leg has been full of surprises, heartache, tears, laughter and dreams coming true.

Venue: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON, CA July 7 2015

Setlist

  1. The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)
  2. The Electric Co. / Send In The Clowns (snippet) / I Can See For Miles (snippet) / Smells Like Teen Spirit (snippet)
  3. Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio? (snippet) / Vertigo / God Save The Queen (snippet)
  4. I Will Follow
  5. Iris (Hold Me Close)
  6. Cedarwood Road
  7. Song For Someone
  8. Sunday Bloody Sunday
  9. Raised By Wolves
  10. Until The End Of The World

(Intermission)

  1. Invisible
  2. Even Better Than The Real Thing
  3. Mysterious Ways
  4. Angel Of Harlem
  5. All I Want Is You / Into The Mystic (snippet)
  6. Every Breaking Wave
  7. Bullet The Blue Sky
  8. The Hands That Built America (snippet) / Pride (In The Name Of Love)
  9. Beautiful Day / Give Peace A Chance (snippet)
  10. With Or Without You / Shine Like Stars (snippet)

Encore(s):

  1. City Of Blinding Lights
  2. Mother And Child Reunion (snippet) / Where The Streets Have No Name / California (There Is No End To Love) (snippet)
  3. One / Invisible (snippet)

*Snippets U2GIGS

U2 continues make a few dreams come true. Stephanie joined the band on stage to perform "ALL I Want is YOU" u2tourfans.com

U2’s iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Surprises Boston, New York, Chicago and More

U2-IE-Logo2015.jpg

U2 surprises fans with additional dates for selected cities.  Shows are now confirmed in New York, Chicago, Boston, Montreal, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Berlin and Paris - see the list below. (Tickets for the Barcelona shows are on sale today.)

NORTH AMERICA
June 16th, Montreal, QC, Bell Centre
June 17th, Montreal, QC, Bell Centre

June 28th, Chicago, IL, United Center
June 29th, Chicago, IL, United Center

July 14th, Boston, MA, TD Garden
July 15th, Boston, MA, TD Garden

July 26th, New York, NY, Madison Square Garden
July 27th, New York, NY, Madison Square Garden

EUROPE

Sept. 12th, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Ziggo Dome
Sept. 13th, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Ziggo Dome

Sept. 20th, Stockholm, Sweden, Globe
Sept. 21th, Stockholm, Sweden, Globe

Sept. 28th, Berlin, Germany, O2 World
Sept. 29th, Berlin, Germany, O2 World

Nov. 14th, Paris, France, Bercy
Nov. 15th, Paris, France, Bercy

Directly from U2.com

As a subscriber to U2.com, if you did not use your unique ticketing presale code to buy tickets for shows already announced, you will be able to use this code to buy up to TWO tickets in presales for one of these new shows - or two single tickets at two separate shows. (See our FAQ's for further detail.)

These subscriber presales begin on Wednesday December 10th at 10am (local).

If you have already used your presale code, it is not valid for further use and cannot be used to purchase tickets in presales for these newly announced shows.