When U2 Her Zoo TV tour in 1991 revolutionized live music. Over the course of 157 shows, the tour – which was in support of their album Achtung baby— it was almost embarrassing because of the overwhelming sights and sounds, with high-end visuals (for the time), a lighting system partially wrapped in Soviet-era Trabants, and the occasional leather-clad Bono portraying a character named MacPhisto. It was a huge swing for the group – and it worked. The group reportedly took in over $151 million in ticket sales, and the tour continues to be hailed as one of the most artistically successful tours of all time.
Since then, U2 has continually pushed what their live shows could be, throwing out giant mirror-ball lemons and massive LED screens on their PopMart tour in the late 1990s and creating a massive, self-contained “claw” for their Theater 360-tour late in the decade. The first of the twenty-first century. Now, after a four-year hiatus from the road, the group plans to push their business even further with a residency in Las Vegas this fall.
On September 29, U2 will launch a multi-date residency at The Sphere, a brand-new, all-round venue at the Venetian Resort that promises something much bigger in a Vegas show than Adele sets on fire in the rain. Covered in fully programmable 580,000-square-foot 2K LED screens, the building is the world’s largest spherical structure, featuring a multi-level atrium, production spaces, and a 20,000-capacity venue inside.
Setting up shop in the new space is a big undertaking for the band – and for the future of live music. If U2’s Sphere demo is successful, it could help set a precedent for what is possible. In an era when Beyoncé sells high-stage seats and Rihanna creates a Super Bowl spectacle using a streamlined floating red stage, it’s clear that fans are clamoring for more and more visual spectacle and access, as well as for a deeper look inside artists’ creative minds. With a Vegas residency like U2’s planning, you don’t have to worry about moving stages from arena to arena or squeezing the average acoustic capabilities of venues built for sports. Instead, they can focus on what’s new, what’s cool, and what hasn’t been possible—until now.
“The place where U2 really thrives is a place of pure experimentation and discovery, where we can do something we’ve never done before — and in this case, where we can do something no one else has ever done before,” U2 guitarist The Edge tells WIRED. “I still think touring is great in its own way and we’ll definitely continue to tour, probably on any new album, but I think what we’re seeing (with the Sphere show) is the dawn of a new creative genre and a new creative platform.”
Inside The Sphere, a massive 16K x 16K screen wraps the showroom – even as it spins around the heads of concert-goers. The goal is for the venue to be a fully immersive experience, right down to the tangible customer seating, so guests can “feel” the show. The venue also has environmental impact potential, meaning production staff can direct targeted gusts of wind to visitors who might watch footage of a car racing, or even introduce scent into the room in an effort to heighten the overall experience. (Think Disney’s Soarin’ around the world but on a much larger scale, with less dangling feet and maybe a lot more.)