U2 Inches Closer

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

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.

U2's Inspiring Uniqueness Dominates Madision Square Garden

New York:  We a band from the north side of Dublin. U2 has blazed a trail thru the  North America with career that spans musical uniqueness and places itself right smack in the middle of Rock's Hall of Frame.  Bono has spoken before about The Ramones has a some inspiration for the band and with this new album pays tribute to Joey Ramone within one of the tracks.

U2 played the second show of a total of eight sold out shows at Madison Square Garden. New York is Ramones hometown and Bono lets fans know how he feels about coming to New York. 

Mark Peterson /U2TOURFANS 2015

This is not the first time has played New York and most likely not the last. U2 has been on a North American tour that comes to a close shortly. Surprises along the way have kept fans on edge. Few weeks ago we called it "U2's Dreams Come True Tour" because of the amount of surprises happening back 2 back.

Clearly the band has no intention of letting the gas of the peddle. They forge on and take on MSG as if it was the first night on the tour.  For the boys this is not about proving anything. Its about playing a very personal deeply intense set of music that they hope fans will understand and enjoy. No worries as Bono surveys the crowd he can see a younger audience singing the new songs and an older audience singing songs from yesterday. Its bridge they had hoped to cross. 

Mark Peterson/ U2TOURFANS 2015

Last nights show we had our photographer Mark Peterson capture the fans, the band and bring the music to life within some images. Fans continue to use our concertphotos@u2tourfans.com address and send in their photos and videos. 

North America will come to a close and U2 fans will continue to travel around the world to see their band perform and engage with fellow U2 fans. The social community of U2 fans has always been about connecting to others thru music.

Venue: New York Madison Square Garden July 19, 2015 

1. The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)
2. Gloria / Van Morrison's Gloria (snippet)
3. Vertigo / God Save The Queen (Sex Pistols) (snippet) / Transmission (snippet)
4. I Will Follow / Summer In The City (snippet)
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)

(Intermission)

1. Invisible
2. Even Better Than The Real Thing
3. Mysterious Ways
4. Volcano
5. Stuck In A Moment
6. October
7. Every Breaking Wave
8. With Or Without You
9. City Of Blinding Lights
10. Bullet The Blue Sky
11. The Hands That Built America (snippet) / Pride (In The Name Of Love)

encore(s):

1. Beautiful Day / Moment Of Surrender (snippet)
2. Bad / Moment Of Surrender (snippet)
3. Mother And Child Reunion (snippet) / Where The Streets Have No Name / California (There Is No End To Love) (snippet)
4. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For / People Have The Power (snippet)

October Arrives Early to Madison Square Garden

Mark peterson /u2tourfans 2015

New York City: The North American tour will come to close in New York City on July 31st.  The band held their normal sound checks with an addition of "October" which has not been played publicly since 1989. "October" has normally been positioned as lead in to "New Years Day" not last night.

"October" arrival in the second set proved once again that the boys have such a vast catalog of music that a few mix ups in the set list can and will happen. MSG has been a special place for musicians.

Selling out the place is a hard thing to do in New York no matter who you are due to the vast nightly event list. New Yorkers have all types of entertainment available nightly. Fans that have traveled to NYC to see the show have lots to do around the city during the day. 

Tickets for the show have been sold out for some time. Fake tickets have been spotted around the venue. Fans get up set that ticket scalping goes on at all of the U2 shows. 

However the band and Live Nation have put in controls to curb the scalping of tickets the amount of tickets available on the secondary market continues to grow.

One thing we noticed about this, fans are selling their own tickets back to secondary brokers. Those tickets then become available for sale. The fake tickets around the venue are not from secondary brokers rather from scammers with a printer and time.

Our photographers have been spotted around town taking photos of the fans.  GA Line has a life all to its own. The hardcore U2 fan that will wait in rain or snow in line for that small little space upfront close to the band. U2 fans are the most dedicated fans around the world. Some traveling as far way as Iceland to see the show.

This is their time to connect with other U2 fans and share the experience. U2 fans also connect socially using twitter to follow the show and share their views of how the evening has been going, its a community that has been connected by music. 

Seven more shows over the next few days and a couple of breaks in the middle and that's it North America will be in the can as the boys take off to Italy. A much deserved break in the middle. 

Venue: New York Madison Square Garden July 18, 2015

Set List

1. The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)
2. The Electric Co. / Send In The Clowns (snippet) / I Can See For Miles (snippet) / On Broadway (snippet)
3. Vertigo / God Save The Queen (Sex Pistols) (snippet)
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)

(Intermission)

1. Invisible
2. Even Better Than The Real Thing
3. Mysterious Ways / Burning Down The House (snippet) / Young Americans (snippet)
4. Elevation
5. Ordinary Love
6. October
7. Every Breaking Wave
8. With Or Without You / In The Garden (snippet) / Shine Like Stars (snippet)
9. City Of Blinding Lights
10. Bullet The Blue Sky / 19 (snippet)
11. The Hands That Built America (snippet) / Pride (In The Name Of Love)

Encore(s):

1. Beautiful Day / I Remember You (snippet)
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 Provided by U2GIGS

October made its first appearance in a U2 setlist in 25 years, 8 months, and 7 days (or 9,380 days) The rest of the set list and news can be found on the http://www.facebook.com/u2tourfans

Boston In the Review Mirror, New York City Lights Ahead

Boston:   Boston Strong was the theme of U2's four night appearance. Bono and the boys had not performed consecutive shows since Elevation Tour June 2001.  The band and fans have a great love affair going on for sometime.

Daily sound checks offer possible mix ups in the set list. A bar offered a U2 experience that finally U2's twitter feed had to set the record straight. Kind of reminds us to be young NOT dumb.

One of the interesting things on the tour has been @u2bike which not many have picked up on. A member of the crew has been out around each city taking some wonderful images of the city as well as the venue. 

Social media was a buzz "I heard the Fly" " Was that the Fly" mixed in with Invisible. The Fly has not made an arrival this tour. We have go all the way back to May when we heard an acoustic version. During last nights intermission video "The Wanderer" was replaced with a video mixed by Gavin Friday and over the PA was The Fly.  ( Yea we heard that Gavin was in the house) A visual awakening with messages flashing from ZooTV.  "Gloria" made her appearance early in the evening.

Boston Strong! "No bomb can break you" U2 may have physically have left Boston however their message of uplifting hope will carry on until they return. Will they return ? Surely as the Summer turns to a Boston Winter. 

Venue Boston TD Garden July 15, 2015

1. The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)
2. Gloria / Van Morrison's Gloria (snippet)
3. 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)

(Intermission)

1. Invisible
2. Even Better Than The Real Thing
3. Mysterious Ways / Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves (snippet)
4. Volcano
5. Stuck In A Moment
6. Every Breaking Wave
7. With Or Without You / Shine Like Stars (snippet)
8. City Of Blinding Lights
9. Bullet The Blue Sky / 19 (snippet)
10. The Hands That Built America (snippet) / Pride (In The Name Of Love)

encore(s):

1. Beautiful Day / Happy Birthday (snippet)
2. Mother And Child Reunion (snippet) / Where The Streets Have No Name / California (There Is No End To Love) (snippet)
3. One
4. 40

** Snippet provided by U2Gigs

U2 Adds 7th Show to NYC

Due to overwhelming demand, U2 has added a seventh show at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, July 30 as part of their iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Tour. You can download the most current tour calendar via the mobile app