U2 And The Daunting Challenge of The Innocence and Experience Tour

Admin May 18, 2015

Will The Spirit Still Walk Through The Room?

U2 And The Daunting Challenge of The Innocence and Experience Tour

Nashville: JB Brookman

The age of the internet has backed the greatest band on the planet into a corner…

The Beatles, Johnny Cash and the Stones never had to deal with the backlash that a band of U2’s caliber is currently toe to toe in a death-match with. In this day and age, it’s hip to be a hater and the land of Facebook and Twitter is dominated by them. When U2 and Apple put together a brilliant (26 U2 titles shot on to the iTunes top 200 albums chart at once) and fan-friendly marketing strategy to give Innocence and Experience away for free, the naysayers swung with all their might and did so in droves.

The media jumped on the backlash and painted a negative image of an album that had nothing to do with the music. The “5th member of U2” Paul McGuinness left as the band’s manager, leaving them in unchartered territory.

Many feared that this could be the end of U2. Had they become irrelevant? Had Bono’s earnestness and political fighting's for Africa become an image-killer? Had manufactured music, boy bands and sex selling female vocalists completely taken over the landscape in 2015?

The first time this writer saw U2 live (1985 Unforgettable Fire Tour- Sports Arena, Los Angeles), Bono was able to scream out notes in full register and recklessly climb up speaker clusters, wrapped in an Irish flag to confront and demand the attention and respect of fans. Now, it is some 30 years later and the challenges of life have battered Paul Hewson’s 55-year old body. A serious and possibly life-threatening back injury delayed the 360 Tour in 2009 and Bono’s recent New York bicycle accident has left him with permanent arm/hand damage that has even stolen his ability to strum a guitar (Larry Mullen has also dealt with injury in the past and Adam Clayton has dealt with addiction and depression issues).

“God is in the room… It feels like there’s a blessing on the band right now. And I don’t know what it is, but it feels like God walking through the room, and it feels like a blessing, and in the end, music is a kind of sacrament; it’s not just about airplay or chart positions.”

— Bono (Heath, Rolling Stone, May 10, 2001)

Needless to say, the next 6 months are the pivot point in the career of U2. They will either fade gently into that goodnight or ascend and re-take their place as the greatest live band in music history. They have always found a way to fight through new ground, in a live show. Rumors of the new tour include a state of the art sound system and a show that takes over the entire span of arena floors. Bono has always said that there is a special time in each U2 show where “the Spirit walks through the room” and a certain magic happens. Can the band tap into that same life force this Summer?

The truth is this… U2 are a scrappy, hard-nosed crew with a monster work ethic. They are at their best, when it’s time to change… time to burn down what they were, reinvent themselves and rise again from the ashes. They battle and innovate and are willing to take risks that other groups have never taken.

Whether it was putting their financial futures in check with the gigantic, groundbreaking Zoo TV and PopMart Tours or tearing down the Joshua Tree and making a new sound with Achtung Baby, this has been true. The Irishmen are the first ones to the scene of the fight and they aint going down until you put them in the dirt.

A month after the Apple roller coaster, Rolling Stone named I & E their Album of the Year and the band has entered the ring for their North American Tour that opened this weekend in Vancouver. As “Volcano” from the latest album says: “The world is spinning fast tonight, You can hurt yourself tryin’ to hold on, To what you used to be. I’m so glad the past is gone” Yes, U2 have a legendary past. But, now is their time to create a new powerful and relevant future.

JB Brookmam

Rock and Roll Celebrity Concert Photographer Founder/Editor of Nashville Live Magazine and Hollywood Icon Magazine Concerts & More: www.jbbrookmanphoto.com

More U2 Dates Released, Chicago, New York, Barcelona, London

U2TOURFANS February 3, 2015

Additional shows will take place in Chicago (July 2nd), New York (July 30th), Barcelona (October 9th) and London (November 2nd).

Subscribers who have not already used their unique pre-sale access code - or new subscribers - can take part in a ticket pre-sale for these additional shows beginning Wednesday Feb 4th at 10am ( Barcelona and London shows) and Thursday Feb 5th at 12pm Eastern (Chicago and New York shows). Download the U2 Tour Fans Mobile App today for more current U2 News.

Pre Sale Schedule

Tickets for the London show go on sale to the public this Friday, February 6th, 10am local time. Tickets for the Barcelona show go on sale next Tuesday, February 10th, 10am local time. Tickets for the New York and Chicago shows go on sale to the public next Tuesday, February 10th, 10am local time.

Download the U2 Tour Fans Mobile App today for more current U2 News.

U2's 2015 European Tour, Launchs from Turin

U2TOURFANS November 13, 2014

Reports are coming that U2 may launch their 2015 world tour from Turin. Its not surprise that U2 really enjoyed the Turin dates that the last time around.

Now the talks are early and of course fluid until confirmation comes. The tour is expected to launch September 2015 and go on for about a year of so. The boys will arrive in Turin a few months ( ah we say weeks) a head for rehearsals for two different types of shows.

The new tour would have to be home at Pala Alpitour. They would be provided for two nights in each city, two different shows for a concert that would cross over two evenings.

U2 2015 World tour !

U2TOURFANS October 7, 2014

U2 fans you have been waiting for a long time. Yes, the boys will hit the road 2015 with their families and close friends, Bono said “You know what it's like now, it's like a whole city goes on the road with us. Our kids go out on the road, they get excited about it; It's like . . . yeah, it's kind of a whole . . . Dublin goes on the road."

This tour will be scaled back to give a intimate setting due to the nature and themes of the current album as well as the expected new album. The Edge acknowledged that they are not looking to launch into a massive tour this time around. Heck, it is hard to throw up something against 360. That was massive and beyond approach for most bands.

We can expect to see some announcements shortly. Bono confirmed that the band could not get any bigger than 360 if they tried so pulling back would make much more sense due to the new music style and vibe. Still in the early stages of planning and routing the tour so ease back fans and start saving those coins. Its going to be a busy 2015/2016 season.

U2 Plane and Romney ?

Admin September 4, 2012

Mitt Romney has a new plane, well sort of new. Its new to him.

Romney's plane was previously personalized for the band U2's 360 tour, complete with the lyric "The future needs a big kiss" emblazoned on the nose.

The aircraft types the campaign chose have been workhorses for commercial passenger airlines for decades, recognizable by the two engines attached to the rear of the plane and two seats on one side of the aisle and three on the other in economy class. For the campaign planes, however, the charter company has fitted the aircraft with business class style seats.

U2 did have a couple of planes for the tour. This last tour was the largest CO2 footprint of any band that toured the world. However this was impacted by the Live Nation Global Touring groups commitment to reduce and reuse as much as possible

U2’s CO2 emissions are the equivalent of the waste created by 6,500 average British or Irish people in an entire year, or equal to leaving a standard 100 watt lightbulb on for 159,000 years.

The band’s vast emissions are dozens of times bigger than Madonna’s carbon footprint on her 2006 world tour, despite her extravagant demands and 250 staff. She produced 1,635 tonnes in air transport.

U2’s PR agency RMP did not return a request asking if the band were buying carbon offsets to contribute towards the damage of their enormous emissions.

Carbonfootprint.com’s environment consultant Helen Roberts said: “The carbon footprint generated by U2’s 44 concerts this year is equal to carbon created by the four band members travelling the 34.125 million miles from Earth to Mars in a passenger plane.

“You also have to add the carbon emissions from the same number of concerts again next year.

“Just looking at the 44 concerts this year, the band will create enough carbon to fly all 90,000 people attending one of their Wembley concerts to Dublin. To offset this year’s carbon emissions, U2 would need to plant 20,118 trees.”

Pollution experts said U2’s 44 concerts in Europe and North America this year will produce 20,117.50 tonnes of CO2 emissions, unless the band unexpectedly decide to ship to equipment to the US, in which case the footprint would be 5091.41 tonnes.

Bono and his bandmates will generate 64.42 tonnes of CO2 by flying 22,037 miles to this year’s gigs in their private jet, currently stationed at Nice airport, near their Cote d’Azur holiday villas in the south of France.

Most of the carbon footprint comes from transporting the three 390-tonne stages, using 3,286.60 tonnes of CO2, with another 916.07 tonnes for extra equipment. Next year they are expected to play 20 concerts in North America in June and July and 20 dates in Europe in August and September.

Active Aero Group, a charter services and cargo transport company based out of Willow Run Airport, will help the band U2 with its 360º Tour. Active Aero supplied the charter plane and crew for the group, customizing the plane with its logos.

Win a U2 - 360° AT THE ROSE BOWL

U2TOURFANS June 17, 2010

U2 Tourfans is giving away copies of U2 - 360° AT THE ROSE BOWL Deluxe !

U2 360° At The Rose Bowl was the penultimate gig of last year’s U2360° Tour in support of their Grammy nominated album No Line on The Horizon.

The Rose Bowl performance was the band’s biggest show of 2009 and U2’s biggest ever US show, with a live audience in excess of 97,000.

U2 - 360° AT THE ROSE BOWL [Super Deluxe Edition]

POST YOUR COMMENTS ON FACEBOOK/U2TOURFANS

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.

Enter to win. Easy - Post your comments and Photos to the show you attended or why you love U2 on Facebook/U2TOURFANS, selections will be made in random different hours of the day. If you attended a show last year tell us about it. If your planning to attend a show this year tell us about. Post a photo and share your comments.

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.

U2 To Announce New Dates

U2TOURFANS June 17, 2010

U2 are reportedly facing losses of up to £100 million ($148 million) as a result of the cancellation of their world tour this year, brought about by Bono undergoing emergency back surgery.

U2’s mammoth 2010 world tour was put on hold, and a headlining slot at Glastonbury was cancelled, after Bono was admitted to hospital last month. The effects on their bank balance look set to be severe.

The band’s manager Paul McGuinness told The Sun, “If we play or not, touring still costs us £500,000 ($741,000) a day.”

A band insider is also quoted as saying, “Bono and the band are covered by insurance but the costs of overheads and missed revenue could easily reach £100 million by the time he’s fit enough to tour again.”

News of U2’s tour deficit comes days after it emerged that bass player Adam Clayton is to sue the band’s financial controller for alleged negligence.

Meanwhile, the band are set to announce their rearranged tour dates this week. The Edge has previously stated that live dates would resume in August.

U2 360 Tour Amsterdam Second Show Videos

U2TOURFANS July 21, 2009

Amsterdam second show was the one that will have fans talking for a long time. The boys sounded great. The mix was tight, they looked like they where having fun and the crowd was right in with them. Live updates from around the world about U2's up coming concert event. Real time chats, news from the tour, and much more. U2 Music, Tour and Events. Follow twitter.com/u2tourfans

Now the show, enjoy - Thanks to our sponsor Headphones4less.com

Bad

Unknown Caller

Elevation

One

Desire

Until the end of the world

Passing Notes