Adam: album out in November, finished soon

[philly80]

shit! i really hope this isnt true - i cant afford to go to America to see them

 

[AndrewCowley]

Not wanting to sound like an a#$hole but surely if they can work a 9-12 month US and Europe touring schedule around Edge's daughter's illness then they can add in an extra 3-4 months for the rest of the world?

The Vertigo shows in Sydney drew a combined audience of approx 220,000 people and that made it one of the biggest stops on the whole tour. That has to count for something.

Also the US dollar is very weak thesedays, almost at parity with the Australian dollar, so the old argument about touring Australia costing too much is gone thesedays.

 

[ahittle]

I'm going to bet that they are just being conservative at this point. It's always easy to add shows/legs after the momentum gets rolling.

 

[popacrobat]

Let's get an album name or song title name before we start saying that they AREN'T touring a section of the world shall we?

 

[Jim]

right. but this is a fan saying that larry's sister said this. i could say i had an exclusive interview for my college with u2 and paul mcG, does that mean it's true?

Sure but that's the essence of most things reported on a fan forum isn't it? I agree with your other point.. let's wait until the album comes out first!

 

[last unicorn]

I tend to believe that they'll do an Elevation-like smaller tour this time, but (PLEASE) with more dates in Europe. If they decide to do an arena tour, which I would support, the ticket situation will be disastrous, that's the only thing that really keeps me from appreciating arena concerts. Maybe they'll do a smaller Europe/US tour first and then a bigger rest of the world tour the following year. I'd also like to see them play places they haven't played before, like most of Asia.

 

[The Sad Punk]

They said they wouldn't come to Australia during Zoo TV, yet they did. And the same thing happened with Vertigo. Don't bother too much about this, it's still early days.

 

[Morgoth321]

I would expect the tour to start off with legs in N America / Europe, before being extended to the usual more distant places (Japan, Australasia, central and S America). it would be refreshing to see them head to places they'd never been before though - India has already been mentioned, but what about Africa?

If, when the album promo buzz starts in earnest, I'd expect mention of a 'world tour' somewhere along the line. If not, then maybe it'll just be the band taking a wait and see approach.

 

[The Sad Punk]

I'd really, really like to see them visit places in Europe and Latin America that they don't visit as often, or haven't visited at all. Greece, for example - they've only ever played there once, the Thessaloniki show during Popmart. They've been around for 32 years, they've only played about as many countries.

 

[quadcaster]

its obvious that they will start with a US leg, followed by a europe leg and another US leg. after that, its anybodys game!

either they cut it short there or do the south america/australia/nz/japan trek.

*starts planning trip to the states*

 

[powerhour24]

It'd be great to get more than one album or release out of this era ala ZooTV, but lets get one out before we hope for more before 2016.

 

[Blue Room]

With:

Vertigo tour in such high demand

Rolling Stones finishing their Bigger Bang Tour and Coldplay trying to mark their territory

U2 being U2 (so big)

you better believe there will be a world tour. I expect nothing but a grand scale (see ZooTV, Popmart) this time around. The last 2 tours have put U2 in such a position.

Well, the last time they thought they were set up in that manner (IE so popular they can do anything) was Popmart. They took a massive hit then (although Popmart is one of my favorite tours). They indicated after that they were going to play it conservative with the touring. So my guess is the plan at the moment is N. America and Europe only and then see how things play out with the album, popularity and how they are feeling about the tour. Zoo TV was approached in a conservative manner also. Arenas only to see what the demand would be. So other regions are obviously possible. Just not planned at the moment.

 

[dazzledbylight]

Yeah I think the problem is that even though there are lots of rock music fans over there and U2 fans as well, the majority is still only interested in local music, mostly film/bollywood or other regional film music. So there probably is not enough market for a sold out stadium/arena show. That's my guess.

Who were you talking about by the way? The growing middle class that is currently here in the US?

I meant as far as I've read off & on over the past few years....a growing middle class in India.

I got to see a well konwn Indian rock band last summer during the India big ? 50th Anniversary Celebration here in NYC.

I think it was Remo and his back up band renamed themselves The Pappadums. I think he/they were from Goa, but my memory's been off-kilter for a few weeks now-- so not sure. I know it was a more southern & eastern State.

They're quite famous in India. It was great to see them. They mix traditional Indian in struments in with rock. ANd they have done some Bollywood music as well.

 

[Zoots]

OMG Remo & the Pappadums! That brings back memories! Yeah he is from Goa, a state on the western/south western coast.

Okay growing middle class in India.. yeah I get what you mean. The economy really is growing like crazy over there! While we are talking about recession here, there the GDP is soaring! I was just confused because you said "growing middle class in India here". I was wondering if you were talking about here or there.

Anyway, sorry I don't mean to throw the thread off topic.

 

[rihannsu]

Not wanting to sound like an a#$hole but surely if they can work a 9-12 month US and Europe touring schedule around Edge's daughter's illness then they can add in an extra 3-4 months for the rest of the world?

The Vertigo shows in Sydney drew a combined audience of approx 220,000 people and that made it one of the biggest stops on the whole tour. That has to count for something.

Also the US dollar is very weak thesedays, almost at parity with the Australian dollar, so the old argument about touring Australia costing too much is gone thesedays.

That is what they tried with the Vertigo tour and while they were in South America Sian got worse and they ended up postponing the final leg in Australia/Japan because of it. I'm just saying that it is one thing to hop a plane from Europe back to LA (I think that's where she was being treated) but you can't exactly pop back and forth from Australia. It's a possibility that they are not considering anything that far flung just in case. It is way too early to know for sure what they will do. It is entirely possible that the rumors reported simply refer to what is planned as of right now. It's my understanding that whether they go down under is always decided after the initial phase of the tour is underway. In any case, the price of oil alone would make any band hesitate to plan tours that involve that much distance. Both ZooTV and PopMart lost money down under and it is only because of merchandise and looking at the overall tour that they ended up with any profit at all.

Dana

 

[Joey788]

I hope U2 decide to play at least one leg of America in stadiums. It's been 10 years (excluding Hawaii) that U2 have played stadiums in America and I think they would be able to sell a large amount of tickets. Maybe they can do stadium/arena shows in major cities, such as New York and L.A., and then play arena shows in other parts of the U.S.

 

[AndrewCowley]

I hope U2 decide to play at least one leg of America in stadiums. It's been 10 years (excluding Hawaii) that U2 have played stadiums in America and I think they would be able to sell a large amount of tickets. Maybe they can do stadium/arena shows in major cities, such as New York and L.A., and then play arena shows in other parts of the U.S.

Great idea. Mixing stadiums and arena's would keep them on their toes as far as setlists, show structure etc... are concerned. Every show couldn't be approached the same way. My hope in having a mixture is that it would help keep them 'interested' since each type of show has its own challenges. It couldn't do any harm.

 

[Rob33]

I hope U2 decide to play at least one leg of America in stadiums. It's been 10 years (excluding Hawaii) that U2 have played stadiums in America and I think they would be able to sell a large amount of tickets. Maybe they can do stadium/arena shows in major cities, such as New York and L.A., and then play arena shows in other parts of the U.S.

good idea, where do you think they'd play if they did arena/stadium shows in L.A.?

Do you think they'd play at the Coliseum?

 

[last unicorn]

I have some visions of concert venues U2 could play.

I am going to see R. E. M. in Central Europe this summer and they play in smaller and quite special venues, Radiohead as well. OK it's true U2 is the bigger band and I'm not saying they shouldn't play stadiums at all, but I could totally see them playing two legs in small venues and some very special gigs in unusual environments and then add some more legs and play larger arenas and stadiums.

But what am I talking, I probably won't get tickets for any small shows anyway.

 

[Morgoth321]

I don't think the issue is the size of venues, or even the geographical locations. I reckon that U2 could sell out any size of venue, anywhere in the world. For example, whenever I was in Bali a few years back, I sometimes wore a U2 Vertigo tour t-shirt, which proved to be an interesting talking point. Many of the Balinese were aware of U2 purely from seeing them on the TV, and so were most impressed that I'd actually seen them live. I suppose the point of this unscientific anecdote is to demonstrate, if only in a minor way, the level of U2's worldwide fame.

So why wouldn't they want to tour the world? Unfortunately, they are of course a business organisation as well as a band, and so the logistics of touring in more exotic regions will obviously incure considerable costs. As a fan with the interests of other fans at heart, I would say that the band and their management should be able to cover any losses from their own vast personal and business fortunes, but that's just me being naive. U2 will only tour places where it's economically viable for them to do so. Even though this wouldn't figure in their calculations, it's obvious that plenty of dedicated fans will travel great distances to see their concerts anyway. (I'd like to give an honourable mention to the two Californian ladies with tattered 1987-issue Joshua Tree t-shirts I guided towards Croke Park in 2005.)

I think that U2's touring strategy is pretty well established now, and is unlikely to change - N America spring, Europe summer, N America autumn, further afield winter / spring of the following year if they feel like it.

 

[U2Fanatic4ever]

Let me preface with this to say its only IMO,
i really doubt they will do stadiums in the US next year. I just don't see it. Arenas seem to be their thing as of the last couple of tours. I know that they like the intimacy they get with these venues here in the US. Stadiums just don't really have that feel. For Europe its a whole different deal, it just works well or rather it's just that there are not enough really good arenas in europe but I know this is changing.

 

[martha]

They're not going to play stadiums this tour.

 

[LyricalDrug]

They should release it on the day of the U.S. presidential election... isn't that a Tuesday (also an album release day)? Just seems like a cool thing to do -- a historic day!

 

[Rob33]

They should release it on the day of the U.S. presidential election... isn't that a Tuesday (also an album release day)? Just seems like a cool thing to do -- a historic day!

yeah but wouldn't that be a bad idea financially speaking?

 

[Peterrrrr]

If the new album is more of a musical journey, well then it might be a arean tour. It fits the music more.

 

[U2girl]

i hate to sound negative, but i have a feeling that this will probably be true. it gives me no pleasure because the best shows of vertigo imo were outside of the us/europe...

Some of them.

Anyway it's probably too early to have anything definite on the tour venues when the album isn't even finished. Maybe with the sucess of Elevation, and especially outdoor Vertigo they'll feel confident to play stadiums in US again, and end with the "Popmart curse". I hope S. America and Australia (Asia?) get shows again, and that U2 finally covers playing Europe properly.

 

[U2girl]

Anyone know/recall why Elevation wasn't a world tour?


I'm drawing a blank

There were rumours about Europe 2003 and the band didn't play Australia because the Australian/US dollar ratio wasn't financially favourable for them.