(07-05-2004) U2 set for return to Croke Park - Belfast Telegraph*

[HelloAngel]

U2 set for return to Croke Park
05 July 2004


Almost 20 years after they first set their fans rocking in Croke Park, Bono and U2 are set to repeat the performance on the hallowed GAA turf.

Secret negotiations have been under way to clinch the GAA headquarters for a U2 concert next May as the band want to play a major open air venue for their legions of Irish fans.

In 1987, the last time Bono, The Edge, Larry Mullen and Adam Clayton were in Croke Park, 120,000 ecstatic fans sung and screamed their way through two concerts.

It is understood that tickets for the May 2005 gig will go on sale just before Christmas, but in September the band will release their new album which still remains untitled.

And after the Croke Park show next May, U2 will be heading to the UK to perform at the Glastonbury Festival which attracted over 150,000 fans last weekend.

U2 have played twice at Slane Castle but they regard their 1987 gig at Croke Park as one of the high points of their concert career.


? 2004 Independent News and Media (NI)
a division of Independent News & media (UK) Ltd

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=538185

 

[mikeuk]

With the tour (reportedly) kicking off in Miami in April, a Dublin appearance in May would seem to be unlikely - unless they are really going to mix it up this time ?


Mike

 

[The_acrobat]

The tour was to start in Miami in March. I imagine they'll do a 2 month arena tour of North America in March/April, then go to Europe for the summer, then come back to U.S. for the stadium tour. From there, it's anybody's guess where they go.

 

[U2girl]

I doubt it.
If they start in March, I don't see how they'd get to Europe by May (and don't they usually end the Europe leg with UK/US dates?) and they are starting in arenas anyway. Also I remember Bono saying Slane would be their last big outdoor show and that the days of Zoo TV and Popmart's huge spectacles are over.

 

[EvolutionMonkey]

It could be done easily because if they play stadiums in some markets instead of allarenas like in Elevation then they could wrap up leg one a month earlier.

 

[STING2]

I doubt it.
If they start in March, I don't see how they'd get to Europe by May (and don't they usually end the Europe leg with UK/US dates?) and they are starting in arenas anyway. Also I remember Bono saying Slane would be their last big outdoor show and that the days of Zoo TV and Popmart's huge spectacles are over.

Where did you hear Bono say that they would NEVER play stadiums again? I have an interview from 1998 where he says that they would play large venues again.

 

[U2girl]

After the Elevation tour there was such a report circling around.

 

[fah]

Why have they not played at Croke Park since 1987?

 

[ginger edge]

Why have they not played at Croke Park since 1987?

Love Town Tour in '89 was played at the Point, Croke Park couldn't offer the capacity to host either the ZOO TV spectacle (which took place at the RDS) or the Popmart show (I think Croke Park was due for refurbishment 'round that time, so Lansdowne Road had to be used instead). The of course we had Slane in 2001. Croker's a lot different today than what it was even five years ago.

 

[ginger edge]

By the way, I'd love to see a U2 gig at Croke Park, but I don't think May's right either - most of U2's Irish shows have been in August for the last four tours and most of them have started in the US round March. Still where there's hope....

 

[Axver]

I'm highly doubtful Bono ever said anything about not playing stadiums again, especially seeing the demand for U2 in Australia and South America where they HAVE to play stadiums unless they'd like to do a whole week of shows in each city. I think future tours will follow the ZooTV format - they learnt from Popmart that solely stadiums doesn't work, and surely they learnt from Elevation that solely arenas does not satisfy demand.

I'll bet you that U2 will play Croke Park, just not in May. May's not as impossible as some make it sound, though. I think this tour will follow ZooTV's pattern, and the first leg in North American arenas finished on 23 April 1992 in Vancouver. The second leg, European arenas, began in Paris on 7 May. So it's possible that they could play a big Irish gig around then. I just do not see it as probable.