How many US tour legs?

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U2FanPeter

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There was 2 in '87.

2 in '92

2 in '97

and 2 in '01.

Only the 97 Popmart shows were all announced in one go.

Any word on what will happen this tour?

U2FP
 
I highly doubt we will see a change in the usual pattern.
 
I'm prepared to wager that there will be only one. Simply because of the value of the dollar and the fact that if as seems likely they're doing Stadia there will be no need for it.
 
I thought U2 made more money per gig in the US via Elevation type pricing than the 97 and 92 stadium shows. You must factor in all the costs to realise the final tally.

U2FP
 
not really for PoPMart, in 97, they made few additionals show in the USA before South America...so, still 2 legs in the US...
 
in 84-85 U2 played a small US leg (theatres) as a teaser and appetizer for a bigger "real" arena leg. same in 87 and 92; in 87 it was arenas and then arenas-stadia, in 92 arenas and then stadia. in fact they returned and played the same cities multiple times. so you can say that you had two tours every time.
in 97 it was one single tour divided in two legs, all in stadia (spring-fall, no repeat visits).
in 01 the second US tour was mainly made of repeat visits, plus a few additional cities skipped on the first round.
hard to predict what'll happen this time. I'd bet on a spring arena tour like elevation first leg, and then a return to stadiums in late summer, but only in the major U2 cities (LA, NY, BOSTON, CHICAGO, TORONTO...); this if the album sells well and for a long period.
 
Popmart had a short 2nd leg in N. America. I think it will be two again...Europe late June-August, a break, then another 4-6 weeks in N. America before going off to Japan/Australia.
 
Curious.. One leg in Europe, where U2 can sellout almost every stadium in a record time and 2 legs in US, where U2 can't sellout many stadiums except in California, NY, NJ, Chicago, Boston area, Philadephia.

Dollars, what a treasure!

Vox
 
everybody knows that U2 were supposed to return to Europe in summer '02, playing six weeks of stadium shows (from july 20 to early september). in fact, on early tour programs and promo material you had "elevation tour 01-02". in march '02 the tour was called off, even if Paul McG. denied that a tour was ever considered. for instance, at the Grammy's that year Edge had confirmed that they would play Europe that summer. in fact, the 01 Europe tour was a bit understated: it had to be a teaser for a stadium roun the following year.
so: Elevation had to have 2 European legs, one of which in stadiums.
it has always amused me that on Popmart, since the album wasn't selling, U2 should have done an arena tour, and they did a stadium tour instead (which didn't sell out); so they got scared, booked an arena tour for Elevation...and thay could easily have sold out a stadium tour.
hope they get it right this time!!!!
 
People underestimate U2's popularity in the US.

Popmart was just a bad time for them. People just weren't digging it. So they backed off and did an arena tour for Elevation. U2's popularity in 2001 was so great that they could have done a stadium leg. But the 1st US leg of Elevation was so long and extensive, it didn't really leave room in the fall for a stadium leg. Here's how Elevation should have went, I think.

March/April/May- US arenas
May/June/July/Aug- Europe stadiums
Aug/Sept/Oct/Nov- US stadiums
Jan/Feb/Mar- Rest of the world stadiums

The tickets for Elevation shows sold so fast. The only reason slow markets existed (Lexington/Kansas City/Columbus) is because these aren't big U2 areas, plus the prices were high. But these shows still sold out, just slower than normal.
 
Vox02 said:
Curious.. One leg in Europe, where U2 can sellout almost every stadium in a record time and 2 legs in US, where U2 can't sellout many stadiums except in California, NY, NJ, Chicago, Boston area, Philadephia.

Dollars, what a treasure!

Vox

I agree. I think they should stick with arenas here in the US and "camp out" in a couple cities for multiple dates.
 
Remember that the arena/stadium decision will noticably affect setlist. The is much more apparent on US shows. Some US elevation shows had as little as 4 new(ATYCLB) songs.

US Arenas = more adventurous setlists.

What true U2 fan would want anything other than that?

Or do you prefer the group pressed into adding songs like NYD, Follow, SBS to be heard for the 18th million time. This happened on the 92 and later 97 stadium dates.

U2FP
 
u2 never played less than 5 new songs on elevation tour dates.
songs played every night: elevation, b.day, walk on (except 2nd manchester show), stuck, ny (except slane and maybe 2nd glasgow show- axver i need help here!!!).
 
ell according to a fan who was talking to the crew at TOTP there arent going to be anywhere near as many dates as the Elevation Tour.

I think the USA will get one leg bearing in mind this time they are doing Australia and Japan.

Ooh look hell just froze over!!!!:rolleyes:
 
Bono's Tart said:
according to a fan who was talking to the crew at TOTP there arent going to be anywhere near as many dates as the Elevation Tour.

If the demand is there, I am certain they will try and do a second / fall tour in the US. They did it each tour since Josh, with the exception of Popmart.

Money make the blind see and the deaf talk.....
 
Last edited:
Bono's Tart said:
ell according to a fan who was talking to the crew at TOTP there arent going to be anywhere near as many dates as the Elevation Tour.

I think the USA will get one leg bearing in mind this time they are doing Australia and Japan.

Ooh look hell just froze over!!!!:rolleyes:


Just read in another forum that Willie Williams told a fan on Friday that they were playing both arenas and stadiums in the US. Unless they plan on mixing it up during one leg (which seems difficult considering you're talking stage setups for two very different-sized venues), the 2 US leg scenario sounds plausible (arenas in the Spring, stadiums in the fall – same setup as all of the last major tours since JT except for Pop).
 
I thought there was some talk of having "leapfrogging" stages.
They would play a Stadium and then in the next city do a night or two in Arenas. Similar to what the Stones did on their last tour. U2 did this to a lesser effect on the JT tour. Fans have the capability to pick and choose which shows they can go to, and tickets will be more easily available for the bigger shows.

I just don't see any group filling all stadiums in the US. I think the only groups to attempt a full national US Stadium tour, since Popmart, were Dave Mathews and NSync.

I just don't see U2 playing huge US vacuuos places for the 4-5th time in their careers.

That said, the Rest of the World is a completely different story. They could likely sellout any city they wish to visit.

U2FP
 
gabriele1971 said:
u2 never played less than 5 new songs on elevation tour dates.
songs played every night: elevation, b.day, walk on (except 2nd manchester show), stuck, ny (except slane and maybe 2nd glasgow show- axver i need help here!!!).

To my knowledge, you are pretty much correct. I don't know of any Elevation Tour concert that included less than five ATYCLB songs. Both Manchester shows closed with One and did not feature Walk On, but still included five songs from ATYCLB: Elevation, Beautiful Day, Stuck In A Moment, Kite, and New York. I've just checked through a number of Elevation setlists ... five is definitely the lowest.
 
all I'm hoping is that:

1) they play in Pittsburgh again so I can see them finally! lol be it at Mellon Arena or one of the stadiums (Heinz Field or PNC Park) here. Big doubt on those 2, probably be MA. But, hey, whatever :)

2) I can get good tickets...no nosebleed please!

I'm so damn giddy right now!!!! :D:D:D:D:D:D
 
As the tour starts in March, I would think that the first US leg will be arenas. A second US leg would likely follow the European tour in late summer/early fall and could be stadiums or a mixture of arenas and stadiums.

The reason for 2 US legs is simple. While U2 can rely on stadium sellouts throughout Europe, the average ticket price will likely be substantially lower in Europe than in the US, even considering the devalued dollar. Moreover, the US concert business is essentially run by Clear Channel which imposes its tiered pricing (remember the $130 tickets in 2001; how high will they be this time?). U2 has to play by their rules, especially given that Clear Channel also controls a significant portion of the radio stations in the US and thus the tour would at least partially dictate airplay for the new album.
 
I don't care how many legs, just as long as U2 doesn't forget the rest of the world. The Elevation tour schedule was a disgrace.

For love or money?
 
Vox02 said:
Curious.. One leg in Europe, where U2 can sellout almost every stadium in a record time and 2 legs in US, where U2 can't sellout many stadiums except in California, NY, NJ, Chicago, Boston area, Philadephia.

But what about Canada?

Did you know that outside of Ireland, Canada sells the most U2 CDs per capita? They can easily sell out 2 tours here.
 
Soulrock2 said:
I don't care how many legs, just as long as U2 doesn't forget the rest of the world. The Elevation tour schedule was a disgrace.

For love or money?

I agree, America gets spoiled with U2 shows, Europe comes in second to that. It's good to hear Austrailia, South America and Asia will be getting shows this time round. I would love to have them do two legs of Europe this time round but it won't happen. America yet again will get the spoil of the shows and the opportunity to see them in arenas again while the rest of us will need to see them in the huge stadiums.

That's my moan over!
 
I've said before in here I really think they'll get massacred by the press in the UK and Ireland if they do arenas in the US but not in Dublin or in London. I did hear from the guy at Top Of The Pops that it was going to be all outdoor in Europe and I hope thats wrong and just specualtion although it did come from a good source but still fingers crossed.
If the Stone's are the model then would suggest that it is wrong - they worked on the basis that they did something special only in the big, very significant cities- there were arena dates in New York, Paris, London (which also got a theatre date) etc.
I think they'll be a lot of people very annoyed if it's the case that Europe almost get's punished for liking the band so much that nearly every stadium can get filled so that we get huge outdoor dates but because the band can't sell these out everywhere in North America these parts get rewarded with Arena dates.
I think it's further annoying because the band actually seems to enjoy playing in Europe we've only to look at the Popmart and Elevation boots to confirm that.
Some Aussies and South Americans felt left out by Elevation but on this occasion European meant Western European - I would be gobsmacked (and to be honest a little disappointed) if our new European Union brothers and sisters didn't get something this time round.
I know I've ranted a bit and gone a bit off topic but I'd also like to say that if it isn't a mixture of Stadiums and Arenas on the first US leg then it would make most commercial sense to do the Stadium leg first. The other thing is the rumoured dates so far for Europe seems to suggest they'll probably be here about two weeks sooner than they were on Elevation.
 
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