What does the band do while the stage is being set up

[Jeff Spicoli]

What does the band do in between the sound check and the concert? Do they stay the night in the cities where the concerts are or do they fly back to some city where they are staying?

 

[HelloAngel]

What does the band do in between the sound check and the concert? Do they stay the night in the cities where the concerts are or do they fly back to some city where they are staying?

OK - soundcheck is generally just a couple hours before a concert. I would assume the band (or any band for that matter) either hangs at the venue to eat, or shuttles to their hotel and relaxes until call time to take care of business and other matters.

The band will often stay the night in a city after a show depending on the city, or they do a runner and fly to the next concert's city or fly home depending upon how long the break is b/t shows.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

when there's a big break between shows they normaly stay in canada to save on taxes.

they normaly only stay in the city they're playing in if they're playing there multiple dates, or have some other reason to be there.

 

[BVS]

They come to my house and hang.

Bono's on my phone calling world leaders and rackning up huge long distance bills.

Edge usually drinks all my booze.

Larry works out and looks in the mirror a lot.

Adam usually sits in the corner and knits.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

They do all they can do avoid their very own Mr. Hand, Paul McGuinness

I would assume it all depends on their family life, what they feel like doing, etc. Their money gives them the freedom to do what they want, they have their own plane, etc. They go somewhere warm when they have a long enough break.

 

[macphisto07]

They come to my house and hang.

Bono's on my phone calling world leaders and rackning up huge long distance bills.

Edge usually drinks all my booze.

Larry works out and looks in the mirror a lot.

Adam usually sits in the corner and knits.

Too funny!

but to digress a bit; I now have "40" posts

 

[mucho traffico]

they drink pints at my house

 

[LMP]

They come to my house and hang.

Bono's on my phone calling world leaders and rackning up huge long distance bills.

Edge usually drinks all my booze.

Larry works out and looks in the mirror a lot.

Adam usually sits in the corner and knits.

wow, they're the same at your house as they are at mine then

we tried playing 20 Questions with Bono, and let's say it didn't end until about 2 AM

 

[Halup]

when there's a big break between shows they normaly stay in canada to save on taxes.

they normaly only stay in the city they're playing in if they're playing there multiple dates, or have some other reason to be there.

They also use Mexico for the exact same reason. If I'm not mistaken, that only started on this tour, as I had never heard of them doing it this way before. In the past they have used cities like New York and L.A. as their base to fly in and out of, but I believe the out of country stays started on this tour, in part because they ended up playing longer in the U.S. than originally planned, based on the tour itinerary that was leaked around this time last year.

When I heard the tour was being rerouted after the illness with The Edge's daughter, I assumed they would rehearse for the tour in Los Angeles, and guessed correctly that they would use the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. What I did not guess on at all was the time spent just south of the border in Mexico and just north in Vancouver and I certainly did not expect when they played 2 straight nights in Anaheim, that they would fly to Mexico for those few hours between both shows.

I know for a fact though that The Edge has spent some of that off time in Los Angeles, while the band has been in Mexico. I ran into him on 2 occasions here in L.A. while other members of the band were known to be in Mexico or elsewhere. In the week off between Vancouver and Chicago, I ran into Edge at the Springsteen concert at the Pantages on May 3rd and I also talked to him at the Rolling Stones concert at the Hollywood Bowl on November 6th.

 

[Blue Room]

Dennis Sheehan sets up their tour itinerary. What they do is establish a base city in each region. Then they fly in and out of that city to the other shows in the area. IE, midwest, Chicago was the base for most of the midwestern shows. The cities outside of the base they do what is call a runner (as someone else mentioned). They fly into that city the afternoon of the show (depend on where they are at in the tour and what time they arrive whether they soundcheck or not) and leave the venue before the lights come back up after the show and head straight to their jet. Then fly back to the base city. Dennis has indicated his reason for doing it this way is that the base city seems like more of a home away from home while they are on the road. Instead of migrating to a new hotel in every city they play.

 

[westendgirl]

I know for a fact though that The Edge has spent some of that off time in Los Angeles, while the band has been in Mexico.

That's because he lives there.

 

[Pop Artist]

These last dates since Buffalo have been the exception to the rule though, likely because they have been hopscotching about a bit. Although they apparently did stay in Chicago between Charlotte and St. Louis, they actually have been overnighting in the cities they've been playing - they stayed in Cleveland, Charlotte and Omaha.

 

[Hallucination]

They play Xbox and sometimes Playstation.

 

[Blue Room]

These last dates since Buffalo have been the exception to the rule though, likely because they have been hopscotching about a bit. Although they apparently did stay in Chicago between Charlotte and St. Louis, they actually have been overnighting in the cities they've been playing - they stayed in Cleveland, Charlotte and Omaha.

Like I said in my post. Typically its how they do it. The end of the tour is the exception not the rule, because as you said they are hopscotching all over the place and doing single night shows only. Its not an exact science obviously. Its just how they prefer to do it if it works out logistically.

They have used several cities as bases over the years. Chicago, LA, New York and Boston are typically a base at some point on every single tour though. On Popmart I know they used Memphis of all places as a base on the first leg.

 

[ntalwar]

... I ran into Edge at the Springsteen concert at the Pantages on May 3rd and I also talked to him at the Rolling Stones concert at the Hollywood Bowl on November 6th.

What did you talk about?

 

[jd45177]

They also use Mexico for the exact same reason.

I wouldn't be so sure of that. The past few months, Bono has shown he definitely has a thing for Mexican chicks.

 

[macfesto]

I wish they had stayed in Detroit...would have been fun to hunt them down hahaha

that sounds bad

 

[Halup]

That's because he lives there.

I know Edge lives in the L.A. area. My point was that while the other 3 are staying out of the country in Mexico to avoid taxes, Edge is not doing the same. He apparently has placed his family ahead of his saving money on taxes. The other 3 guys live in New York, yet as an earlier posted noted, have been spending time in Toronto to avoid taxes instead of staying at their New York area homes.

 

[mucho traffico]

edge has a house in malibu bono an apartment in ny. i dont think larry & adam have places in the usa. they easily favor ireland & france to spend most of their regular lives.

 

[U2FanPeter]

Where was their base for the Seattle/Vancouver shows in April?

u2fp

 

[kassandra]

I know Edge lives in the L.A. area. My point was that while the other 3 are staying out of the country in Mexico to avoid taxes, Edge is not doing the same. He apparently has placed his family ahead of his saving money on taxes. The other 3 guys live in New York, yet as an earlier posted noted, have been spending time in Toronto to avoid taxes instead of staying at their New York area homes.

I believe you have to pay taxes to the state your house is in whether you live in it or not. A homeowner pays property taxes. My guess is that Mexico is warm, since we have been freezing here in NY.

 

[ouizy]

and I know for a fact Bono stayed in NYC when they were here. His local deli (which actually serves the best sandwiches in NYC) has a picture of him sitting in a front table by the window munching on a bacon egg and cheese.

I am not kidding.

 

[4U2Play]

...munching on a bacon egg and cheese.

Damn, you're making me hungry.

And worried.

Bono drinks too much, smokes too much and now we find out that he eats cholesterol-laden sandwiches.


I'm jealous

 

[timothius]

Can somone explain the tax advantage in sleeping in Canada for a night over USA, I'm intrigued?

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

and I know for a fact Bono stayed in NYC when they were here. His local deli (which actually serves the best sandwiches in NYC) has a picture of him sitting in a front table by the window munching on a bacon egg and cheese.

I am not kidding.

your post inspired me to get a pizza with bacon on it

 

[Halup]

edge has a house in malibu bono an apartment in ny. i dont think larry & adam have places in the usa. they easily favor ireland & france to spend most of their regular lives.

Larry has a place in New York state a little bit outside of NYC. Reports filtered out on the Elevation tour that he had bought a home there. Adam was known to have an apartment in New York City in the mid 1990s and from what i have heard, which could be wrong, he still has it.

 

[Halup]

I believe you have to pay taxes to the state your house is in whether you live in it or not. A homeowner pays property taxes. My guess is that Mexico is warm, since we have been freezing here in NY.

You would pay property taxes on your home, regardless of where it is or whether you spend time there. The reason U2 was spending a lot of time outside the US while on tour in the US was to cut down on the income taxes they would pay, which has nothing to do with the property taxes.

I'm under the impression that most of this was happening on the first leg and not so much on the third leg. During the first leg, for the shows in the southwest, after almost every show they flew to Mexico afterwards. For the Northeast shows, they flew to Toronto. I belive this came about after the tour expanded.

Remember, the tour itinerary, as was leaked a year ago had the third leg lasting only until about November 12, with Japan in late November and Australia in early to mid December. They added an additional 5 weeks of North American shows lasting until December 19th. The illness in the edge's family is what caused the tour to be rerouted witht he first leg as we saw it being a little shorter than originally was planned. They picked up the lost dates on the third leg plus added several extra weeks in the U.S. I'm no expert on tax law, but I believe these additional weeks of working in the US was the reason the band decided to spend nights outside of the U.S. while on tour to save on additional taxes. The Edge did not do this to nearly the extent of the other 3. I believe he wanted to stay at home with his family in Malibu to spend time with morleigh and the kids as they attended school in the L.A. area, but due to this, he did not take advantage of all the tax savings the other 3 were getting.

I know for the third leg they stayed in L.A. but on the first leg, they flew back to Mexico after every show except Staples Center 1, because the following day Bono had meetings for DATA and the press conference for Edun. Even when they played 2 straight nights in Anaheim, they left the arena immediately after the show and flew to Mexico, only to return the next afternoon.

 

[strwar718]

since they are all most likely not US citizens.. probably legal "aliens" or something.. i am sure they have to pay some sort of an income tax.. and depending on time they spend in the U.S relates to how much they owe. Since being on the road is "working".. they can claim tey were "working" in mexico and canada to avoid some taxes. we are talking big bucks here...

whats the name of the deli with the bono picture btw?
also.. i know they have places in NY but does Bono spend most of his time in NY or is it spent in Europe?

thanks

 

[kassandra]

You would pay property taxes on your home, regardless of where it is or whether you spend time there. The reason U2 was spending a lot of time outside the US while on tour in the US was to cut down on the income taxes they would pay, which has nothing to do with the property taxes.

I worked in NYC and lived on Long Island. I had to pay NYC taxes and got reinbursed because of where I lived. I am sure that is what the band does. Again I am pretty sure it has to do with weather. Also, when they played in NY I am sure they stayed in NY.

 

[Jeef690]

I am pretty sure they stayed in Miami when they came down here...