?huge, spectacular stage show? that will put PopMart to shame

[OzAurora]

hmmm ok, here goes (someone out there is going to flame me for this)

I loved the Zooropa show that I saw and Popmart was ok cause it was U2, but for me it really wasnt anywhere near as good as ZOOTV, but personally I am STILL waiting for elevation to make it Australia. Anyways I think that if they are even going to attempt to do something as big and as extravagant as ZOOTV again then they better bringing out a new album that is going to kick as much ass as Achtung Baby. The album was revolutionary and the concert overwhelming, ground-breaking and tied in so nicely with the magnitude of musical greatnes that was Achtung Baby. So not to put a shadow on the news, (I myself am thrilled to hear the little word Australia mentioned) do you think it is possible for them to ''dream it all back up again''?

 

[bono_man2002]

well when they do tour australia on the NEXT TOUR!! i wonder where they will play.....i know The_acrobat did this for US shows...i'll attempt one for Oz

Brisbane - Possibley The GABBA? - 2 shows
Perth - Burswood Dome (they got popmart there) or WACCA, Subicao Oval - 2shows
Adeliade - AAMI Stadium - 2shows
Melbourne - Melbourne Cricket Ground OR Telstra Dome - 2 shows
Sydney - Telstra Stadium - 2 shows

the tour would proberbley go in that sort of order....i said 2 shows for each location because they havent been to australia for so long...(adeliade alone since 93) but thats unlikley for some places i think....
i would try and get to Melbourne & sydney shows....
when U2 play melbourne, i would prefer the MCG because my pearents went to Telstra Dome to see Bruce Springsteen, and said that the sound system was crap....so i would prefer the MCG unless they fix up the sound....
U2 should plan to film a show in Sydney, 100,000 ppl + would be able to attend....imagine that atmostphere!

 

[Axver]

Yes, two shows in Brisbane would be fantastic. The 'Gabba would be very nice - I have fond cricket memories from there - and where else could they perform? Lang Park/Suncorp Stadium? I'd think the 'Gabba would be better.

I'm hoping they go over to NZ. It's unlikely, but if they do, I'd imagine one show each in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. Maybe two in Auckland? A U2 tour would be a great excuse for me to go back to NZ and see my family over there.

 

[Porter]

it's a great news to hear that outdoor shows are being planned but putting popmart to shame is rather risky thing to do.sometimes the show overshades the music or songs doesn't fit to the spectacle.ideal example is 'voodoo lounge tour' by the rolling stones where simple songs based on 3 or 4 chords were put into gigantic entourage which made it look a bit out of place.of course popmart was a great spectacle but i have to say that certain songs didn't fit into the whole thing.besides they admitted when popmart tour was finished that it was a burden for them to carry such a show worldwide.

 

[Diemen]

While I would prefer arenas for intimacy's sake...

"If you thought the Pop Mart tour was visually impressive then you should see what they are talking about for this one."

...this really excites me because it makes me think that perhaps U2 is being more daring musically and they want to reflect that in the show. ZooTV was a gigantic spectacle, and lets face it, Achtung Baby and Zooropa were pretty daring and risky albums. Popmart was a gigantic spectacle, and Pop was pretty damn daring and risky too.

If they're going for a huge spectacle again, I really hope they've got a daring and risky album to push it with.

 

[Chizip]

If they're going for a huge spectacle again, I really hope they've got a daring and risky album to push it with.

thats the thing that excites me about this the most too

now i actually believe Bono when he says the new album is gonna be rockin

 

[martha]

It's all still unconfirmed, so don't get too excited.

 

[Blue Room]

It's all still unconfirmed, so don't get too excited.

LOL!!!

You are correct, but everything is shaping up like there are going to be stadium shows on the next tour, like it or not. I agree though that I dont think arenas are out of the question, at least for the first leg in the U.S. But dont be shocked if its all stadiums. The direction of the album is looking to be big and I think will work well with the big spectacle aspect. I think they are looking at that, the fact that they can do a world tour in a year if they do stadiums only, and the fact that I think the band likes playing the big places and the challenge of the spectacle. It was going around that the band were actually getting stagnent at the end of Elevation because they didnt feel they were pushing the envelope. They are probebly also looking at how successful Bruce Springsteen and The Stones were on their last tours playing stadiums. So, I agree, take it with a grain of salt at this point. But dont be shocked if it turns out to be all stadiums. I guess the question is, will you skip the tour if it happens??

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

still hoping for a central park show...

but any stadium tour will be very much appreciated by this man right here. i'm sure the luke warm success of popmart in the states still bugs the guys, and watching springsteen, the stones, and even :gasp: n'sync have succesful US stadium tours since popmart has to really really bug the guys. so i wouldn't be surprised if they want to do one more huge super terrific blowout multimedia stadium extravaganza to seal their status as THE premiere live act in the world. perhaps they can call it the shock and awe world tour

yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy i like stadium shows yayyyyyyyyyyy

 

[Sue DeNym]

Damn, where you been? That was over a decade ago

I'VE BEEN BROKE!

And I fell away from fandom, for a while, between the high ticket prices and their weird 90's experiments (which, I am embarrassed to admit, I totally misunderstood and thought they'd fallen away from their beliefs ).

we have a lot in common, miss sue. i skipped the pop tour on purpose.

just curious, where did you see them in '87?

Tempe Sun Devil Stadium, second show (the one that had to be postponed for Bono's voice to recover). Back during the Mecham years. Oboy, did that raise a brouhaha! But it was a wonderful show.

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

Detroit- 1 show @ Comerica Park

God no. If anything, if they have to play a stadium, they ought to do Ford Field. The sound is much better in there.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

is that scott stap?

 

[U2girl]

Isn't Mirror a tabloid?

On one hand I kind of think they will go to stadiums because they've been to arenas the last time around and, well, if it is a WORLD tour stadiums are usually the venues used.
On the other hand, with the Popmart "troubles" in US I'm not sure they'd go with stadiums all the time. Maybe arenas first - at least in US, and later stadiums. Can Bono's voice handle one big year+ long tour?



Pros would be it's more spectacular - as long as the prices aren't too high, and maybe tickets would be easier to get by than with arena tour.
Cons would be possibly worse sound, if you're not close enough you can't see that well, more crowded feeling.

 

[zoopop]

I wouldn't worry too much about sound. If you remember there was company working on some new sound system for Edges guitar. Also, I thought the Popmart sound excellent compared to other stadium show I've been to. I really hope they do stadiums. U2 has the arsenal to do a stadium tour. Can you imagine hearing Kite, Beautiful Day, Walk On in a stadium. Those songs can really fill the space. And I'm sure the new ones will rock even harder.

 

[beegee]

Tempe Sun Devil Stadium, second show (the one that had to be postponed for Bono's voice to recover). Back during the Mecham years. Oboy, did that raise a brouhaha! But it was a wonderful show.

so you live out here in the desert, too? i'm just outside las vegas.

i saw three shows in 1987, all in los angeles.
i never made it to tempe, but i DO remember trying, lol.

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

is that scott stap?

try reading my location, headache

 

[Sue DeNym]

so you live out here in the desert, too? i'm just outside las vegas.

Yep, look at my location line. I've lived in Phoenix for 35 years...

 

[Blue Room]

Tempe Sun Devil Stadium, second show (the one that had to be postponed for Bono's voice to recover). Back during the Mecham years. Oboy, did that raise a brouhaha! But it was a wonderful show.

I think you mean the second show of the Joshua Tree tour at the ASU Activity Center and not Sun Devil Stadium. None of he Sun Devil Stadium shows were postponed. Bono lost his voice due to the intense rehearsals leading up to the first shows.

 

[jick]

Bono is just making his customary bold statements or publicity stunts to help hype up the new album.

For Achtung, it was Salome tapes.

For POP, it was the leakage to two songs that made it to the net.

For ATYCLB, it was the lost laptop stunt that got him publicity and made him look like a hero for rewarding the "finder" generously.

For all those albums (including this new album too!), Bono said they will come out with their most rocking album - yet POP was techno and ATYCLB was mellow.

So going back to the topic, Bono is just doing his customary b.s. Just as his lyrics are vague, his interviews leave much room for interpretation. Actually, Elevation in its own right did actually put Popmart to shame. Also, as early as now, U2 have already probably booked their venues since you normally have to book a year early. So when Bono says "we might tour stadiums" or "we might not" - his uncertainty is b.s. because most of whatever U2 will do is already booked. So Bono shouldn't lie and just tell us whether they booked primarily stadiums or arenas, and not be pretentious with statements like "if the band decides to do stadiums". There are no IF's, whatever it is has already been decided on and the venues booked. Bono is such a shrewd and sly promoter for his albums and is a great marketer with his big mouth. He is actually U2's biggest asset.

Cheers,

J

 

[martha]

will you skip the tour if it happens??

Possibly. But we've both already beaten that horse to death.


My point was, though, that this is one guy saying that his sources have heard that the guys are talking about this. That's a lot of qualifiers in one article. I don't think anyone should make travel plans based on a guy saying that he heard that people might be talking about maybe doing something.

 

[Zoocoustic]

For all those albums (including this new album too!), Bono said they will come out with their most rocking album - yet POP was techno and ATYCLB was mellow.

I couldn't agree more. I won't believe the album is a "rocker" until I hear it, just like I won't believe these rumors about the tour until something official is announced.

Still, it's nice to have something to gossip about...

 

[Diemen]

So Bono shouldn't lie and just tell us whether they booked primarily stadiums or arenas, and not be pretentious with statements like "if the band decides to do stadiums"

...

Bono is such a shrewd and sly promoter for his albums and is a great marketer with his big mouth.

So first you say he's being pretentious and should just tell us, and then a few lines later you're saying how great a promoter he is?

What do you want him to do, exactly?

 

[Sue DeNym]

I think you mean the second show of the Joshua Tree tour at the ASU Activity Center and not Sun Devil Stadium. None of he Sun Devil Stadium shows were postponed. Bono lost his voice due to the intense rehearsals leading up to the first shows.

You're probably right. It was the second show, and it had been postponed a day and I had to juggle my work schedule to make it. And, never having gone to ASU, I don't remember which building is which, I just followed the crowd to the right one. And it has been sixteen years, nearly half my lifetime ago! The only thing I really remember is the band's statement blasting then-governor Evan Mecham for rescinding the MLK holiday, and then U2 gave us a wonderful concert.

 

[jick]

So first you say he's being pretentious and should just tell us, and then a few lines later you're saying how great a promoter he is?

What do you want him to do, exactly?

I want him to continue his act, as it is always helping U2 in terms of publicity mileage. Many many times in different posts, I have commended Bono for his publicity stunts, save-the-world fronts, pretentious-intentionally-vague quotes, and customary new album overexagerrated hype. All of these things add up for the benefit of fan interest and marketabilty for U2. Kudos to Bono.

Cheers,

J

 

[U2girl]

Jick: I don't know how about the album quotes for POP, but I remember seeing a bit from an interview when he said ATYCLB was "their pop album" and another bit when he said it was a soul album. (IMO that is a way better description)
Also, they said they had harder, rocking leftovers from ATYCLB - maybe in the earlier stages it had a heavier sound. (WILATW had a more rocking music at first, for example)

I don't think stolen Salome sessions were publicity stunt, or the lost laptop. I don't think their label wouldn't be impressed with the band intentionally leaking new material.

*edit* Let's not forget we also heard comments from Edge, Steve Averill, that journalist who heard the new songs (with the quote that "All because of you" was their hardest sounding song), and Mc Guiness who all said the album is more guitar oriented and heavier in sound.