Thoughts about the new stage design? + Rolling Stone re: T H E C L A W

[pudgie_child]

It's funny to me, how people are already jumping to conclusions. I am sure that these objections were thought about and that the band is looking out for the best possible enjoyment for the fans.
We need to wait and see.

I doesn't take a genius to figure out that there will be benefits, but also problems, with the stage setup. Looking at the video and diagrams at the band's own website can provide enough information to come up with preliminary conclusions about the design's pros and cons.

Aside from specific pricing information, exactly what kind of information do we need to wait for? There has been more information on the official tour website (seating diagrams, animation) than I can ever remember from U2.

 

[U2FanPeter]

I doesn't take a genius to figure out that there will be benefits, but also problems, with the stage setup. Looking at the video and diagrams at the band's own website can provide enough information to come up with preliminary conclusions about the design's pros and cons.

Aside from specific pricing information, exactly what kind of information do we need to wait for? There has been more information on the official tour website (seating diagrams, animation) than I can ever remember from U2.

Halosonic audio

Why the seats directly behind the stage are not in use at any of the venues.

Is the screen angle even visible from the worst balcony seat in Chicago or Boston?

 

[FuruftUta]

there would also be the little problem of the crushing of human skulls as this giant contraption moves along the field.

other than that, yea... i don't see why it won't be moving.

no it won't - you can see on the pictures of the different stadiums - that would could be a extra part of the FOS-Area could also be the range the stage could move - Of course like I wrote before without the B-Stage - that's obvious - but if the little center stage goes up a few meters the whole construction could move some meters forwards (with the feets in rails).

and to the question: Why are people thinking that the stage is going to move - because Adam metionend that. That's the answer - also a spanish site some weeks ago mentioned something like this.

 

[pudgie_child]

Halosonic audio

Why the seats directly behind the stage are not in use at any of the venues.

Is the screen angle even visible from the worst balcony seat in Chicago or Boston?

Will the Halosonic audio allow me to magically see through the giant crab leg and overhang that is obstructing my view of the stage and screen?

Any new information that we get may make the setup even worse. For example:

- There may very well be amps and other guitar processors blocking the view of the stage for people sitting in the rear sections. Maybe that's why certain rows are blocked off in the diagrams (sure, we'll only charge you $30 to sit behind us, but you'll see only half the stage).

- Like you alluded to, maybe the LED screen won't be visible from the upper deck due to the claw, overhangs and speakers.

- those lighting/speaker towers that are suggested in the diagrams at the far corners of the field will likely serve as additional obstructions.

And what's wrong with the traditional end-stage setup? Why did it need to be changed? McGuinness and Co. are using the "revolutionary" aspect of their stage design to deflect attention from the fact that a lot of seats are going to BLOW with their setup.

 

[pudgie_child]

no it won't - you can see on the pictures of the different stadiums - that would could be a extra part of the FOS-Area could also be the range the stage could move - Of course like I wrote before without the B-Stage - that's obvious - but if the little center stage goes up a few meters the whole construction could move some meters forwards (with the feets in rails).

and to the question: Why are people thinking that the stage is going to move - because Adam metionend that. That's the answer - also a spanish site some weeks ago mentioned something like this.

I would hate to be standing under that thing if it started moving.

 

[popbellydancer]

think it'sa scary crab/spider! is gonna block view from stands more than usual, as opposed to what they were going for...less obstructed views. and it breaks NO new ground.

 

[subnet]

those people afraid of the claw being in the way of the stage and screen need not worry...

... as no one complained that the golden arch obstructed the stage and screen for the Popmart tour

 

[pudgie_child]

those people afraid of the claw being in the way of the stage and screen need not worry...

... as no one complained that the golden arch obstructed the stage and screen for the Popmart tour

People didn't pay to sit behind the arch. And a lot of people did complain at the time that the arch blocked the view of the screen, especially people sitting at the sides.

 

[U2FanPeter]

Will the Halosonic audio allow me to magically see through the giant crab leg and overhang that is obstructing my view of the stage and screen?

Any new information that we get may make the setup even worse. For example:

- There may very well be amps and other guitar processors blocking the view of the stage for people sitting in the rear sections. Maybe that's why certain rows are blocked off in the diagrams (sure, we'll only charge you $30 to sit behind us, but you'll see only half the stage).

- Like you alluded to, maybe the LED screen won't be visible from the upper deck due to the claw, overhangs and speakers.

- those lighting/speaker towers that are suggested in the diagrams at the far corners of the field will likely serve as additional obstructions.

And what's wrong with the traditional end-stage setup? Why did it need to be changed? McGuinness and Co. are using the "revolutionary" aspect of their stage design to deflect attention from the fact that a lot of seats are going to BLOW with their setup.

I'm not even sure if Halosonic is a go for this tour.

U2 keep there amps fairly modest. They didn't sell blocked rear view seating in 2005(curtains were transparent and only used for 4-5 songs) In 2001 that didn't sell seats blocked by the video wall.

They won't be selling the seats blocked by the lighting stands, soundboard or crab legs(claw fingers?). Those seats are held back, and they'll know on showday if the exact sightlines are worth selling or not.

The stadium endzone set up is really tired and boring. This is a fresh idea that SHOULD work well. There is no other way to have free standing structure in open air venues without some supports beams. The benefit over past stadium tours is selling 20% more tickets.

Some sidestage stadium tickets 87/92-3/97/05 that had a very sharp angle and visual obstruction. Some of them didn't even get to see Larry's kit!!

 

[pudgie_child]

They won't be selling the seats blocked by the lighting stands, soundboard or crab legs(claw fingers?). Those seats are held back, and they'll know on showday if the exact sightlines are worth selling or not.

I'm not sure how you can take all that for granted.

 

[tsweeney]

The screen(s) look small compared to stadium Vertigo and Popmart.

The show also looks like it'll fit into a relatively fewer number of trucks than past tours. Gas is not cheap as it used ot be.

The screen does look quite small compared to Zoo TV and Popmart. From certain angles in the 3D simulation if you are in the upper level of the staduim the screen is obstructed by one of the four pillars. I'm thinking they might have video on either on the stage floor itself, the outer circle or on the four pillars themselves. I think a lot about the stage setup isn't shown in the 3D simulation.

 

[U2FanPeter]

I'm not sure how you can take all that for granted.

Go to the stadium blue prints on the official site. The seats behind the soundboard and lighting towers are shaded, meaning they won't be sold. Why with hold those seats and not the ones nearest the stage that are obstructed.

No way are $250 seats gonna be sold where you can't see Larry's kit or Bono's "home position" (where he can read the teleprompter). They didn't sell the seats nearest the stage blocked by hanging trabants and jumboscreens on the arena leg of zootv.

Come show day they will decides what is worth selling and for how much. I have bought tickets with "view obsctructed" clearly written on them day of show in the past for other acts.

There are a couple dozen seats nearest the claw finger/crab leg that are unsaleable, probably even at $30 they shouldn't be sold.

 

[U2FanPeter]

The screen does look quite small compared to Zoo TV and Popmart. From certain angles in the 3D simulation if you are in the upper level of the staduim the screen is obstructed by one of the four pillars. I'm thinking they might have video on either on the stage floor itself, the outer circle or on the four pillars themselves. I think a lot about the stage setup isn't shown in the 3D simulation.

No. The screen has the footage repeated(4 times most likely), meaning what is blocked one place should still be viewable on another side. It's like having a bad seat at a sporting game(arena) and having more than one screen viewable on the center hanging scoreboard cube thing.

The screen looks to be facing the ground much more than the balcony seats. I'm saying the the worst seats in Chicago/Boston may be so high up the screen is rendered completely useless. Check out the nosebleed seat animatic thing on the official site.

 

[zooropop40]

If you go to the nosebleed animation, and stop the turning of the stage right as one of the pillar (claw legs) is right in front of you, you will notice that you really cant see anything.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Will the Halosonic audio allow me to magically see through the giant crab leg and overhang that is obstructing my view of the stage and screen?

Any new information that we get may make the setup even worse. For example:

- There may very well be amps and other guitar processors blocking the view of the stage for people sitting in the rear sections. Maybe that's why certain rows are blocked off in the diagrams (sure, we'll only charge you $30 to sit behind us, but you'll see only half the stage).

- Like you alluded to, maybe the LED screen won't be visible from the upper deck due to the claw, overhangs and speakers.

- those lighting/speaker towers that are suggested in the diagrams at the far corners of the field will likely serve as additional obstructions.

And what's wrong with the traditional end-stage setup? Why did it need to be changed? McGuinness and Co. are using the "revolutionary" aspect of their stage design to deflect attention from the fact that a lot of seats are going to BLOW with their setup.

maybe the band needs to come out of one area of the stadium because they've yet to perfect human teleportation, thus they've got stuff on that side of the stadium and blocked off the seats so as not to have people's views blocked by said stuff.

just a hunch.


and those lighting towers?

this is vertigo...

hey look at that! lighting towers!

and now here's popmart...

well would'ya look at that, there they are again. golly gee willickers that's amazing.

but wait... there's more! you're not gonna believe this one...

here's the seating chart for 360 at giants stadium...

gray'd out areas directly behind the lighting towers so that they don't sell seats with obstructed views! wowwee wow wow!

and lastly... if you look at the images of the claw/crab contraption on 360.u2.com, it looks as if the thing is in the middle of the field with lots of room between the legs and the seats. but when one looks at hte seating chart, it's obvious that that's not the case... the thing is about 200 feet wide, the width of a football stadium, meaning that it's probably 150 to 200 feet tall, making it taller than a football stadium, thus not blocking the views of anyone in the upper decks.

but maybe, just maybe, when the thing is too close to the stands the highest of high areas can't get a great view. okay... hey, look at that. more gray'd out areas! go go gadget logic!

good day.

 

[pudgie_child]

maybe the band needs to come out of one area of the stadium because they've yet to perfect human teleportation, thus they've got stuff on that side of the stadium and blocked off the seats so as not to have people's views blocked by said stuff.

just a hunch.


and those lighting towers?

this is vertigo...
hey look at that! lighting towers!

and now here's popmart...

well would'ya look at that, there they are again. golly gee willickers that's amazing.

but wait... there's more! you're not gonna believe this one...

here's the seating chart for 360 at giants stadium...

gray'd out areas directly behind the lighting towers so that they don't sell seats with obstructed views! wowwee wow wow!

and lastly... if you look at the images of the claw/crab contraption on 360.u2.com, it looks as if the thing is in the middle of the field with lots of room between the legs and the seats. but when one looks at hte seating chart, it's obvious that that's not the case... the thing is about 200 feet wide, the width of a football stadium, meaning that it's probably 150 to 200 feet tall, making it taller than a football stadium, thus not blocking the views of anyone in the upper decks.

but maybe, just maybe, when the thing is too close to the stands the highest of high areas can't get a great view. okay... hey, look at that. more gray'd out areas! go go gadget logic!

good day.

A couple of things:

The lighting towers in the Popmart tour ended up being different in reality than they were presented in the initial tour announcement. They were shorter in reality, and they were needed, to a large degree, because of the mono audio in the Popmart setup (which won't be the case with this tour).

In regards to the current tour, if you look at the seating chart, they haven't grayed out any seats that are obstructed by the crab legs, and that is my big concern. I wouldn't feel so bad if I got $30 seats that were obstructed, but I would be pretty upset if I paid $110 (with service charges) for an obstructed seat along the sidelines.

By the way, whatever is located at the far end of the field (in the center of the end zone) has got to be pretty massive because they have blocked off seats in both the lower level and second level.

 

[U2FanPeter]

In regards to the current tour, if you look at the seating chart, they haven't grayed out any seats that are obstructed by the crab legs, and that is my big concern. I wouldn't feel so bad if I got $30 seats that were obstructed, but I would be pretty upset if I paid $110 (with service charges) for an obstructed seat along the sidelines.

What's posted on u2.com is just a relatively easy to rough understanding to the tour. Greying out weird zig-zag pattern near the CLAW will just confuse people.

Going by Willie's diary thing, the lighting is still being finalized.

The blueprints the promoters and ticketmaster( or is it livenation?)get will be different. They will sell the "perfect view" seats before they worry about the ones that may be obsctructed. Just like the arena Vertigo they hold back 100 seats because they don't know how the side of the stage affect the vantage point until the stage is set.

 

[ouizy]

Those towers are not lighting towers.

They are audio relay / delay towers.

Almost every live sound engineer worth his salt uses them to mix stadium shows these days. It is not that the sound coming from the stage is not loud enough for the back of the stadium, but actually that by the time the sound reaches the back of the stadium from the stage the band is already playing other notes.

Thus the need for delay.

The sound coming from the loudpeakers in these towers is actually delayed by milliseconds, (sometimes seconds depending on the size of the venue) so that the people in the back of the stadium are hearing exactly what the mixer wants them to, and not the echo, or reverb from teh sound hitting the back of the stadium and bouncing back.

The show designers then realized this would be an opportune place to hang some lights, but they are really first and foremost audio towers.

Holosonic will not be used on this tour, or any tour in the near future. The scale of the system is very small. It was developed for intimate spaces like museums and even outdoor billboards.

There is simply way too much ambient noise in a stadium or arena, and the size of the units are actually about the size of a house speaker. They cannot be magnified up to the size of a concert loudspeaker.

This from the last correspondence I had with the INVENTOR of the technology.

 

[U2FanPeter]

Those towers are not lighting towers.

They are audio relay / delay towers.

Popmart and Stadium Vertigo had them as lighting towers. They should also house speakers.

Where else do they have the spotlights to follow Bono? They already have SEVEN spots on the rear/side of the stage. That's the tiny white squares on each of the blueprints.

It's hard to tell if they have "follow spots" on the CLAW rig itself. I'm doubtful. On Popmart they had guys in the arch, and on the past couple arena tours guys hiding in the lighting rig with spots.

 

[ntalwar]

meaning that it's probably 150 to 200 feet tall, making it taller than a football stadium, thus not blocking the views of anyone in the upper decks.

At that height, it'll be interesting to see how it will fit into BC Place Stadium, which is domed. I'm not sure of the dome height though.

 

[pepokiss]

but... the CLAW/Guantaflope will block the view of the screen to the other people in the stands... or not?

 

[U2FanPeter]

but... the CLAW/Guantaflope will block the view of the screen to the other people in the stands... or not?

Please stop.

The Paris ticket pricing chart has blcoked out section in all 4 corners of the stadium for the CLAW legs/CRAB fingers.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

crabs have fingers?

 

[U2FanPeter]

crabs have fingers?

They sell Buffalo wings at steak joints.

 

[White Flag]

360 Tour - Is the stage designed to rotate?

I pose this question because during the Boots pre sale I got what could be some great seats (Block M2 for Cardiff). However now beginning to think they could be pretty lame! As much as I love Larry and the guys I am not sure I want 2 hours of watching there backs!

However while I understand 360 could mean a 360 view, there are numerous articles out there claiming the stage will rotate and thus 'connecting with every member of the audience'. I have seen quotes claiming to be from Bono that back of stage seats are very good seats for this reason.

Hopefully the stage will rotate, I know its been done before. But will U2 manage it? Anybody else in this situation or can confirm or deny this?

Would be good to know - thanks

 

[Jim]

Well Lanois said a few months ago that he's take a seat behind Larry... so you may be in for a treat!

 

[Popmartijn]

No, the stage does not rotate. At least, that's my impression up to now. There's an unobstructed 360 degree view, but the stage is fixed.

 

[ouizy]

Some further nuggets from Rolling Stone re: T H E C L A W

Not entirely sure how accurate this is, but from Rolling Stone:

Meet the Claw: U2's Massive New Stage Set:

Inspiration: U2 show director Willie Williams got the idea for the in-the-round set (nicknamed "the Claw") from the futuristic, Disney-style Theme Building at LAX: It looks like a spaceship on four legs.

Structure: At 164 feet tall, the Claw, Williams says, is twice as high as the previous largest stadium stage set, from the Rolling Stones' A Bigger Bang tour. "Theirs would fit underneath this one," he says.

Sound System: Each of the Claw's four sides will have its own full-size sound system — each powerful enough for an entire arena. There will also be 72 separate subwoofers.

Logistics: Currently being assembled in pieces around the world, the set will be made of solid steel — 120 trucks will cart it from show to show.

 

[Galeongirl]

Wow, 120 trucks??? That's massive!

 

[what a bomb!]

hope the fecker doesnt collapse! lol anyone know if you get GA tickets and queue up early you get a wristband a la Elavation tour that got you in the Heart or is that area only for the RED auctioned ticket holders?