nirniva
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
There's gonna be an "show" here on Brazil and it is an in the round stage. I think it's pretty cool:
Any chance U2's stage to be something like this?
THIS. NEEDS. TO. HAPPEN.
Willie Williams | Innovative Designs Staging for upcoming Tour
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THIS. NEEDS. TO. HAPPEN.
pepokiss
Rock n' Roll Doggie ALL ACCESS
that's SENSATION WHITE... a big electronic music party.. you HAVE to go all dressed in white
it looks cool, but electronic music blows
it looks cool, but electronic music blows
giant circle in the round stage with two large intersecting arches to hold shit up.
U2FanPeter
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
I like the idea of everyone dressing in white - then the entire venue can act as a projection screen.
ultravioletPOPs
Babyface
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YouTube meets the Concert
My prediction is that, we the fans can submit content to some part of the show. Video screens will incorporate technology from NIN tour and we will be let into the SOUND! Also think the audio spotlight will play a big part of this tour. All speculation from things I have read, but my guess to say the least.
This album in my Bose on ear headphones is heavenly!
My prediction is that, we the fans can submit content to some part of the show. Video screens will incorporate technology from NIN tour and we will be let into the SOUND! Also think the audio spotlight will play a big part of this tour. All speculation from things I have read, but my guess to say the least.
This album in my Bose on ear headphones is heavenly!
nirniva
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
I'm glad this thread has gotten back to its original intent. I agree with the poster who wanted the thread to be more about some neat ideas/technologies that might be used in the upcoming tour...just fans brainstorming some cool ideas. I'd rather read about the creative ideas of other fans rather than arguing over the minutia of technologies used on previous tours...no snub intended to anyone. So, on to 2 ideas that I've been thinking about for the past week...
1) During UC, it would be cool if they put a phone number on the projection screens before the song. Audience members then use their cells to call that number and during the choruses ("Rise up!", "Hear me...", etc.) the lines go "live"...the collective voices of the audience are fed through the PA system back to the crowd. The audience becomes the "unknown callers" for the choruses. They would have to overcome several technical hurdles (e.g., how to combine all those calls, the delay, possible feedback, etc.), but I love the idea. An alternative would be to post the number before the concert and have audience members sing the choruses over their cell phones before the concert begins. Then, they are all combined and played back during the concert.
2) I am in love with the mind-blowing ending to UC, especially the pipe organ. This is probably because I've loved pipe organ music for many years. Anyway, I would love it if they brought a full-size pipe organ with them on tour. It could also fit with the organ used on MOS and give the tour a churchy/gospel-y feel for those songs. I keep dreaming about Edge rocking that solo at the end of UC while Adam and Larry keep the rhythm going, then Bono playing the pipe organ part...full 4-part instrumental and a wall of sound. It would have to be a full pipe organ (not synthesizer), since those low notes can go down to around 16 Hz and rattle your ribs, and they wouldn't necessarily have to mic them. They could change the diameter of the pipes rather than the length so they can fit in semi-trucks (if needed). Edge could play the organ during parts of MOS, too. We know Bono can play keyboards at least a little, and he's never done it on tour...and I think when he "played" (i.e., pounded) the drum on "Love and Peace or Else" was a highlight of the last tour. I would be in heaven!
Well, those are some of my ideas. What about others?
1) During UC, it would be cool if they put a phone number on the projection screens before the song. Audience members then use their cells to call that number and during the choruses ("Rise up!", "Hear me...", etc.) the lines go "live"...the collective voices of the audience are fed through the PA system back to the crowd. The audience becomes the "unknown callers" for the choruses. They would have to overcome several technical hurdles (e.g., how to combine all those calls, the delay, possible feedback, etc.), but I love the idea. An alternative would be to post the number before the concert and have audience members sing the choruses over their cell phones before the concert begins. Then, they are all combined and played back during the concert.
2) I am in love with the mind-blowing ending to UC, especially the pipe organ. This is probably because I've loved pipe organ music for many years. Anyway, I would love it if they brought a full-size pipe organ with them on tour. It could also fit with the organ used on MOS and give the tour a churchy/gospel-y feel for those songs. I keep dreaming about Edge rocking that solo at the end of UC while Adam and Larry keep the rhythm going, then Bono playing the pipe organ part...full 4-part instrumental and a wall of sound. It would have to be a full pipe organ (not synthesizer), since those low notes can go down to around 16 Hz and rattle your ribs, and they wouldn't necessarily have to mic them. They could change the diameter of the pipes rather than the length so they can fit in semi-trucks (if needed). Edge could play the organ during parts of MOS, too. We know Bono can play keyboards at least a little, and he's never done it on tour...and I think when he "played" (i.e., pounded) the drum on "Love and Peace or Else" was a highlight of the last tour. I would be in heaven!
Well, those are some of my ideas. What about others?
Bonogirl777
Blue Crack Addict
Wow! I love your ideas Irimi-Ai!! 
That would be so fun to record the chorus of UC on my phone!
And for a music geek like me, I would also love to see a whole pipe organ on stage!! 
That would be so fun to record the chorus of UC on my phone!
And for a music geek like me, I would also love to see a whole pipe organ on stage!!
nirniva
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
Both of these ideas have officially received the coveted Nirniva "THIS NEEDS TO HAPPEN" Medal of Honor.
If they did Idea #1, I think they would sort of HAVE to have people call the number before the show, since, if they did it "live", some dumbass would inevitably scream very naughty words totally unrelated to force quitting or moving to trash.
EDIT: Combined with ultravioletPOP's idea for submitting content over the Internet to the tour, this would be perfect. I've been thinking lately that since, in many ways, the Internet is the new TV, U2 should do a ZooTV-style tour focusing on the Web...ZooTube, perhaps?
kittykat416
The Fly
I like the idea of a 360 in-the-round, central stage (although, admittedly, I've never been to a show with one). I also like the pictures posted above of the giant Brazilian dance party stage set up.... So here's my take on what might be a good stage set up for this tour (please forgive my extremely limited computer skills in Microsoft Paint):
Top view looking down on the stage; basically a circular stage with a outer-ring walkway (notice we still get a chance to get inside the 'Heart/Ellipse'); Larry's drums could be set up in the centre of the main centre stage, perhaps on a slowly revolving low pedestel:
And since we couldn't do without video screens for a stadium show, they could be HIGH above the stage (so as not to obstruct the view of people on the 100 and 200 levels):
Although having so much stage space means each person in GA gets less up-close time to the band members, it allows a far greater number of people to have up-close time - and from the past two tours' stages, I think U2 have found that that kind of setup gives the overall audience a better experience....
Top view looking down on the stage; basically a circular stage with a outer-ring walkway (notice we still get a chance to get inside the 'Heart/Ellipse'); Larry's drums could be set up in the centre of the main centre stage, perhaps on a slowly revolving low pedestel:
And since we couldn't do without video screens for a stadium show, they could be HIGH above the stage (so as not to obstruct the view of people on the 100 and 200 levels):
Although having so much stage space means each person in GA gets less up-close time to the band members, it allows a far greater number of people to have up-close time - and from the past two tours' stages, I think U2 have found that that kind of setup gives the overall audience a better experience....
Cool ideas! Just yesterday I had an idea similar to kittykat's, but it looked like this in my head (forgive my simple depiction...don't have time to do up something nice):
Each level is a circle, so it would be "in the round". Each level slowly rotates independently (1 & 3 rotate clockwise, 2 & 4 rotate counter-clockwise). There are ramps between each level for the entire circumference of each level, so the band can walk to different levels (so no matter where they are they can go to a different level at any time). Edge would have to have one set place for his "Edge World", but would be able to move around when able. I think it would be even cooler if the whole stage could collapse, so maybe at the beginning of the concert it's just a flat round stage, then at some point the levels begin to rise up (maybe during SUC?). Larry would be on 1. Bono would probably spend a lot of time on 4 to be out near the audience, but would cover all levels. Adam would probably stay on 2 & 3 most of the time to be near Larry. Edge would probably range between 2-4, but would need to stay close to Edge World (probably on 3). The downside for the band is that it would totally screw up their communication since they would probably have no line of sight to each other much of the time. Levels 2 & 3 could be combined for a simpler 3 level design.
Combine this with kittykat's good idea about the 360 video walls high above, and there is no "behind the stage" section.
I like hearing your ideas...what else have you all come up with?
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/ 4 \Combine this with kittykat's good idea about the 360 video walls high above, and there is no "behind the stage" section.
I like hearing your ideas...what else have you all come up with?
Glad you liked the ideas, nirniva! You're right about some yahoo saying something obscene...so yeah, it would have to be done before the show. Maybe they have little phone booths around the venue (like the Zoo confessionals) where you pick up the phone and say the chorus into it...maybe even have a little screen that shows the words like karaoke. Plus, that option may be cheaper than trying to do it all via cell.
phommel
Refugee
here another possible 360-stage:
OP
OP
subnet
New Yorker
recall it's an outdoor venue so there is little chance the stage setup will include props suspended from a ceiling
But Bono and Danny both said the stage somehow has tech stuff above it, but without interfering with the views of people behind the stage (which will be opened up)...
BradF23
The Fly
Paul McG said only tiered stadiums - no baseball and nothing flat...which makes me believe they need the tiers to run cables across and help support stuff over the stage...and football/soccer stadiums that have the same basic configuration so that it all fits/works...just a guess...
pudgie_child
War Child
That's a good observation, although you can run cables from single-tier venues as well. I saw a football game at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego (which is wider than most football stadiums), and the camera over the field was connected to cables anchored at the outer rim of the stadium. Maybe the band plans on using an overhead camera.
phommel
Refugee
I saw a concert of a local band once that played 'in the round' on a slowly rotating platform. The great thing is that everybody has an opportunity to see the band close, but from the other hand you are missing a lot of the interaction when you are looking at their backs. So I am really curious how everything is going to look like...
don't really know where you live but baseball stadiums in america? they have tiers and are quite large.
i still say a large circular type stage with giant arches holding up speakers and video screens.
here has been a lot of talk about 360 degree view staging and possibly a sphere. mark fisher who designs the staging with Willie Williams has a website Stufish | Mark Fisher Studio which has concept art from the Vertigo tour. The images are of 360 degree staging and a sphere. As Bono and Paul McGuinness have said they have been thiking of the new set up for a few years, could this give us a clue as to what the new tour might look like??????
Here are two of the images from the website
Here are two of the images from the website
I checked out the sketched from Vertigo concepts, I don't understand though how the elevated sphere would work, are they going to plan on having any video screens? Or only people in the front/back can have a look at the video, anyways it's a neat design but doesn't explain why the stadium needs to be tiered, its a concept drawing from an old tour and may be completely irrelevant. Thanks for posting the link though! 
Stufish | Mark Fisher Studio | Concerts |U2 | Vertigo Outdoor | 2005
Stufish | Mark Fisher Studio | Concerts |U2 | Vertigo Outdoor | 2005
BradF23
The Fly
Most baseball stadiums are only tiered down the left and right field lines...once you get to the outfield there is no consistency...just trying to figure out why they would put emphasis on tiers and eliminate baseball stadiums - and that is the difference (for the most part)...
phommel
Refugee
That's exactly what i thought when i saw the pictures. but indeed it does not explain why tiers are needed...
here has been a lot of talk about 360 degree view staging and possibly a sphere. mark fisher who designs the staging with Willie Williams has a website Stufish | Mark Fisher Studio which has concept art from the Vertigo tour. The images are of 360 degree staging and a sphere. As Bono and Paul McGuinness have said they have been thiking of the new set up for a few years, could this give us a clue as to what the new tour might look like??????
Here are two of the images from the website
LyricalDrug
Rock n' Roll Doggie
If Zoo TV was "about" global satellite television, this tour is going to be about the Internet, you think? Man I hope so! 
U2FanPeter
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
Sphere thing looks like Peter Gabriel 2002-3 arena tour.
they wouldn't play baseball stadiums because they're tourning at a time when the baseball schedule is very in flux. baseball stadiums are like giant ampitheatre's and are actually better for concerts than football stadiums. but you can't schedule a concert in september and october without knowing what the stadium's prime occupant will be doing.
U2FanPeter
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
What happens in cities like Edmonton/Winnipeg/Vegas that only have stands on each side of a football field but almost nothing at the endzones? Each venue is 50,000 seats. I thinks some big cities only have baseball stadiums(San Fran? Toronto? San Diego?)
4U2Play
Refugee
San Francisco has Candlestick Park, where the football 49ers play, but they haven't hosted a concert there in years. U2 will probably play the Oakland Coliseum across the bay (where the Raiders play). San Diego has Qualcomm Stadium, where the Chargers play.
The original tour rumor was that the first show would be in Vegas, probably at Sam Boyd Stadium, where the first PopMart show was held (memorably). Boyd only has one deck, no tiers, so unless U2 came up with a brand new set design in the past four months, I don't think stadiums with tiers are necessary for the stage to function.
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