2011 Tour Rumours/Discussion Part 2

[trojanchick99]

Was South Africa simply a minor detour?

Though I agree that logic would dictate that Asia should have been tied into the oz tour dates.

They only NEED a single claw for asia, do 2-3 shows. All of their crew are booked from now thru the Summer and they are only doing a dozen shows before it hits the US. One claw on the boat plus the lights shouldn't cost that much if there is a $20m reward on arrival.

Hawaii is also a distant possibility, but I'm not sure they can fill a 360 stadium after they needed Pearl Jam to fill it 3/4 setup - in a better economy.

South Africa is on the way from Australia to South America.

The problem with Asia, is timing. It gets cold in Japan, so for an outdoor show, you'd need to do it late spring and summer which is when U2 will be in South and North America.

 

[U2FanPeter]

Any rumours of permanent homes for CLAWS after 360?

This was rumoured in 2009 with a quote from someone in U2's camp. I laughed then, and don't expect to hear anything of it again. IMO, those claws are useless by the end of 2011 and sold to the chinese as scrap metal.

 

[Axver]

Was South Africa simply a minor detour?

Though I agree that logic would dictate that Asia should have been tied into the oz tour dates.

They only NEED a single claw for asia, do 2-3 shows. All of their crew are booked from now thru the Summer and they are only doing a dozen shows before it hits the US. One claw on the boat plus the lights shouldn't cost that much if there is a $20m reward on arrival.

Hawaii is also a distant possibility, but I'm not sure they can fill a 360 stadium after they needed Pearl Jam to fill it 3/4 setup - in a better economy.

I'm sorry, but I feel like this has been explained plenty of times before by myself and others

Logic does not dictate that Asia should have been tied into the Australian dates; it's bloody freezing up in Asia at this time of year, so forget a stadium tour right away. Because of transport schedules, no Asia shows could've been put between Europe and New Zealand; Asia would have had to follow Australia. That would mean January concerts, i.e. midwinter. And even if you could find somewhere indoors to fit it, by sending the Claw up there, you're sending it even further away from its next profitable destination, South America (by contrast, South Africa is indeed a minor detour, able to fit into the schedule pretty much solely because it's on the way from Perth).

About the only time you could do Asia now is after the North American leg, but even that would just send the Claw further away from Europe, where the tour is rumoured to end. Why would you send the Claw the long way via Asia (in the hope a couple of gigs will offset transport costs) when you could just quickly and cheaply go across the Atlantic? Plus, if you faff around with that, you may not even get to Europe until it's getting too cold to do outdoor gigs there, and if you're going to shaft one market, you're going to shaft the marginal Asian market rather than the European goldmine.

 

[spookyz]

South Africa is on the way from Australia to South America.

The problem with Asia, is timing. It gets cold in Japan, so for an outdoor show, you'd need to do it late spring and summer which is when U2 will be in South and North America.

Japan has lot of roofed stadiums. Tokio Dome, Osaka Dome, Sapporo Dome. I think the stage could fit in in all of these so there's possibilities of playing there after Europe 2011. I don't think it's going to happen though, because they intend to end the tour in Dublin and I'm not sure it would be profitable to ship the stage all the way from Europe to Japan just for a couple of shows in a relative weak market for U2.

 

[U2FanPeter]

South Africa is on the way from Australia to South America.

The problem with Asia, is timing. It gets cold in Japan, so for an outdoor show, you'd need to do it late spring and summer which is when U2 will be in South and North America.

Tokyo Dome(47,000 + floor - indoor)

Sapporo Dome(67,000 + floor - indoor)

Saitama Stadium(67,000 + floor - outdoor venue with covered seats) - not the venue u2 used in 2006

Yokahama Stadium(72,000 + floor - outdoor venue with covered seats) - u2 booked in 2006 before rescheduled dates
World Stadiums - Yokohama International Stadium in Yokohama

Oita Stadium(40,000 + floor - retractable roof)
File:Ōita Stadium with its roof opened.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nagoya Dome(40,000 + floor - indoor)
World Stadiums - Nagoya Dome in Nagoya

Toyota Stadium - retractable
World Stadiums - Toyota Stadium in Toyota

Fukuoko Stadium(36,000 = floor) retractable
World Stadiums - Fukuoka Yahoo! Japan Dome in Fukuoka

 

[U2FanPeter]

Why can't they take one claw over before/after the latin american shows?

Throw in hawaii to offset costs if needed.

There's enough indoor stadiums that should fit the claw so that it could happen during any part of the calandar year.

 

[U2FanPeter]

Logic does not dictate that Asia should have been tied into the Australian dates; it's bloody freezing up in Asia at this time of year, so forget a stadium tour right away.

Name any previous tour by any Western act that played both Asia and Oz without the dates "piggybacking" one another.

 

[Axver]

Why can't they take one claw over before/after the latin american shows?

Throw in hawaii to offset costs if needed.

There's enough indoor stadiums that should fit the claw so that it could happen during any part of the calandar year.

Because the Claws have to travel up to North America! Do you not realise how incredibly long it would take to ship a Claw from South America to Asia and back across the Pacific again?

As for there being indoor stadiums, well and good, but are the roofs high enough? No good it being retractable when it's snowing. We know the Claw only just squeezed into the Amsterdam and Dallas venues, and couldn't fit under the roof in Melbourne.

The other point is, is the Asian market even strong enough to sell out a couple of stadium shows? It has not traditionally been a strong market for U2. Besides the cold, the transport costs, the difficulty of fitting it into the schedule around much more lucrative markets, there's the simple point that the bean counters may not have been convinced the sales would be sufficiently strong.

And regarding Australian and Asian tours piggybacking, your point is fairly irrelevant, since basically any previous major tour has either toured at a time of year amenable to outdoor gigs in both, or has had a production that can comfortably fit indoors in one of the destinations. 360 doesn't tick either of those boxes.

 

[KEVIN051269]

Tokyo Dome(47,000 + floor - indoor)

Sapporo Dome(67,000 + floor - indoor)

Saitama Stadium(67,000 + floor - outdoor venue with covered seats) - not the venue u2 used in 2006

Yokahama Stadium(72,000 + floor - outdoor venue with covered seats) - u2 booked in 2006 before rescheduled dates
World Stadiums - Yokohama International Stadium in Yokohama

Oita Stadium(40,000 + floor - retractable roof)
File:Ōita Stadium with its roof opened.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nagoya Dome(40,000 + floor - indoor)
World Stadiums - Nagoya Dome in Nagoya

Toyota Stadium - retractable
World Stadiums - Toyota Stadium in Toyota

Fukuoko Stadium(36,000 = floor) retractable
World Stadiums - Fukuoka Yahoo! Japan Dome in Fukuoka

I think more to the point is, are U2 a big enough draw to warrant playing in the area to make it financially viable? Anyhow my house is indoor. Doesn't mean the claw would fit in the front room though

I love looking at stadiums around the world. Its kinda a hobby

 

[U2FanPeter]

I think more to the point is, are U2 a big enough draw to warrant playing in the area to make it financially viable? Anyhow my house is indoor. Doesn't mean the claw would fit in the front room though

I love looking at stadiums around the world. Its kinda a hobby

Claw height is not a problem for at least one indoor venue. IMO, they could do 2 maybe 3 nights at the Tokyo Dome. They could be more adventurous with other venues but they have to bring more than one CLAW. Japan is perhaps a bigger market for them than Germany. Everything in Japan costs a fortune, so they can afford them.

Before the 3rd South American city there is one claw that is not accounted(Africa gets 2) for at the moment. They have a month to get it back to South America by early April.

I also agree that after Pittsburgh when they go to Europe that will be the final tour leg.

 

[KEVIN051269]

Japan is perhaps a bigger market for them than Germany.

I don't think you can use Germany as a marker as it would be part of a European Tour. A tour of Asia is essentially a tour of Japan unless they really go into uncharted waters.

I love the 360 stage setup but boy it really does restrict their options when it comes to playing places whether it be logistics or size of venue

 

[Axver]

Japan is perhaps a bigger market for them than Germany.

Surely you're taking the piss.

Before the 3rd South American city there is one claw that is not accounted(Africa gets 2) for at the moment. They have a month to get it back to South America by early April.

This is a good point though. I actually suspect South America may be done with just the two Claws as well. The gaps in the schedule seem sufficient to allow them to just take two there even when accounting for rumoured extra cities.

However, even accounting for that Claw, fitting Japanese shows into the schedule is difficult. I'm not sure you're fully appreciative of how hard the scheduling process can be.

 

[U2FanPeter]

This is a good point though. I actually suspect South America may be done with just the two Claws as well. The gaps in the schedule seem sufficient to allow them to just take two there even when accounting for rumoured extra cities.

However, even accounting for that Claw, fitting Japanese shows into the schedule is difficult. I'm not sure you're fully appreciative of how hard the scheduling process can be.

The latin dates may need all 3 claws if they add a lot of double and maybe triple dates or add another city with a distant hope. Though I haven't measured the dates.

How easily can the screen and lights travel via cargo plane? There's only one set. Is there only one set mainstagest and runways/bridges? I guess there's only one set of relay towers and the soundboard.

Then there's the issue of any show before the US dates has to be onsale a couple weeks before xmas. South America was rumoured forever so they knew it wa only a matter of time.

 

[Axver]

The latin dates may need all 3 claws if they add a lot of double and maybe triple dates or add another city with a distant hope. Though I haven't measured the dates.

If we assume the Santiago date is correct (especially in light of the U2.com leak), they would have 13 days of downtime to get to Sao Paulo. Doable, I'd say. If any other Brazil dates get added after the rumoured third Sao Paulo show on the 13th, they'd be no earlier than the 15th or 16th. Now, if La Plata scores a third gig on 1 March, that's 13-14 days of downtime between La Plata and Hypothetical Brazil City. Should be quite doable. So I think they'd only need two Claws under that scenario.

How easily can the screen and lights travel via cargo plane? There's only one set. Is there only one set mainstagest and runways/bridges? I guess there's only one set of relay towers and the soundboard.

Then there's the issue of any show before the US dates has to be onsale a couple weeks before xmas. South America was rumoured forever so they knew it wa only a matter of time.

Now I think we're seeing eye-to-eye a bit more on this. I suspect the one-off parts of the production could go by cargo plane. It would be valuable redundancy in the case of any road transport delays.

I am actually curious how they'll get the one-off components from Sydney to Perth. Second Sydney is on the 14th; first Perth is on the 18th. So that's just the 15th, 16th, 17th, and morning of the 18th to take down the one-offs in Sydney, transport them, and set them up in Perth - and the drive from Sydney to Perth takes about two days in itself! Pushing it close there, especially if traffic delays or weather cause problems. I wonder if they might fly some stuff to Perth?

 

[U2FanPeter]

If we assume the Santiago date is correct (especially in light of the U2.com leak), they would have 13 days of downtime to get to Sao Paulo. Doable, I'd say. If any other Brazil dates get added after the rumoured third Sao Paulo show on the 13th, they'd be no earlier than the 15th or 16th. Now, if La Plata scores a third gig on 1 March, that's 13-14 days of downtime between La Plata and Hypothetical Brazil City. Should be quite doable. So I think they'd only need two Claws under that scenario.

Now I think we're seeing eye-to-eye a bit more on this. I suspect the one-off parts of the production could go by cargo plane. It would be valuable redundancy in the case of any road transport delays.

I am actually curious how they'll get the one-off components from Sydney to Perth. Second Sydney is on the 14th; first Perth is on the 18th. So that's just the 15th, 16th, 17th, and morning of the 18th to take down the one-offs in Sydney, transport them, and set them up in Perth - and the drive from Sydney to Perth takes about two days in itself! Pushing it close there, especially if traffic delays or weather cause problems. I wonder if they might fly some stuff to Perth?

Does this mean that one of the CLAWS used in Europe 2010 won't be used again until the US 2011 shows?

The band must have figured out that running 2 CLAWS in the sourthern hemispheres was more cost effective - it just means a TON more off days. It may also give them an excuse to tinker with the album.

I think all the one-off parts do their travel by cargo plane. Not sure if it's one plane making 2 trips or they have 2 cargo planes. It was mentioned that the screen was 100 tons or something crazy. The band stage and walkways may be some lighter kind of metal and not steel(?) like the Claws.

Sydney-Perth is 4000k, at least 45 hour by regular car in a 72 hour time frame. LA-Vancouver last year was 1750k and 30 hours by car in a 48 hour time frame plus an international border.

I suspect that all the one-off stuff can but up and working by noon/early afternoon if it gets there in the morning. A set up time closer to the Elevation/Vertigo arena stages that were up in 5 hours and out the door in 2.

 

[Fer Castillo]

Well, not a rumour anymore...habemus show in Chile!

 

[robbrecon72]

Does this mean that one of the CLAWS used in Europe 2010 won't be used again until the US 2011 shows?

The band must have figured out that running 2 CLAWS in the sourthern hemispheres was more cost effective - it just means a TON more off days. It may also give them an excuse to tinker with the album.

I think all the one-off parts do their travel by cargo plane. Not sure if it's one plane making 2 trips or they have 2 cargo planes. It was mentioned that the screen was 100 tons or something crazy. The band stage and walkways may be some lighter kind of metal and not steel(?) like the Claws.

Sydney-Perth is 4000k, at least 45 hour by regular car in a 72 hour time frame. LA-Vancouver last year was 1750k and 30 hours by car in a 48 hour time frame plus an international border.

I suspect that all the one-off stuff can but up and working by noon/early afternoon if it gets there in the morning. A set up time closer to the Elevation/Vertigo arena stages that were up in 5 hours and out the door in 2.

I think the off days are good anyways. less strain on his voice and it probably cuts 1/3 of the tourning costs off as well.

 

[U2FanPeter]

I think the off days are good anyways. less strain on his voice and it probably cuts 1/3 of the tourning costs off as well.

It only works if each city gets 2 shows.

 

[Axver]

Does this mean that one of the CLAWS used in Europe 2010 won't be used again until the US 2011 shows?

The band must have figured out that running 2 CLAWS in the sourthern hemispheres was more cost effective - it just means a TON more off days. It may also give them an excuse to tinker with the album.

Possibly?

I don't think it really would've made sense to bring all three Claws down for the fourth leg. There are only five cities. One Claw doing 3 cities and the other doing 2 cities is surely cheaper than two Claws doing 2 cities and one Claw coming down just for one city. Adding that extra Claw probably wouldn't have given them much more flexibility with the schedule ... maybe they could've squeezed in Adelaide too and all Claws done two cities. Maybe.

 

[phommel]

I think the off days are good anyways. less strain on his voice and it probably cuts 1/3 of the tourning costs off as well.

it cuts 1/3 of touring costs, but 3 claws means a tighter schedule, more shows and thus more income

 

[U2FanPeter]

Possibly?

I don't think it really would've made sense to bring all three Claws down for the fourth leg. There are only five cities. One Claw doing 3 cities and the other doing 2 cities is surely cheaper than two Claws doing 2 cities and one Claw coming down just for one city. Adding that extra Claw probably wouldn't have given them much more flexibility with the schedule ... maybe they could've squeezed in Adelaide too and all Claws done two cities. Maybe.

2 claws means 5 days between each city. With added shows, 3-4 days off between shows.

Adelaide couldn't be fit into the schedule and there probably isn't demand to fill another Oz show as each show so far could have packed in a couple hundred/thousand more fans if they really wanted.

Since Zoo, u2 have always skipped 1-2 of the 6 major Oz/NZ markets.

 

[Axver]

Doubt adding a show in Adelaide would've impacted the amount of shows in other cities. Most Adelaide fans willing to travel would go to Melbourne or Sydney, both cities quite capable of hosting two shows of their own even if U2 play Adelaide (as seen on ZooTV and Vertigo).

 

[Niamh_Saoirse]

It's just been confirmed that U2 will play a second gig in Buenos Aires on Saturday April 2nd.

 

[U2FanPeter]

Possibly?

I don't think it really would've made sense to bring all three Claws down for the fourth leg. There are only five cities. One Claw doing 3 cities and the other doing 2 cities is surely cheaper than two Claws doing 2 cities and one Claw coming down just for one city. Adding that extra Claw probably wouldn't have given them much more flexibility with the schedule ... maybe they could've squeezed in Adelaide too and all Claws done two cities. Maybe.

2 claws means about 5 days between cities. Lots of days off, even when added nights close the gap a bit.

Since ZooTV u2 have rotated the major city or two that they skip down under. Adelaide coudln't be added this time our for demand reasons - demand that u2 seemed to push around or slightly past the saturation point.

 

[Axver]

You already replied to that and I already responded to your reply ...

 

[NewKillerStar]

Hi Niahm,

didn't you see a bird chirping about Dublin recently?

We're getting completely agonised over this thing with my friends.

(None of us can really afford going to the USA not to mention South America but 2011 without a U2-show is just simply not an option ).

Thanks for any crumb of info

 

[powerhour24]

Yeah, I really want to know if the Europe rumors will come to fruition, and soon.

 

[corianderstem]

I'm not going to start panicking about Dublin until maybe next March or so ... that's when I really need to start making firm plans for my trip!

I'm trying to keep my angst under control until then.

 

[NewKillerStar]

Yeah but if there is no Dublin, March is a bit late maybe for planning a US trip

 

[corianderstem]

Oh sorry, I should have clarified. I'm in the US and have been planning on visiting Ireland for about a year. I was planning on September, but am now waiting for Bono to tell me what to do to see if there'll be Dublin shows. So obviously, I'm just speaking for myself.

I dunno ... maybe March is too late to start booking a trip for Sept/Oct from the US to Ireland?