how many shows have they played total

[Mrs. Garrison]

in their career? Im not talking about the rooftop gigs or various other promotional mini sets. Im only talking actual tour dates. Prior to taking the stage in a couple of weeks does anyone know how many total tour shows U2 have played?

Im asking out of curiousity, of course, but i also think it would be cool for the crowd to acknowledge this glorious career somehow as our legendary band takes the stage each night. Don't ask me why i have thought of this, but i think it would be cool if someone up near the stage (or several someone's for that matter) would hold up a sign reflecting that number during the show. What i mean is, if you happen to be attending u2's 789th show (random number) on your particular night then i think it would be kind of cool to hold up a sign/banner that read simply 789. And then the next night some folks could hold up 790, and so on. Of course that number is not official im just throwing that out there.

Or has this been done before?

I don't know, it might sound goofy or it might be kind of cool. It certainly would be different than the usual PLEBA signs like "UNVEIL ADAM" or "OMG LARRY" or "DANCE W/ ME BONO OMG" or whatnot

 

[Galeongirl]

Hm, I'm not entirely sure. Asking Axver won't hurt ofcourse.
U2gigs.com - U2 360? tour news, pictures, reviews just add up all the tour dates?

 

[zwervers2]

in their career? Im not talking about the rooftop gigs or various other promotional mini sets. Im only talking actual tour dates. Prior to taking the stage in a couple of weeks does anyone know how many total tour shows U2 have played?

Im asking out of curiousity, of course, but i also think it would be cool for the crowd to acknowledge this glorious career somehow as our legendary band takes the stage each night. Don't ask me why i have thought of this, but i think it would be cool if someone up near the stage (or several someone's for that matter) would hold up a sign reflecting that number during the show. What i mean is, if you happen to be attending u2's 789th show (random number) on your particular night then i think it would be kind of cool to hold up a sign/banner that read simply 789. And then the next night some folks could hold up 790, and so on. Of course that number is not official im just throwing that out there.

Or has this been done before?

I don't know, it might sound goofy or it might be kind of cool. It certainly would be different than the usual PLEBA signs like "UNVEIL ADAM" or "OMG LARRY" or "DANCE W/ ME BONO OMG" or whatnot

I can not believe I checked this but I blieve this to be their 1502nd live appearance (Barcelona). Real concerts their 1217th I think

 

[Axver]

"Real" concerts is still tricky to define. What early gigs count as "real"? Just the ones they played as U2, perhaps? We don't even know all the gigs they played in 1978-79 (and I'm sure there are some pre-Boy dates missing in 1980 too). Gigs they played as Feedback and The Hype are even more of a mystery.

Also, as far as adding up the U2gigs database goes, remember to always subtract one for Popmart - the Raleigh gig that got cancelled the day it was meant to happen is included in the database. Then there is also the matter of public dress rehearsals - count them or not? They're listed in with the tours. Below, I have excluded them.

From the Boy Tour onwards, U2 have played 1,130 concerts. This INCLUDES festival sets (even Live Aid), but EXCLUDES Conspiracy Of Hope. Probably a couple of other questionable inclusions too but I can't be fucked going through the early tours weeding out what technically shouldn't be counted as a full tour gig.

Adding in known concerts played as U2 in the pre-Boy era, you get 1,209. Then we know of at least 10 more gigs played before they were U2, taking us to 1,219.

... I think.

Plus some of the Various Dates may fulfill criteria to be counted as gigs ... like 16 November 1983, Honolulu should be counted, so take the total up to 1,220. Or take it back down to 1,219 if Live Aid shouldn't be there.

 

[zwervers2]

"Real" concerts is still tricky to define. What early gigs count as "real"? Just the ones they played as U2, perhaps? We don't even know all the gigs they played in 1978-79 (and I'm sure there are some pre-Boy dates missing in 1980 too). Gigs they played as Feedback and The Hype are even more of a mystery.

Also, as far as adding up the U2gigs database goes, remember to always subtract one for Popmart - the Raleigh gig that got cancelled the day it was meant to happen is included in the database. Then there is also the matter of public dress rehearsals - count them or not? They're listed in with the tours. Below, I have excluded them.

From the Boy Tour onwards, U2 have played 1,130 concerts. This INCLUDES festival sets (even Live Aid), but EXCLUDES Conspiracy Of Hope. Probably a couple of other questionable inclusions too but I can't be fucked going through the early tours weeding out what technically shouldn't be counted as a full tour gig.

Adding in known concerts played as U2 in the pre-Boy era, you get 1,209. Then we know of at least 10 more gigs played before they were U2, taking us to 1,219.

... I think.

Plus some of the Various Dates may fulfill criteria to be counted as gigs ... like 16 November 1983, Honolulu should be counted, so take the total up to 1,220. Or take it back down to 1,219 if Live Aid shouldn't be there.

so 1219 +1(barcelona). we have a difference of 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Galeongirl]

I smell a new Setlistarian in the making.

 

[Axver]

so 1219 +1(barcelona). we have a difference of 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wonder what I counted that you didn't ... did you take out any festivals, anything from October like the BBC In Concert gig or the Greenbelt Festival at Odel?

 

[Mrs. Garrison]

i wouldn't count Live Aid, Tibet, or anything that wasn't a U2 only concert as part of one of their tours. No Hype, Feedback, etc. either.

1219/1217 or whatever....now thats a shitload of concerts!

Thank you guys for your info too btw...

Since the jury is out, im not sure the band themselves would even know how many shows they have put on at this point. Holding up numbers like i suggested might confuse them, which could be part of the fun, since im sure they would catch on eventually.

Does anyone know if the Rolling Stones (or anyone else) have put on more shows than U2?

 

[propagandau2boy]

Hmm, kind of a cool idea....actually a nice tribute, just a bit of difficult accounting & fuzzy math. Also, cross reference U2tours.com

 

[Popmartijn]

Does anyone know if the Rolling Stones (or anyone else) have put on more shows than U2?

Many bands/artists have. I mean, the Rolling Stones have 15 more years in which they played concerts. And artists like Bob Dylan or BB King average around 200 concerts a year. So they've probably played more concerts than U2 ever did in the last decade alone.

 

[digitize]

If the Annhilation Tour had happened, though, U2 would have been playing several shows per night, so they might have caught up!

 

[Axver]

Also, cross reference U2tours.com

They unfortunately lack a number of concerts in the early years. For instance, we now know the dates of the eight Dandelion Market gigs U2 played in 1979, but they have not updated their database to contain these shows.