SOS Baby! What’s that!? Las Vegas?!
It sounds very much like the band will be heading to Las Vegas this Fall. We’ve been told the announcement of the shows will happen in February with ticket sales starting almost immediately. (Take the date with a grain of salt, we know these things can be delayed.) But start putting some money aside now if you are thinking of going, as the full announcement isn’t far off. The shows will likely start in late September and run throughout October. The shows will each be similar in size to an arena show, with The Sphere holding between 17,000 and 20,000 people depending on the configuration used. One rumour shared with us is that the band have been filming some promotional material this week, which includes material to advertise this Vegas residency as well as additional material to promote the new album.
Willie Williams has been said to be working in the Sphere venue as it is being set up with a unique opportunity to build U2’s stage as the building is going up around it. The extended prep time in the venue will allow for time to play with all the toys the building brings with it including LED panels on the interior and exterior of the building.
We are told the show is a tie in to the Songs of Surrender album, and will have a special focus on Achtung Baby.
We know the question everyone has is “where is Larry?” – Vegas puts Larry very close to his medical care team in the US that he has been working with on his injuries. And Adam Clayton in a recent interview had said that the band hadn’t had to make the decision to work without Larry Mullen yet. So until otherwise announced, we’ll continue to assume he’ll be part of the Vegas shows, and wish him a rapid and thorough recovery if and when surgery does occur.
In a recent podcast, Sean Hayes shared with Bono that The Edge had shown him plans for the venue at The Sphere. Bono replies, “You are a news network now, because that’s breaking news! Blame it on Edge! But it’s great. I’m interested in Las Vegas for all kinds of reasons, even going back to ‘The Fly’!”
Bono’s been sharing about the Vegas stuff before, and back in November all but confirmed it was happening while speaking with Brendan O’Connor. Sounds like the plans are finalized and the announcement is only weeks away.