Willie Williams | Innovative Designs Staging for upcoming Tour

[subnet]

I was thinking what U2 / Willie Williams might be dreaming up for the upcoming tour.

I was trying to look for any new technologies from Barco and Saco Smartvision that might be relevant for a 2009 tour.

What I do know:
- LED is better and brighter, especially in blue LED
- Stage video walls can meld / merge into a video floor


Here are some relevant links:

Innovative Designs

Barco

Saco Smartvision

 

[mofo82]

Thanks for the info subnet. It's become a staple for U2 tours to push the envelope in their on-stage technology and creativity. I love how these great stage set-ups change and enhance the songs, including how it affects the bands persona and how they choose to perform their music. I think one of my favorite concert moments where the artist and the technology meet is when Bono ends 'The Fly' attached to the rising video wall on the Elevation tour. Almost every time I hear that song, I think of that image. Imagine Satellite of Love with no Lou Reed up 'in the sky' or no Roy Lichtenstein fighter plane graphics during 'Bullet', Popmart. The message carries so much different weight with different media.

 

[romi]

well, there was nothing too special about the technology on the last tour. Hopefully they'll raise the bar this time.

 

[Clawgrabber]

whoa! Saco Smartvision was involved with the nine inch nails tour?
wow.
that tour was a visual stunner. blew my mind. really original and amazing.

 

[mofo82]

^ romi, sarcasm? It wasn't the most innovative tour but the lengths to which they used the light curtain technology was pretty impressive.

What really jumps out about it for me was how it was one of the first, if not the first stage set-up that wasn't so static and conscientiously put the viewer first. From the raising and lowering to open up the view at many parts of the show, especially for those sitting around the back and sides of the stage. There wasn't a bad seat in the house at all ( I can vouge for that cus I was up in the nose bleeds behind the stage for both Elevation and Vertigo tours. I walked to a better part of the arena for Elevation, kept my seat for Vertigo.

 

[romi]

actually, no sarcasm. I was underwhelmed. The light curtain was pretty boring, I thought. And it malfunctioned at least once per show. (Of the 16 shows I saw) After Popmart and Elevation Tour, it was just ehhh for me.

 

[mofo82]

You're right about the malfunctions. The shows I went to, always seemed there were a few bugs, mainly on the tube lighting on the circular stage itself. Can even see it on the Vertigo Chicago DVD...I was at that show. I couldn't believe they were having malfunctions on that of all nights. I guess I blocked some of that from my memory. Most of my frustration fell on Hamish Hamilton for hacking up some good shows.

 

[PopFly]

From a visual perspective, I actually think the Vertigo stadium shows were a lot more impressive --- the combination of the LED curtains and the PopMart screen's little brother.

 

[FuruftUta]

whoa! Saco Smartvision was involved with the nine inch nails tour?
wow.
that tour was a visual stunner. blew my mind. really original and amazing.

I really hate the music of NIN but this stage really was something else - would be supercool if U2 go this way. Trent also mentioned Bono in an interview - great article: Take a look:
..."to at least have proof when U2 rips us off next year that we did it first," Reznor says"

NIN Dazzles With Lasers, LEDs and Stealth Screens

YouTube - Nine Inch Nails Lollapalooza 2008 NIN Only Live

 

[DreamOutLoud13]

I'm still waiting for the lemon shaped b-stage and blue lights that I dreamt of a few years back.

 

[schnumi]

Popmart size screen for the outside shows, they could do it 10 years ago it would be a shame to go smaller. More camera's to film the guys as well just like popmart.

 

[kingofsorrow]

^ romi, sarcasm? It wasn't the most innovative tour but the lengths to which they used the light curtain technology was pretty impressive.

What really jumps out about it for me was how it was one of the first, if not the first stage set-up that wasn't so static and conscientiously put the viewer first.

i hate to burst your bubble, but the LED curtain was being used by japanese artist before u2 adopted it and it was far more impressive and utilized to the fullest. all u2 did did was roll theirs up and down from the ceiling. even the LED rimming isn't unique. the jpop artist had LED stage floors.
now don't get me wrong. i loved the stage setup/design, especially LED tech being used so much, but please don't make it out to look like u2 was being innovative when they were copying something already done. even the outdoor Vertigo tour was just an updated POPMART.
now POPMART's use of the LED tech was innovative. ZOO TV's use of giant vidiwalls was innovative.

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

I also preferred technology during Zoo and Popmart over Vertigo.
I thought the screen was bad and boring. Plus you could see through most of the time because in many countries with "curfew", U2 began during daylight for about half the show and it loooked pretty shitty.

 

[phommel]

What about receiving a pair of glasses at the entry of the stadium and then seeing the whole concert live in 3D!?!!?!? haha

Well, to be honest I don't need new innovative technology as long as the lighting just adds to the atmosphere of the concert. Thats more important for me than huge visuals that distract me from the music itself. See the last Radiohead-tour as a very good example of having relatively few and sober lighting, but the atmosphere was just amazing!!
Of course this is only possible in intimate locations and not in those impressive big and cold stadiums...

 

[adypole]

I've been wondering lately...

what else is there to do, especially theme wise? Surely NOTHING can beat the likes of the 90s...I don't want to go and see them live on an average stage, but step into another world and have my head explode when I see something as innovative as the album, like Zootv or popmart.

I wonder if they'll play around with a horizon/landscape theme?

 

[last unicorn]

i hate to burst your bubble, but the LED curtain was being used by japanese artist before u2 adopted it and it was far more impressive and utilized to the fullest. all u2 did did was roll theirs up and down from the ceiling. even the LED rimming isn't unique. the jpop artist had LED stage floors.
now don't get me wrong. i loved the stage setup/design, especially LED tech being used so much, but please don't make it out to look like u2 was being innovative when they were copying something already done. even the outdoor Vertigo tour was just an updated POPMART.
now POPMART's use of the LED tech was innovative. ZOO TV's use of giant vidiwalls was innovative.

First of all, U2 haven't said they invented the LED curtain, it had been used before. So what? I still found it very cool.

Second, I wouldn't recall Vertigo and Popmart. I hope they'll never go back to a Popmart sort of stage setting, because it has been a ridiculous display of megalomania and a visual overkill. I'd rather have them playing good music and have visual effects to support the music, not to distract from it.

 

[kingofsorrow]

First of all, U2 haven't said they invented the LED curtain, it had been used before. So what? I still found it very cool.

Second, I wouldn't recall Vertigo and Popmart. I hope they'll never go back to a Popmart sort of stage setting, because it has been a ridiculous display of megalomania and a visual overkill. I'd rather have them playing good music and have visual effects to support the music, not to distract from it.

1st: you need to go back and re-read what i typed ok.

2nd: you don't need to remember popmart or vertigo. they have these things called DVD's and the band has been nice enough to document both tours for us.

you say popmart was meglomania? that was the point.

 

[cybersyd]

today I saw Killers' Human live version on MTV... ...really cool staging... ...but also: you can't do it for all the show... ...there's a deep link between u2 and the fans during the shows and everything (stage props and lights included) must strenghten it!

 

[last unicorn]

2nd: you don't need to remember popmart or vertigo. they have these things called DVD's and the band has been nice enough to document both tours for us.

Sorry, I meant compare.

I wouldn't compare these two tours, they have a very different setup. You say outdoor Vertigo was an updated Popmart, I disagree. Vertigo was better than Popmart in so many ways.

 

[AchtungDude]

I wish for a more Elevationish tour. I don't wan't Bono to dress upp like a cheesy-military commander. I wan't a pure U2 show with no distractions.

 

[kingofsorrow]

Sorry, I meant compare.

I wouldn't compare these two tours, they have a very different setup. You say outdoor Vertigo was an updated Popmart, I disagree. Vertigo was better than Popmart in so many ways.

lemme see. giant stage, giant sound system, giant lighting rigs and of course both had giant LED screens. your right nothing similar.
let me guess your going to give me some line about how both tours had different goals and different messages etc, etc, etc. save it. i wasn't even remotely referring to what both tours were individually trying to accomplish, only their technological similarities.

 

[phommel]

If there will be no 3D-live experience, then I guess Bono will fly over the public while singing...This year the crew of U2 visited a concert of a Dutch artist who flew over the public during his last song. Spectacular but too much over the top imo...

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Sorry, I meant compare.

I wouldn't compare these two tours, they have a very different setup. You say outdoor Vertigo was an updated Popmart, I disagree. Vertigo was better than Popmart in so many ways.

of course it's all opinion, because i'd much rather see a big old multimedia clusterfuck blow out like popmart than what they did on vertigo.

not that i disliked vertigo... but they did their "intimate" tour two straight tours now... time to make things huge again.

 

[phommel]

Can you imagine Bono doing this: ......?

YouTube - Marco Borsato vliegt tijdens Wit Licht in Gelredome (17-10)

 

[U2girl]

While the lightbulbs/screens were used by others, I do believe U2 was the first band to use them with the ability to show images on both sides of the *screen.

I'd hate to be in their shoes, though. Like I said in '04: if they go small, people will say - oh look it's Elevation pt II (and they did). If they go big, people will compare it to their 90's shows (and that happened too). And if it's really techy it will just look like desperate trying outdoing Zoo TV at is own game.

I would like to see them try and go for the audio technology they talked about before the last tour - remember how you could split and direct the sound in an arena ? By now that's probably developed enough.

 

[zwervers2]

after two relatively small shows(although stadium vertigo was prettx big) I think it is time to go crazy again. The problem with the NIN setup is that U2 shows are to big to do something like this especially outdoors(correct me if I am wrong). IN regards to the vertigo show I thought the setup was a bit underused and not so innovative. I really really enjoyed it musically but image wise it was a suckfest. who can forget the planes during bullet. It looked like it was amiga 1989 time again. I juat have the feeling it will be a vey special big tour with a great album this time in comparrison(and I wont stop saying this ) extremly mediocre HTDAAB.

The horizon Tour will KICK ASS!

enjoy the holiday, I am off, skiingtime

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

there's only one thing i can say about the popmart tour vs. the vertigo tour. both times i saw them i had seats, crappy ones at that. it was at least nice during popmart to be able to really see the band as if i was on the floor, instead of with vertigo where even with the screen, it was like a center for ants.

 

[PowerSurge]

whether or not people understood the "message" or "point" of what the Popmart tour was, or even if they remotely liked it is kind of irrelevant because it was still amazingly done, impressive, and groundbreaking.

If in some weird Back to the Future-esque moment U2 could somehow take the technology of Popmart back to the 90's and combind it with the message and multimedia spectacular that was ZooTV...they would have easily of gone down in history for having the greatest rock show ever. They still might, but I'm just saying. I think the greatness of the Popmart tour was overshadowed by a convoluted message/theme, questionable performances and songs that didn't quite support or go along with the spectacular visuals. Let us not forget that it took approx. $1M a day...a DAY....to put on that tour. WOW! is all I can say.

That being said, I hope they don't try to replicate that tour...and I don't think they will. I hope they fall somewhere in between Elevation and Vertigo Stadium tour setup. Thats where U2 are at their best IMO. Its where the music and the visuals gel and compliment each other as opposed to overpowering one another.

 

[AchtungDude]

Can you imagine Bono doing this: ......?

YouTube - Marco Borsato vliegt tijdens Wit Licht in Gelredome (17-10)

Didn't they mention having those plans a while ago on Conan? To have Bono flying over the audience as a dead cowboy?

 

[dal975]

I wish for a more Elevationish tour. I don't wan't Bono to dress upp like a cheesy-military commander. I wan't a pure U2 show with no distractions.

that is my #1 wish...why is it a mandate that there has to be over-the-top superfluous effects and the latest and greatest in hardware, software and men's wear? U2 has been there, done that. Why can't it just be 4 guys with instruments and (obviously) an underworld to support them? give me a JT tour again, or at most an elevation tour.

there is this mentality that pervades our digital/LED/LCD culture that the next level of technology simply has to be achieved. It doesn't. Personally, I just don't need all that STUFF any more...just play me some tunes. I guarantee the arenas will still sell out in 8 minutes. U2 may discover that their musical credibility actually soars as a result.