Published on: 3rd July, 2009
Get geared for some astounding kinetics as U2 heralded the ‘360-degree’ tour at the Camp Nou stadium, Barcelona that will span 14 cities before reaching US in September. U2 has taken a massive pecuniary risk by going aboard with the drastic stage setup outlaying 100 million euros, lovingly called ‘The Claw’ has been motivated by the architecture of the four –legged Theme Building located in LA airport, resembles a mammoth buttress run off from outer space.
This gentle giant, one of the three being used, weighs nearly 390 tons, is a towering, world record 50 metres high and will entail the use of nearly 180 trucks to move its gear around.
Bono has been the brain child for ‘The Claw’ which has a central swivelling stage with no evident views of amplifiers or electrics, all neatly concealed in the quartet appendages of the device with a gigantic video screen continually flashing the live occurrences of the show. Though a massive 80,000 spectators lined up to watch this spectacle, the stage set up had a very inviting, intimate feel to it.
U2 commenced the show at 10pm local time with tracks from their latest album, ‘No Line on the Horizon’ with the crowds going berserk as they performed their phenomenal old tracks like ‘Beautiful Day’, ‘Where the Streets Have No Name’, ‘Pride’.
Burrowing into their back records like Unforgettable Fire which stole the show, Angel of Harlem after which Boro affectionately wrapped the Irish flag around him while singing the version of ‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’. Bono then paid fond reverence to Pop Star Michael Jackson by dedicating the song ‘Angel of Harlem’ and singing filches of ‘Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough’ and ‘Man In The Mirror’ with The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. joining in.
There was clever use of stage with clear view lines and effectual use of far-spanning conduits as the U2 Gang had live interfaces with the crowds. The arena is so colossal sized that it has converted into part of the stadium.
Bono added spice to the anomalous space theme with a hiatus in the music to make a live connection with the International Space Station presently encircling the Earth. As the band had a live ‘tete –a –tete’ with the astronauts as they quizzed them about various aspects comprising of whether they had observed any UFO sightings. Bono even smooth talked one of the astronauts into signing up for his altruistic One Organisation.
In comparison to their enclosed arena stage shows at the Elevation and Vertigo, the 360 Degree Tour is a total twist of kinds to the visions at the Zoo TV and Popmart tours.
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