U2’s mega-awesome tour machine takes on the World

One thing’s for sure. When U2 tour, they don’t do anything by halves. The U2 360° Tour has what is quite simply one of the biggest and most majestic stages ever seen and their new album is absolutely packed with powerful, uplifting and anthemic songs

Every time U2 goes on tour, it’s generally accepted that the tour is one of the most sumptuous ever seen. This one is no exception. Ireland’s heroes have come up with the goods once again with a staggering stage show and this tour will surely go down as a landmark. The tour began in Barcelona on June 30th and is currently in Paris, playing to two 90 000 full houses at the Stade de France. It will have played 24 European cities by August 22nd. After a short break the massive machine moves over to the United States and Canada for another 20 dates, starting in Chicago’s Soldier Field Stadium on September 12th and winding up at the BC Place Stadium in Vancouver on October 28th. Far-Eastern dates are currently being lined up. Song content is intelligently shared between the hits we all know and songs from their February release album ‘No Line on the Horizon.’ Reviews of this, their 12th studio album, are generally favourable and describe it as their best album for years. The most impressive aspect of the tour is the amazing stage setup. The stage is called ‘The Claw’ and it consists of a massive and innovative metal structure which is over 50 metres high and weighs 390 tons. The genial idea here is that it gives everyone in the venue an unobstructed view of the stage. No stage has incorporated this feature on this scale before. The tour is being used as a means to support Aung San Suu Kyi, the recently jailed leader of the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) party in Myanmar. Spectators are invited to wear a mask of her face during the song ‘Walk On.” The mask is available for download and printing on the U2 website. The tour is also associated with Amnesty International. The band paid their tribute to Michael Jackson during their Barcelona concert. It came in the form of an extract from ‘The Man in the Mirror’ that was introduced in the middle of ‘Angel of Harlem.’ ‘Man in the Mirror’ was an excellent choice in my view. Tickets are available for most of their USA and Canada concerts. You can find details on the band’s site. On the subject of the U2 Official Site, you really should go take a look around it. It’s a great site, well thought out, packed with news, music and interactivity. There is also a video of last night’s Paris gig on the front page which will give you a good idea of just how magnificent the stage is. I have been a U2 fan forever and have seen them on stage. The sound was wonderful and the stage show too. If you like U2 but haven’t seen them yet, don’t miss this opportunity to do so. They are one of the best and most polished live bands around, if not the very best. Just take a look at the live video at the top of the page. Absolutely Stellar Stuff. And, when you've watched it, you may want to go give your credit card a little work.....