U2 is familiar with rocking out in major sporting arenas and stadiums, but the legendary band will soon hit the stage to create a new immersive concert experience inside a high-tech, globe-shaped venue in Las Vegas.
Live Nation and Sphere Entertainment announced Monday the dates for U2B次元官网网址檚 upcoming B次元官网网址淯2:UV Achtung Baby Live At SphereB次元官网网址 shows starting Sept. 29. The rock bandB次元官网网址檚 special five-night run of shows will be held until Oct. 8 at The VenetianB次元官网网址檚 Sphere with a state-of-the-art audio and visual system designed for each concertgoer.
B次元官网网址淭his is a venue designed for entertainment, not sports,B次元官网网址 said U2 guitarist The Edge in a recent interview. He first learned about the cutting-edge venue after lead singer Bono sent him a link about the concept. He said the screen is 20 times bigger than the one during the bandB次元官网网址檚 Joshua Tree tour in 2019 B次元官网网址 the last time U2 performed live in a concert setting.
B次元官网网址淪ports is a simple formula. You want to see the action,B次元官网网址 he continued. B次元官网网址淏ut no one really sits down when theyB次元官网网址檙e designing one of these sports arenas and thinks about sound. ThatB次元官网网址檚 way, way down on their list of priorities. But in this venue, itB次元官网网址檚 one of the first things they thought about.B次元官网网址
The massive spherical venue will have 17,500 seats with a scalable capacity of nearly 20,000 guests. Along with high resolution LED screens that wrap halfway around the audience, the venue is also equipped with thousands of speakers that will deliver a B次元官网网址渃rystal-clearB次元官网网址 multi-layered audio system for every seat inside.
As a musician, The Edge said the venueB次元官网网址檚 concept is an B次元官网网址渁mazing thoughtB次元官网网址 in helping performers like U2 capture the full essence of their sound. He said their shows will offer an opportunity to B次元官网网址渓iterally transport people to some other space and timeB次元官网网址 and open a variety of B次元官网网址渃reative possibilities.B次元官网网址
B次元官网网址淲hat weB次元官网网址檙e able to do B次元官网网址 because of the design and the fidelity of the sound B次元官网网址 is introduce not just the best sounding rock B次元官网网址榥B次元官网网址 roll band of all time in an indoor venue,B次元官网网址 he said. B次元官网网址淏ut also, radical intimacy where you can actually deliver a vocal or a simple music arrangement thatB次元官网网址檚 really delicate. The people will be able to hear perfectly. Whereas if youB次元官网网址檙e trying that in an arena or a stadium, it would just be impossible.B次元官网网址
During the bandB次元官网网址檚 rehearsals, The Edge has already seen a significant difference from the sphere venue compared to an arena or stadium B次元官网网址 which normally B次元官网网址渋mposes on your sound.B次元官网网址 He said their music preparations havenB次元官网网址檛 changed much, but they are starting to try to understand how to use the immersive sound as a creative tool.
The Edge believes the bandB次元官网网址檚 performances at Sphere could be a B次元官网网址渜uantum leap forwardB次元官网网址 in terms of the sensory impacts of a live concert.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 technology that has never been available,B次元官网网址 he said. B次元官网网址淲e can literally in sonic terms, but also in visual terms, have our audience not kind of be looking at the show, but be in the middle of the show and in the middle of the sound. ItB次元官网网址檚 sound all around you. B次元官网网址 IB次元官网网址檓 already starting to think about the mixes and our songs and think about how this spatial audio could come into its own in terms of just where we place different parts of our sound.B次元官网网址
The Edge said U2 is pumped to return to the stage for the first time in four years, especially after the pandemic. The bandB次元官网网址檚 upcoming show will mark the first time performing without drummer Larry Mullen Jr., who is recovery from back surgery. In MullenB次元官网网址檚 absence, Bram van den Berg will fill in as drummer.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e so excited,B次元官网网址 he said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e been on lockdown. IB次元官网网址檝e been in the recording studio for the last 18 months doing the acoustic collection, B次元官网网址楽ongs of Surrender.B次元官网网址 I canB次元官网网址檛 wait to get out there and be a part of something huge like this.B次元官网网址
B次元官网网址擩onathan Landrum Jr., The Associated Press
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