Las Vegas Concert Review – Billboard

Yes, one of the best moments is simply Sphere. Nothing can prepare you for the magnitude of the concert experience at this venue. The band made great use of the graphics on the curved screen, whether illuminated by helicopters flying overhead or backed by the nearby Grand Canyon. But one of the best tricks of the night was a tangible one: a camera rope fell from the sky, but Bono actually caught it. He then walked around the stage as a moving balloon image appeared at the other end. Finally, he pulled a fan from the audience to hold the balloon and then invited her to do so Swinging On the rope, which she bravely did, floating around the stage on a rope swing as she sang with the band to “Tryin’ to Throw Your Armsaround the World.” Fans will definitely be lining up for this unique opportunity.

“Elvis definitely didn’t leave this building!” “It’s a church for Elvis. It’s Elvis’ cathedral. Right,” Bono exclaimed before “Mysterious Ways,” adding the word Sphere with a wink. “Tonight, the entrance to this cathedral is password: ‘Flirting.’ Because we’re getting married later, okay? It was one of the night’s many signals.” to Vegas touchstones, like when the band covered “Love Me Tender” as a photo of Elvis and Priscilla was projected on the screen, or when Bono invoked the Rat Pack for a few lines of “My Way,” or when a video of the Vegas Strip occupied the background of the song U2’s just-released single “Atomic City”. There were some sarcastic references to the band’s home of Sin City for three months, but there also seemed to be a great deal of reverence for the desert city’s entertainment heritage.

After later proposing to the audience, the singer let his engaged fans in on a fun fact about “All I Want Is You” — the first unofficial single.Achtung The song was performed in the set after eight continuous tracks from the 1991 album At the Sphere Concert Center. “This song is an attempt to write a wedding song from a woman’s point of view,” he confided in 1988. Rattle and hum bachelor. “There it is. I’ve never told that to anyone.”

When the band concluded “All I Want Is You,” Bono said gravely, “I just sang that song for Larry Mullen.” The U2 founding drummer had to sit out Vegas shows while recovering from surgery due to drum-related injuries to his “elbows, knees and neck,” he revealed late last year. “We haven’t played a show since October 1978 without Larry Mullen,” Bono said, after making an introduction to drummer Bram van den Berg — who happened to be celebrating his birthday on that historic night. “I would like to introduce you to the only man we ask to stand – well, sit – in his place. It’s his birthday! It’s Braam van den Berg.” As the crowd began to sing “Happy Birthday,” Dutch drummer humbly said, “Let there be no mistake: There is only one Larry Mullen Jr.”

Bono and The Edge closed with “Desire” – also from Rattle and hum – with a little taste of The Beatles’ “Love Me Do” before letting the audience in on another secret. “Mecca is home tonight,” Bono announced. “Paul McCartney is here. Just know that we love you and have stolen a lot of your songs,” he joked. Bono also acknowledged the Fab Four’s possible early inspiration for Sphere. “Actually, I think the ball might have come into being.” [because of Sphere Entertainment president] Jim Dolan tries to solve the problem that the Beatles started when they played at Shea Stadium [in 1965]. No one can hear you. You couldn’t hear yourselves. Okay, the ball’s here, can you hear us?

Bono referenced the Beatles twice more to conclude the final song of the night, 2000’s “Beautiful Day,” singing a bit of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)” (“We hope you enjoyed the show”) followed by a few lines From “Blackbird” (“All your life, you’ve been waiting for just this moment to appear”).

McCartney wasn’t the only celebrity out on opening night. Bono also mentioned on stage that Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg were in attendance, while Diplo, Luke Wilson, Jon Hamm, Dakota Fanning, Bryan Cranston, Aaron Paul, Elizabeth Banks, Josh Duhamel and more famous faces walked the red carpet before the show outside. The Sphere before heading out. Diplo said on the carpet that he’s open to the idea of ​​some DJ sets at the new venue (“I’m ready. Sphere, call me!”), adding that he’s met Bono “a few times.” But “maybe he doesn’t remember me.” Paul said painting The pairing of U2 and Sphere makes perfect sense, because “U2 is arguably one of the biggest rock bands to ever exist, and arguably one of the greatest — if not the greatest — music venues on the planet. We toured a few months ago. Minds were blown.” For his part, Wilson admitted this painting That Friday night’s show “may have been a little different than when I saw U2 at the Tarrant County Convention Center in Fort Worth in 1986.”

In addition to all the action inside The Sphere, at the adjacent Venetian Resort, a two-story fan portal dedicated to the band’s legacy is now open to the public through U2:UV’s final show in December. “Zoo Station: A U2:UV Experience,” which was developed by Live Nation-founded Vibee in collaboration with U2’s longtime creative director, Gavin Friday, includes nods to Achtung babysuch as a life-size German subway car, a vintage Trabant on display that fans can climb into, and daily screenings of Zoo TV Cinema sponsored by The Edge.

Achtung baby part 1
Zoo station
The fly
Even better than the real thing
Mysterious ways
One
Until the end of the world
Who will ride your wild horses?
Trying to throw your arms around the world

Turntable set
All I want is you
He desires
Angel of Harlem
Love saves me

Achtung baby Part 2
Very Cruel
tumbler
UV (Light My Way)
love is blind

Appearance
to rise
My way
Atomic city
vertigo
Where streets have no name
With or without you
beautiful day

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