The Joshua Tree Tour 2017

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The Joshua Tree Tour 2017
World tour by U2
The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 logo.jpg
LocationNorth America, Europe, Latin America (2017)
Australasia (2019)
Associated album The Joshua Tree (30th anniversary)
Start date12 May 2017 (2017-05-12) (2017)
8 November 2019 (2019-11-08) (2019)
End date25 October 2017 (2017-10-25) (2017)
8 December 2019 (2019-12-08) (2019)
Legs4 (2017)
1 (2019)
No. of shows51 (2017)
  • 29 in North America
  • 12 in Europe
  • 10 in Latin America
9 (2019)
Box office$316,990,940
U2 concert chronology



Experience + Innocence Tour
(2018)
The Joshua Tree Tour 2019
(2019)

The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 was a worldwide concert tour by rock band U2 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of their 1987 album The Joshua Tree . The tour visited stadiums in 2017 across four legs: North America from May to July and in September, Europe from July to August, and Latin America in October. It began on 12 May 2017 in Vancouver, Canada, and ended five months later on 25 October 2017 in São Paulo, Brazil. The band played The Joshua Tree in its entirety on each date of the tour, marking their first live performances of the song "Red Hill Mining Town". [1] It was the first time the group toured in promotion of an album from their back catalogue, rather than a new release. As part of the tour, U2 headlined the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee, in June.

Concert tour series of concerts by a single artist in different venues

A concert tour is a series of concerts by an artist or group of artists in different cities, countries or locations. Often concert tours are named to differentiate different tours by the same artist and to associate a specific tour with a particular album or product. Especially in the popular music world, such tours can become large-scale enterprises that last for several months or even years, are seen by hundreds of thousands or millions of people, and bring in millions of dollars in ticket revenues. A performer who embarks on a concert tour is called a touring artist.

Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as "rock and roll" in the United States in the early 1950s, and developed into a range of different styles in the 1960s and later, particularly in the United Kingdom and in the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, a style which drew heavily on the genres of blues, rhythm and blues, and from country music. Rock music also drew strongly on a number of other genres such as electric blues and folk, and incorporated influences from jazz, classical and other musical styles. Musically, rock has centered on the electric guitar, usually as part of a rock group with electric bass, drums, and one or more singers. Usually, rock is song-based music usually with a 4/4 time signature using a verse–chorus form, but the genre has become extremely diverse. Like pop music, lyrics often stress romantic love but also address a wide variety of other themes that are frequently social or political.

U2 Four-member Irish rock band, from Dublin

U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin, formed in 1976. The group consists of Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr.. Initially rooted in post-punk, U2's musical style has evolved throughout their career, yet has maintained an anthemic quality built on Bono's expressive vocals and the Edge's effects-based guitar textures. Their lyrics, often embellished with spiritual imagery, focus on personal and sociopolitical themes. Popular for their live performances, the group have staged several ambitious and elaborate tours over their career.

Contents

U2 originally wanted to play a set of one-off shows in the US and Europe to commemorate the 30th anniversary of The Joshua Tree, but ultimately decided to stage a full concert tour instead. The band cited world events, such as the 2016 US presidential election, for what they perceived to be renewed resonance of the album's subject matter and a reason to revisit it. The stage featured a 7.6K resolution video screen measuring 200 ft × 45 ft (61 m × 14 m), making it the largest and highest resolution video screen of any concert tour, according to The Guardian . A silhouette of the Joshua tree from the album sleeve was painted on the screen, while a Joshua tree–shaped B-stage represented the plant's shadow. Photographer Anton Corbijn, who photographed the album sleeve, provided films that accompanied performances of the album's songs.

8K resolution video size standard

8K resolution refers to any screen or display with around 8000 pixels width. 8K UHD, officially also known UHD-2 is the current highest ultra high definition television (UHDTV) resolution in digital television, digital cinematography and digital signage. 8K in 8K UHD refers to the horizontal resolution of 7,680 pixels, forming the total image dimensions of (7680×4320), also known as 4320p, which refers to the vertical resolution.

<i>The Guardian</i> British national daily newspaper

The Guardian is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as The Manchester Guardian, and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers The Observer and The Guardian Weekly, the Guardian is part of the Guardian Media Group, owned by the Scott Trust. The trust was created in 1936 to "secure the financial and editorial independence of the Guardian in perpetuity and to safeguard the journalistic freedom and liberal values of the Guardian free from commercial or political interference". The trust was converted into a limited company in 2008, with a constitution written so as to maintain for The Guardian the same protections as were built into the structure of the Scott Trust by its creators. Profits are reinvested in journalism rather than distributed to owners or shareholders.

B-stage

A B-stage is a small, secondary stage, featured at pop and rock concerts held in arenas and stadiums, and is usually located in the middle of the concert floor, connected to the main stage by a walkway.

Initially, some critics interpreted the announcement of an anniversary tour to be an acknowledgment by U2 that they had become a legacy act, although the band rejected any characterisations of nostalgia. They instead strove to make the shows feel forward looking and debuted two new songs that would later be released on their album Songs of Experience in December. The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 received positive reviews from critics, many of whom noted the continued relevance of The Joshua Tree's songs and praised the stage design. The tour grossed $317 million, making it the year's highest-grossing tour globally, and it sold more than 2.71 million tickets from its 51 shows.

<i>Songs of Experience</i> (U2 album) 2017 studio album by U2

Songs of Experience is the 14th studio album by Irish rock band U2. Released on 1 December 2017, it was produced by Jacknife Lee and Ryan Tedder with Steve Lillywhite, Andy Barlow, Jolyon Thomas, Brent Kutzle, Paul Epworth, Danger Mouse, and Declan Gaffney. The album is intended to be a companion piece to U2's previous record, Songs of Innocence (2014). Whereas its predecessor explored the group members' adolescence in Ireland in the 1970s, Songs of Experience thematically is a collection of letters written by lead vocalist Bono to people and places closest to his heart. The album features guest appearances from several musical acts, including Haim, Kendrick Lamar, and Lady Gaga.

An Australasian leg of the tour is scheduled for November–December 2019.

Conception

The inspiration for the tour came in August 2016, during show production rehearsals for U2's headlining appearances at the iHeartRadio Music Festival and Salesforce.com's Dreamforce conference. [2] [3] Initially, the band were interested in marking the 30th anniversary of their 1987 album, The Joshua Tree , with one show in the United States and Europe each, but they eventually decided to expand it into a full tour. [2] The band members gave various reasons for the tour. Lead vocalist Bono said, "it was just to honor this album that meant so much to us" and that at first there was no "grand concept". However, once they realised the record was still relevant thematically, "the thing just ran away with itself". [4] Guitarist the Edge cited the 2016 US presidential election and other world events for what he judged to be renewed resonance of The Joshua Tree's subject matter. He said, "things have kind of come full circle, if you want. That record was written in the mid-Eighties, during the ReaganThatcher era of British and U.S. politics. It was a period when there was a lot of unrest. Thatcher was in the throes of trying to put down the miners' strike; there was all kinds of shenanigans going on in Central America. It feels like we're right back there in a way. I don't think any of our work has ever come full circle to that extent. It just felt like, 'Wow, these songs have a new meaning and a new resonance today that they didn't have three years ago, four years ago.'" [1]

iHeartRadio Music Festival Music festival held in Las Vegas by iHeartRadio

The iHeartRadio Music Festival is a two-day music concert festival held every year in September since 2011 by iHeartRadio along the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.

Salesforce.com American software company

Salesforce.com, Inc. is an American cloud-based software company headquartered in San Francisco, California. Though the bulk of its revenue comes from its customer-relationship management (CRM) service, Salesforce also sells a complementary suite of enterprise applications focused on customer service, marketing automation, analytics and application development.

<i>The Joshua Tree</i> 1987 studio album by U2

The Joshua Tree is the fifth studio album by Irish rock band U2. It was produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, and was released on 9 March 1987 on Island Records. In contrast to the ambient experimentation of their 1984 release, The Unforgettable Fire, the band aimed for a harder-hitting sound within the limitation of conventional song structures on The Joshua Tree. The album is influenced by American and Irish roots music, and through sociopolitically conscious lyrics embellished with spiritual imagery, it contrasts the group's antipathy for the "real America" with their fascination with the "mythical America".

The stage as seen prior to a 12 July 2017 show in Berlin. It was designed using the stage from the band's original Joshua Tree Tour as a reference point. Joshua Tree Tour 2017 stage prior to Berlin show 7-12-17.jpg
The stage as seen prior to a 12 July 2017 show in Berlin. It was designed using the stage from the band's original Joshua Tree Tour as a reference point.

Longtime U2 set designer Willie Williams said that there was a misconception that "because of the nature of the show, the staging could be very simple, which meant it would be achievable with a reduced lead time". He rejected the notion that the stage would be simple but did realise that much of the lead time required for U2 tours is spent defining the ideas behind them. With The Joshua Tree's anniversary as the idea, the development process was simplified, as the band and their creative team were able to begin with several assumptions: that half of the concerts' set list would consist of The Joshua Tree songs; that they could use the original Joshua Tree Tour stage as a reference point; and that photographer Anton Corbijn, who shot the photographs from the album sleeve, would create video content. [3] In October 2016, the band began initial conversations with Stufish Entertainment Architects, the firm behind the set design. [5]

Willie Williams (set designer) video director, stage and lighting designer for multimedia projects

William Peter Charles "Willie" Williams is a show director, stage, video and lighting designer for concerts, theatre, and multimedia projects. He is best known for his groundbreaking work with the rock band U2, and is recognised as one of the leading artists in this field.

Set list a document listing the order of elements during a specific performance.

A set list, or most commonly, setlist, is typically a handwritten or printed document that is created as a blueprint for a performance that lists the order of songs, jokes, stories or other performance elements that an artist intends to play, or has played, during a specific performance..

The Joshua Tree Tour

The Joshua Tree Tour was a concert tour by the Irish rock band U2, which took place during 1987, in support of their album The Joshua Tree. The tour was depicted by the video and live album Live from Paris and in the film and part-live album Rattle and Hum.

Williams said, "After talking over many possible approaches, we looked at the original Joshua Tree stadium stage and then allowed its bold, simple aesthetic to guide the design." [6] On the original Joshua Tree Tour, the stadium stage was built on one end of the venue as a large proscenium, flanked on the sides by fabric sheets depicting branches of a Joshua tree. [2] [7] Only at the largest North American stadiums was video reinforcement used, but it was located behind the sound mixing station and visible to only half the audience. Williams called it "maximal minimalism". With concert production values having advanced since the original Joshua Tree Tour, he was initially drawn to returning to the simplicity of a "traditional festival stage". However, he ultimately decided against that design for the anniversary tour, as it offers limited sightlines of 150–160 degrees within stadium seating. Instead, he said, "We took the spirit of that kind of minimal CinemaScope idea where the look was a huge stretched image of the Joshua Tree... and ran with it." [2] Williams said using the original tour's stage for inspiration was a "get out of jail free card" for him, as he was not sure how he could follow up the extravagance of the stage he designed for the band's previous stadium tour, the U2 360° Tour of 2009–2011. Williams called the creative process "pedal to the metal for six months". [3]

Proscenium

A proscenium is the metaphorical vertical plane of space in a theatre, usually surrounded on the top and sides by a physical proscenium arch and on the bottom by the stage floor itself, which serves as the frame into which the audience observes from a more or less unified angle the events taking place upon the stage during a theatrical performance. The concept of the fourth wall of the theatre stage space that faces the audience is essentially the same.

The term IMAG is a short form for "image magnification" used in the audiovisual production industry. It refers to large-scale theatrical or concert video projection to enable audience members seated at great distance from the stage to see details of the performer's body language and facial expressions that could not be seen with the unaided eye.

Live sound mixing

Live sound mixing is the blending of multiple sound sources by an audio engineer using a mixing console or software. Sounds that are mixed include those from instruments and voices which are picked up by microphones and pre-recorded material, such as songs on CD or a digital audio player. Individual sources are typically equalised to adjust the bass and treble response and routed to effect processors to ultimately be amplified and reproduced via a loudspeaker system. The live sound engineer listens and balances the various audio sources in a way that best suits the needs of the event.

The first designs for the stage were presented by Stufish in December 2016. [5] U2 expressed their preference for a large video screen similar to the one that Stufish and Williams built for the band's performance at the Dreamforce conference in October; that screen was an homage to the Geneva Drive-In Theater that previously stood on the site of the conference. [8] [9] While reviewing design proposals in one of the band's creative meetings with Stufish and Williams in December, Bono drew an outline of a Joshua tree breaking through the top of the video screen. Lipson said, "At that point, we didn't know what the kit would be, beyond the hope that technology just on the cusp of being possible would be invented in time for the start of the tour in May." To see their ideas through to fruition, the band and the creative team traveled to Lititz, Pennsylvania, the site of the corporate campus of Tait Towers, the architectural engineering company behind many music tours. [9] Ultimately, the tour concept was finalized in February 2017. [5]

Corbijn enlisted cinematographer Sebastian Wintero to film video content for the tour. The duo used Arri Rental's Alexa 65 camera, since it captured resolutions higher than 6K but was easy enough to operate that it did not interfere in the creative process. The duo shot in a special 4.5:1 wide aspect ratio, filming mostly single takes of limited action that could play during concerts for 5–6 minutes. Due to Corbijn's experience with black-and-white photography and the camera's features, the duo were able to instantaneously color grade and design lookup tables, allowing them to experiment with various looks for the footage as they shot. [10]

U2 preparing to play "Where the Streets Have No Name", commencing a sequential performance of The Joshua Tree in Kansas City on 12 September 2017. The band felt challenged in structuring the set list for the tour. U2 Where the Streets Have No Name pose on Joshua Tree Tour 2017 in Kansas City 9-12-17.jpg
U2 preparing to play "Where the Streets Have No Name", commencing a sequential performance of The Joshua Tree in Kansas City on 12 September 2017. The band felt challenged in structuring the set list for the tour.

Despite knowing they would be performing songs from The Joshua Tree, U2 felt challenged in structuring the set list. Bassist Adam Clayton said, "People react a little differently when they know what's coming next, and they also react a little differently when they're having an internal relationship with that particular running order". [11] Early in the creative process, Williams presented eight set list options to the band. These included: playing The Joshua Tree songs first; playing them last; playing them in the middle; playing songs in chronological order of their release; and grouping songs thematically. According to Williams, there were never internal discussions of breaking up the album into sections. [3] The group considered starting shows with the album, but this would have meant leading with the song "Where the Streets Have No Name", which is usually the climax of a U2 concert. Williams also noted that it would still be daylight at the beginning of shows in Europe. Another challenge in structuring the set list was that the second half of The Joshua Tree is "relatively downbeat". Ultimately, the band chose a three-act format, with the album in the middle. [11]

Despite honouring a 30-year-old album with the tour, U2 and their creative team rejected characterisations of the venture as "nostalgic", as they wanted it to feel forward looking and the band wanted to perform at least one new song. [3] [4] To aid in this, the team decided against showing archival footage of the band from their younger days in the visuals. They also decided that due to the older age of the band members and the size of the video screen, close-up shots of them would be limited. [7]

Planning, itinerary, and ticketing

2017 concerts

The tour's itinerary included a performance at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in June 2017. U2 at Bonnaroo on Joshua Tree Tour 2017 6-9-17.jpg
The tour's itinerary included a performance at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in June 2017.

The tour was announced on 9 January 2017, [12] initially consisting of a North American leg from May to July and a European leg from July to August. It was the first time the group toured in promotion of an album from their back catalogue, rather than a new release. [13] Kyle McGovern of Pitchfork interpreted the tour announcement to be an admission by U2 that they were entering the "nostalgia act" phase of their career. He said, "this tour announcement feels like it's coming from a U2 that's ready to put their work behind glass, as so many of their peers did far earlier... And there's no shame in that..." [14] Pre-sale tickets were first offered to U2.com subscribers starting on 11 January before going on sale to the general public on 16 January (for European shows) and 17 January (for North American shows). [15] [16] Approximately 1.1 million tickets were sold in the first 24 hours of being on sale. After tickets for the tour sold out quickly, second shows were added in London, Rome, Paris, Amsterdam, East Rutherford, Pasadena, and Chicago. [17] As part of the tour's itinerary, U2 headlined the Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee, in June. [18]

U2 performing in Kansas City in September 2017, one of several North American dates that was added due to the success of the tour. U2 on tree stage on Joshua Tree Tour 2017 in Kansas City 9-12-17.jpg
U2 performing in Kansas City in September 2017, one of several North American dates that was added due to the success of the tour.

Additional dates for the tour were announced on 6 June 2017, halfway through the opening leg; a second North American leg was added to the itinerary for September 2017, initially consisting of seven dates, while a Latin American leg initially consisting of five dates was added for October. Tickets for these legs were offered to U2.com subscribers in a pre-sale starting June 8, while public sales began on 12 June for North America and 14 June for Latin America. [19] A show in New Orleans scheduled for 14 September, [20] a show in Glendale scheduled for 19 September, [21] and extra shows in Mexico City, La Plata, and São Paulo were added in the weeks after the tour's extension was announced. [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] Tour production director Jake Berry said the second North American leg was not originally planned and that the group were scheduled to have a two-month break between the European leg and the Latin American leg. However, since the tour was a "success... beyond everybody's wildest dreams", the group added North American dates in September and shortened their break to four weeks. [27]

The tour used a "paperless ticket" system requiring concert attendees to present the credit card they used to purchase tickets as well as a photo ID upon entry at the venue. The measures were meant to combat ticket resellers. However, on the tour's opening night in Vancouver on 12 May 2017, attendees faced long queues to enter BC Place; some fans missed the performance of opening act Mumford & Sons. [28] [29] Live Nation officials blamed the delays on a mix-up regarding which gates at the stadium would accept paperless tickets. [28] To recompense affected concertgoers, Ticketmaster offered $50 gift cards for use against future events, while BC Place offered free attendance to a Vancouver Whitecaps FC or BC Lions sporting event with a $20 food/beverage voucher. [30]

According to Music Generation, an Irish music education programme for children, some of U2's earnings from the tour will benefit the programme, allowing it to expand to nine new areas in the country within five years. [31] The band will also donate a portion of its Mexico City earnings to a relief fund benefiting victims of the 2017 Central Mexico earthquake. [32]

In the wake of terrorist attacks across Europe, Ireland's Gardai police force deployed its Regional Support Units to act as "terrorist spotters" at U2's show in Dublin. [33] [34]

Due to safety concerns caused by the 2017 St. Louis protests, the tour's 16 September show in St. Louis was canceled earlier that day. [35] In a joint statement, U2 and Live Nation said, "We have been informed by the St. Louis Police Department that they are not in a position to provide the standard protection for our audience as would be expected for an event of this size." [36]

2019 concerts

On 31 May 2019, U2 announced that the tour will be extended with an Australasian leg later this year. It will commence with concerts in Australia and New Zealand in November, the band's first time performing in either country since the 360° Tour in 2010. In December, the tour will travel to Asia; in addition to shows in Saitama, Japan, the leg will include the group's first ever performances in South Korea and Singapore. The initial announcement included nine scheduled concerts, with the date and venue for the Singapore show yet to be finalised. [37] [38]

Stage design and show production

The stage prior to a show at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida on 11 June 2017 Joshua Tree Tour 2017 stage preshow in Miami 6-11-17.jpg
The stage prior to a show at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida on 11 June 2017

The set was designed by Stufish Entertainment Architects and built by Tait Towers. Willie Williams provided creative direction for the firms and served as the tour's lighting director. [39] The set featured a stage measuring 192 feet (59 m) wide. [40] It utilised a touring frame design called "SPACEFRAME" that was created by Production Resource Group (PRG), which has been involved in each U2 tour since 1992. The SPACEFRAME system was made of carbon fibre and was designed to be lightweight, collapsible, and fully wind braced. U2 were PRG's first client for the product, which was delivered from prototype to final product in 17 weeks. [41] As a result of the system's smaller profile, the band were able to reduce the number of trucks required to transport the framing system; a PRG press release claimed a reduction from seven to three trucks, [41] while a Popular Mechanics article said the final tally of trucks was four, saving $225,000. [42]

The video screen, seen during the band's 16 July 2017 performance in Rome. It measured 200 feet wide by 45 feet high and had a resolution of 7,200 by 1,560 pixels, making it the largest and highest resolution video screen of any concert tour. U2 Joshua Tree Tour 2017 video screen in red for Streets in Rome 7-16-17.jpg
The video screen, seen during the band's 16 July 2017 performance in Rome. It measured 200 feet wide by 45 feet high and had a resolution of 7,200 by 1,560 pixels, making it the largest and highest resolution video screen of any concert tour.

The framing system was used to build an LED video screen measuring 200 feet (61 m) wide by 45 feet (14 m) high. [43] The screen comprised 1,040 individual ROE Visual CB8 LED video panels with an 8 mm (0.31 in) pixel pitch. [43] [44] The screen had a resolution of 7,200 × 1,560 pixels. [10] According to The Guardian , it was the largest and highest resolution video screen used on a concert tour. [45] Williams said it was similar in size to the one used on the band's 1997–1998 PopMart Tour but 400 times the resolution. [3] A "delicate curve" in the screen gave what he described as the illusion of the visuals appearing 3D. [7]

The screen was painted gold with a silver silhouette of a Joshua tree, matching the colour scheme of The Joshua Tree album sleeve. [39] [41] A 30-foot-high (9.1 m) scenic header extended from the top of the video screen, completing the plant's silhouette. Ric Lipson of Stufish said that the screen "looks like a piece of golden cardboard with a sprayed on silver tree" early in the concert, but during the portion of the set list when U2 performed The Joshua Tree in sequence, the screen turned on and displayed high-resolution imagery. [39] A 75-foot-long (23 m) walkway connected the main stage to a B-stage, which was shaped like a Joshua tree and represented a projection of the plant's shadow onto the ground. [2] [40] The B-stage featured lifts that could lower a piano and drum kit below the stage for better sightlines of the band when they performed on the main stage. [40]

PRG provided the tour's 4K (UHD) Broadcast Camera System, the first time it was used on a concert tour. A combination of several products, it connected cameras and LED wall processors via optical fibre cable, a necessity due to the large amount of data transferred and the long distance over which it needed to travel. Designed to operate at the highest broadcast standards, the system provided video at 60 frames per second at a resolution of 3,840 × 2,160 pixels. The broadcast system could be assembled in an hour and be operated by a single video engineer. [41] A terabyte of video was broadcast on the video screen every minute. [42]

The lighting and sound systems were cantilivered over the video screen to eliminate any obstructions in front of it. U2 Joshua Tree Tour 2017 stage in Sao Paulo 10-19-17.jpg
The lighting and sound systems were cantilivered over the video screen to eliminate any obstructions in front of it.

The lighting and sound systems were cantilevered over the video screen from behind on four custom-built Stageco towers, removing any obstructions in front of the screen. The design was suggested by production manager Jake Berry and sound designer Joe O'Herlihy. [3] [39] Lipson said, "We wanted to create a vast background behind the band that would be completely unobscured and pure." [39] For the sound system, 16 Clair Global Cohesion CO-12 speaker cabinets were hung from each cantilever for a total of 64 cabinets. The lowest cabinet was 53 feet from the stage, and the left and right channel speakers were 84 feet apart. For front fill, 16 Cohesion CO-8 speakers were hung from the front elevation of the stage and B-stage ramp, while 32 Cohesion CP-218 subwoofers were located at ground level for bass. [8] One of the innovations implemented on the tour was a new type of spotlight outfitted with a camera called PRG GroundControl. [3] [8] Developed by Williams with PRG, the spotlight allowed an operator using a control unit at ground level to see the fixtures' point-of-view on a video monitor, thus enabling them to operate more than one spotlight. Without the need for lighting riggers, the spotlights could be placed in locations where a person would not fit, thus "negating the need to hoist burly men in yellow T-shirts high into the air". [3]

To accommodate the time required to transport the steel framework between cities and the two-and-a-half days required to build it, three separate sets of steel were used on tour, each one travelling on 16 trucks. As a result, while one structure was in use for a concert, another one was being erected elsewhere while a third was being disassembled. The lighting, sound, and video systems traveled on 30 trucks and required about eight hours to assemble. Tour director Craig Evans estimated that approximately 196 people were employed on tour, including 84 crew members and 42 entourage members who traveled on nine buses. [46]

Several environmentally-friendly initiatives were encouraged amongst tour personnel and concertgoers in an attempt to reduce the band's carbon footprint. Some of the efforts included: encouraging fans to use public transportation; offering compostable merchandise bags; requesting venues to offer paper straws (instead of plastic ones) and reusable beverage cups; offering vegan and vegetarian meals to tour personnel; providing reusable water bottles to tour crew and making water stations available to attendees; recycling guitar strings; and using hydrogen vehicles. Tour environmental advisor Michael Martin tracked the model of each tour vehicle and the mileage they accrued in an attempt to calculate the tour's total carbon dioxide emissions. All of the tour's carbon offsets were validated to meet the CDM Gold Standard. [47]

Show overview

U2 opened shows on the tour by performing on the Joshua tree-shaped B-stage. U2 - Twickenham Stadium - Sunday 9th July 2017 U2Twick090717-14 (35946845695).jpg
U2 opened shows on the tour by performing on the Joshua tree-shaped B-stage.

During the pre-show, poems scrolled on the video screen, including: "The Border: A Double Sonnet" by Alberto Ríos; [48] "Kaddish for Leonard Cohen" and "Ain't You Scared of the Sacred" by George Elliott Clarke; [49] "I Hear America Singing" by Walt Whitman; "Ghazal for White Hen Pantry" by Jamila Woods; [50] and works by Pedro Pietri, Lucille Clifton, [51] and Langston Hughes. [52]

U2 began shows on the B-stage by playing some of their earliest hits, including "Sunday Bloody Sunday", "New Year's Day", and "Pride (In the Name of Love)". [53] The third verse of "New Year's Day" was performed for the first time. [54] Bono said this act of the show comprised "songs that got [the band] to The Joshua Tree", and they were played in the sequence in which they were released. No video reinforcement was used during this portion of the concerts, as the group wanted their fans to concentrate on the music. Bono said he was forced to "make the singing be the connective tissue", adding, "It's nice being ants for a few songs since you've just got to focus on the music since there's nowhere else to look." [4] Williams described this part of the show as "U2 opening for U2", much like how they performed at music festivals with a lower billing earlier in their career. [3]

The video screen displayed UHD visuals, beginning with a performance of "Where the Streets Have No Name", which was accompanied by a film of a desert highway. Where the Streets Have No Name during Joshua Tree Tour 2017 in Pasadena 5-21-17.jpg
The video screen displayed UHD visuals, beginning with a performance of "Where the Streets Have No Name", which was accompanied by a film of a desert highway.

For The Joshua Tree segment of the concerts, the band performed on the main stage against a backdrop of visuals on the video screen. [53] Many of the songs were accompanied by short films depicting desert landscapes that were created by Corbijn. [6] The photographer said his objective was "putting The Joshua Tree into America now". [11] The album's opening song "Where the Streets Have No Name" was accompanied by a slow tracking shot of a desert highway featuring migrants walking. [11] [45] For "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For", a forest of trees was depicted; [55] many of the trees were burnt, which to Corbijn represented a "burnt American dream". [11] During "With or Without You", images of Zabriskie Point were displayed. [3] For "Bullet the Blue Sky", the visuals showed men and women of various ages putting on army helmets while standing in front of an American flag. [56] During the song's performance, Bono shined a handheld spotlight on the Edge, evoking the cover image of the band's 1988 album, Rattle and Hum . [54] For "Trip Through Your Wires", the visuals showed the Edge's wife, choreographer Morleigh Steinberg, dressed as a cowgirl while an American flag was painted on a wooden shack. [3] [45]

Bono portraying a character called the "Shadow Man" during a performance of "Exit" Bono as Shadow Man in Santa Clara on Joshua Tree Tour 2017 5-17-17.jpg
Bono portraying a character called the "Shadow Man" during a performance of "Exit"

Prior to "Exit", a clip from the 1950s Western TV series Trackdown was shown; in the clip, a con man named Trump visits a town and promises he can build a wall around them to protect them from a supposed apocalypse. [11] The band were pleased when Bono discovered it, as they wanted to make a reference to US President Donald Trump during the show without belabouring their point. [3] The clip was followed by an image of hands tattooed "LOVE" and "HATE", inspired by the fanatic preacher/killer character in the film The Night of the Hunter . [53] During the performance of "Exit", Bono wore a black suit and preacher hat and adopted the persona of the "Shadow Man". [53] [4] Taking influence from author Flannery O'Connor, whose works originally inspired the writing of the song, Bono used the Shadow Man to recite lines from O'Connor's novel Wise Blood and the "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe" rhyme. [4]

The encore was described by Bono as a "denouement" intended as an ode to women. Speaking about the inspiration behind the idea, Williams said, "The thought was that we are currently living in a time when we could really use a more feminine spirit in our leadership and a way to illustrate this might be to celebrate some of the great female pioneers of the past." [57] Bono wanted to find "the sort of women that aren't welcome, that President Trump doesn't want in America" and commissioned French artist JR to find such a person. [4] After traveling to the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, he found a 15-year-old Syrian refugee named Omaima. [53] [4] Performances of "Miss Sarajevo" were preceded by a clip of her speaking of America as a dreamland, [53] which Bono said "gives you a kick in the balls, but in the most velvet way". [4] The song was accompanied by footage of the camp's bleak conditions, [58] while audience members passed a large sheet of fabric printed with Omaima's passport photo around the venue. [55] For "Ultraviolet (Light My Way)", the video screen displayed images of historical female figures and achievers. Prior to "One", Bono promoted the ONE Campaign by discussing the fight against HIV/AIDS. [53] Many concerts concluded with a performance of the new song "The Little Things That Give You Away", which was included on the group's subsequent album Songs of Experience . [4] Another song from the album, the lead single "You're the Best Thing About Me", was also performed during the encore. [59] Some concerts closed with "I Will Follow", from the band's first album, Boy (1980). [59]

Reception

U2 performing at Twickenham Stadium in London in July 2017 U2 - Twickenham Stadium - Sunday 9th July 2017 U2Twick090717-19 (35137521003).jpg
U2 performing at Twickenham Stadium in London in July 2017

Critical response

The tour received critical acclaim from critics, many of whom praised the band's performances, the production, and setlist. Alexis Petridis of The Guardian complimented the group for keeping older material contemporaneous through lyrical changes and thematic reinterpretations. He said, "But more striking still is how commanding and confident their performance seems, particularly given that it's not without risks." He concluded his review by describing them as "totally in their element". [60] The Evening Standard and The Independent also gave five star reviews, [61] with the latter calling it "a triumphant experience". [62]

Accolades

At the 2017 Billboard Touring Awards, the tour won for Top Boxscore (at Stade de France on 25–26 July), while receiving nominations for Top Tour and Top Draw. [63] [64] It also won for Top Boxscore at the following year's awards ceremony (for concerts at Estádio do Morumbi on 19, 21–22, and 25 October). [65] At the LOS40 Music Awards 2017, U2 won the Tour of the Year Award. [66] At the 2018 iHeartRadio Music Awards, U2 won the award for Best Tour. [67] The group won two awards for the tour at the 2018 Billboard Music AwardsTop Touring Artist and Top Rock Tour. [68] The tour also received nominations at the American Music Awards of 2017 for Tour of the Year, [69] and the 2017 BBC Music Awards for Live Performance of the Year. [70]

Commercial performance

On the opening leg, the band's two concerts at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena drew 123,164 attendees, grossing $15.7 million. In Chicago, the two shows at Soldier Field sold 105,078 tickets and grossed $13.4 million. [71] The first North American leg of the tour, comprising 20 concerts excluding Bonnaroo, grossed $123.7 million from 1,043,414 tickets sold, [72] ranking the band first among all 2017 global touring artists with an average gross of $7,276,551 per city. [73] The European leg grossed $83 million from 744,454 tickets sold. The second North American leg grossed $38,585,915 from 350,292 tickets sold, [74] maintaining the band's top rank globally with an average gross of $7,229,076 per city. [75] The Latin American leg grossed $70 million from 574,976 tickets sold; [74] the leg and the tour ended with four sold-out shows in São Paulo that sold around 280,000 tickets. In total, the Joshua Tree Tour 2017 drew 2,713,136 attendees from 50 shows and grossed $316,990,940, [76] making it the highest-grossing tour of the year. [77] It also ranked as the year's highest-grossing North American tour with $176.1 million earned. [78]

Set list

This setlist was performed at the 22 September 2017 concert held at SDCCU Stadium in San Diego. It does not represent all shows throughout the tour. [79]

Tour dates

DateCityCountryVenueOpening actsAttendanceRevenue
Leg 1: North America [80]
12 May 2017 Vancouver Canada BC Place Mumford & Sons 45,436 / 45,436$4,321,731
14 May 2017 Seattle United States CenturyLink Field 57,009 / 57,009$6,249,670
17 May 2017 Santa Clara Levi's Stadium 50,072 / 50,072$6,268,805
20 May 2017 Pasadena Rose Bowl The Lumineers 123,164 / 123,164$15,784,565
21 May 2017
24 May 2017 Houston NRG Stadium 47,669 / 47,669$5,889,005
26 May 2017 Arlington AT&T Stadium 49,807 / 49,807$6,044,330
3 June 2017 Chicago Soldier Field 105,078 / 105,078$13,435,925
4 June 2017
7 June 2017 Pittsburgh Heinz Field 41,413 / 41,413$4,273,920
9 June 2017 [lower-alpha 1] Manchester Great Stage Park N/AN/AN/A
11 June 2017 Miami Gardens Hard Rock Stadium OneRepublic 48,494 / 48,494$5,923,665
14 June 2017 Tampa Raymond James Stadium 52,958 / 52,958$6,125,415
16 June 2017 Louisville Papa John's Cardinal Stadium 45,491 / 45,491$4,810,535
18 June 2017 Philadelphia Lincoln Financial Field The Lumineers56,570 / 56,570$6,259,880
20 June 2017 Landover FedExField 49,827 / 49,827$6,286,385
23 June 2017 Toronto Canada Rogers Centre 52,704 / 52,704$5,059,568
25 June 2017 Foxborough United States Gillette Stadium 55,231 / 55,231$6,881,340
28 June 2017 East Rutherford MetLife Stadium 110,642 / 110,642$14,568,805
29 June 2017
1 July 2017 Cleveland FirstEnergy Stadium OneRepublic51,849 / 51,849$5,582,965
Leg 2: Europe [81]
8 July 2017 London England Twickenham Stadium Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds 108,894 / 108,894$14,750,646
9 July 2017
12 July 2017 Berlin Germany Olympiastadion 71,039 / 71,039$7,215,052
15 July 2017 Rome Italy Stadio Olimpico 117,924 / 117,924$12,266,299
16 July 2017
18 July 2017 Barcelona Spain Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys 54,551 / 54,551$5,930,076
22 July 2017 Dublin Ireland Croke Park 80,901 / 80,901$9,963,957
25 July 2017 Saint-Denis France Stade de France 154,486 / 154,486$17,277,631
26 July 2017
29 July 2017 Amsterdam Netherlands Amsterdam Arena 104,708 / 104,708$11,544,870
30 July 2017
1 August 2017 Brussels Belgium King Baudouin Stadium 51,951 / 51,951$6,000,537
Leg 3: North America [82]
3 September 2017 Detroit United States Ford Field Beck 42,905 / 42,905$4,936,605
5 September 2017 Orchard Park New Era Field 41,106 / 41,106$4,269,245
8 September 2017 Minneapolis U.S. Bank Stadium 43,386 / 43,386$4,698,100
10 September 2017 Indianapolis Lucas Oil Stadium 51,731 / 51,731$5,970,055
12 September 2017 Kansas City Arrowhead Stadium 39,593 / 39,593$4,200,160
14 September 2017 New Orleans Mercedes-Benz Superdome 34,536 / 34,536$3,873,405
19 September 2017 Glendale University of Phoenix Stadium 42,814 / 42,814$4,169,215
22 September 2017 San Diego SDCCU Stadium 54,221 / 54,221$6,469,130
Leg 4: Latin America [83]
3 October 2017 Mexico City Mexico Foro Sol Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds117,098 / 117,098$13,896,378
4 October 2017
7 October 2017 Bogotá Colombia Estadio El Campín 39,272 / 39,272$6,449,019
10 October 2017 [lower-alpha 2] La Plata Argentina Estadio Ciudad de La Plata Joystick
Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
86,466 / 86,466$11,078,667
11 October 2017
14 October 2017 Santiago Chile Estadio Nacional de Chile Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds53,422 / 53,422$6,146,221
19 October 2017 São Paulo Brazil Estádio do Morumbi 278,718 / 278,718$32,119,163
21 October 2017
22 October 2017
25 October 2017
Leg 5: Australasia
8 November 2019 Auckland New Zealand Mount Smart Stadium Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
9 November 2019
12 November 2019 Brisbane Australia Suncorp Stadium
15 November 2019 Melbourne Marvel Stadium
19 November 2019 Adelaide Adelaide Oval
22 November 2019 Sydney Sydney Cricket Ground
23 November 2019
27 November 2019 Perth Optus Stadium
4 December 2019 Saitama Japan Saitama Super Arena
5 December 2019
8 December 2019 Seoul South Korea Gocheok Sky Dome
Total2,713,136 / 2,713,136 (100%)$316,990,940

Cancelled shows

List of cancelled concerts, showing date, city, country, venue and reason for cancellation
DateCityCountryVenueReason
16 September 2017 St. Louis United States The Dome at America's Center Safety concerns [35] [36]

Notes

  1. The show on 9 June 2017 in Manchester was part of the Bonnaroo Music Festival.
  2. The show was delayed for two hours due to football match between Ecuador and Argentina

See also

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