Tour by U2 | |
Location |
|
---|---|
Associated album | The Unforgettable Fire |
Start date | 29 August 1984 |
End date | 25 August 1985 |
Legs | 6 |
No. of shows | 111 |
U2 concert chronology |
The Unforgettable Fire Tour was a concert tour by Irish rock band U2 that took place in 1984 and 1985 in support of band's album The Unforgettable Fire . Beginning in August 1984 with the band's first tour to Australia and New Zealand, the tour spanned four further legs which included 43 concerts in Europe and 50 in North America.
Initially challenged by the sonic complexity of the new album's material, the band were able to translate the complex layered atmospheric textures of the new studio-recorded tracks to live performance through the use of programmed sequencers, which the band until then had been reluctant to use. Since then sequencers are now used on the majority of U2 songs in performance. Songs criticised as being "unfinished", "fuzzy" and "unfocused" on the album, including the live favourite, "Bad", made more sense on stage.
For the first time, U2 consistently played in arenas instead of smaller halls and theatres, and sometimes for multiple nights. The group had reached the level of popularity where this was possible, but had not yet broken out into widespread fame and familiarity among the general rock and pop audience; that would come in 1987 with the release of The Joshua Tree . The band's now renowned performance at Live Aid in July 1985, was watched by millions on television and brought them to a new level of fame and exposure.
Dubbed the leg "Under Australian Skies", [1] the band's first tour of Australia and New Zealand took place between The Unforgettable Fire's completion and its release. Plans to visit the two countries were discussed in 1982, and the band had intended to play there in late 1983 but were too tired from the War Tour. Although it had taken years to build up an audience through constant touring in Europe and North America, the band started playing sports arenas straightaway in Australia and New Zealand. The first show was on 29 August 1984 at the Town Hall Auditorium in Christchurch. [2]
Six shows were added when the first nine sold out. 60,000 tickets were sold for five sell-out shows at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, which was the band's largest audience to date in a single city. [1] Not having had time to rehearse the new album's songs for live performance, and as they had never played the two countries before, the band played a setlist based on the previous "War Tour". New songs from the album were rehearsed during soundchecks, and "Pride (In the Name of Love)"—which was released as the album's first single in August—and "The Unforgettable Fire" were played from the fourth date onwards. [1] The final Australian show was on 24 September 1984 at Perth Entertainment Centre, and The Unforgettable Fire was released on 1 October 1984. [1]
The tour's second leg consisted of 21 shows in halls and arenas in Western Europe, and ran during October and November 1984. [3] Following the largely War Tour setlist and presentation of the first leg, the band adapted the shows to the dreamy nature of the new album, and transformed the visual nature of the show. Pursuing a more subtle stage presentation, the band relied more on the moods transcending from the music and lighting as opposed to Bono's active stage antics of previous tours. [4] When "The Unforgettable Fire" song was played, for example, slides with Japanese writings and lithographs from the exhibit from which the song takes its name were projected onto a white backdrop. During "New Years Day", long white banners were lowered from the ceiling, and during "Pride", a portrait of Martin Luther King Jr. was projected. While illustrating the songs, the images were intended to bridge the gap between the audience rather than having Bono run around the stage. [4]
The leg was initially meant to start in Rotterdam on 1 October, the day of the album's release, but concerts between 1 and 17 October were postponed until 1985 or cancelled to allow U2 more time to rehearse the new songs. Translating the complex layered atmospheric textures of the new studio-recorded tracks to live performance proved a serious challenge. [1] One solution was programmed sequencers, which the band until then had been reluctant to use, on sonically elaborate new songs such as "The Unforgettable Fire" and "Bad". Since then sequencers are now used on the majority of U2 songs in performance. [1] Songs criticised as being "unfinished", "fuzzy" and "unfocused" on the album, made more sense on stage. Rolling Stone , for example, critical of the album version of "Bad", described its live performance as a 'show stopper'. [5]
The third leg was 10 dates in major United States cities in December 1984, and was intended to gain positive notices in the press and provide a teaser of a major American tour in the first half of 1985. While a couple of shows were in arenas, most shows were in halls and theatres and demand for tickets significantly outstripped supply indicating that U2 would no longer be able to play these smaller venues. [6]
After a five-week break, the band returned to Western Europe for 13 shows in January and February 1985, playing cities that had been missed on the previous European leg, including replacement shows for those cancelled in October 1984. The leg included 5 shows in West Germany and the band's first concert in Italy. [7]
The fifth leg comprised 40 shows, in 29 cities in the United States and Canada. It ran from late February to early May 1985, and was played solely in arenas for the first time, with multiple nights in many of the locations. [8]
The band had reached the level of popularity where this was possible, but had not yet broken out into widespread fame and familiarity among the general rock and pop audience; that would come in 1987 with the release of The Joshua Tree . The Unforgettable Fire Tour popularity level is sometimes referred to as "mass cult", and is similar to, say, what Bruce Springsteen had on his River Tour before Born in the U.S.A. or what Metallica had on their Damaged Justice tour before their Black Album . It made for intense concerts in this instance, because it provided a very large but fully devoted audience, with fans standing on chairs for the entire performance and continuing "40" refrains long after the show was over.
U2 received 12 invitations to play from European festival promoters of which they played nine from late May through to mid July 1985. Also in this period, they played a homecoming concert at Dublin's Croke Park, their first headlining show in a stadium. [9]
U2 participated in the Live Aid concert at Wembley Stadium for Ethiopian famine relief on 13 July 1985. [10] During the song "Bad", Bono leapt down off the stage to embrace and dance with a fan. Initially thinking they'd "blown it", it was a breakthrough moment for the band, showing a television audience of millions the personal connection that Bono could make with audiences. [11]
All of U2's albums re-entered the charts in the UK after their performance. In 1985, Rolling Stone called U2 the "Band of the 80's", saying that "for a growing number of rock-and-roll fans, U2 have become the band that matters most, maybe even the only band that matters." [12]
A fashion industry friend of Clayton's, Marian Smyth, was contacted to organise a concert wardrobe for the band. She shopped in London, Paris, and Florence and showed the band her suggestions during their May 1984 recording sessions at Slane Castle. When the band asked her for advice for someone to go manage their wardrobe on tour, she nominated herself. [13]
Some Unforgettable Fire numbers were not even attempted, although "4th of July" was played over the PA as an introduction and cue for the band.
A performance of "Bad", from National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham on 11 November 1984, was released on the Wide Awake in America EP in May 1985, and was chosen by many radio programmers for airplay over the studio version. "Bad" was also the highlight of the Live Aid performance mentioned above, and has continued to be played up through the band's 360° Tour. After being played relatively rarely during the Innocence and Experience tour, It was resurrected (with snippets of Simon & Garfunkel's "America") for the Joshua Tree Tours 2017 and 2019.
As with all U2 tours from 1983 on, the stage and lighting design for the Unforgettable Fire Tour was done by Willie Williams. In this case, the stage was plain and the lighting was very austere, mostly all white except when use of colour would be meaningful.
Red Rockers and Lone Justice split the opening act assignment during the long North American leg. Matt Finish supported the band in Australia, the Mockers in New Zealand. Waterboys supported for UK dates.
Date | City | Country | Venue | Opening acts | Attendance | Revenue |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Leg 1: Oceania (Under Australian Skies) [1] | ||||||
29 August 1984 | Christchurch | New Zealand | Christchurch Town Hall | — | — | — |
31 August 1984 | Wellington | Show Building | — | — | ||
1 September 1984 | Auckland | Logan Campbell Centre | — | — | ||
2 September 1984 | ||||||
4 September 1984 | Sydney | Australia | Sydney Entertainment Centre | Matt Finish | — | — |
5 September 1984 | ||||||
6 September 1984 | ||||||
8 September 1984 | ||||||
9 September 1984 | ||||||
11 September 1984 | Brisbane | Brisbane Festival Hall | — | — | — | |
13 September 1984 | Melbourne | Sports and Entertainment Centre | — | — | ||
14 September 1984 | ||||||
15 September 1984 | ||||||
17 September 1984 | ||||||
18 September 1984 | ||||||
20 September 1984 | Adelaide | Apollo Entertainment Centre | — | — | ||
21 September 1984 | ||||||
23 September 1984 | Perth | Perth Entertainment Centre | — | — | ||
24 September 1984 | ||||||
Leg 2: Europe [3] | ||||||
18 October 1984 | Lyon | France | Halle Tony Garnier | Big Audio Dynamite | — | — |
19 October 1984 | Marseille | Marseilles Stadium | — | — | ||
20 October 1984 | Toulouse | Palais des Sports | — | — | ||
22 October 1984 | Bordeaux | Patinoire | — | — | ||
23 October 1984 | Nantes | St Herblain | — | — | ||
25 October 1984 | Paris | Espace Ballard | The Alarm | — | — | |
27 October 1984 | Brussels | Belgium | Forest National | — | — | |
28 October 1984 | ||||||
30 October 1984 | Rotterdam | Netherlands | Ahoy | — | — | — |
31 October 1984 | ||||||
2 November 1984 | London | England | Brixton Academy | — | — | |
3 November 1984 | ||||||
5 November 1984 | Edinburgh | Scotland | Playhouse | — | — | |
6 November 1984 | Glasgow | Barrowlands | — | — | ||
7 November 1984 | ||||||
9 November 1984 | Manchester | England | Apollo | — | — | |
10 November 1984 | ||||||
12 November 1984 | Birmingham | National Exhibition Centre | — | — | ||
14 November 1984 | London | Wembley Arena | — | — | ||
15 November 1984 | ||||||
21 November 1984 [lower-alpha 1] | Dortmund | West Germany | Westfalenhallen | — | — | |
Leg 3: North America [6] | ||||||
1 December 1984 | Upper Darby | United States | Tower Theater | — | — | — |
2 December 1984 | Worcester | The Centrum | 11,058 / 11,058 | $144,029 | ||
3 December 1984 | New York City | Radio City Music Hall | 5,874 / 5,874 | $91,146 | ||
5 December 1984 | Washington, D.C. | DAR Constitution Hall | — | — | ||
7 December 1984 | Toronto | Canada | Massey Hall | — | — | |
8 December 1984 | Detroit | United States | Fox Theatre | — | — | |
9 December 1984 | Cleveland | Music Hall | — | — | ||
11 December 1984 | Chicago | Aragon Ballroom | 5,500 / 5,500 | $66,480 | ||
15 December 1984 | San Francisco | Civic Auditorium | 8,472 / 8,472 | $114,780 | ||
16 December 1984 | Long Beach | Long Beach Arena | 13,974 / 13,974 | $179,978 | ||
Leg 4: Europe [7] | ||||||
23 January 1985 | Drammen | Norway | Drammenshallen | — | — | — |
25 January 1985 | Stockholm | Sweden | Stockholm Ice Stadium | — | — | |
26 January 1985 | Gothenburg | Scandinavium | — | — | ||
28 January 1985 | Hamburg | West Germany | Kongresszentrum | — | — | |
29 January 1985 | Offenbach | Stadthalle Offenbach | — | — | ||
31 January 1985 | Cologne | Sporthalle | — | — | ||
1 February 1985 | Mannheim | Musensaal | — | — | ||
2 February 1985 | Munich | Rudi-Sedlmayer-Halle | — | — | ||
4 February 1985 | Milan | Italy | Teatro Tenda Lampugnano | — | — | |
5 February 1985 | Bologna | Teatro Tenda | — | — | ||
6 February 1985 | ||||||
8 February 1985 | Zürich | Switzerland | Hallenstadion | — | — | |
10 February 1985 | Paris | France | Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy | — | — | |
Leg 5: North America [8] | ||||||
25 February 1985 | Dallas | United States | Reunion Arena | — | — | — |
26 February 1985 | Austin | Frank Erwin Center | 11,633 / 11,633 | $133,339 | ||
27 February 1985 | Houston | The Summit | — | — | ||
1 March 1985 | Phoenix | Compton Terrace | — | — | ||
2 March 1985 | Los Angeles | Sports Arena | 45,071 / 45,071 | $648,014 | ||
4 March 1985 | ||||||
5 March 1985 | ||||||
7 March 1985 | Daly City | Cow Palace | 29,000 / 29,000 | $391,500 | ||
8 March 1985 | ||||||
11 March 1985 | Honolulu | Neal S. Blaisdell Arena | 8,178 / 8,850 | $110,402 | ||
17 March 1985 | Denver | McNichols Sports Arena | 17,457 / 17,457 | $217,464 | ||
19 March 1985 | Minneapolis | Minneapolis Auditorium | — | — | ||
21 March 1985 | Chicago | University of Illinois Pavilion | Red Rockers | — | — | |
22 March 1985 | — | |||||
23 March 1985 | Detroit | Joe Louis Arena | — | — | ||
25 March 1985 | Richfield | Richfield Coliseum | — | — | ||
27 March 1985 | Montreal | Canada | Montreal Forum | — | — | |
28 March 1985 | Toronto | Maple Leaf Gardens | 17,000 / 17,000 | $225,403 | ||
30 March 1985 | Ottawa | Ottawa Civic Centre | — | — | ||
1 April 1985 | New York City | United States | Madison Square Garden | — | — | |
2 April 1985 | Providence | Providence Civic Center | 13,349 / 13,349 | $169,569 | ||
3 April 1985 | Uniondale | Nassau Coliseum | — | — | ||
8 April 1985 | Landover | Capital Centre | — | — | ||
9 April 1985 | Pittsburgh | Civic Arena | 16,049 / 16,049 [14] | — | ||
10 April 1985 | Hampton | Hampton Coliseum | — | — | ||
12 April 1985 | East Rutherford | Brendan Byrne Arena | 61,715 / 61,715 | $786,957 | ||
14 April 1985 | ||||||
15 April 1985 | ||||||
16 April 1985 | Worcester | The Centrum | Lone Justice | 37,416 / 37,416 | $482,391 | |
18 April 1985 | ||||||
19 April 1985 | ||||||
20 April 1985 | Hartford | Hartford Civic Center | — | 15,606 / 15,506 | $203,869 | |
22 April 1985 | Philadelphia | Spectrum | 18,455 / 18,455 | $233,031 | ||
23 April 1985 | Hartford | Hartford Civic Center | Lone Justice | 15,606 / 15,506 | $203,869 | |
24 April 1985 | Philadelphia | Spectrum | 18,455 / 18,455 | $233,031 | ||
29 April 1985 | Atlanta | The Omni | — | — | — | |
30 April 1985 | Jacksonville | Jacksonville Memorial Coliseum | Red Rockers | — | — | |
2 May 1985 | Tampa | Sun Dome | — | 10,907 / 11,200 | $147,244 | |
3 May 1985 | Pembroke Pines | Hollywood Sportatorium | — | — | ||
4 May 1985 | ||||||
Leg 6: European Summer Festivals [9] | ||||||
25 May 1985 [lower-alpha 2] | Nürburg | West Germany | Nürburgring | — | — | — |
26 May 1985 [lower-alpha 3] | Stuttgart | Neckarstadion | — | — | ||
27 May 1985 [lower-alpha 4] | Münster | Freigelande Halle Munsterland | — | — | ||
1 June 1985 | Basel | Switzerland | St. Jakob Stadium | — | — | |
22 June 1985 [lower-alpha 5] | Milton Keynes | England | Milton Keynes Bowl | — | — | |
29 June 1985 | Dublin | Ireland | Croke Park | Squeeze The Alarm R.E.M. In Tua Nua | — | — |
6 July 1985 [lower-alpha 6] | Torhout | Belgium | Torhout Festivalpark | — | — | — |
7 July 1985 [lower-alpha 7] | Werchter | Werchter Festivalpark | — | — | ||
13 July 1985 [lower-alpha 8] | London | England | Wembley Stadium | — | — | |
25 August 1985 [lower-alpha 9] | Cork | Ireland | The Lee Fields | — | — |
U2 are an Irish rock band formed in Dublin 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 chiming, effects-based guitar sounds. Bono's lyrics, often embellished with spiritual imagery, focus on personal and sociopolitical themes. Popular for their live performances, the group have staged several elaborate tours over their career.
The Unforgettable Fire is the fourth studio album by Irish rock band U2. It was produced by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, and released on 1 October 1984 by Island Records. The band wanted to pursue a new musical direction following the harder-hitting rock of their previous album, War (1983). As a result, they employed Eno and Lanois to produce and assist in their experimentation with a more ambient sound. The resulting change in direction was at the time the band's most dramatic. The album's title is a reference to "The Unforgettable Fire", an art exhibit about the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
Wide Awake in America is a four-track extended play by Irish rock band U2. It was released on 20 May 1985 through Island Records. It combines two live performances of songs from the group's 1984 album The Unforgettable Fire with two B-sides from the era, which had previously been available only in the United Kingdom. Wide Awake in America was originally released only in North America and Japan but it charted in the UK as an import. It was re-released internationally in 1990.
The Zoo TV Tour was a worldwide concert tour by rock band U2. Staged in support of their 1991 album Achtung Baby, the tour visited arenas and stadiums from 1992 to 1993. It was intended to mirror the group's new musical direction on Achtung Baby. In contrast to U2's austere stage setups from previous tours, the Zoo TV Tour was an elaborately staged multimedia spectacle, satirising television and media oversaturation by attempting to instill "sensory overload" in its audience. To escape their reputation for being earnest and over-serious, U2 embraced a more lighthearted and self-deprecating image on tour. Zoo TV and Achtung Baby were central to the group's 1990s reinvention.
The PopMart Tour was a worldwide concert tour by rock band U2. Staged in support of the group's 1997 album Pop, the tour's concerts were performed in stadiums and parks in 1997 and 1998. Much like the band's previous Zoo TV Tour, PopMart was an elaborate production. Its lavish stage design had a 165-foot-wide (50 m) LED screen, a 100-foot-high (30 m) golden arch, and a large mirror-ball lemon. As with the Zoo TV Tour, the band delivered an image and performance that were ironic and self-mocking on PopMart, deviating from their earnest performances of the 1980s; the band performed in costumes that, along with the stage design, poked fun at the themes of consumerism and pop culture.
The Vertigo Tour was a worldwide concert tour by the Irish rock band U2. Staged in support of the group's 2004 album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, the tour visited arenas and stadiums between March 2005 and December 2006. The Vertigo Tour consisted of five legs that alternated between indoor arena shows in North America and outdoor stadium shows internationally. Much like the previous Elevation Tour, the indoor portion of the Vertigo Tour featured a stripped-down, intimate stage design. Protruding from the main stage was an ellipse-shaped catwalk that encapsulated a small number of fans.
The Lovetown Tour was a concert tour by the Irish rock band U2, which took place in late 1989 and early 1990 following the release of Rattle and Hum. It was documented by noted rock film director Richard Lowenstein in the "LoveTown" documentary.
"The Unforgettable Fire" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the title track of their fourth album (1984), and was released as the album's second single in April 1985. The band cited an art exhibition by victims of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that was held at The Peace Museum in Chicago as the lyrical inspiration for the song. It became U2's first number one single in Ireland, their third top-ten hit in the United Kingdom, reaching number six on the UK Singles Chart, and reached number eight on the Dutch singles chart.
"Pride (In the Name of Love)" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the second track on the band's 1984 album, The Unforgettable Fire, and was released as its lead single in September 1984. The song was produced by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. Written about the American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., "Pride" received mixed critical reviews at the time, but it was a major commercial success for U2 and has since become one of their most popular songs, as well as being re-evaluated positively by many as one of the greatest songs of all time. It appeared on the band's compilation albums The Best of 1980–1990 and U218 Singles and was reworked and re-recorded for Songs of Surrender (2023).
The Elevation Tour was a worldwide concert tour by Irish rock band U2. Staged in support of the group's 2000 album All That You Can't Leave Behind, the tour visited arenas across North America and Europe in 2001. Contrasting with the extravagant, outdoor productions of the band's previous two live ventures, the Zoo TV Tour (1992–1993) and the PopMart Tour (1997–1998), the Elevation Tour saw them return to indoor arenas with a much more stripped-down, intimate stage design. The stage featured a heart-shaped catwalk that encircled many audience members, and festival seating was offered in the United States for the first time in the group's history.
The Joshua Tree Tour was a concert tour by Irish rock band U2. Staged in support of their 1987 album The Joshua Tree, it comprised 109 shows over three legs, spanning from April to December that year. The first and third legs visited North America, while the second leg toured Europe. While it reflects previous tours in minimal production, the Joshua Tree Tour was the first to involve larger venues in arenas and stadiums as a result of the album's breakthrough. Like the themes of its parent album, the tour has the group exploring social and political concerns, along with American roots and mythology, collaborating with American guest musicians and opening acts such as B. B. King. U2 also recorded new material; these songs and the band's experiences on tour were depicted on the 1988 album and documentary film Rattle and Hum and on the 2007 video and live album Live from Paris. Territories that this tour missed would later be covered by Rattle and Hum's Lovetown Tour.
The War Tour was a concert tour by the Irish rock band U2, which took place in 1982 and 1983 in support of the group's third album War. The tour took place in Western Europe, the United States, Canada and Japan, with new material from War taking an increasing role as the tour progressed. Venues were mostly halls, but some arenas were introduced later on. U2's performances were very well received both critically and commercially, especially in the United States where U2 broke through to become a major act. Scenes of lead singer Bono waving a white flag during the song "Sunday Bloody Sunday" became an emblematic image of this phase of U2's career. It was their first tour as full-time headlining act and their first to be profitable.
"Bad" is a song by Irish rock band U2 and the seventh track on their 1984 album, The Unforgettable Fire. Thematically, the song is about heroin addiction, though lead vocalist Bono has given varying accounts of who was the inspiration behind his lyrics. "Bad" is considered a fan favourite and is one of U2's most frequently performed songs in concert. The band's 12-minute performance of the song at the Live Aid charity concert in 1985 was a breakthrough moment for them.
"October" is the seventh and title track from U2's 1981 album, October. It is a departure from U2's classic sound, as it is a quiet, almost instrumental piece. It was included as a hidden track on The Best of 1980–1990 compilation. It is the only track from October included in the compilation.
"A Sort of Homecoming" is a song by Irish rock band U2, and is the opening track on their 1984 album, The Unforgettable Fire. A live version of the track is found on 1985's four-track EP, Wide Awake in America.
"Sunday Bloody Sunday" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the opening track from their 1983 album War and was released as the album's third single on 21 March 1983 in the Netherlands and West Germany. "Sunday Bloody Sunday" is noted for its militaristic drumbeat, harsh guitar, and melodic harmonies. One of U2's most overtly political songs, its lyrics describe the horror felt by an observer of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, mainly focusing on the 1972 Bloody Sunday incident in Derry where British troops shot and killed unarmed civil rights protesters. Along with "New Year's Day", the song helped U2 reach a wider listening audience. It was generally well received by critics on the album's release.
U2 Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky is a concert film by Irish rock band U2. It was recorded on 5 June 1983 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado, United States, on the group's War Tour. Originally released in 1984 on videocassette, U2 Live at Red Rocks was the band's first video release. It accompanied a 1983 live album entitled Under a Blood Red Sky, on which two tracks from the film appear. The video was directed by Gavin Taylor and produced by Rick Wurpel and Doug Stewart.
This is a timeline of the history of rock band U2:
"One Tree Hill" is a song by Irish rock band U2 and the ninth track on their 1987 album The Joshua Tree. In March 1988, it was released as the fourth single from the album in New Zealand and Australia, while "In God's Country" was released as the fourth single in North America. "One Tree Hill" charted at number one on the New Zealand Singles Chart and was the country's second-most-successful hit of 1988.
The Innocence + Experience Tour was a worldwide concert tour by rock band U2. Staged in support of the band's 2014 album Songs of Innocence, the tour visited arenas throughout 2015. It was U2's first time playing arenas since 2005–2006 on their Vertigo Tour. Comprising two legs and 76 concerts, the Innocence + Experience Tour began on 14 May 2015 in Vancouver, Canada. It visited North America from May through July, and Europe from September through December. Shows were predominantly booked in pairs for each market.