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  1. Originally posted by yeah:[..]

    Don't think that it would be worth the effort to have an alternate concept for about 10 gigs only.
    And that doesn't answer the question how they keep the PA, screens, lights and pillars out of sight in stadiums that don't have a closed roof.


    i wasn't referring to closed stadiums, just arenas and stadiums...but we don't know if they're playing arenas this time around
  2. Maybe a huge tower, existing out of small pillars, and the whole screen upon it?
  3. My two off the wall ideas.

    1 If they play in the round, the stage slowly rotates.
    2. The video screens are part of the the stage floor.
  4. They will figure out the logistics.

    I have a book about the concert industry in the 1990's. There is a HUGE chapter about Popmart. It details everything from lights to staging to instuments to well... everything.

    The funny story was when Wille presented the model of the stage. Joe O'Herlihy (longtime soundman) walked up behind them and said: Where are the speakers? (Which to that point had usually been stage right and stage left in previous tours).

    Seems that made all in the meeting give a collective sigh and a groan of 'oh feck, we didn't think of that.'.

    In the end, they settled on the pantone orange speakers in the middle of the arch.
  5. Originally posted by anstratdubh1979:They will figure out the logistics.

    I have a book about the concert industry in the 1990's. There is a HUGE chapter about Popmart. It details everything from lights to staging to instuments to well... everything.

    The funny story was when Wille presented the model of the stage. Joe O'Herlihy (longtime soundman) walked up behind them and said: Where are the speakers? (Which to that point had usually been stage right and stage left in previous tours).

    Seems that made all in the meeting give a collective sigh and a groan of 'oh feck, we didn't think of that.'.

    In the end, they settled on the pantone orange speakers in the middle of the arch.


    Popmart I wouldn't mind at all if they used the whole Popmart stage again. It was ridiculous
  6. I wonder if they will do something with the No Line On The Horizon theme..

    Elevation had this heart-shaped stage, Vertigo had the circles at (not all) the gigs...
  7. A rotating stage would suck sooo much. Would take too long to revolve, it would have to be highly elevated, what about all the under stage equipment, how noisy would it be, wiring. . . . .
  8. Originally posted by germcevoy:A rotating stage would suck sooo much. Would take too long to revolve, it would have to be highly elevated, what about all the under stage equipment, how noisy would it be, wiring. . . . .


    The whole stage rotating wouldn't work.

    What would work is if the drum riser did and the band would then have the amps and other backline gear under the stage.

    In some ways, that would be better as all the guitar and bass amps could be isolated and mic'd. It'd probably be far easier for Joe O'Herlihy.

    They would not need the amps on stage as they use in-ear monitors and as mentioned, with everything under the stage it would be a more controlled environment.

    Then Adam, Bono, Edge could go anywhere and everywhere - unihibitied. In that, then they could rotate Larry - if they wanted to - and more importantly if LARRY wanted to.

    Ofcourse if they did that... us 'gear freaks' would be annoyed to not be able to see what effects are in the racks and what amps are being used...

    Anywho... as usual... time will tell. We will find out soon enough!


  9. don't like the first idea, comes off as tacky, at least to me.....but the second sounds interesting but i don't see how it would be practical
  10. ok. went for a long run while listening to the Elevation Chicago DVD audio and thought a lot about the IN-THE-ROUND idea. I have been hoping for this, and after Lanois' comments it sounds like it could be a possibility. How it all actually works is an interesting topic though

    (keep in mind the example below is just me making it up outta my head, it obviously in no way represents what they're gonna do...i'm just throwin ideas out, but this could be cool)

    There are pluses and minuses to the idea, and for anyone who's scene a show in-the-round, like Foos, or Metallica, or countless others, they know this. the key for me is that U2 will do it BETTER, and make sure it's top notch compared to those before them

    the elliptical is WAY worn out, can't see them doing it again, BUT they need the ability to get closer to the audience, so a portion of that concept has to stay

    couple things a stage design like this could do:

    (1) get everyone closer. Now even the farthest people in the back of GA (especially in a huge stadium) will be half as close as normal, since the in-the-round stage is centered for everyone
    (2) the spokes coming out are an obvious option, but having them elevated could allow for space to have video/fx ala Popmart in those areas, really tying the video/fx into the overall stage layout instead of just having it hanging from above (of course in an Arena they could do both)
    (3) Would allow (for the first time) for the band members to get out and up near some of the seated audience, instead of only letting GA get close (with the ellipse). This could be similar to how Coldplay had a B-Stage up in the upper level somewhere on their latest tour...not near as drastic of course, but it gives the whole crowd a great vantage point, and puts the band on different "levels" at certain times, something they've never done
    (4) A spinning stage would be tough, and a little annoying. BUT a slowly rotating drum riser during songs could be greatness, the drummer is the only player where it doesn't matter where you're looking at him from. Watching Larry drum from behind would be a great view, like Lanios' said
    (5) Guitar/Bass Amps would have to be mic'ed out of view under stage (which is kinda un-rocknroll, so i doubt it) or somehow sunken into stage so they are lowered not to block any audience view. In the end they are depending solely on in-ears these days so it's more of a visual thing than anything
    (6) Band/techs could easily enter thru trap doors at end of ramps, tech stations could be with those or something like that
    (7) lastly, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, this would really free up the band to be mobile, strutting slowly around the stage to give the entire audience great views, and make for some great interaction between them all.

    Again, this is me just brainstorming. Can't freakin wait to see what they pull off. I'l be there front row, first show, no matter where in the world it is!!!!

    DISCUSS......


  11. Originally posted by germcevoy:A rotating stage would suck sooo much. Would take too long to revolve, it would have to be highly elevated, what about all the under stage equipment, how noisy would it be, wiring. . . . .


    Yeah, in the model above, what about the people to the left and right? There always gonna be people who don't see a thing, or don't see a thing half of the time. Maybe only on video.

    What they could do is a 360-degrees video-view above the centered stage to give everyone a view at the band at anytime. But then again, it's still video, and not real.

    I really hope, really hope, that they will not build a 360 degrees stage
  12. Originally posted by Remy:[..]

    Yeah, in the model above, what about the people to the left and right? There always gonna be people who don't see a thing, or don't see a thing half of the time. Maybe only on video.

    What they could do is a 360-degrees video-view above the centered stage to give everyone a view at the band at anytime. But then again, it's still video, and not real.

    I really hope, really hope, that they will not build a 360 degrees stage


    I'm not gonna say this until I saw a design of it, but I hope for 'just' a PopMart-like stage...

    @ gigfx: Great post, like your picture. That would be a cool stage...

    BTW What about a stage (without screens) and one very long 'catwalk', until the other side of the stadium? And loads of videoscreens next to the catwalk...
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Contribute to the U2 community with uploading photos or by telling us which shows you have visited.
Contribute to the U2 community with uploading photos or by telling us which shows you have visited.
Contribute to the U2 community with uploading photos or by telling us which shows you have visited.