U2 (Photo: Sam Jones, via Live Nation)
U2 used the platform of television’s most watched program, Feb. 12, 2023’s Super Bowl, to announce a Las Vegas residency. It wasn’t until April 24, however, that the first dates were finally revealed for “U2: UV Achtung Baby Live at the Sphere,” beginning in Fall 2023 at what has been described as “the world’s most exciting all-new-state-of-the-art venue,” MSG Sphere at the Venetian. Just one day later, another seven performances were added to the residency, based on fan demand: one million ticket requests were reportedly made in the first day of registration for a fan presale. On May 12, yet another five shows were added, bringing the total at the time to 25. The run, which began on Sept. 29 and originally announced just before Super Bowl LVII’s thrilling ending, marks the band’s first live outing in four years. The upcoming dates of Oct. 20-21, 25, 27-28, Nov. 1, 3-4, and Dec. 1-2, 6, 8-9, 13, 15-16, now also include the first dates for U2 in Vegas in 2024. On October 18, U2 and Live Nation announced another 11 concerts to be held Jan. 26-27, 31 as well as Feb. 2-3, 7, 9-10, 15, and 17-18. (That brings the total of the residency to 36.) Tickets for the new concerts, with options for general admission or reserved seating, go on sale Oct. 25 here. Tickets start at $140 and will reflect “all-in” pricing. The venue seats 17,500.
Part of the announcement video for U2’s residency at MSG Sphere at the Venetian in Las Vegas
For these Vegas concerts, U2 is performing without drummer Larry Mullen Jr. who is taking time out to undergo and recuperate from surgery. The band are being joined for these shows by drummer Bram van den Berg joining Bono, The Edge and Adam Clayton onstage at MSG Sphere. In a joint statement, they said, “It’s going to take all we’ve got to approach the Sphere without our bandmate in the drum seat, but Larry has joined us in welcoming Bram van den Berg who is a force in his own right.”
The Edge added, “The beauty of the Sphere is not only the ground-breaking technology that will make it so unique, with the world’s most advanced audio system, integrated into a structure which is designed with sound quality as a priority; it’s also the possibilities around immersive experience in real and imaginary landscapes. In short, it’s a canvas of an unparalleled scale and image resolution and a once-in-a-generation opportunity. We all thought about it and decided we’d be mad not to accept the invitation.”
More from the original Feb. 12 Vegas announcement: MSG Sphere introduces a new medium of entertainment. Fans will feel the impact of the greatest band in the world’s most experiential venue which introduces the first 16K screen that wraps up, around, and behind the audience. Sphere Immersive Sound delivers pitch perfect audio to every seat in the house. 4D technologies will let the audience feel the wind on their face, the heat on their skin and the rumble of thunder. The “U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At The Sphere” opening series of shows will tap into this exclusive technology, allowing fans to experience something completely new.
Watch them perform on opening night at the MGM Sphere
The band released Songs Of Surrender, a collection of 40 of their seminal songs, re-recorded and reimagined in some cases, with new lyrics, in a variety of editions, on March 17.
From the Jan. 11 album announcement: Songs Of Surrender, curated and produced by The Edge, sees U2 revisit some of the most celebrated songs of their 40+ year career, including “With Or Without You,” “One,” “Beautiful Day,” “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “Invisible,” for a musical reimagining resulting in a completely new recording of each track, to include the arrangements and, in some cases, new lyrics.
“Music allows you to time travel,” explained The Edge, “And we became curious to find out what it would be like to bring our early songs back with us to the present day and give them the benefit, or otherwise, of a 21st century reimagining.
“What started out as an experiment quickly developed into a personal obsession as so many of our songs yielded to a new interpretation. Intimacy replaced post punk urgency. New tempos, new keys, and in some cases new chords and new lyrics arrived. A great song, it turns out is kind of indestructible.
“The process of selecting which songs to revisit started with a series of demos. I looked at how a song would hang together if all but the bare essential elements were taken away. The other main aim was to find ways to bring intimacy into the songs, as most of them were originally written with live concert performance in mind.
“Reviewing these sketch recordings with producer Bob Ezrin, it was very easy to see the ones that worked straight off the bat and those that needed more work. We all got into the sensibility of less is more.”
Watch the lyric video for the new version of “Pride (In the Name of Love)”
The 40 newly recorded tracks are collected together under each of the four band member names across four separate “albums.” A limited and numbered Super Deluxe Collector’s box set is packaged in an 8-panel embossed digi-sleeve with 2x 12-page booklets on mat art paper, with new lyrics by Bono, exclusive photos by Anton Corbijn and liner notes from The Edge.
The Edge adds, “Hearing the songs interact, and finding the running orders for the four albums was really thrilling; finding the surprising segues, getting a chance to DJ. Once we had four distinct albums it was easy to see who would be the figurehead for each one.”
The complete track listing appears below the Amazon links.
U2 Songs Of Surrender Track Listing
Side 1 – The Edge
1. One
2. Where The Streets Have No Name
3. Stories For Boys
4. 11 O’Clock Tick Tock
5. Out Of Control
6. Beautiful Day
7. Bad
8. Every Breaking Wave
9. Walk On (Ukraine)
10. Pride (In The Name Of Love)
Side 2 – Larry
1. Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
2. Get Out Of Your Own Way
3. Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of
4. Red Hill Mining Town
5. Ordinary Love
6. Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own
7. Invisible
8. Dirty Day
9. The Miracle Of Joey Ramone
10. City Of Blinding Lights
Side 3 – Adam
1. Vertigo
2. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
3. Electrical Storm
4. The Fly
5. If God Will Send His Angels
6. Desire
7. Until The End Of The World
8. Song For Someone
9. All I Want Is You
10. Peace On Earth
Side 4 – Bono
1. With Or Without You
2. Stay
3. Sunday Bloody Sunday
4. Lights Of Home
5. Cedarwood Road
6. I Will Follow
7. Two Hearts Beat As One
8. Miracle Drug
9. The Little Things That Give You Away
10. 40
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