u2 tours in the past

U2 Tour History

Top Tours · Just Announced · USA · Europe · 2025 Tours

Statistics Stats
You are here:

Setlist History: U2’s First North America Show 37 Years Ago Today

Setlist History
Last updated: 10 Aug 2022, 21:32:39
Published: 6 Dec 2017, 14:00:00
Written by: Sean Kayden
Photography by: Kyle Dean Reinford
Categories: Setlist History Tagged: U2

There's no contesting it, U2 is one of the biggest bands of all time. They sell out arenas all across the globe every time they’re on tour. Last week, they released their fourteenth album, Songs Of Experience , with their sixteenth concert tour set for 2018. But even U2 had to start somewhere, right? Before these Irish lads became the iconic rockstars they are today, they released their very first record in 1980 called Boy . And on December 6, 1980, Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. made their US debut at The Ritz in New York, New York.

They were just one of a few bands set to perform that evening, with roughly 25-plus people in attendance. In a fan review , it was said that people were dancing and clapping and had actually watched the band play, despite their unfamiliarity with the Dublin quartet. Being the final act of the night, the room quickly chanted, “Encore! Encore!,” soon after U2 walked off stage. A few minutes later Bono and company returned, picked up their instruments, and played their two final songs of the night. They started the encore with the punk-rock tune, “ Out of Control ,” which is found on their debut record. Bono said that it had become tradition for them to play their opening song as an encore, and therefore, performed the song “ 11 O'Clock Tick Tock ” to close out the set. While the song didn’t make the cut to their debut album, Boy, it had been released as a prior one-off single. It later appeared on the 1983 live album, Under a Blood Red Sky.

U2’s first North America show on that December day wasn’t intended to be their first as their scheduled show the night before at the Penny Arcade in Rochester, New York had been cancelled. However, their performance at the Ritz was received with a strong, positive response from the audience, which thrilled Frank Barsalona, head of the Premier Talent booking agency. While 1980's Boy doesn’t feature any of the band’s classics such as, “ One ,” " Sunday Bloody Sunday, ” or “ With or Without You ,” the opening track, “I Will Follow,” is their second most performed song of all time, according to our records . U2’s Boy Tour wrapped up in 1981 with a total of 151 performances.

To see U2 next year on their eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour, visit Live Nation.

Latest News

Billie Eilish Reveals Dates for HIT ME HARD AND SOFT: The Tour

Stagecoach '24 Covers: Lana, Post Malone, Jelly Roll, Tenille T

Stagecoach Fans Shocked by Eric Church's Gospel-Heavy Set

Gene Simmons Band Rocks Washington Before Heading Overseas

Most played songs.

I Will Follow ( 1060 )
Pride (In the Name of Love) ( 1026 )
Sunday Bloody Sunday ( 948 )
Where the Streets Have No Name ( 945 )
With or Without You ( 879 )

More U2 statistics

Gigs seen live by

24,964 people have seen U2 live.

BodhoVox acsetlist the_kid_721 billmoriarty msnkilroy bringcitrus rafa3000 humanofballads Kappy22 garettnell henryrush tadfirmusic Hogun33 Urockstar107 Bulikt colasuon texasmcse zarate4666 nuni0315 LordEldritch krkot11 sexiesadie JC34 chrishayes958 fquinto andrealaureano johnsma9 robrory judowolverine miche88 BJK42 Michken Hanalei jackepsteen marte79 nuke126 DJJDMurphy noidreqd halesmail carlile karpediem U2Dave LorenR ron_robichaud drsandcastle XLBYGUCDN JAMCFP prnaylor Luizim nycguy524

Showing only 50 most recent

Find your next concert

Join 3,985,673 fans getting concert alerts for this artist

Similar artists with upcoming concerts

Tours most with, past concerts.

View all past concerts

U2 (formed in 1976) is a highly-successful Irish rock band, formed of Bono, The Edge, Larry Mullen, Jr. and Adam Clayton, hailing from Dublin, Ireland.

Formed in 1976 after Larry Mullen, Jr. posted an advertisement on the bulletin board at Dublin’s Mount Temple Comprehensive, the band soon began practicing regularly and exploring their musical interests. Initially performing under the moniker The Hype before switching to the name of an American spy plane, the band’s popularity grew in Ireland through a string of independent releases.

The band signed to Isalnd Records and released their debut full-length “Boy” in 1980, followed the year after with the LP “October”. Thanks to American radio play and notoriously impressive live shows, U2 soon made name for themselves a procured a swelling fan base. U2’s subsequent release “War” in 1983 highlighted and cemented the band’s political conscious approach, documenting the unrest in Northern Ireland. The album which debuted at No. 1 on the British chart, spawned the politically-apt singles “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “New Year’s Day”. Following another whirlwind worldwide tour in 1983 U2 released the live EP “Under a Blood Red Sky” recorded at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado, U.S.

U2 went on to release “The Unforgettable Fire” in 1984, the fruit of a collaboration with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, despite Island Records’ reluctance. Again the band supported the release with historic arena performances including Live Aid and were even named Rolling Stone’s “Band of the ‘80s”.

By the mid-1980s U2 had become highly revered musicians, however did not become rock superstars until their 1987 album “The Joshua Tree”. It became the band’s first No. 1 U.S. hit and their third consecutive UK album to reach the top spot, certified platinum within 28 hours. The album’s success was due in part to the smash hits “With or Without You” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”. Following the release the band explored their fascination with American roots music including blues, soul and folk and delivered the album “Rattle & Hum” in 1988.

The ‘90s brought a novel-sounding U2 and a collection of albums to boot including 1990’s “Achtung Baby”, the Bowie inspired dance and electronic album, “Zooropa” the 1993 techno dance influenced album, and the collaborative album “Original Soundtracks, Vol. 1” with Brian Eno in 1995. The same year U2 renewed their contract with Island Records for an estimated $170 million.

Fan disgruntlement at U2’s new self-conscious, postmodern and dance approach did little to alter the outcome of their subsequent album “Pop”, and ultimately became fan’s least favourite album. With such criticism the band teamed up again with Eno and Lanois in 2000 to record and release “All That You Can’t Leave Behind”. The album was a rock effort and considered one of their best, led by the singles “Beautiful Day” and “Walk On”.

The band followed the release up with the No. 1 album “How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb” in 2004, which led to the second highest grossing tour ever with $389 million. U2’s twelfth studio album “No Line on the Horizon” arrived in 2009, followed by "Songs of Innocence" in 2014, downloaded automatically to users of apple products.

U2 have sold more than 150 million records worldwide, have been awarded 22 Grammy Awards, have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility and are ranked by Rolling Stone 22nd on their list of “100 Greatest Artists of All Time”.

Live reviews

What makes a U2 concert so special? What is it about a U2 show that compels us to travel hundreds and thousands of miles to see virtually the same concert over and over?

A U2 show is more than just the songs in the concert. It is the feeling you get when you hear those songs. Whether they lift you up or remind you of a special time in your life, either way, the feeling you get when you hear U2 songs is euphoric. But a U2 concert is more than just those euphoric songs that are played. It is 80,000 people singing those songs together. The fact that each person at that show is feeling the exact same excitement you are. It is a sense of community and belonging. More than just the U2 concert itself, it is the whole experience. The traveling and hanging out with fellow U2 fans. The day of the U2 concert is a great time for U2 fellowship since we arrive at the stadium in the early afternoon either to line up in the GA (general admission) line or to wait for Bono, Larry, Edge and Adam to arrive. With many hours to kill before the concert begins, U2 fans share their U2 experiences, such as favorite songs, albums and concerts.

My favorite U2 concert, of the 75 I have seen, was on the Elevation Tour in Providence, Rhode Island on October 31, 2001. It was my favorite U2 member's 40th birthday, drummer Larry Mullen Jr. It was the night Larry and I shared a drink. The morning of the show, I woke up outside around 8am – pretty good sleeping outside in 30 degrees for five hours. I went up to the warm hotel room until about 10am, then had some breakfast. I stayed in the GA line all day without leaving, except to take a shower around 3:30. I got everyone in the GA line to sign the big orange birthday card I made for Larry. I put my name and email address on the back just in case. The band didn’t arrive until after we were inside. Wearing our Larry Mullen Band shirts, we got our spots at the rail up front and center between Bono and Adam.

I held up my birthday card for Larry as they walked on stage, but he didn’t notice it. There were many, many signs including one saying, ‘Bono let Larry sing.’ During Elevation, Bono sang, ‘ Celebration’ then said, ‘Happy Birthday.' After "Stuck in a Moment," Larry’s 40th birthday celebration began. We sang "Happy Birthday" to Larry. A birthday cake was brought out, and Larry pretended to throw it out into the audience. Larry took the mic and came to the front to talk while Bono sat behind the drums. Larry said, "Bono can’t play drums. It took me 40 years to get up front. I’m glad I’m spending my birthday with 18,000 of my closest friends. I feel like I could borrow money from you." Then Bono asked for a bottle of champagne, which he shook up a la ZooTV and sprayed the audience. Edge took a swig, then Larry drank and continued to drink for the next few songs.

After "Kite," Larry got off the drums and made a B line for me. I got my card and shirt in hand so I could give it to him, but that’s not why he was there. He gave me the champagne bottle – with champagne still in it. I drank some and shared it with my friends. Larry wanted to share his birthday with ME! He wanted ME to have a drink on his birthday. I was SO excited I didn’t even realize they played "Wild Honey," which they rarely play. After "Pride," Larry came back over to me so I could give him the birthday card and Elvis tee shirt. I said, "Thank you. Happy Birthday." He smiled and said, "Thank You." Later on, Bono noticed our Larry Mullen Band shirts, shook his head and smiled.

I doubt there will ever be another U2 show like that night in Providence. Granted it was Larry’s 40th Birthday, and I love Larry, but also for the rarities U2 played that night. "Slow Dancing" was played for the first time on the Elevation tour, and only the 11th time ever. "Party Girl" and "Wild Honey" were played for the first time on that leg of Elevation – and I’ve only heard those songs a couple of times ever. There was just a great energy in Providence that night. I still have that champagne bottle that Larry gave me on his 40th birthday.

Report as inappropriate

Acompanho a Banda desde 1985, na época dos disco long play ou compacto e meu primeiro álbum, o primeiro disco que comprei foi "War". Sempre soube o posicionamento social e político do grupo, penso ser o que me chamou a atenção e cativou desde o princípio.Mas aqui no Brasil, vivemos tempos difíceis, de beligerância e intolerância de diversas formas, racial, social,religiosa. Uma sociedade apolítica, mas que fundamenta suas crenças no que a imprensa local determina.

Acredito que essa é a melhor Tour em que estive, visto ser minha segunda vez num show do U2. Estive em 2006, em Vertigo e mesmo passando por um momento delicado, pois estava tomando medicação para síndrome do pânico e depressão, saí do estádio 90% melhor do que quando cheguei.

A atual turnê, é de uma dos melhores, se não a melhor, assim como o álbum do grupo e se pudesse iria em todas, Setilist fantástica, iluminação e palco minimalista e remetendo a uma simplicidade do inicio dos shows da Banda. Amei!!!!Parabéns e que venham muito mais........

...............................................

Good Morning,

I accompany the band since 1985, in the days of long or compact disc and my first album, the first record I bought was "War". I have always known the social and political position of the group, I think it is what caught my attention and captivated me from the beginning. But here in Brazil, we live in difficult times, of belligerence and intolerance of diverse forms, racial, social, and religious. An apolitical society, but that bases its beliefs on what the local press determines.

I think this is the best Tour I've been on, seeing it as my second time at a U2 show. I was in Vertigo in 2006 and even going through a delicate time, since I was taking medication for panic syndrome and depression, I left the stadium 90% better than when I arrived.

The current tour is one of the best, if not the best, as well as the group's album and if it could go in all, fantastic Setilist, minimalist lighting and stage and referring to a simplicity of the beginning of the bands shows. Congratulations and many more ........

Let me begin with, "U2 is the greatest band in the universe!" I have a strong connection with the band as the Joshua Tree tour was the first concert I ever attended back in 1987. 28 years later, they are still the best live band. I have been very fortunate to have seen them for most of their tours, Elevation, Vertigo, 360 and now ie. I was a broke college student during Zoo and PopMart.

U2 has a very loyal fan base. You will meet people that have seen 50-400 of their concerts. I am fortunate to have seen them 4x already during this tour.

The live experience during the ie tour is very personal and intimate. Bono shows such strong emotion during Iris which makes you want to cry. I heard Out Of Control at the 2nd Phoenix show and I had tears of joy rolling down my cheeks as that was the one song I have been waiting to hear since Elevation. LA 4th show they played 40 which made me cry......."How Long To Sing This Song......." Such a great tribute to the late Dennis Sheehan. Bono is the perfect frontman, always introducing the band as if we are meeting them for the first time. (Brandon Flowers never introduces the other Killers) Bono always has crowd interaction from shaking hands, kissing women's hands, bringing up a lucky fan for the Meerkat live stream and singing to a lucky fan (like me during Beautiful Day in the 2nd night Phoenix show) I'm still on cloud 9!!! Larry, The Edge and Adam also interact with the crowd. I know first hand as I got an air kiss from Adam. The Edge smiled at my friend. Larry shakes hands with people at the e stage.

I can go on and on how U2 is the perfect band. No other bands compare to them. What band has loyal fans waiting all night thru rain and hail to see them? What band always mentions how they tour for the music and the fans?? I sure don't think they need the money.

I will continue to see them until they tour no more. I ❤️ U2

Great show, very basic staging, which is a nice change of pace for U2 recently. It allowed you to focus on them as a band, 4 guys playing music together.

As a tour kick off, there will be some glitches and bugs, the worst of which is when The band and Bono totally flubbed the entire song With or Without You!!! The band was out of sync right from the start and that must have rattled Bono because he false started the first verse, got the lyrics wrong, then just stood there silent while the crowd sort of tried to chime in with the vocals. It was actually pretty awkward, and Bono didn't acknowledge it except by saying "you guys can sing this one".

It was so great to see them actually play Joshua Tree straight through, track by track. I wasn't sure that's how it would really play out. As an album about the greatness, and hardships, of America, with inspiration from American music, landscapes, and especially politics, there was no way to get through the set without nods (mostly subtle - for U2) to the current leadership in America. The opening 8-9 songs before actually launching into Joshua Tree were pretty telling about the bands politics and values of freedom, truth, and fulfilling the American dream. The fact that opening night coincidentally fell on the 60th anniversary of the Martin Luther King "Give Us the Vote" speech gave more weight to lyrics referencing King's assassination in "Pride (In the Name of Love)".

Finally, totally unrelated to Songkick or U2, but I have to say how HORRIBLE Levi's Stadium is and the whole process of getting there (unmanaged traffic), getting into the venue (no purses bigger than a cell phone allowed and no mention of that fact anywhere), getting food (seemed like only 25 people trying to sell hot dogs to 50,000!). Will never see another show there again no matter who the act is.

This show needed to start and finish in darkness to concentrate the mind on the amazing imagery and truly iconic music.

The lead in through tracks from Unforgettable Fire set the pace and raised the pulse rate to a crescendo at the onset of Where The Streets Have No Name where it remained at rates which would have set off many a hospital vital signs alarm until the end of the a play through of the entire Joshua Tree album.

Had this concert finished there it would have sad to depart - and U2 knew this so included a further array of some of their finest tracks from the last 30 years.

This was the trickiest period of the gig however, as not all of the next 35 - 40 minutes could match the standard set down by some of the best music of the 20th century. Moments of oddness crept in, as is Bono's way, and momentum was lost - not gained - towards the end.

Ultimately, an incredible visionary onslaught and a truly mammoth rendition of One lifted the gig back to the heights of its earlier euphoria.

This could easily have been the best concert I have ever seen, but on balance it dropped short. I would not have missed this for the world and I am sure I will look back in years to come and feel so pleased that I was there and saw what was a true moment in musical history. As it stands right now I have a mixed emotion... but there is no denying that of the many hundreds of concerts I have been to in the last 40 years this was right up there at the very pinnacle - a top ten bucket list moment.

U2 at Arrowhead Stadium in KC was a musical memory I'll put in my Top 10...so far. We got parking lot passes from Ticketmaster beforehand to save $$ & make navigating the throngs of traffic manageble. We got to the lot about 5:30 p.m. People had been there tailgating & the lot attendants were very organized, flagging us in to our spot. We immediately headed in to the Stadium so we could check out the U2 merchandise. Entering was a breeze, even with security, because we had checked online to see what could or couldn't be taken into the Stadium. The restrictions make lines move much quicker, even with entering through metal detectors. Walking up the ramp to our seat level was easy. U2 had merchandise areas set up at more locations, so lines there were less. The concession places had very friendly attendants. The stadium seats were very comfortable. Security was there in abundance & were also helpful & friendly. Concert acoustics for an open stadium were amazing. The only downside was the placement of the

audio towers or whatever they were, but they were necessary to provide the incredible U2 audio & visual experience. After the concert, we waited for an hour on purpose before exiting to avoid sitting in traffic, idling. Again, smooth exit. So I highly recommend seeing U2 for their musical talent, their political message & celebrating the 4th anniversary of the Joshua Tree album. ENJOY!

U2 are a band who have conquered the globe and are considered iconic by fans of most genres. With such staggering reputation it is obviously quite difficult to form a live show of equal stature. Luckily, Bono and co obtain a form of bravado that is required of any iconic band.

The key component of their gigs is that they understand how important and dear the audience hold tracks such as 'With Or Without You' and the intense sincerity in which they perform could not be more appropriate. There is an ethereal state when thousands upon thousands are singing along to 'The Streets Have No Name' whilst four musicians command the entire crowd.

There is no denying Bono performs with the same level of self-assuredness that he conducts himself in daily life yet when the opening bars of 'Pride' begin, this level of bombast is required to tackle these gargantuan anthems. They have an impossible amount of hits to choose from, yet the setlist feels well calculated and not simply a 'greatest hits' compilation. The use of snippets of their own music and classics by the likes of Bowie turned their gig from a concert into a musical celebration.

The concert was awesome but the venue was absolute crap!!!!! Paid $264.00 x 2 & a tower was blocking the view depending where the band was standing on the stage. So view blocked. Support act Noel Gallagher couldn’t hear him speak, don’t know what he was saying & sound not too good at all.

U2 came on & could hardly see them. GA would have been better & cheaper & from what Ive heard, they had the best place to hear.

SCG is not a good venue for a concert & we were so totally disappointed with what we paid, seating & going to ground & trying so squeeze through the line ups for toilets & good to get to the Merchandise shop. Then trying to get back up to level 5.

Please never put a concert there again, unless you our stage in centre, so everyone can see. You shouldn’t charge extreme prices for crap seating.

U2 was awesome as always but couldn’t always see them & at times hear them, the sound got better as the night went on.

Definitely very disappointed with SCG

Amazing concert as always. Lot of security at the entrances so it was a little bit slow everything and I was afraid because maybe I couldn't watch Noel Gallagher but organization was clever and started one hour later more or less. Really it was very difficult to be there at 19 with that security level. But everything was perfect. Noel played lot of Oasis songs with classics like Wonderwall, Little by Little or Don't Look Back in Anger. Then with less than 20 minutes delay, U2 came on stage. Larry Mullen started alone in the middle of the scenario situated at the center of the stadium and it all began... Thanks for allow us to remember a great album like Joshua Tree! All the songs in order, side A and side B if you like more the vinyl. And the last part... Amazing with songs like Elevation or Vertigo. And one last surprise... We could listen a new song from the upcoming album, Songs of Experience. No more to say: GREAT AS ALWAYS U2. We love you!

Best concert I've ever seen and probably will ever see save for another U2 show. No seat was a bad seat as they had a massive 'screen' that spanned roughly half the length and a third of the height of MSG. The screen could be lowered and raised and there was a catwalk inside of it as well as under it on the floor for the band members to move around on. Animations and live videos of the band members playing were projected onto the screen and could be interacted with inside of the screen. I've never seen anything like it.

They had a great mix of classic U2 songs and new ones all while using mixed media to create much more than a music concert. This was a retrospective art show, film screening, advocacy platform, etc. A final treat was Bruce Springsteen coming on near the end of the show trading mics with Bono to sing Where the Streets Have No Name. You have got to see this band live.

Videos (55)

Photos (289)

Posters (201)

Find out more about U2 tour dates & tickets 2024-2025

Want to see U2 in concert? Find information on all of U2’s upcoming concerts, tour dates and ticket information for 2024-2025.

Unfortunately there are no concert dates for U2 scheduled in 2024.

Songkick is the first to know of new tour announcements and concert information, so if your favorite artists are not currently on tour, join Songkick to track U2 and get concert alerts when they play near you, like 3985673 other U2 fans.

Last concert:

Last concert near you:

Popularity ranking:

Imagine Dragons (20)
Lana Del Rey (22)

Concerts played in 2024:

Touring history

Most played:

London (108)
Dublin (102)
New York (NYC) (81)
Los Angeles (LA) (71)
Las Vegas (50)

Appears most with:

PJ Harvey (54)
B.B. King (46)
Snow Patrol (38)
Maria McKee (36)
Pixies (33)

Distance travelled:

Similar artists

Most popular charts
API information
Brand guidelines
Community guidelines
Terms of use
Privacy policy
Cookies settings
Cookies policy

Get your tour dates seen everywhere.

But we really hope you love us.

U2gigs.com - U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at the Sphere 2023/2024

1990-06-20 - Richfield, Ohio, USA - Richfield Coliseum (1 song)
1992-01-15 - New York, New York, USA - Waldorf - Astoria Hotel (1 song)
1992-02-27 - Lakeland, Florida, USA - Lakeland Arena (1 song)
1992-08-07 - Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA - Hershey Park Stadium (23 songs)
1992-08-28 - New York, New York, USA - 'Rockline' Radio Show (1 song)
1992-10-30 - Los Angeles, California, USA - Dodger Stadium (1 song)
1992-12-00 - Dublin, Ireland - RTE Studios (1 song)
1993-01-20 - Washington, District of Columbia, USA - MTV Rock and Roll Inaugural Ball (1 song)
1993-01-31 - Hamburg, Germany - Thalia Theater (1 song)
1993-02-06 - Dublin, Ireland - Point Depot (2 songs)
1993-02-11 - Dublin, Ireland - Olympia Theatre (1 song)
1993-05-07 - Rotterdam, Netherlands - Feyenoord Stadium (12 songs)
1993-09-03 - Los Angeles, California, USA - Universal Ampitheater (1 song)
1993-10-01 - Dublin, Ireland - Clarence Hotel (2 songs)
1994-01-19 - New York, New York, USA - Waldorf - Astoria Hotel (1 song)
1995-03-30 - Dublin, Ireland - The Pod (1 song)
1995-09-12 - Modena, Italy - Parco Novi Sad (3 songs)
1995-12-14 - Dublin, Ireland - Sinatra's 80th Birthday (1 song)
1995-12-31 - Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina - Fis Club Bock (3 songs)
1996-05-15 - Dublin, Ireland - Church of the Assumption (1 song)
1997-02-12 - New York, New York, USA - Greenwich Village Kmart, Lingerie Department (1 song)
1997-06-07 - Randalls Island, New York, USA - Tibet Freedom Festival (6 songs)
1997-06-20 - San Francisco, California, USA - Tosca's (1 song)
1997-09-04 - New York, New York, USA - Radio City Music Hall (1 song)
1997-11-06 - Rotterdam, Netherlands - Sportpaleis Ahoy (1 song)
1998-02-05 - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Hyatt Hotel (2 songs)
1998-03-15 - Cape Town, South Africa - Unknown (1 song)
1998-05-18 - Belfast, Northern Ireland - Waterfront Hall (3 songs)
1998-11-20 - Dublin, Ireland - Omagh Tribute (2 songs)
1999-02-24 - Los Angeles, California, USA - Shrine Auditorium (1 song)
1999-03-02 - Las Vegas, Nevada, USA - House Of Blues, Mandalay Bay Hotel (1 song)
1999-03-15 - New York, New York, USA - Waldorf - Astoria Hotel (1 song)
1999-04-06 - Dublin, Ireland - Hanover Quay Studio (1 song)
1999-04-22 - London, England - BBC Studios (1 song)
1999-07-16 - Nice, France - Nice Jazz Festival (1 song)
1999-09-07 - New York, New York, USA - Copacabana (2 songs)
1999-09-08 - New York, New York, USA - Copacabana (2 songs)
1999-10-09 - East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA - Giants Stadium (3 songs)
1999-11-11 - Dublin, Ireland - HQ Club (2 songs)
1999-12-31 - Washington, District of Columbia, USA - Lincoln Memorial (1 song)
One ( 12 times )
New Day ( 5 times )
Interview ( 4 times )
Mysterious Ways ( 3 times )
Pride (In the Name of Love) ( 3 times )
Van Morrison's Gloria ( 3 times )
All Along The Watchtower ( 2 times )
All I Want Is You ( 2 times )
Bullet the Blue Sky ( 2 times )
Desire ( 2 times )
Even Better Than The Real Thing ( 2 times )
New Year's Day ( 2 times )
Please ( 2 times )
Running To Stand Still ( 2 times )
The Fly ( 2 times )
Until the End of the World ( 2 times )
Van Diemen's Land ( 2 times )
Where the Streets Have No Name ( 2 times )
Zoo Station ( 2 times )
Amazing Grace ( 1 time )
Angel of Harlem ( 1 time )
Big River ( 1 time )
Can't Help Falling In Love ( 1 time )
Daydream Believer ( 1 time )
Don't Let Me Down ( 1 time )
Don't Take Your Guns To Town ( 1 time )
Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker) ( 1 time )
Gone ( 1 time )
Hallelujah ( 1 time )
Happy Birthday ( 1 time )
Holy Joe ( 1 time )
I Feel Good ( 1 time )
Johnny B. Goode ( 1 time )
Knockin' on Heaven's Door ( 1 time )
Lean On Me ( 1 time )
Love Is Blindness ( 1 time )
Miss Sarajevo ( 1 time )
Mofo ( 1 time )
Moondance ( 1 time )
Mother Of God ( 1 time )
Mothers Of The Disappeared ( 1 time )
Nessun Dorma ( 1 time )
North And South Of The River ( 1 time )
Numb ( 1 time )
One Love ( 1 time )
People Get Ready ( 1 time )
Stand By Me ( 1 time )
Sunday Bloody Sunday ( 1 time )
The Boys are Back in Town ( 1 time )
The Cross ( 1 time )
The First Time ( 1 time )
The Ground Beneath Her Feet ( 1 time )
The Marguerita Suite ( 1 time )
Tower Of Song ( 1 time )
Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World ( 1 time )
TV Eye ( 1 time )
Two Shots of Happy, One Shot of Sad ( 1 time )
Ultraviolet (Light My Way) ( 1 time )
When Love Comes To Town ( 1 time )
Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses ( 1 time )
With or Without You ( 1 time )
Hear Us Coming ( 6 times )
Love To Love You Baby ( 2 times )
Sunday Bloody Sunday ( 2 times )
Unchained Melody ( 2 times )
All I Want Is You ( 1 time )
All You Need Is Love ( 1 time )
Break On Through ( 1 time )
Dubravka ( 1 time )
Give Peace a Chance ( 1 time )
Love And Affection ( 1 time )
My Sweet Lord ( 1 time )
My Way ( 1 time )
The Battle Hymn Of The Republic ( 1 time )
Cover songs ( 25 songs )
Achtung Baby ( 10 songs )
Rattle And Hum ( 5 songs )
The Joshua Tree ( 5 songs )
B-Sides ( 3 songs )
Pop ( 3 songs )
Non-album songs ( 2 songs )
War ( 2 songs )
Zooropa ( 2 songs )
Passengers: Original Soundtracks 1 ( 1 song )
The Unforgettable Fire ( 1 song )

Use Shift-Ctrl-S anytime to navigate to search the site.

Create Your Free Account
Latest U2 Concert
All U2 Tours
All U2 Concerts
Latest U2 Tour News
Login to Your Account
All Songs Performed
All U2 Fan Profiles
All Opening Acts
Staff Directory/Contact
Media Contact Information
Support U2TOURS.COM
Connect with U2TOURS.COM
U2Tours.com on Twitter
U2Tours.com on Flickr
U2Tours.com on YouTube

Tours Navigation

Last 5 shows.

March 2 : Las Vegas

March 1 : Las Vegas

February 24 : Las Vegas

February 23 : Las Vegas

February 18 : Las Vegas

On This Date

April 29, 1983 : Farrell Hall Gym , Delhi , NY

April 29, 1985 : Omni Coliseum , Atlanta , GA

April 29, 1987 : Rosemont Horizon , Rosemont , IL

April 29, 2005 : General Motors Place , Vancouver , Canada

April 29, 2006 : Fair Grounds Race Course , New Orleans , LA

April 29, 2006 : Banks Street Bar & Grill , New Orleans , LA

April 29, 2006 : Maple Leaf Bar , New Orleans , LA

April 29, 2016 : Hammerstein Ballroom , New York , NY

April 29, 2023 : Beacon Theatre , New York , NY

U2Tours on YouTube

Arts & Events
Great Reads
Atlanta 500
Block by Block: Stories from the streets that connect us
Women Making a Mark
Pride Guide 2022
Restaurant Reviews
75 Best Restaurants in Atlanta
Best Barbecue
50 Best Tacos
123 Things to Eat on Buford Highway
50 Best Bars
Best Breakfast
The TOUR Championship Cocktail Contest
Atlanta Magazine’s HOME Digital Editions
Artists & Galleries
Design Advice
Design News
Real Estate
Neighborhoods
Real Estate All-Stars
Sponsored: Preferred HOME Partner
Kitchens for a Cause
Georgia Design Awards 2024
School Guide
Health & Wellness
Top Doctors
Top Dentists
Sponsored: Physician & Dentist Profiles
Buckhead Guidebook
Southbound Magazine
Southbound Digital Editions
Southbound Newsletter
50 Best Things to Do in Georgia
Hidden Georgia
North Georgia Mountains
Great Georgia Hikes
Jekyll Island
Georgia Travel Guide
Gilmer: Ellijay Visitors Guide 2022
Alabama Vacation Guide 2023
Readers’ Choice
Subscription Center
Purchase Single Issues
Newsletters
Digital Editions
Custom Media
Give Atlanta
Internships
Where to Find
GrillFest 2024
Whiskey Festival 2023
Upcoming Events
Atlanta Magazine Whiskey Festival 2022
2020 Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Designer Showhouse
Atlanta Baby and Beyond
Atlanta Magazine Whiskey Festival 2019
DINES: A Taste of the City’s Best Restaurants
2019 Modern Style Showhome
Best Burger Battle
Pinewood Forest Idea Home
2018 Modern Style Showhouses
Event Photos
About GaBiz
GaBiz Magazine Digital Editions
Issue Archive
Submit Your Entry for Georgia Design Awards 2024

U2 in Atlanta: An oral history of the band and the city’s shared journey

Photograph by Adrian Boot

On a muggy May evening in 1981, a group of musicians pulled up to the curb across from the Fox Theatre and started lugging their instruments into a nightclub where the Georgian Terrace parking deck now stands. Until 1979, the venue had been known as Alex Cooley’s Electric Ballroom, and hosted Fleetwood Mac, Patti Smith, and Bruce Springsteen, among others. Its replacement, the Agora Ballroom, was a cavernous room where the four young men from the north side of Dublin—singer Paul “Bono” Hewson; bassist Adam Clayton; guitarist David “The Edge” Evans; and drummer Larry Mullen Jr., none older than 21—introduced Atlanta to their debut album, Boy , a collection of post-punk anthems that contrasted sharply with the New Wave dance beats, soft rock, and soul ballads crowding the Top 40 at the time.

Seven months later, the band was back for a second show. In a 1981 interview with Bono for Muzik! magazine, Atlanta journalist Tony Paris wrote about the frontman’s desire to be heard on mainstream radio and for fans to leave room for his lyrics—about defiance, God, the death of his mother—to “sink in.” British photographer Adrian Boot, who toured with the band that autumn, captured images of U2 members mugging along West Peachtree Street in front of the former Sans Souci club, a jukebox dealership, and an old-school filling station. The next night, the band shook the Agora rafters with the single “I Will Follow” twice during its 60-minute set. Today, listening to a YouTube bootleg of that concert from 37 years ago reveals just how little U2’s core sound and spiritual evocations have changed in almost four decades.

Atlanta, a forgettable stop to less perceptive musicians from across the pond, offered a complicated soul, divided by its Civil War past, civil rights present, and global aspirations. When U2 played the Agora on December 1, 1981, the city was coping with the aftermath of the Atlanta child murders. Later that same month, former United Nations ambassador Andrew Young celebrated his victory in the recent mayoral election runoff; Ted Turner’s fledgling CNN network was revolutionizing international news; the CDC developed the first definitions for a disease it would soon label AIDS; and the roar of jet blasts from the newly expanded Hartsfield airport, which would evolve into the world’s busiest, hummed in the distance. Atlanta went on to host the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, emerge as a center for global health initiatives, and grow a multibillion dollar film and music industry. For its part, U2 would become one of the biggest acts in rock history. On May 28, the band returns for its 15th concert here (at the Infinite Energy Center) in support of its 14th album, Songs of Experience , a mature counterpoint to the adolescent ruminations of Boy . Today, U2 writes and plays as if America is still there to be conquered, and at age 58, Bono’s lyrics about love and mortality also contemplate the fraught politics of the Trump era.

U2’s intersections with Atlanta over the years have gone beyond the city as a requisite tour stop. For a band from Europe intent on deconstructing the myth of America, Atlanta—its imperfect icons, its musicians, its leaders—has been a specific, if rarely noticed, part of U2’s journey, not only for the city’s social justice movements of the past but for the present, too. In anticipation of U2’s first Atlanta concert in nine years, two generations of Georgians talk about the band.

1981-1985 Early days, Unforgettable fire , and the reach of Live Aid

Between 1981 and 1983, U2 performed four times in Atlanta. In 1984, the band released its fourth studio album, The Unforgettable Fire . The recording contained two songs—“Pride (In the Name of Love)” and “MLK”—about Martin Luther King Jr., whose legacy fascinated Bono after a writer at Rolling Stone gifted him a copy of the King biography, Let the Trumpet Sound .

John Lewis was an Atlanta city councilmember at the time.

John Lewis (U.S. congressman; civil rights leader): I don’t remember the exact moment I heard “Pride (In the Name of Love),” but I’m sure it was right after the song came out. I identified with [U2’s songs] because of the similarities I recognized between [situations] in America and in Northern Ireland. They had a Bloody Sunday there, similar to the Bloody Sunday we had in Selma. The struggle for freedom and liberation is universal.

On April 29, 1985, when U2 rolled into the Omni on the Unforgettable Fire tour to play its biggest Atlanta show to date, the city had just hosted the inaugural International AIDS Conference. The band also made a visit to the King Center.

Tony Paris (Freelance writer and former editor of Creative Loafing ): By the time U2 played the Omni, the band could command the money it needed to put on a well-conceived show using the latest technology. It was chilling to watch them play “Pride” with photographs of MLK projected behind them. But I had to laugh, remembering what Bono said to me only four years earlier: “Tony, U2 is not a political band.” Maybe not in governmental terms, I thought, but they (or, at least Bono, in his lyrics) were certainly now engaging in what French philosopher Michel Foucault might have called political spirituality.

In the 2005 book, U2 by U2 , Bono recalled that he had flown his father, Bob Hewson, from Ireland for the Omni show. When Bono took a limousine to Hartsfield to fetch his father, Bob balked at the vehicle, so they switched to a taxi. Backstage after the show, Bono saw his father approach him. “This is a moment I’ve waited for all my life,” Bono wrote. “My father was going to tell me he loved me. He walked up, put his hand out, looked me in the eye, and said, ‘Son, you’re very professional!’”

Eight weeks after the Omni show, on June 22, 1985, U2 played on a bill with Athens band R.E.M. at the Longest Day music festival in Milton Keynes, U.K. Bono would recall meeting Michael Stipe for the first time as “that dance when two contemporaries kind of work around each other.” The friendship grew into what Bono labeled “one of the most important of my life.” On July 6-7, 1985, U2 and R.E.M. played at the Rock Torhout/ Rock Werchter festivals in Belgium.

Mike Mills (bassist, R.E.M. cofounder): U2 was big before we were, so they were the festival headliner, and we were playing earlier in the day, but we rode in and out [of the festival site] with them on their bus. Everybody took turns singing songs and Irish folk ballads.

Less than a week later, U2 performed in London on July 13 to raise funds for Ethiopian famine relief as part of Live Aid, a televised concert broadcast which reached one-third of the world’s population and launched the band into super stardom.

Michelle Nunn (CEO and president of CARE; former CEO of Points of Light/Hands On Atlanta): In the summer of 1985, I had just finished high school and was preparing for college. The performances at Live Aid [including U2] fit the zeitgeist of the moment. The concert inspired my belief that collective action—literally joining hands—could help change the world. Seeing this activism prompted me to imagine how I could be a part of creating change.

1986-1992 Conspiracy of Hope Tour, Joshua Tree , Zoo TV at the Georgia Dome

U2 returned to Atlanta in 1986 as part of Amnesty International’s Conspiracy of Hope Tour, which supported releasing prisoners of conscience worldwide. U2 was writing its fifth studio album, The Joshua Tree . The day before the show, Amnesty held a press conference at the King Center, attended by Coretta Scott King; that night, Bono and Larry Mullen, Jr. jammed with members of Lou Reed’s and Peter Gabriel’s bands in the hotel bar at the Ramada Plaza downtown.

U2 returned to the Omni in December 1987 for two shows in support of the Joshua Tree . The following year, the band paid homage to the American South as part of the Phil Joanou–directed documentary (and album of the same name), Rattle and Hum . By the time the Berlin-recorded stylistic departure called Achtung Baby was released in 1991 and the band hit the road in North America in 1992, the first Gulf War had come and gone, John Lewis was in his third term as a congressman, Maynard Jackson was Atlanta’s mayor once again, and Bono, behind thick shades and his new alter-egos The Fly, Mirror Ball Man, and MacPhisto, had begun prank calling the White House from the stage most nights during concerts on the “Zoo TV tour.” U2 played the Omni in March 1992 and returned that September to headline the first rock show at the newly built Georgia Dome with opening act Public Enemy and Big Audio Dynamite.

Peter Conlon (president of Live Nation Atlanta): Alex [Cooley] and I wanted to make sure that we booked the first show there, and we wanted it to be special, so we asked U2. 50,000 people. Maybe the biggest show ever in Atlanta at that time, because Fulton County Stadium couldn’t hold those kind of numbers, nor Grant Field. It sold out right away.

Thomas Wheatley (articles editor at Atlanta magazine): I was 12 years old. I was amazed at the stage: I remember cars on cranes, massive video screens, and platforms—all for a four-piece band. My mom let me buy a ridiculous amount of lighters on the off-chance everyone lit them during “One.” They did, so we did. The drunk woman standing in front of us had permed hair, and I accidentally lit a strand on fire. She didn’t notice. I don’t know why, but we left early—we must have had school the next day—while they played “Where the Streets Have No Name.” Walking through the basically empty corridors of the Georgia Dome made me feel like I was in the end credits of a movie.

Chuck D (cofounder of Public Enemy; member of Prophets of Rage): I knew what Bono had to say about King, and he knew what I had to say. We weren’t going to sit around and talk about it. Bono comes along with the crew from Dublin and visits [Dr. King’s] crypt, which was becoming part of the tapestry of Atlanta at that time and almost [an afterthought] for people who already lived there. Anything Bono decided to do, especially as an outsider traveling in the American South at that time, I appreciated his effort. That tour taught Public Enemy so much about how tours should be run, and it was our first engagement with gigantic venues. Plus, we will always get to say we were the first artists to play in the Georgia Dome.

Photograph by Kevin Winter/Getty Images

1993-2001 PopMart, friendship with R.E.M., Elevation Tour

As R.E.M. became U2’s rival for the title of “biggest band in the world,” the relationship between the bands strengthened. In 1993, not long before U2 released Zooropa , members of both bands performed at an inaugural ball for Bill Clinton, forming a one-night-only group, Automatic Baby.

Bertis Downs (attorney and advisor to R.E.M.): There had been a late-night hotel bar session a couple of nights before—Michael Stipe really loved the U2 song, “One.” Michael and Mike [Mills] were up late singing it together, and the idea came up of perhaps playing it at the MTV Ball with the two U2 guys in town (bassist Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen Jr.). They thought, “We could do this.” The next day, calls were made and a rehearsal was arranged. We wanted to keep it a secret, which was possible before Facebook and Twitter. They performed it at the ball as Automatic Baby [referencing U2’s 1991 album, Achtung Baby , and R.E.M.’s 1992 album, Automatic for the People ]. Four minutes, unannounced, and that was it.

In 1997, U2 performed its PopMart tour at the Georgia Dome, with Bono also devoting his time to Jubilee 2000, the campaign for wealthy countries to wipe clean old debts owed to them by poor countries. In its January 2000 issue, Newsweek asked, sarcastically, “Can Bono Save the Third World?” U2 released All That You Can’t Leave Behind that October, eight days before the election of George W. Bush.

U2 played two Elevation Tour shows at Philips Arena in 2001, one in March and one in November , bookending the terrorist attacks of September 11. An allotment of general admission floor tickets meant fans could get up close and personal with the band in a way they hadn’t been able to do since the early 1980s.

Tai Anderson (President of the Atlanta chapter of the Recording Academy; former bassist for Grammy-winning band Third Day): When U2 came to Atlanta in 2001, I camped out all day long with the other fans so I could get a good spot on the floor “inside the heart” (the stage featured a heart-shaped catwalk). It was ironic, because Third Day had already performed our own shows in front of thousands of people. We would later headline Philips Arena ourselves, but we were fans, too. A few months after their second Philips Arena show that year, U2 played the Super Bowl and scrolled the names of the lives lost on 9/11. In that moment, U2 showed us what America means to the rest of the world.

Mike Mills : U2 had come into town on their night off before the 2001 show. We had a dinner party at my house in Athens. I gave a toast about how great it was to have friends who had walked alongside us on a similar path for all of these years, because we could always look to each other for inspiration. I go see U2 shows, and it makes me want to write a better song or be a better musician. R.E.M. always thought being in a band was like being in your own little gang. Those are the friends you turn to in difficult times, and you always have each other’s backs. U2 and R.E.M. came from the same point of origin in terms of why we were in a band. It was really supportive to have them going through the world at the same time as we did.

Photograph by Erik S. Lesser/Getty Images

2002-2018 Salute To Greatness Award, ONE, Vertigo, 360 Tour

In January 2002, Bono and Bobby Shriver founded DATA (Debt AIDS Trade Africa), funded in part by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In March, Bono visited George W. Bush at the White House to discuss AIDS, and the following January, Bush announced the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, a health initiative that would also raise the profile of the Atlanta-based CDC. Bono’s charitable work increasingly intersected with Atlanta leaders.

Helene Gayle (CEO of Chicago Community Trust; former CEO of CARE) : Lots of celebrities get involved with philanthropy, but Bono stands out because he goes deep on policy. He knows about storytelling. I talk in wonkish terms, but he taps into the human spirit.

On January 17, 2004, the King Center honored Bono with the Salute to Greatness Award . Bono, in his acceptance speech, spoke of how the Irish “despaired for the lack of vision of the kind Dr. King offered people in the South in their struggle. . . . I wrote ‘Pride (In the Name of Love),’ in a way out of that feeling.” Coretta Scott King died in 2006, but Bernice King, youngest child of Coretta and Martin Luther King Jr. and CEO of the King Center, says her mother was especially fond of Bono.

Bernice King : There are few people in life [outside of our family] whom my mother took to and saw as a son of sorts. Bono is one of those. She found him fascinating. She was a little giddy. She must have picked something up in his spirit that attracted her.

The King Center hosted Bono, John Lewis, and Chris Tucker in a roundtable with AIDS activists, doctors, and scientists to discuss how to tackle the AIDS epidemic in Africa and rethink the impact of international aid.

David Ray (vice president for policy and advocacy of CARE) : At that point, we were coming out of the post-9/11 era, which was a time when the U.S. was still looking inward and the world felt like a place in chaos. There was a group of about nine of us international humanitarian organizations who got together to discuss how the U.S. engages in the world and how to help with the AIDS crisis, poverty, and hunger. [Along with DATA and the Christian advocacy organization Bread for the World], we became part of the framework for Bono’s organization, ONE .

ONE is a nonpartisan organization cofounded by Bono in 2004 which lobbies governments to fund disease eradication and poverty reduction in poor countries. ONE and CARE advocates engaged both John Lewis and Georgia’s U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson in cosponsoring bipartisan legislation around food security and public-private partnerships in Africa. Third Day also became involved with ONE. Since 2004, U2 has released four albums, played two nights at Philips Arena on its 2005 “Vertigo tour” and returned to the Georgia Dome in 2009 with the “360 tour.” On December 1, 2011–thirty years after U2 played its second Atlanta show at the Agora–Coca-Cola announced a partnership with (RED), Bono’s product initiative to fight AIDS. That same day, Bono attended a World AIDS Day event in Washington, D.C. with President Obama alongside CARE’s Helene Gayle, CNN’s Sanjay Gupta, and Coca-Cola’s Muhtar Kent. In 2016, Bono met Jimmy Carter when both men were honored for their humanitarian work.

Tai Anderson : Bono and Jimmy Carter were two of my heroes growing up. Their faith drove them. As Christians, we believe that Jesus taught us to love God and to love our neighbor, and for both Carter and Bono, loving your neighbor has never been determined by lines on a map. Especially in the world we live in today, your neighbor is every human being. Jesus didn’t teach “God and Country,” he taught “God and Neighbor.”

This article appears in our May 2018 issue .

Back in the day: Michael Krohngold

Newsletters.

Most recent

Remembering Rico Wade: How the legendary producer influenced Atlanta, Southern hip-hop, and pop music

5 Atlanta events you won’t want to miss: April 26-May 1

Homebuilder John Wieland created a contemporary art museum as a gift to Atlanta—and it’s free

Great reads.

Ronald Acuña Jr. takes flight

Christiane Lauterbach 40 years as Atlanta magazine critic

The Dining Diva: Christiane Lauterbach dishes on her 40 years as Atlanta magazine’s dining critic

The ancestors of Nettie Washington Douglass still have stories to teach us. She just hopes we are ready to listen.

Business Forum
Privacy and Cookies Policy
Terms of Use
General Contest Rules

Hearts + Minds
Sign Up / Sign In
‘Stories Of Surrender’ The Book Tour-North America & Europe
U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere-Las Vegas
The Joshua Tree Tour 2019-New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Singapore & S Korea
U2 eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour 2018-North America & Europe
Added Dates-Mexico City, South America, US
The Joshua Tree Tour 2017-North America and Europe UK
iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Tour 2015-North America & Europe
iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Tour 2015-Packages
U2360° TOUR-Leg 3: 2011
U2360° TOUR-Leg 2: 2010
U2360° TOUR-Leg 1: 2009
Vertigo-Leg 4: 2006, World
Vertigo-Leg 3: 2005, North America
Vertigo-Leg 2: 2005, Europe
Vertigo-Leg 1: 2005, US
Elevation-Leg 3: 2001 North America
Elevation-Leg 2: 2001, Europe
Elevation-Leg 1: 2001, North America
POPMART-Leg 5: 1998, Australia, Japan, South Africa
POPMART-Leg 4: 1998, South America
POPMART-Leg 3: 1997, North America
POPMART-Leg 2: 1997, Europe
POPMART-Leg 1: 1997, North America
ZOOTV-Leg 5: 1993 ZOOMERANG, NEW ZOOLAND
ZOOTV-Leg 4 (ZOOROPA): 1993, Europe
ZOOTV-Leg 3 (Outside Broadcast): 1992, North America
ZOOTV-Leg 2: 1992, Europe
ZOOTV-Leg 1: 1992, North America
Lovetown-Leg 2: 1989/90, Europe
Lovetown-Leg 1: 1989, New Zealand, Australia, Japan
Joshua Tree-Leg 3: 1987, North America
Joshua Tree-Leg 2: 1987, Europe
Joshua Tree-Leg 1: 1987, North America
Conspiracy of Hope-Amnesty International
Unforgettable Fire-Leg 4: 1985, North America
Unforgettable Fire-Leg 3: 1985, Europe
Unforgettable Fire-Leg 2: 1984, North America
Unforgettable Fire-Leg 1: 1984, Under Australian Skies
War-Leg 2: 1983, America, European Festivals, Japan
War-Leg 1: 1983, Europe
European Festivals 1982-
October-Leg 3: 1981/82, America
October-Leg 2: 1981/82, North America/Europe
October-Leg 1: 1981, Europe
Boy Tour-Leg 2: 1980/81, Europe, America
Boy Tour-Leg 1: 1980, Europe
11 OClock Tick Tock Tour-UK & Ireland
London Dates-
Irish Dates-

October Leg 2: 1981/82, North America/Europe

Show details.

Leg 1: 1981, Europe ,
Leg 2: 1981/82, North America/Europe ,
Leg 3: 1981/82, America

Terms + Conditions
Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

Under Australian skies: U2's history with Australia

It's no secret that u2 fans in australia and new zealand have been blessed with a lesser amount of live u2 than their counterparts in the northern hemisphere. nonetheless, we have been graced with six tours over the band's lifetime, and they have all been seen a band at the top of their game. ahead of the 2019 joshua tree tour, this slideshow tells the story of a love tale between u2 and australia spanning more than 30 years., under australian skies (1984).

After three studio albums, one live album and four years of pent up demand, U2 finally made their first appearance in Australia and New Zealand in August and September of 1984. Plans to visit this area of the world were discussed in previous years but did not come to fruition due to band exhaustion. The huge demand for tickets was in large part due to the highly successful "Under A Blood Red Sky" release the previous year, which showed U2 as a live force to be reckoned with. Music television channels in Australia played their videos and had the Red Rocks performance of "Sunday Bloody Sunday" on high rotation.

Learning the songs

U2 started out in sports arenas in this part of the world and the initial batch of shows sold out instantly. Several more dates were added, resulting in a staggering five each in Sydney and Melbourne, unheard of for a debut visit. The tour's timing was rather strange, with it being squeezed in between finishing the new album "The Unforgettable Fire" and its release. In fact, the band had been so focused on finishing the album that Edge had forgotten how to play a lot of their back catalogue and had to buy copies of U2 albums to learn the songs again.

Rave reviews

The shows were met with rave reviews, and audiences were very enthusiastic. Perhaps TOO enthusiatic at some shows, with several audience scuffles and several stage crashers. However, for one of the Melbourne shows Bono allowed a huge bald man to crash the stage and pick him up bodily before dancing with him. Whilst in Auckland for the first shows of the tour, the band met a stage hand by the name of Greg Carroll, who would go on to be a great friend of theirs, Bono in particular. After Carroll tragically died in a motorcycle accident in 1986, Bono wrote "One Tree Hill" for him, and the band would perform this song on each subsequent visit to New Zealand.

Lovetown (1989)

With The Joshua Tree catapulting U2 the top of the music world, U2 originally planned to visit Australia in the first few months of 1988. Due to exhaustion caused by touring most of 1987, recording new songs and also working on the film for Rattle And Hum, it was decided to postpone the shows to a later date. The Australian and New Zealand ultimately visit didn't happen until September 1989, after a well-earned break following the movie's release. With B.B. King recruited as their support act, the tour was a separate entity from The Joshua Tree tour, entitled Lovetown, and was mostly exclusive to the Pacific. For Australia the shows were played in arenas, with stadiums used for New Zealand. Adam almost put the tour in jeopardy when he had to appear in court on drug charges and nearly had his travel visa revoked. Thankfully, Adam kept his travel visa and the tour could continue.

Massive hype

The hype surrounding the tour was insane. After the massive success of both The Joshua Tree and Rattle And Hum (which is to date the band's highest selling studio album in Australia) U2 fever was at an all-time high, more so than anywhere else in the world. Shows sold out instantly, with demand so great that eventually 27 shows were booked for Australian and New Zealand, including 7 in Melbourne and 8 in Sydney. To this day a large percentage of fans claim Lovetown to be U2 at their live peak, but despite the high calibre of the shows performed, the band have mentioned that during this tour they began to feel like a traveling jukebox. The shows were met with unanimous acclaim from fans and the setlists did in fact vary quite a lot from night to night, in contrast to subsequent tours.

Hawkmoon 269

Everything did not go smoothly, though. Part way through the Australian shows, and after suffering some vocal problems, Bono was diagnosed with laryngitis. He described the experience as catching "psychadelic germs". This resulted in the final 3 Sydney shows being postponed until the next month. Footage from the return visit to Sydney was broadcast in an Australian television special, but to date there has been no official Lovetown concert video release, which has baffled fans. A highlight of the tour for many was a reconfigured "Hawkmoon 269", which has not been played since. This version included some haunting slide guitar work by the Edge. The tour finished at the beginning of 1990 after more vocal issues caused shows in Europe to be postponed.

Zoomerang (1993)

The Australasian and Japanese leg of ZOO TV took place in November and December of 1993, after a two and a half month break. The tour was given a different name for each country - Zoomerang, New Zooland and Zoo TV Japan, respectively. It was their first stadium tour of Australia and the rave reviews from the US and Europe did not go unnoticed. Tickets sold well, with second shows being added in Melbourne and Sydney, and the Zooropa album was a huge success, spending four months in the top ten. The setlist for the Pacific leg partially changed from Europe due to the introduction of more songs from Zooropa (Daddy's Gonna Pay, Lemon, and Dirty Day in place of Desire, Ultra Violet and Bad). Fans attending these shows were lucky in that respect, as these songs would subsequently disappear from future setlists, either forever, or in Dirty Day's case not reappearing until 25 years later.

The famous Sydney show

The first Sydney show remains the only time ever that U2 has played without one of its members, Adam Clayton being - as Bono announced from the stage - "very sick". The exact details surrounding his absence have never exactly been clarified - nor should they be - but it is believed Adam reacted badly to issues regarding his personal life. This debacle couldn't have come at a worse time, with the show being a practice run for a worldwide broadcast the next night for show number two. The band considered a few contingency plans. One was having Edge play bass and guitar tech Dallas Schoo play guitar, but that was quickly vetoed. Another option was canceling the show, but it was too late for that, with the audience already in the venue. At the last moment, Adam's bass tech Stuart Morgan stepped in for him and played the gig, hanging in the shadows for most of the show. Rumours began to circulate that Adam was leaving the band. However this was all just nonsense - the second night went ahead as originally planned, with Adam back on stage and the broadcast going out to the world.

Popmart (1998)

With the southern hemisphere once again being visited at the end of a tour, the Australian leg of the Popmart tour was announced in October 1997, with only four shows on the itinerary and the band surprisingly skipping New Zealand altogether. Similar to some other shows around the world, ticket sales were a bit sluggish, with only a single show in each city. The Pop album and its promotion had seemingly confused or alienated fans as much in Australia as the United States. Maybe it was the choice of Discotheque as first single, and it's accompanying wacky video, or maybe people just didn't take to the more experimental tone of the album, but either way there was a less hysterical rush to see the band live. Taking place in February 1998 at the tail end of summer, the shows themselves were very good, the band playing at their best after nearly a year on the road. By the end of the American leg the previous year they had been feeling a bit down about the whole tour but after visiting South America just before Australia they had rediscovered the thrill of playing live.

A gigantic stage indoors

Kicking off the leg, Perth was the only show of the entire Popmart tour to be performed indoors, at the 14,000 capacity Burswood Dome. The gigantic stage nearly filled the venue, and the 30 metre high cocktail stick and olive were unable to be set up inside the building! This led to audience members getting their own miniature cocktail stick to hold in front of their eyes as a substitute! Bono noted at a press conference after this show that the front rows were full of corporate people who had bought the seats through the casino and were very lackluster during the concert. He also became visibly deflated when the very first question asked by a reporter was about the show's tribute to the recently deceased Michael Hutchence, and he struggled to talk about it. With the death of his great friend still fresh, Bono would dedicate "One" to Hutchence, and the outro music after U2 left the stage was INXS's "Never Tear Us Apart".

The last ever at Waverley Park

The Melbourne show was notable for the fact that the band soundchecked new music for an hour before the gig. Unsurprisingly, this was recorded and quickly made the rounds online, but it's not known if any of the new music ended up being a part of future albums. It was also the last concert to ever be performed at Waverley Park, which was an odd choice for a venue, being far out in the suburbs. A few days after unidentified members of U2 were refused entry to a club in Noosa for inappropriate footwear, the Australian leg finished with a rainy show in Sydney. Humorously, the mirrorball lemon from which the band usually emerged for the encore was not working for this show. During "One", Bono ordered the lights off and the band performed in complete darkness with lightning flashing around the stadium. Family of Michael Hutchence were at this show.

Vertigo (2006)

By late 2005, after two very commercially successful new albums, lots of radio play, and eight years since their last visit of Australia, the demand to see U2 in concert had once again reached staggering heights. Originally scheduled to begin in March 2006, ticket sales for U2's return to Australia were impressive, selling more than ZOO TV and Popmart combined. The Adelaide show was the biggest ever concert to be held in that city, and all other cities also sold out too. And then something rather bad happened at the eleventh hour. With less than two weeks before the Australian leg was to commence, it was postponed. Rumours had leaked a few weeks earlier that a close family member of one the band members was seriously ill with the tour being in jeopardy, and the band confirmed this as the reason. With no immediate word regarding a rescheduled timeframe, fans began to fear that the tour would just be canceled.

Over 200,000 fans in Sydney

Bono, who had already reached Australia at the time of the postponement, was interviewed on television by Andrew Denton the following week and declared the band would likely be back in November. This turned out to be accurate - the rescheduled dates were eventually announced in July, and a third Sydney show was added. This show took the total Sydney attendance to well over 200,000, a staggering result. The shows went off without a hitch, the band in fine form after a break of 8 months, and Bono in particular seemed to be performing the best he had in a very long time. By this point of the tour there were only four regular songs from HTDAAB still in the setlist (it was two years old by this point). Otherwise, the show was largely unchanged from the earlier legs but included a special version of Kite, performed with an extra musician onstage playing an Aboriginal Australian instrument called a didgeridoo. It also contained an extended guitar solo during which Bono would fly a kite from one of the satellite stages. A Sydney performance of this song was included on the "Window In The Skies" CD single.

Guest appearances

The compilation U2 18 Singles was released during the Australian tour, and one of the new tracks "The Saints Are Coming" (recorded as a joint effort with Green Day) was played through this leg. "Window In The Skies" would not appear until the Japanese shows a few weeks later, and to date has never been played since. Bono made a guest appearance onstage at Kylie Minogue's concert in Sydney to sing the duet "Kids", and the band briefly combined with Pearl Jam to become what Bono refered to as "U-Jam" for a "Make Poverty History" concert in Melbourne, performing "Rockin' In The Free World". The Vertigo tour finished the following month in Hawaii, with U2 again teaming up with Pearl Jam.

360 Tour (2010)

The Australasian leg of the gargantuan 360 tour was announced in August 2010 for the following December, Bono back to being healthy again after severely injuring his back earlier in the year. Kicking off in Auckland and finishing in Sydney, the shows sold quite well, with second shows added for each city. Despite cheap prices for general admission and for "behind" the stage, Redzone and some seated tickets were in the range of AUS $300. This was very expensive for a stadium show, but given the size and cost of the stage and production the high prices were hardly surprising, and the band did turn a profit. With the band skipping Adelaide this tour, the city of Perth was played again after a 12 year absence. Fans showed up in force, outselling the much larger cities of Melbourne and Sydney and ending the tour on a high note with great shows.

Many setlist surprises

The addition of famous rapper Jay-Z as support act no doubt helped boost sales, and he was received far better by audiences than Kanye West on the previous tour. He also joined U2 on stage to perform Sunday Bloody Sunday with them for a few shows. With the start of the tour now eighteen months in the past, the setlist had changed quite a lot from earlier shows, particular in the first half. The band were no longer opening with a barrage of songs from No Line On The Horizon - in fact there were only 3 regular songs from that album still in the setlist. By this point U2 had begun to realise that the album had not been quite the hit they had hoped for. They did not play greatest hits shows, however. Instead they walked onstage with the lights on performing "Return Of The Stingray Guitar", a song never released but whose guitar riff ended up in the song Lucifer's Hands 4 years later. Other unreleased songs performed were "Mercy" and "North Star".

A surprise gig

While in Melbourne U2 make a surprise appearance at the farewell show by Australian radio hosts Hamish & Andy and perform Vertigo and Desire. They walk on stage while Hamish & Andy are playing a humorous song boasting that they are better than U2. A few interesting setlist notes on the Australian shows: the second Brisbane show was one of only two times Moment of Surrender was cut from the setlist during the whole 360 tour, on this occasion due to time constraints, and the second Sydney show saw the tour debut of "Love Rescue Me". Reappearing after an absence of over 20 years, it would only be played very sparingly for the rest of the 360 tour. Also in Sydney, Bono was interviewed at the Opera House by Oprah Winfrey for her show. The 360 tour finished in mid-2011 with another run through North America, then the band disappeared for a few years before embarking on three world tours that would not visit Australia and New Zealand.

The wait is over!

I spoke to Bono when I was in London for the I+E tour in 2015. Acting as a conduit for my fellow fans down under I asked the expected question: "When are you coming to Australia again?" Bono looked up from the CD booklet he was signing for me, held my gaze and declared "We're working on it. We love playing Australia." He gestured with his hands while looking off into the distance, trying to find the right words to say. "It's something about the people there. They get us and we love them.". Unfortunately, band members and crew members have been making a lot of promises of coming to Australia for the last four years, a recurring thing that has tested the patience of many fans Down Under. How long must we wait, many Australian fans kept wondering. Fortunately, the long wait is now over, fans are ready for The Joshua Tree anniversary tour to (finally) hit Australia and New Zealand. And if we look at U2's history with Australia, this tour promises once again to be something special.

The New Year's eve gig on the Lovetown tour was officially released as part of that digital boxset when they released the iPod. But there hasn't been a show which i'd love to see, and many fans also. Great summary i particularly enjoyed reading about PopMart in Australia.

Great summary of their history down under and I'm very flattered that you included one of my photos from 1984. One other memorable moment I have from Lovetown was being evacuated from the Sydney Entertainment Centre just before the show started due to a bomb scare. This being in the days when the IRA was active and not too long after Bono's "f**k the revolution" appeared in R&H.

THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson: How to watch Round 1, featured groups, live scores, tee times, TV times

Change Text Size

Round 1 action from THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson gets underway Thursday from TPC Craig Ranch. Jason Day looks to defend his title while 2021 and 2022 champ K.H. Lee returns for revenge after falling short in his three-peat attempt last year, along with Jordan Spieth, the runner-up in 2022 who made his PGA TOUR debut here in 2010 at just 16 years old. Some other notables teeing it up in Texas include past TOUR winners Adam Scott, Will Zalatoris and Tom Kim.

Here's everything you need to know to follow the action.

HOW TO FOLLOW (all times ET)

Television:

Thursday-Friday: 4-7 p.m. (Golf Channel)
Saturday-Sunday: 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-6 p.m. (CBS)

PGA TOUR LIVE

PGA TOUR LIVE is available exclusively on ESPN+

Main feed: Primary tournament-coverage featuring the best action from across the course
Marquee group: New “marquee group” showcasing every shot from each player in the group
Featured groups: Traditional PGA TOUR LIVE coverage of two concurrent featured groups
Featured holes: Combination of par 3s and iconic or pivotal holes

PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and free on PGATOUR.COM/liveaudio :

Thursday-Friday: 1-7 p.m.
Saturday-Sunday: 1-6 p.m.

The First Look

Inside the Field: THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson

Monday qualifiers: THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson

Purse breakdown: THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson

Inside the field: G4D Tour at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson

Mike Browne rises above limitations, ready to compete in G4D Tour at TPC Craig Ranch

Entertainment
Celebrities
Ticket Sales
Promoted: What to Watch on Prime Video

Not only do the married couple perform together — McPhee, of “Smash” and “Waitress” fame belts classics from her extensive catalog while Foster known for his work on “St. Elmo’s Fire” and countless other films and records mans the keys— they also recently brought their two-year-old son Rennie onstage to play the drums onstage with them at Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center.

“He only had to wait two years to play there. I had to wait my whole life,” Foster joked in an exclusive interview with the New York Post.

While Foster’s quip may make it sound like he’s been twiddling his thumbs waiting for gigs, he and McPhee have been far from inactive these past few years.

Not only have the musically gifted duo have toured extensively together, they’re about to kick off the next leg of their ongoing run where they’ll make stops at Waterloo, NY’s The Vine at Del Lago Resort and Casino on Saturday, May 11, Staten Island’s St. George Theatre on Friday, May 17 and Atlantic City’s Hard Rock Hotel and Casino on Saturday, May 18.

As expected, fans can expect to hear hits from the lovebirds’ impressive back catalogs.

“I’ve been around forever, so I have a long list of songs that did well and a lot of songs that didn’t do well,” Foster smiled.

“Kat has her ‘Smash’ repertoire, songs from ‘Waitress’ on Broadway and her ‘American Idol’ stint. It’s just a fun-filled night. Sometimes, I make her do a Céline Dion impression, and then that will lead to a Céline song.” “I love doing them,” McPhee chimed in. “I just don’t want to bomb the high notes.”

And if you dream of catching the bubbly pair live — they say the show is for fans of Céline Dion, Whitney Houston, the band Chicago, Michael Buble and “Smash” — last-minute tickets can still be scooped up for all upcoming shows.

And yes, aspiring vocalists are welcome, too.

“I go into the audience and ask people if they want to sing,” Foster explains. “When they’re good, the audience goes crazy. So if you’re a singer, come on down. If you wave your hand hard enough, I’ll pick you.”

Want to see the one-of-a-kind couple — and maybe their drummer son — live?

We’ve got everything you need to know and more about Katharine McPhee and David Foster’s 2024 tour below.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Katharine McPhee and David Foster tour schedule 2024

A complete calendar including all tour dates, venues and links to buy tickets can be found below.

Katharine McPhee and David Foster set list

While McPhee and Foster like to keep things fresh and mix up the set list, things stay fairly consistent on a gig to gig basis.

For a closer look of what to expect, here’s what they played at a recent concert in South Carolina, courtesy of Set List FM .

01.) “Snowbirds” 02.) “Winter Games” (David Foster cover) 03.) “St. Elmo’s Fire” 04.) “Cry Me a River” (Julie London cover) 05.) “Singin’ in the Rain” (Nacio Herb Brown cover) 06.) “Over the Rainbow” 07.) “Man in Motion (St. Elmo’s Fire)” 08.) “You Raise Me Up” (Secret Garden cover) 09.) “You Used to Be Mine” from Waitress 10.) Drum Medley by JR 11.) Audience Songs (2) 12.) Chicago Medley 13.) “Let Me Be Your Star / Don’t Forget Me” from Smash 14.) “Redneck Woman” from Smash 15.) “The Prayer” (Céline Dion cover) 16.) “Nessun dorma” (Giacomo Puccini cover) 17.) “Got to Be Real” (Cheryl Lynn cover)

18.) “I’ll Be Seeing You” 19.) “Love”

“Boop” the Musical

On top of touring, Foster also wrote the music for the musical “Boop” that sends the classic Black and White cartoon character into the 21st century. The show ran at Chicago’s CIBC Theatre in 2023.

“‘Boop’ has been a labor of love,” Foster gushed. “We had a great run in Chicago. We have a great team. If all things go well, I think we’ll be on Broadway by February (2025).”

David Foster rock and roll history

Prior to his piano ballad days, Foster played with a number of the most beloved rock stars from the 20th century.

“I have rock and roll roots,” Foster told us. “Not much though, because if you know my music at all, (you know that) when I lay my hands on the piano, it’s pretty soft.”

After playing with Chuck Berry as a 16-year-old back in the mid 1960s, Foster worked with three (!) of the four Beatles.

“I spent a lot of time with George Harrison, thanks to my friend, the drummer Jim Keltner, who introduced me,” he said. “I was sitting in my little condo with no furniture and the phone rings (and when) I heard ‘Hello, this is George Harrison’ it was one of the most mind blowing moments of my life. We did a couple of albums together in the mid-70s where I played piano and arranged the music.”

Foster also produced Paul McCartney’s 1989 album “Flowers In The Dirt” and played on a record with Ringo Starr.

Huge 2024 concert tours

In the unfortunate event that Foster and McPhee aren’t headed to a venue near you in the next few months, there are plenty of other great acts that just may make their way to your neck of the woods.

Here are just five of our favorites you won’t want to miss live.

• Idina Menzel

• Norah Jones

• Amy Grant

• Jewel with Melissa Etheridge

• Sarah McLachlan

Who else is on the road? Take a look at our list of the 50 biggest concert tours in 2024 to find out.

Why you should trust ‘Post Wanted’ by the New York Post

This article was written by Matt Levy , New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed Bruce Springsteen and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.

Share this article:

Skip to main content
Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

Bon Jovi docuseries 'Thank You, Goodnight' is an argument for respect

Eric Deggans

Jon Bon Jovi at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., in 2013. David Bergman/Hulu hide caption

Jon Bon Jovi at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn., in 2013.

Hulu's docuseries Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story , spends a lot of time building up the Bon Jovi legend — exploring the band's almost unbelievable 40-plus-year run from playing hardscrabble rock clubs in New Jersey to earning platinum albums and entry into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

But what moved me most in the four-part series was something more revealing: its close look at the struggle by lead singer Jon Bon Jovi to overcome vocal problems which nearly led him to quit the band.

Footage of the singer croaking through vocal exercises, undergoing laser treatments, enduring acupuncture and finally turning to surgery is sprinkled throughout the series, which toggles back and forth between his problems in 2022 and a chronological story of the band's triumphs and tragedies from its earliest days.

Refusing to be Fat Elvis

Jon Bon Jovi was interviewed for Thank You, Goodnight . Disney/Hulu hide caption

Jon Bon Jovi was interviewed for Thank You, Goodnight .

Through it all, a question hangs: Will Bon Jovi ever recover enough vocal strength to lead a 40th anniversary tour?

"If I can't be the very best I can be, I'm out," he tells the cameras, still looking a bit boyish despite his voluminous gray hair at age 62. "I'm not here to drag down the legacy, I'm not here for the 'Where are they now?' tour ... I'm not ever gonna be the Fat Elvis ... That ain't happening."

Filmmaker Gotham Chopra — who has also directed docuseries about his father, spiritualist Deepak Chopra, and star quarterback Tom Brady — digs deeply into the band's history, aided by boatloads of pictures, video footage and early recordings provided by the group.

Former Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora in Thank You, Goodnight Disney/Hulu hide caption

Former Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora in Thank You, Goodnight

Chopra gets folks from the group's tight inner circle to speak up, including former manager Doc McGhee and guitarist Richie Sambora, who quit the band in 2013. ("Are we telling the truth, or are we going to lie, what are we going to do?" Sambora cracks to his offscreen interviewer. "Let's figure it out.")

But anyone expecting gossipy dish will walk away disappointed. Even major scandals in the band's history are handled with care, including the firing of founding bassist Alec John Such in 1994 (and the admission that his replacement, Hugh McDonald, already had been secretly playing bass parts on their albums for years), drummer Tico Torres' stint in addiction treatment and Sambora's decision to quit midway through a tour in 2013, with no notice to bandmates he had performed alongside for 30 years.

Alec John Such, a founding member of Bon Jovi, dies at 70

Sambora's explanation: When issues with substance use and family problems led him to miss recording sessions, Bon Jovi got producer John Shanks to play more guitar on their 2013 record What About Now . And Sambora was hurt.

"[Bon Jovi] had the whole thing kinda planned out," Sambora says, "which basically was telling me, um, 'I can do it without you.'"

Building a band on rock anthems

Jon Bon Jovi with guitarist Phil X. Disney/Hulu hide caption

Jon Bon Jovi with guitarist Phil X.

The docuseries shows how young New Jersey native John Bongiovi turned a job as a gofer at legendary recording studio The Power Station – owned by a cousin — into a recording of his first hit in the early 1980s, Runaway . His song eventually caught the ear of another little-known artist from New Jersey called Bruce Springsteen.

"The first demo I got of Jon's was a good song," says Springsteen, a longtime friend of Bon Jovi. "I mean, Jon's great talent is these big, powerful pop rock choruses that just demand to be sung by, you know, 20,000 people in an arena."

Music Interviews

Rock star jon bon jovi comes full 'circle'.

Thank You, Goodnight shows the band really took off by honing those rock anthems with songwriter Desmond Child, while simultaneously developing videos that showcased their status as a fun, rollicking live band. Hits like You Give Love a Bad Name, Livin' on a Prayer and Wanted: Dead or Alive made them MTV darlings and rock superstars.

Through it all, the singer and bandleader is shown as the group's visionary and spark plug, open about how strategically he pushed the band to write hit songs and positioned them for commercial success.

"It wasn't as though I woke up one morning and was the best singer in the school, or on the block, or in my house," he tells the camera, laughing. "I just had a desire and a work ethic that was always the driving force."

I saw that dynamic up close in the mid-1990s when I worked as a music critic in New Jersey, spending time with Jon Bon Jovi and the band. Back then, his mother ran the group's fan club and was always trying to convince the local rock critic to write about her superstar son – I was fascinated by how the band shrugged off criticisms of being uncool and survived changing musical trends, led by a frontman who worked hard to stay grounded.

Bon Jovi was always gracious and willing to talk; he even introduced me to then-New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman at one of his legendary Christmas charity concerts. (And in a crazy coincidence, the band's backup singer Everett Bradley is an old friend from college.)

I think the docuseries captures Bon Jovi's skill at leading the group through challenges musical and otherwise — from metal's slow fade off the pop charts to the rise of grunge rock — something the singer rarely gets credit for achieving.

Still, much of Thank You, Goodnight feels like an extended celebration of the band and its charismatic frontman, leavened by his earnest effort to regain control of his voice. If you're not a Bon Jovi fan, four episodes of this story may feel like a bit much (I'd recommend at least watching the first and last episodes.)

More than anything, the docuseries feels like an extended argument for something Bon Jovi has struggled to achieve, even amid million selling records and top-grossing concert tours – respect as a legendary rock band.

The audio and digital versions of this story were edited by Jennifer Vanasco .

More From Forbes

Harry potter tour revenue surges past $1 billion.

Share to Facebook
Share to Twitter
Share to Linkedin

The Harry Potter tour in Leavesden is a big money spinner for Warner Bros.

Britain's Harry Potter movie tour has generated more than $1 billion of revenue since it opened 12 years ago according to its latest financial statements which show that sales doubled to a record $184.4 million (£149.1 million) in 2022 as the end of pandemic restrictions cast a powerful spell on the attraction.

The tour is set inside two cream-coloured cavernous soundstages at Leavesden Studios on the outskirts of London. Owned by media giant Warner Bros. Discovery WBD , Leavesden was originally an aircraft factory before it was converted into a movie studio in 1994 so that James Bond flick GoldenEye could film there.

Warner bought Leavesden in 2010 making it the first studio to have a permanent European base since Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in the 1940s. Leavesden re-opened in 2012 after Warner invested more than $123.7 million (£100 million) in the site. Since then it has been home to well over 50 productions including all eight Potter films, the three Fantastic Beasts spin-offs and last year's highest-grossing movie, Barbie .

The studio generates 39.7% of Leavesden's total revenue which rose by $87.5 million (£70.7 million) to a record $305.8 million (£247.2 million) in the year to 31 December 2022 as we revealed in Britain's Sunday Times newspaper. The increase was entirely driven by the tour as studio revenue dipped 2.9% to $121.3 million (£98.1 million).

Revenue is increasing at Warner Bros' Leavesden studios

Microsoft Warns Windows Users Of Ongoing Russian Hack Attack

Apple id password resets are hitting iphone ipad mac users, new ios 18 ai security move changes the game for all iphone users.

Over the past few years soaring inflation and the cost of living crisis has caused consumers to cut streaming subscriptions leading to studios scaling back the number of shows in production.

It didn't stop there as Leavesden faced the challenge of strikes in Hollywood when actors and writers downed their tools for more than six months last year in a bid to boost the royalties they receive. Warner is still counting the cost of this and on February 23 announced that revenue for the fourth quarter of 2023 was down 7% to $10.2 billion partly driven by strike-induced production delays. On the day of the announcement its shares closed 10% down at $8.61, almost the lowest price since the group was created by the merger of AT&T’s T WarnerMedia and Discovery Inc in April 2022.

The impact is being felt far beyond the studios as special effects firm Framestore, which created the spellbinding visuals in the Potter movies, said it expects margins "to be impacted" by the strikes in 2023.

In contrast, the tour behind the scenes of the Potter movies has been a dream ticket for Warner. Leavesden's net profit more than doubled last year to $87.8 million (£71 million) which was largely driven by the tour given that the studio's revenue reversed. Since 2012 Leavesden has generated total net profits of $589.6 million (£476.7 million) and paid $289.4 million (£234 million) of dividends to Warner.

Guests can wander through recreations of classic Harry Potter locations (photo by Andrew Aitchison / ... [+] In pictures via Getty Images)

Since it opened 12 years ago more than 18 million people have streamed through the tour's turnstiles generating a total of $1.2 billion (£935.8 million) of revenue – 67.5% more than the studio has made.

The tour is filled with props and sets from the movies with the latest addition being Professor Sprout's Greenhouse which opened in summer 2022. From the outside, the giant greenhouse appears to be in the grip of a giant vine which covers the walls inside. Its tendrils spread into flower boxes where plants seem to sprout from them. Visitors can uproot them to reveal a squealing shrub as Harry and his chums did in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets .

As we recently revealed , the tour has been so successful that Warner has invested more than $115 million in its first overseas outpost which opened in Tokyo last year and is 50% bigger than its British counterpart.

Leavesden operates the Japanese facility as well as the wildly popular chain of Potter shops and the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child stage show which premiered in London in 2016 to critical acclaim. Since then it has expanded to five other countries and is still growing as the financial statements reveal that "in 2022 the company invested in another production of the stage play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child ."

The company also produces the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child stage show (Photo by Sam ... [+] Tabone/WireImage)

Despite the logjam in Hollywood, Leavesden too is expanding. Last year it announced plans to build 11 new sound stages which will increase production capacity by more than 50% and will create 4,000 direct and indirect jobs. It is expanding to stay in the game in the face of increasing competition.

Britain has become a popular location for filming thanks to its generous fiscal benefits which give studios a reimbursement of up to 25.5% of the amount they spend in the country. It explains why Shepperton Studios, just outside London, is planning a 1.2 million square feet expansion which will make it the world's second-biggest studio.

Likewise, nearby Pinewood plans to spend $1.6 billion (£1.3 billion) on new facilities including a studio tour which will put it in even more direct competition with Leavesden. Over the past 80 years Pinewood has been home to everything from the Pink Panther and Paddington to Superman and Star Wars so it may take more than the wave of a magic wand to beat.

Editorial Standards
Reprints & Permissions

Press Herald

Account Subscription: ACTIVE

Questions about your account? Our customer service team can be reached at [email protected] during business hours at (207) 791-6000 .

Grammy winner Sarah Jarosz, Maine Pottery Tour, season opening at Victoria Mansion

Catch singing group Straight No Chaser at Merrill Auditorium and take a Black history walking tour in Biddeford and Saco

You are able to gift 5 more articles this month.

Anyone can access the link you share with no account required. Learn more .

With a Press Herald subscription, you can gift 5 articles each month.

It looks like you do not have any active subscriptions. To get one, go to the subscriptions page .

Loading....

Singer-songwriter Sarah Jarosz. Photo by Shervin Lainez

Sarah Jarosz 8 p.m. Thursday. State Theatre, 609 Congress St., Portland, $25 to $45 reserved seating. statetheatreportland.com Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sarah Jarosz released her seventh album, “Polaroid Lovers,” in January. A huge national tour started last week and pulls into Portland on Thursday for a show with with Canadian opener Le Ren (Lauren Spear). Jarosz has mostly written songs alone, but this time around co-wrote with Daniel Tashan, who also produced the album, along with fellow songwriters Ruston Kelly and Natalie Hemby, among others.

Detail of one of the original Parlor floral drops, ca.1860 at Victoria Mansion in Portland. The drop is part of the textiles exhibit at the museum. Photo by Gail Dodge

A Celebration of National Textiles Day 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday to Sunday. Victoria Mansion, 109 Danforth St., Portland, $19.25, $17.25 seniors, $6 students, free for 6 and under. victoriamansion.org Victoria Mansion kicks off its season with a celebration of National Textiles Day. An array of textiles from the museum’s collection will be on display all weekend. The mansion, built in the mid-1860s, has held onto more than 90% of the original collection featuring intricate textiles from its many rooms. Because they’re so delicate, these items spend most of the time in a climate-controlled storage room on the mansion’s third floor, so this is a rare chance to view them. The museum is participating in First Friday Art Walk, when admission is free from 5-8 p.m.

Downtown Biddeford, including the mills, Main Street and the Saco River in the background. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer

Unveiling a Fuller History: Biddeford and Saco Black History Walking Tour 10 a.m. Saturday. Saco Transportation Center, 138 Main St., Saco, free. janeswalkme.org The communities of Biddeford and Saco invite you to spend part of your Saturday morning learning about the Black history of both cities with a walking tour presented by the grassroots organization Showing Up for Racial Justice. Saco Museum’s Anatole Brown and Maine historian Bob Greene will delve into Black history, dating back to the 1700s. You’ll hear about abolitionists, entertainers and civil rights leaders and how cotton, slavery and the northern mills are connected.

Maine Pottery Tour 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Pottery and ceramics studios statewide. mainepotterytour.org Seize the clay! The Maine Pottery Tour checks many boxes. First off, it’s a great reason to plan an excursion, whether it’s in your general area or a full-on road trip to another part of the state. It’s also a wonderful way to see what dozens of potters are doing. Their studios will be open, so you can watch them creating and see kilns working their magic. All of the artists will be selling their wares, so you can support the local economy as well. Visit the Maine Pottery Tour site for a map and list of participating artists in every region of Maine, including the south, Down East and the coast.

Straight No Chaser singing group. Photo by Andrew Bonilla

Straight No Chaser 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Merrill Auditorium, 20 Myrtle St., Portland, $52.50 to $72.50. porttix.com A cappella singing group Straight No Chaser formed in the mid-’90s at Indiana University, and a 1998 video of their performance of “The 12 Days of Christmas” went viral. The current Yacht Rock tour is an all-out soft rock celebration that features several ’70s and ’80s hits, including “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” by Rupert Holmes, “Sailing” by Christopher Cross and “Heart to Heart” by Kenny Loggins. The nine singers also created a Toto medley packed with tunes like “Hold the Line,” “Rosanna” and “Africa.”

Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.

Enter your email and password to access comments.

Forgot Password?

Don't have a commenting profile? Create one.

Hi, to comment on stories you must create a commenting profile . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login. Already have a commenting profile? Login .

Invalid username/password.

Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.

Create a commenting profile by providing an email address, password and display name. You will receive an email to complete the registration. Please note the display name will appear on screen when you participate.

Already registered? Log in to join the discussion.

Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why .

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.

Send questions/comments to the editors.

Member Log In

Please enter your username and password below. Already a subscriber but don't have one? Click here .

Not a subscriber? Click here to see your options

IMAGES

U2 Throughout the Years: Photos From 1980-2017
U2 > Tours > War
U2 > Tours > Boy Tour
U2 > Tours > Unforgettable Fire
U2 LIVE SONGS OF iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE-
U2 Reinvent the Arena Show at Triumphant 'Innocence' Tour Opener

VIDEO

Still haven't found what I'm looking for U2 360° tour in Wembley Stadium
U2 Ultraviolet @ Foxboro 9-21-09
All of U2's albums and how many were sold
U2 3D
U2 4th Of July
U2

COMMENTS

U2 Concert & Tour History (Updated for 2024)
U2 Concert History. 1,893 Concerts. U2 is an Irish alternative rock band from Dublin formed in 1976. The group consists of Bono (lead vocals and rhythm guitar), the Edge (lead guitar, keyboards, and backing vocals), Adam Clayton (bass guitar), and Larry Mullen Jr. (drums and percussion). Initially rooted in post-punk, U2's musical style evolved ...
U2 Tour History: Journey Through Decades of Unforgettable Concerts
Embark on a captivating journey through U2's extensive tour history, spanning decades of electrifying concerts and global performances. Delve into the evolution of their live shows, iconic setlists, and the unparalleled energy that has made U2 a touring phenomenon. Explore the milestones, memorable moments, and destinations that define the band ...
Category:U2 concert tours
U. U2 360° Tour. U2 concert in Sarajevo. U2-3 Tour. The Unforgettable Fire Tour.
U2 Tour overview
Please be aware that prior to the Conspiracy Of Hope Tour, not all setlists are known. U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at the Sphere (2 legs / 40 shows) Stories of Surrender Tour (3 legs / 42 shows) Joshua Tree Tour 2019 (15 shows) Experience + Innocence Tour (2 legs / 60 shows) Songs Of Experience Promo Tour (10 shows) Joshua Tree Tour 2017 (3 legs ...
U2 Tour History
U2 with Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds Mt Smart Stadium · Auckland, New Zealand. >. Tue Nov 13 2018. U2 Uber Arena · Berlin, Germany. >. . Page 1 of 7 Next >>. U2 tour history. Find U2 past tour dates in the USA, Europe and the rest of the world on Concertful.
Timeline of U2
Four of U2's past concert films are remastered and streamed on the band's official YouTube channel for 48 hours each over the following weeks. The series began with U2 Go Home: Live from Slane Castle, Ireland on 17 March (St. Patrick's Day), followed by U2 Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky on 25 March, PopMart: Live from Mexico City on 1 ...
U2
At 164 feet tall, the stage structure from the U2 360° Tour was the largest ever constructed. The tour became the highest-grossing in history, having earned US$736 million. The group embarked on the U2 360° Tour in June 2009.
U2 Various Dates: 1976-1989
U2 tour history » Various Dates » 1976-1989. Showing dates for U2's Various Dates: 1976-1989. 1976-09-25 - Dublin, Ireland ... All Tours History. All Tours; Select TourU2:UV AB live at the Sphere. 2023; 2024; complete tour statistics; Stories of Surrender Tour. Promo Appearances; 2022; 2023;
U2: The Complete History of Their Live Tours
1986. In 1986, U2 took time out from recording the album they would ultimately title The Joshua Tree to participate in A Conspiracy Of Hope, a short tour of six benefit concerts in the US, in ...
Setlist History: U2's First North America Show 37 Years Ago Today
And on December 6, 1980, Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. made their US debut at The Ritz in New York, New York. U2 - "I Will Follow". They were just one of a few bands set to perform that evening, with roughly 25-plus people in attendance. In a fan review, it was said that people were dancing and clapping and had actually ...
U2 > Timeline
U2 still hasn't found what it's looking for, and that artistic restlessness is a key reason this Irish rock band continues to be so involving. In its first album in three years, the quartet sets aside the uplifting anthems of the Grammy-winning "The Joshua Tree" and the rock history exploration of "Rattle and Hum" to reflect on issues that seem ...
U2Tours.com Tours U2Tours.com
A Comprehensive Guide To U2's Live Performance History. Contact Us: [email protected]. In memory of Aaron Govern. U2Tours.com is dedicated to tracking and cataloging U2 setlists, concert dates, and all other information related to U2's legendary live performances.
U2 Tour Announcements 2024 & 2025, Notifications, Dates, Concerts
Find information on all of U2's upcoming concerts, tour dates and ticket information for 2024-2025. Unfortunately there are no concert dates for U2 scheduled in 2024. Songkick is the first to know of new tour announcements and concert information, so if your favorite artists are not currently on tour, join Songkick to track U2 and get concert ...
U2 on Tour: Our 1992 Cover Story
Rock is dead: Long live Zoo TV. Jim Greer's U2 tour diary reveals the bigger machine behind the Big Show—as he wonders why the band doesn't want him to write about it. This article originally ...
U2 Various Dates: 1990-1999
Listing of all shows during U2 Various Dates: 1990-1999. Click on date for setlist, articles and fan reviews. U2gigs.com. ... U2 tour history » Various Dates » 1990-1999. Showing dates for U2's Various Dates: 1990-1999. 1990-06-20 - Richfield, Ohio, USA - Richfield Coliseum (1 song)
U2 > Tour
irish dates. 1978 / 1979. 1 countries. 27 shows. The official U2 website with all the latest news, video, audio, lyrics, photos, tour dates and ticket information.
U2Tours.com Home U2Tours.com
U2TOURS.COM. A Comprehensive Guide To U2's Live Performance History. Contact Us: In memory of Aaron Govern. @U2 provides U2 news, lyrics, tour dates, setlists and other U2 information in a non-profit, educational setting for anyone interested in learning about the Irish rock band U2. We're an award-winning website established and updated ...
U2 in Atlanta: An oral history of the band and the city's shared
In anticipation of U2's first Atlanta concert in nine years, two generations of Georgians talk about the band. 1981-1985. Early days, Unforgettable fire, and the reach of Live Aid. Between 1981 ...
Vertigo Tour
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.
U2 > Tours > October
U2 eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour 2018-North America & Europe; Added Dates-Mexico City, South America, US; The Joshua Tree Tour 2017-North America and Europe UK; iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Tour 2015-North America & Europe; iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Tour 2015-Packages; U2360° TOUR-Leg 3: 2011; U2360° TOUR-Leg 2: 2010; U2360° TOUR-Leg 1: 2009; Vertigo ...
Under Australian skies: U2's history with Australia
Nonetheless, we have been graced with six tours over the band's lifetime, and they have all been seen a band at the top of their game. Ahead of the 2019 Joshua Tree tour, this slideshow tells the story of a love tale between U2 and Australia spanning more than 30 years. The slideshow Under Australian skies: U2's history with Australia was ...
Taylor Swift Passes U2's Record
Taylor Swift debuts her new album The Tortured Poets Department at No. 1 in the U.K. this week. The title was always a lock for the highest rung on the ranking of the most-consumed full-lengths in ...
Slavery and Freedom Highlights Tour
Tours are subject to docent availability; last minute cancellations may occur. About This Event Explore the complex story of slavery and freedom. Visitors will view priceless objects, connect to the past, and hear about the actions of ordinary men and women, demanding freedom and transforming our nation. ...
THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson: How to watch Round 1, featured groups, live
Jason Day looks to defend his title while 2021 and 2022 champ K.H. Lee returns for revenge after falling short in his three-peat attempt last year, along with Jordan Spieth, the runner-up in 2022 ...
Expect the unexpected at Katharine McPhee and David Foster's 2024 tour
A complete calendar including all tour dates, venues and links to buy tickets can be found below. Katharine McPhee and David Foster tour dates April 30 at the Hoyt Sherman Auditorium in Des Moines, IA
Jannik Sinner storms past Lorenzo Sonego in Madrid
The Italian star cruised past countryman Lorenzo Sonego 6-0, 6-3 in just 69 minutes to reach the third round at the ATP Masters 1000 event. EN. EN; ES ... Kotov set his maiden tour-level clash with Sinner with a topsy-turvy 5-7, 6-4, 7-5 triumph against 32nd seed Jordan Thompson. He saved two match points when trailing 4-5 in the deciding set ...
Bon Jovi docuseries 'Thank You, Goodnight' is an argument for respect
Through it all, a question hangs: Will Bon Jovi ever recover enough vocal strength to lead a 40th anniversary tour? "If I can't be the very best I can be, I'm out," he tells the cameras, still ...
U2 360° Tour
The U2 360° Tour was a worldwide concert tour by rock band U2. Staged in support of the group's 2009 album No Line on the Horizon, the tour visited stadiums from 2009 through 2011. The concerts featured the band playing "in the round" on a circular stage, allowing the audience to surround them on all sides.To accommodate the stage configuration, a large four-legged structure nicknamed "The ...
Harry Potter Tour Revenue Surges Past $1 Billion
The Harry Potter tour in Leavesden is a big money spinner for Warner Bros. Money Sport Media. Britain's Harry Potter movie tour has generated more than $1 billion of revenue since it opened 12 ...
Grammy winner Sarah Jarosz, Maine Pottery Tour, season opening at
Unveiling a Fuller History: Biddeford and Saco Black History Walking Tour 10 a.m. Saturday. Saco Transportation Center, 138 Main St., Saco, free.