U2 breaks record for highest grossing tour (video)

U2-360

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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U2-360The Rolling Stones’ tour called A Bigger Bang Tour started in August 2005 and ended in August 2007. It grossed $558,255,524 and was the world record until now.

With U2 finshing up in São Paulo, Brazil, they just creeped by the $588 million mark and they have another 20 gigs to go. At the end of this run, the band is expected to have grossed seven hundred million dollars making it the highest grossing tour of all time. That will also include dates in over three dozen cities around the world playing to more than three million fans.

The Stage

In looking at this unique structure, I was first taken aback by both its size and the idea of having an audience on all sides. Yes, being surrounded by the audience is not a first but this is done on quite a scale.

The inspiration for the "spaceship-on-four-legs" design, nicknamed "the Claw", came from the landmark Theme Building at Los Angeles International Airport.

The steel structure is 164 foot (50 m) tall — doubling the size of the stadium set for The Rolling Stones’ A Bigger Bang Tour, the previous highest — can hold up to 200 tonnes underneath it, and requires 120 trucks to transport each of the 3 sets constructed to support the tour. Each leg of the structure contains its own sound system. The cost of each structure is between £15 million and £20 million.

The 360° tour crew consists of 137 touring production crew supplemented by over 120 hired locally. Daily costs of the production are approximately $750,000, not including the stage construction; the majority of this comes from truck rentals, transportation, and staff wages.

North America

Billed as "Leg 7" of their mammoth world tour, U2 will be visiting 21 cities starting with Mexico City on May 11. The Canadian dates include Winnipeg, Edmonton, Montreal and Toronto with the very last concert being in Moncton, New Brunswick on July 30 at the Magnetic Hill Concert Site, supposed the largest such venue in the country. U2 will be sharing their stage with Carney and Arcade Fire.

 

Top 10 highest-grossing tours

U2 360° (expected) 2009-11 $700m

The Rolling Stones A Bigger Bang 2005-07 $558.2m

AC/DC Black Ice World 2008-10 $441.1m

Madonna Sticky & Sweet 2008-09 $408m

U2 Vertigo 2005–06 $389m

The Police The Police reunion 2007-08 $358.8m

The Rolling Stones Bridges To Babylon/No Security 1997-99 $336.01m

The Rolling Stones Voodoo Lounge 1994-95 $316.3m

The Rolling Stones Licks 2002-03 $299.5m

Celine Dion Taking Chances 2008-09 $279.2m

 

LNGT360’s Channel – Oct 30/2009

U2 360° Tour – Time Lapse

Time lapse video of U2’s revolutionary stage "The Spaceship" being built, performed on, and taken down.

Snah85 – Feb 16, 2011

U2 360° Tour: Behind the Scenes (South Africa)

Courtesy of 94.7 Highveld stereo and Primedia, I was afforded an opportunity to attend an exclusive behind the scenes look at the inner workings of the South African leg of the U2 360° Tour. This video is a compilation of my experience during the behind the scenes tour.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reLFlUTuXbk

The Telegraph – Apr 11/2011

Video shot at the Morumbi Stadium in Brazil: U2 playing "Get On Your Boots"

References

Wikipedia: U2

U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono (vocals and guitar), The Edge (guitar, keyboards and vocals), Adam Clayton (bass guitar), and Larry Mullen, Jr. (drums and percussion). U2’s early sound was indebted to post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music. Throughout the group’s musical pursuits, they have maintained a recognisable sound built on melodic instrumentals, highlighted by The Edge’s textural guitar playing and Bono’s expressive vocals. Their lyrics, often embellished with spiritual imagery, focus on personal themes and sociopolitical concerns.

Wikipedia: U2 360° Tour

The U2 360° Tour is an ongoing worldwide concert tour by rock band U2. Launched in support of the group’s 2009 album No Line on the Horizon, the tour will visit stadiums from 2009 through 2011. The U2 360° Tour is named after the 360-degree staging and audience configuration it uses for shows, which U2 claims is "the first time a band has toured in stadiums with such a unique and original structure." To accommodate this, the stage set makes use of a massive four-legged supporting rig that has been nicknamed "The Claw" and has set a world record for the largest concert stage structure. In an era of declining CD sales, the tour is expected to be a major source of income for the band.

Wikipedia: List of highest-grossing concert tours

 

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