U2 Shows Off Spectacle Of Las Vegas Sphere

U2 launched their 25-date U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere residency at the long-in-the-making new Las Vegas venue operated by MSG Entertainment. The band performed at the Sphere on Friday, September 29 and on Saturday, September 30, showing of the venue’s stunning, state-of-the-art immersive technology.

U2 – lead singer Bono, guitarist The Edge and bassist Adam Clayton with drummer Bram van den Berg filling in for Larry Mullen Jr. – performed on a Brian Eno-inspired turntable stage. Behind and above the band and the audience was the Sphere’s massive LED screen, “the world’s largest and highest-resolution,” providing captivating visualizations.

The U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere residency is a celebration of the band’s 1991 album, Achtung Baby and the subsequent ZOO TV Tour in support. Both nights saw all 12 songs on Achtung Baby make the setlist, including bust outs of “Mysterious Ways,” “Tryin’ to Throw Your Arms Around the World,” “So Cruel” and “Love Is Blindness.” Each night included a middle acoustic section with songs pulled from other records and encores consisting of additional favorites.

U2 also debuted a new song “Atomic City,” which takes is title from a 1950s-era nickname for Las Vegas. According to the band, the song is “an homage to the magnetic spirit of ‘70s post-punk with a nod to Blondie, whose pioneering work with Giorgio Moroder inspired and influenced the band.”

Setlist

Setlist