Jump to content

U2 new 360 tour


adhughes

Recommended Posts

Anyone seen the new Blackberry advert showing U2 singing on that huge stage. If not search it on you tube.

 

Until today I thought it was just CGI but was shocked when I saw an article in the paper about it today to say it was actually real and that belive it or not it is actually visable from space when set up, it's that big.

 

Any one have an infomation about this show...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lighting Director Ethan Weber accepted the enormous challenge of operating the lightshow, and has chosen 2 x grandMA full-size consoles, with Lighting Associate Alex Murphy selecting 2 x grandMA lights to run the stage and structure LED fixtures. There are a total of 10 x MA NSP (Network Signal Processors) for lighting control.

 

Two grandMA full-sizes, one run in Full-Tracking-Backup-Mode, are controlling the moving and conventional lights. They are assisted by eight MA NSPs for DMX processing, and the fixture list includes

 

196 x PRG Bad Boys,

156 x Martin Atomic Strobes,

8 x BigLites 4.5,

8 x Novalight Nova-Flower 2Ks,

generic channels and fog machines. Another grandMA light with a grandMA light as backup and two MA NSPs are used for LED control. This grandMA light also triggers an M-Box media server used for pixel mapping.

 

P.S If you want a look at the control area click on the link U2 Control Position

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Its getting a lot of grief for its carbon footprint, given U2's supposed environmental and ethical credentials. They are leapfrogging three basic stage structures without lights, video, PA etc, and apparently this alone requires three sets of 39 trucks to transport... There's a huge article about the tour in the latest issue of Total Production magazine. (I haven't had a chance to read it yet, it may have info about the environmental stuff).

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/jul/1...arbon-footprint

 

vbm

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well it was a really good show. That said I only have U2 Elevation tour and Bon Jovi in the Ricoh as a punter to compare it too....

 

The stage looked awesome, and really worked in the round. We were about ten rows from the top of the stadium at the highest side, so actually above the stage roof, looking down. We arrived and the sound wasn't that clear which I put down to the reverb time being fairly large (at a guess around 3 seconds...), and hoped would clear up once the venue filled up which it did as U2 took to stage. However the sound didn't improve. As we left about halfway through the final song, we had to walk down to the exit, and about 10' vertically down we hit into the beam of the array, and suddenly it was crystal clear with Bono's vocals suddenly standing right out in the mix where as in our seats it was all very muddy. So if we'd been in those rows, then it would have been a perfect show.

 

As for the visual elements, there was use of all the tricks in the book, both from the LX and video, but not so that you got fed up with the various effects. Despite being so far from the band, I still found myself watching them perform. There were a couple of moments when I realised that the screen had done a move or something else had happened, but I'd been watching them perform.

 

In terms of things like video delay, by the time the audio hit us, it was back in sync with the video, however if we'd been further down the stadium, then it would have been out of sync, but would that have bothered Joe Average? Probably not, as it's only sad buggers like me that sit and try to work out the delay.....

 

So was it worth the £150 we paid (myself and the Wife)? Well considering Sarah gets £60 back as a benefit of being a Waitrose Partner then hell yes!! The show was great, well engineered and performed such that nothing really stuck out in the performance and it held together as one. Would I like to go and see them again on the 360 tour? Yes I would, especially if I was in the true coverage of the PA!

 

It also left me stoked for what can be achieved with the video and full of ideas to implement. Now we need to find some willing clients that we can work with. And now I know how they actually build the thing I can sleep properly tonight.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The film of Woodstock is on at the moment. Interesting comparing the construction of the two stages... Timber constuction, and built on site for one event. Safety Elves noticeable by their absence.

 

40 years ago, I was living about 80 miles from the festival; and my parents didn't take me! <_<

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.