The Claw

U2 360 Tour features extreme stage

Irish mega-rock group U2 kicked off their U.S. tour last night in Chicago. Ah-maze-ing. Now I’m not particularly a big U2 fan, but the thought and care they put into the show was really impressive. They made it clear they wanted each and every one of us to have a good time. How do I know this? Because Bono said so. And they built one of the largest, most impressive stage sets to prove it.

Dubbed the “claw” by Rolling Stone and a “space ship” by the band, the massive contraption had 4 giant arms that suspended over the stage. The claws were wrapped in white vinyl so they could take on the color of whatever light was shown upon them – this led to some beautiful sights. Under the claw and above the stage was a 360 degree video screen that could expand and contract. What’s more, the round stage was surrounded by a circular walkway set out into the crowd, giving Bono and his band mates even more opportunities to get closer to fans. Bono joked that, “We built this, if I can say this without throwing up, to get closer to you guys.” And I challenge any of the 60,000+ fans in the stadium that night to come forward and tell me they didn’t honestly feel a close connection to the band.

When people attend an event there are those first few moments of uncertainty. When you aren’t sure what the mood, tone or experience is going to be like. Part of you is waiting to see what moves the host makes, and if the host doesn’t set the right mood, the night will likely be downhill from there. Bono exuded a savvy from the moment he decided to build the “space ship.” Bono had won us over with that unique and beautiful stage before even stepping foot on it. Couple that with the confidence, humility and creativity he exuded during the show and Bono had us giving him every ounce of applause we could muster.