Watch out baby is arguably U2’s creative peak; a moment of bold change in the early 90s that saw the band, Brian Eno And Daniel Lanois emerging from the isolation of Berlin and Dublin to successfully redefine their sound without sacrificing the talent for the towering anthems that had already made them a stadium act. The Zoo TV tour that would follow set a new benchmark for huge live shows. Now they’re revisiting it all with a residency in Las Vegas.
The news was announced during a Superbowl advert last night; the band will play at the city’s brand new Madison Square Garden Sphere venue at the Venetian Resort.
The Vegas choice may seem a little kitschy to some fans and detractors of the Dublin band, but it’s very much in line with Zoo TV’s ethos, and the band are, of course, big Elvis fans.
A much longer trailer below is nearly four minutes long and features the concept of an Achtung Baby sphere arriving on Earth as various fans of the band from different countries are lifted from it. Oh come on, you weren’t expecting modesty, surely?
Will we see the return of Bono’s evil MacPhisto alter ego? One thing is certain, we will see Edge showcasing some of his most brilliantly creative parts in this set.
No date has been announced but it will take place in the fall of this year. Fans can register their interest in tickets at livenation.com (opens in a new tab).
But come on, where are the UK and Ireland dates for an Achtung Baby set? With the climate change crisis highlighted at the start of the video above, we can’t get fans jumping on planes to the United States.
Surely the group intends to return home to Slane Castle at least? Perhaps the original plans for the 30th anniversary tour that came and went in 2021 were changed as a result of the pandemic. For those of us who don’t have the will or the means to get to Vegas, we await more news.
There’s a sphere that’s been approved for Stratford, London… but there’s not even a potential opening date yet.