U2 launched their Las Vegas residency, U2: UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere, on September 29. Now that they’ve done a few shows, guitarist The Edge seems to be thrilled with how things are going.
“I’m just so happy with the fact that it’s landed. It’s exceeded our wildest expectations in many ways,” he tells Wired. “You don’t really know how it’s gonna play until you have an audience in the house. Within about four songs of the opening night, I was like, this is definitely working.”
The Edge says he could tell there were times the visuals may have taken the spotlight off their performance, noting, “it’s a fistfight between the band and the immersive screen. We kind of win most nights, but it’s almost an even fight.”
Still, he says the songs are a crucial element to what fans see on the screens behind them, sharing, “That’s still the core of this event. Without the music, it would be an empty spectacle.”
Right now, the residency is set to wrap on December 16, but it sounds like the band may be open for more.
“We always thought in the back of our mind that we might do some additional shows next year. But we haven’t even started the discussion,” The Edge says. “There’s this kind of balance between keeping this show going, which is, in many ways, a one-off to commemorate Achtung Baby. So we’re weighing whether to push forward with a new album, new material, and a new tour versus extending this run.”
U2’s next show is happening Saturday, October 7. A complete list of dates can be found at U2.com.
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