whocastascepticaleyeatsweep-
ingJoshua Tree-style rock heroism.
For theAchtung Babytour, U2 were
readytoloosenupandthrowadance
party, albeit a subversive one, packed
with multimedia images that were a
clear break from the stark purity of
theirEightiesstagesets.“Thetour
was being conceived at the same time
asthealbum,”Bonorecalledin2005.
“Zoo radio was a phenomenon before
realityTV,withso-calledshockjocks
suchasHowardStern.Itwasaggres-
sive,rawradio,theprecursortoThe
JerrySpringerShow.The world was
getting tired of fiction.... We wanted
tomakeatourthatreferencedthis
zoo/reality phenomenon.”
Extensive cable news coverage was
afactoflifebytheearlyNineties;
duringtheGulfWar,imagesofScud
missiles raining down on Iraq be-
camedinnertimeentertainment.U2
essentiallyturnedtheZooTVsetinto
a postmodern art installation that
reflected the numbing cacophony of
thecable-TVera,playinginfrontofa
mosaicofTVscreensthatmashedup
war footage with old sitcoms, cook-
ingshowsandeverythinginbetween.
Bono,meanwhile,cameupwith
anew,slypersonatomatchthenew
stageset.HedonnedanElvis-style
leather jacket, wraparound sun-
glasses and leather pants that evoked
Jim Morrison. He took this rock star
amalgamation and created a char-
actercalledtheFly.“WhenIputon
thoseglasses,anythinggoes,”Bono
toldRolling Stone.“Thecharac-
terisjustontheedgeoflunacy.It’s
megalomania and paranoia.”
ZooTVopenedinFloridaonFeb-
ruary29th,1992.Ifthestagingand
Bono’swildget-upweren’tenoughin-
dicationsthiswasanewU2,theband
kicked things off with eight consecu-
tive songs fromAchtung Baby.“Peo-
plewentforit,”BonosaidtoRoll-
ing Stonelaterthatyear.“Thefirst
show, you just didn’t know. ‘How is
thisgoingtogodown?’Andthey
wentforit.Ithinkouraudiences
aresmartandthattheyexpectusto
pushandpullthemabit.Theyhadto
swallowbluesonRattleandHum,for
God’ssake!Theycantakeit.”
The tour’s first leg coincided with
the1992presidentialrace,andevery
nightfromthestageBonocalledthe
WhiteHouseandaskedtospeak
with President Bush. “Operator Two
andIhadagreatrelationship,”Bono
said.“Shetriednottoshowit,butI
couldtellshewasveryamused,aswe
ranghernightafternight.”
Bush never took the call, but a
young Arkansas governor was all
too happy to talk to the band. U2
metwithBillClintoninChicagoin
September1992duringthetourand
forged what became an enduring re-
lationship. The sitting president was
unmoved. “I have nothing against
U2,” Bush told a crowd in Bowling
Green,Ohio,thatmonth.“Youmay
not know this, but they tried to call
me at the White House every night
during their concert. But the next
time we face a foreign-policy crisis, I
willworkwithJohnMajorandBoris
Yeltsin,andBillClintoncanconsult
with Boy George.”
For opening acts, U2 chose artists
whoenhancedtheideaoftheband
asagatheringpointforpopmusic
in an increasingly fragmented era –
from Public Enemy to the Ramones,
VelvetUndergroundandPearlJam.
Eddie Vedder was initially scepti-
calaboutthescaleofZooTV,buthe
came around. “[I eventually] under-
stood that these weren’t decisions
they were making out of fashion or
simply being clever,” Vedder said. “It
waslikeanedictthey’dcreatedasa
newphilosophyforthegroup,tore-
ally explore the avenues of connect-
ingtopeopleonalargelevel.”
During a break in early 1993, U2
recordedZooropa,which took the
experiments ofAchtung Babyfur-
ther. When the tour resumed, Bono
devised a new character: MacPhis-
to,adevilishfigurewithwhiteface
paint and horns. “The character was
agreatdeviceforsayingtheopposite
of what you meant,” said the Edge.
“Onehighlightwascallingtheminis-
teroffisheriesinNorway,youngJan
Henri Olsen, to congratulate him on
whaling, which was forbidden by the
EuropeanUnionbutlegalinNorway.
He actually took the call and invited
Bonotocomeandhaveawhalesteak
with him.”
Those phone calls became a major
part of each performance – some
nights Bono ordered pizzas for the
crowd; on another he rang Madonna
on her cellphone (she didn’t pick up).
As venues got bigger, U2 kept things
intimate by adding a miniset to the
show,playingonatinystage.
Thewall-to-wallvideoscreens
also set the scene for every pop spec-
tacle that followed, from Lady Ga-
ga’sMonsterBalltoKanyeWest’s
Glow in the Dark Tour. “Zoo TV
wasn’t a set piece, it was a state of
mind,” said the Edge. For Bono, the
experiencewaslife-changing:“I’ve
hadtostop‘notdrinking’.I’vehad
tosmokeincessantly.I’velearnedto
be insincere. I’ve learned to lie. I’ve
never felt better!” ANDY GREENEU2 established themselves as one of rock’s greatest
live bands by crafting spectacles full of inventiveness
and emotion. And every one was totally distinct'War' Tour1982-83
U2 were still mainly a club act when they decided to shoot
a concert movie at Colorado’s Red Rocks. Despite playing in
a torrential downpour, the band put on a show that would
define its image as flag-waving rock redeemers. “After Red
Rocks,” said Bono, “the band went into overdrive.”'The Joshua Tree' Tour 1987
While most bands in the Eighties went for pomp and excess,
U2 headed in the opposite direction. Right from the opening
number – “Where the Streets Have No Name”, played before
a solid-red backdrop – they found power in simplicity. “We
didn’t have any tricks,” said Adam Clayton. “We had a fervent
belief that the music was... big enough to fill a stadium.”Elevation Tour 2001
After spending the 1990s in stadiums, the group decided
it was time to scale things back for the tour in support of
2000’sAll That You Can’t Leave Behind.U2 made arenas feel
like nightclubs by putting fans in the centre of a heart-shape
stage and mixing in hits with new classics like “Beautiful
Day”. “It felt like we were reconnecting with our audience,”
said Larry Mullen. “And they with us.”U2 360°Tour2009-11
U2 couldn’t keep their stadium itch at bay forever. For the
360 °tour, they placed a 164-foot-tall stage set – the largest
ever constructed – in midfloor to allow great views from every
seat. The stage was buttressed by giant four-legged supports;
the band likened it to a spaceship and displayed messages
from the International Space Station during the show. “We’re
at the absolute limit when you consider the economics and
the practicality of transportation,” said the Edge.Innocence + Experience Tour 2015
U2’s 2014 LPSongs of Innocencewas an extremely personal
collection of songs about Bono’s childhood. The band
wanted the supporting tour to capture that intimacy. Playing
on a stage that spanned the entire arena, U2 performed
while walking through gigantic LED screens projecting
images from throughout their lives. “The breaking down
of the fourth wall has been the theme of all of U2’s live
shows,” said Bono.FIVE MORE U2 TOURS
FOR THE AGES
74 | Rolling Stone | RollingStoneAus.com July, 2017
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2010