PHOTOS: U2 360º TOUR KICKS OFF IN BARCELONA: EXPERIENCE THE MAGNIFICENCE OF U2 IN 360º

Barcelona, Spain — The U2 360 Tour has officially kicked off and let me tell you it is exceptional.  The architect, Mark Fisher, has conceived of one of the most amazing live stadium shows ever.  With a full 360 degree experience that truly makes for no bad seat in the house.  The stage is an ellipse with an elliptical ramp encircling it.  Two ramps from the inner circle connecting to the outer circle are on a track and move.  The center of the inner stage, where Larry's drum kit sits also rotates at his command.  For a virtual tour of the stage check out 360.U2.com



According to U2.com, Long-time U2 Show Director Willie Williams has worked again with architect Mark Fisher (ZooTV, PopMart, Elevation and Vertigo), to create an innovative 360° design which affords an unobstructed view for the audience. U2 360° also marks the first time a band has toured in stadiums with such a unique and original structure.



There is the usual inner pit that consists of about 300 of the most hard core fans who wait patiently for wrist bands many hours prior.  However, this year, there are 2 Red Zones that are VIP areas to the right and left of the stage also inside the outer circle.  These tickets are typically a bit more in price however the proceeds are donated to the RED Campaign to help prevent the AIDS epidemic and end hunger in Africa.

The president of FC Barcelona gave Bono a personalized jersey with the number 1 on it.  He made mention that FCB was the only professional football team that has a non-profit logo UNICEF instead of a corporate sponsor's logo.



Masks of Aung San Suu Kyi were made available at the door when you entered the stadium as a tribute to her.  Her cause is the latest of many causes championed by Bono and the band.  Apparently, she was elected as the leader of Burma in 1990 and has been on house arrest ever since, not being allowed to take power from the current military regime.  She has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for civil courage and bringing democracy to Burma.



The sad part was many masks were left on the ground and left in the trash.  I hope those fans don't forget as easily as they discarded the masks and take the initiative to research further what they can do to help.

In tribute to Michael Jackson, the band performed Angel of Harlem / Man in the Mirror / Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough.



I can see why now that Barcelona is a favorite place for them to play, the people there know how to enjoy themselves and have a great party.  It truly was a party, one to celebrate the return of the world's largest band — it doesn't hurt the FC Barcelona also recently won the Champions League this year beating Manchester United 2-nil.



The set list consisted of:
Breathe
No Line on the Horizon
Get On Your Boots
Magnificent
Beautiful DaY
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
Angel of Harlem/ Man in the Mirror / Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
In A Little While
Unknown Caller
Unforgettable Fire
City of Blinding LIghts
Vertigo
I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Pride (In The Name of Love)
MLK
Walk On
Where The Streets Have No Name
One
———-
Ultraviolet
With Or Without You
Moment of Surrender.



It was a phenomenal experience and a spiritual one.  This is a must see as even the most discriminating of U2 fans will be thoroughly satisfied.  The U2 360° Tour (presented by BlackBerry) will visit 14 cities across Europe including dates in Barcelona, Milan, Paris, Nice, Berlin, Amsterdam, Dublin, Gothenburg, Gelsenkirchen, Chorzow, Zagreb, London, Sheffield and Glasgow before finishing at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on August 22.  The European tour will be followed by dates in North America beginning at Chicago's Soldier Field on September 12th, 2009.  In September and October, U2 360° Tour will also visit: Atlanta, GA; Charlottesville, VA; Dallas, TX; Houston, TX; Las Vegas, NV; Los Angeles, CA; Norman, OK; Phoenix, AZ; Tampa, FL; Washington, DC and Vancouver, BC.



by Erik Thureson




Posted by vieking at 7/5/2009 1:29 PM
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: U2 360 Tour U2 Barcelona Setlist U2 360 Photos Barcelona (RED) Adam Clayton U2 Tour Dates Aung San Suu Kyi U2 Michael Jackson tribute Willie Williams U2 360° Bono sings tribute to Michael Jackson U2 The Edge Bono Barcelona U2 360 Mark Fisher U2 Barcelona Photos U2 in Barcelona San Suu Kyi Larry Mullin Jr. No Line on the Horizon
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