U2 played their first ‘U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere’ at their all new purpose built venue The Sphere at the Venetian Resort in Las Vegas on Friday (29 September, 2023).
The Sphere looks spectacular and right now is an example of what technology unlimited money can buy. This is a similar advancement to what Roger Waters has been doing with screens in his show. Keep in mind, technology does trickle down. What is standard in a 2023 Toyota Camry today was state of the art in a 2013 Lexus. When you get over the WOW factor of these visuals, this is going to be the technology ever Arena act will be using 10 years from now. Think about this show as a glimpse into the not too distant future of live music.
The Vegas show centres around the seventh U2 album ‘Achtung Baby’, their second biggest album after ‘The Joshua Tree’ (1987).
U2 open with eight songs from ‘Achtung Baby’ on shuffle mode from the original tracklisting and come back to the final four in the acoustic set of the show.
The acoustic set opens with four from 1988’s ‘Rattle and Hum’ placed back to back. The encore has two from ‘The Joshua Tree’, two from 2000’s ‘All That You Can’t Leave Behind’ plus two interesting bookends, ‘Vertigo’ from the 2004 ‘How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb’ album, an era where Bono was anti-nuclear and the new song ‘Atomic City’ where he has now done a complete backflip and says Nukes are good for us.
U2 Vegas shows will take place September 29 & 30; October 5, 7, 8, 11, 13, 14, 18, 20, 21 & 25, 27 and 28; November 1, 3 and 4 and December 1, 2, 6, 8, 13, 15 and 16.
Here is the setlist for U2 in Vegas.
Zoo Station (from Achtung Baby, 1991)
The Fly (from Achtung Baby, 1991)
Even Better Than the Real Thing (from Achtung Baby, 1991)
Mysterious Ways (from Achtung Baby, 1991)
One (from Achtung Baby, 1991)
Until the End of the World (from Achtung Baby, 1991)
Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (from Achtung Baby, 1991)
Tryin’ to Throw Your Arms Around the World (from Achtung Baby, 1991)
Acoustic
All I Want Is You (from Rattle and Hum, 1988)
Desire (from Rattle and Hum, 1988)
Angel of Harlem (from Rattle and Hum, 1988)
Love Rescue Me (from Rattle and Hum, 1988)
So Cruel(from Achtung Baby, 1991)
Acrobat (from Achtung Baby, 1991)
Ultraviolet (Light My Way) (from Achtung Baby, 1991)
Love Is Blindness (from Achtung Baby, 1991)
Encore:
Elevation (from All That You Can’t Leave Behind, 2000)
Atomic City (single, 2023)
Vertigo (from How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, 2004)
Where the Streets Have No Name (from The Joshua Tree, 1987)
With or Without You (from The Joshua Tree, 1987)
Beautiful Day (from All That You Can’t Leave Behind, 2000)
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