With over 1.1 million tickets sold in 24 hours, U2’s highly anticipated The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 has added three North American dates due to overwhelming demand, in addition to the previously announced four new dates added in London, Rome, Paris and Amsterdam, giving fans an additional opportunity to secure tickets.
On Monday, the tour’s entire UK/Europe stadium run sold out in one day. In North America, Live Nation has also confirmed sold out performances in Los Angeles, Seattle, Santa Clara, Dallas, Chicago, Miami, Philadelphia, Washington, Boston, E. Rutherford, Cleveland, Vancouver, and Toronto. Due to demand, additional and final shows have now been announced in May 21st at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles, June 29th at MetLife Stadium in E. Rutherford, and June 4th at Soldier Field in Chicago.
Every show will include a performance of The Joshua Tree in its entirety, with support from one of a number of special guests including Mumford & Sons, OneRepublic and The Lumineers in North America and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds in Europe.
Tickets for the U2: The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 additional dates in Los Angeles, E. Rutherford, Chicago, London, Rome, Paris and Amsterdam are on sale Monday, January 23rd. Ticket prices start at $35.00 / €35.00 / £35.00 with general admission floor tickets at $70.00 / €70.00 / £70.00. There will be an exclusive priority presale for U2 Subscribers at U2.com starting Wednesday, January 18th (9am) through Friday, January 20th (5pm) local times for U2.com subscribers who may have missed out on the previous presale opportunity along with new subscribers. There will be a 4 ticket limit for subscriber purchases and a 6 ticket limit commencing with public sales. In North America, all floor tickets will be paperless unless otherwise noted.
U2: The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 will kick off in Vancouver on May 12th for a run of dates across North America and Europe, and will include U2’s first ever U.S. festival headline appearance at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival this summer, as well as a hometown show in Dublin’s Croke Park on July 22nd.
U2: The Joshua Tree Tour is produced by Live Nation Global Touring. UPS is the Official Logistics Provider of the tour.
For more information, visit: u2.com
Following last week’s announcement, that U2 will return to select stadiums this year with U2: The Joshua Tree Tour 2017, Live Nation has just confirmed that the tickets for all 8 UK and European performances are now sold out. Due to overwhelming demand, 2nd and final shows have now been announced in London 9-July at Twickenham Stadium, 16-July at Rome’s Olympic Stadium, 26-July in Paris at Stade De France and 30-July at the Amsterdam Arena.
Tickets for the North American dates will be on sale today at 10am local time. NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES:
May 20 – Los Angeles, CA – Rose Bowl+
May 24 – Houston, TX – NRG Stadium+
May 26 – Dallas, TX – AT&T Stadium+
June 3 – Chicago, IL – Soldier Field+
June 7 – Pittsburgh, PA – Heinz Field+
June 8-11 – Manchester, TN – Bonnaroo Festival
June 11 – Miami, FL – Hard Rock Stadium^
June 14 – Tampa, FL – Raymond James Stadium^
June 18 – Philadelphia, PA – Lincoln Financial Field+
June 20 – Washington DC – FedExField+
June 23 – Toronto, ON – Rogers Centre+
June 25 – Boston, MA – Gillette Stadium+
June 28 – East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium+
July 1 – Cleveland, OH – FirstEnergy Stadium^
* with Mumford & Sons
+ with The Lumineers
^ with OneRepublic
For more information, visit: u2.com
“The title befits a record that concerns itself with resilience in the face of utter social and political desolation…The Joshua Tree is an appropriate response to these times, and a picture bleaker than any U2 has ever painted: a vision of blasted hopes, pointless violence and anguish… Music of great sadness but also of unutterable compassion, acceptance and calm.” – Rolling Stone, 1987
Monday, January 9th, 2017 – For Immediate Release.
Live Nation today announced that U2 will return to select stadiums this year with U2: The Joshua Tree Tour 2017, in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the band’s classic album. Each show will include a performance of The Joshua Tree in its entirety, with support from one of a number of special guests including Mumford & Sons, OneRepublic and The Lumineers in North America and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds in Europe.
Released to universal acclaim on March 9th 1987 and featuring hit singles “With Or Without You”,“I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” and “Where The Streets Have No Name”, The Joshua Tree was U2’s first #1 album in the U.S., topping the charts globally including the U.K. and Ireland, selling in excess of 25 million albums worldwide, and catapulting Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr “… from heroes to superstars” (Rolling Stone). Time Magazine put U2 on its cover in April 1987, proclaiming them “Rock’s Hottest Ticket” in a defining year for the band that saw their arena dates roll into stadium shows to accommodate escalating demand – setting them on course to become one of the greatest live acts in the world today. The 12 months that followed saw the band create now-iconic moments: the traffic-stopping Grammy Award-winning music video on the roof of a Los Angeles liquor store, winning a BRIT Award and two Grammys – including Album of the Year – their first of 22 received to date, distinguishing U2 as the most awarded rock band in Grammy history.
U2’s fifth studio album The Joshua Tree was produced by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, and featured iconic artwork which cemented the career of photographer and director Anton Corbijn. Recording took place in Dublin at Windmill Lane Studios and Danesmoate, the house which subsequently became bassist Adam Clayton’s home.
“It seems like we have come full circle from when The Joshua Tree songs were originally written, with global upheaval, extreme right wing politics and some fundamental human rights at risk. To celebrate the album – as the songs seem so relevant and prescient of these times too – we decided to do these shows, it feels right for now. We’re looking forward to it.” – The Edge
“Recently I listened back to The Joshua Tree for the first time in nearly 30 years… it’s quite an opera. A lot of emotions which feel strangely current, love, loss, broken dreams, seeking oblivion, polarisation… all the greats… I’ve sung some of these songs a lot… but never all of them. I’m up for it, if our audience is as excited as we are… it’s gonna be a great night.” – Bono
“We are off to play a few shows with U2! It’s the 30th anniversary of The Joshua Tree – one of the greatest albums ever made, in our opinion, and something well worth a good celebration. It’s a record that did so much for us all when we discovered it individually and if ever a record stands the test of time its that one. So when the lads gave us a call to invite us to play a few gigs opening for them it was our great honour to accept. It’s gonna be such a good few nights… “ – Mumford & Sons
“I can remember covering the U2 song “One” in bars back in NYC 10 years ago, with Jer on drums. A lot has changed since then, but still – I NEVER thought we’d get the chance to open for such a legendary band, on such a legendary album – The Joshua Tree. Their songs are so timeless and transcendent, it’s impossible to imagine a time when they didn’t exist. That type of songwriting has always been the mountaintop for us – songs that can transcend generations.” – Wesley Schultz, The Lumineers
“The Joshua Tree is the first album I ever heard from U2 because it came out when I had just started my love affair with music as a young kid… it’s the album that made me want to write songs and start a band. Joining them for this tour will be the experience of a lifetime, leaving the bucket list fully checked.” – Ryan Tedder, OneRepublic
“It will be both a pleasure and an honour to play my part in what still remains the greatest show on earth.” – Noel Gallagher
Following the groundbreaking iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Tour’s arena shows in 2015, U2: The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 will see the band return to the stadium stage for the first time since 2009-2011’s record-shattering U2 360° Tour, the most successful tour in history seen by over 7.3 million fans worldwide.
U2: The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 will kick off in Vancouver on 12th May for a run of dates across North America and Europe, and will include U2’s first ever U.S. festival headline appearance at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival this summer, as well as a hometown show in Dublin’s Croke Park on 22nd July.
Tickets for the U2: The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 are on sale Monday, January 16th in Ireland, the UK and Europe and Tuesday, January 17th in the US and Canada. As usual, there is an exclusive priority presale for U2 Subscribers at U2.com from Wednesday, January 11th (9am) through Friday, January 13th (5pm) local times. Tickets will be general admission on the floor and reserved seating in the stands. There will be a 4 ticket limit for subscriber purchases and a 6 ticket limit commencing with public sales. In North America, all floor tickets will be paperless unless otherwise noted.
U2: The Joshua Tree Tour is produced by Live Nation Global Touring. UPS is the Official Logistics Provider of the tour.
May 12 – Vancouver, BC – BC Place*
May 14 – Seattle, WA – CenturyLink Field*
May 17 – Santa Clara, CA – Levi’s Stadium*
May 20 – Los Angeles, CA – Rose Bowl+
May 24 – Houston, TX – NRG Stadium+
May 26 – Dallas, TX – AT&T Stadium+
June 3 – Chicago, IL – Soldier Field+
June 7 – Pittsburgh, PA – Heinz Field+
June 8-11 – Manchester, TN – Bonnaroo Festival
June 11 – Miami, FL – Hard Rock Stadium^
June 14 – Tampa, FL – Raymond James Stadium^
June 18 – Philadelphia, PA – Lincoln Financial Field+
June 20 – Washington DC – FedExField+
June 23 – Toronto, ON – Rogers Centre+
June 25 – Boston, MA – Gillette Stadium+
June 28 – East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium+
July 1 – Cleveland, OH – FirstEnergy Stadium^
* with Mumford & Sons
+ with The Lumineers
^ with OneRepublic
EUROPEAN TOUR DATES:
July 8 – London, UK – Twickenham
July 12 – Berlin, DE – Olympic Stadium
July 15 – Rome, IT – Olympic Stadium
July 18 – Barcelona, ES – Olympic Stadium
July 22 – Dublin, IE – Croke Park
July 25 – Paris, FR – Stade de France
July 29 – Amsterdam, NE – Amsterdam Arena
August 1 – Brussels, BE – Stade Roi Baudouin
“The Paris show that concluded U2’s Innocence and Experience tour… was concert as personal memoir, archetypal story, prayer, exorcism and vow of unity.”—THE NEW YORK TIMES
“Sounded absolutely amazing… U2 have done much of their best work when their backs are against the wall. They played this show like a young band with something to prove.”—ROLLING STONE
“It’s stunning to realize that it’s always simply been these four men making all this sound onstage, for almost 40 years… nobody else even approaches this level of the massive, euphoric concert experience… This is the kind of experience that makes you believe things.”—STEREOGUM
“A U2 show comes with heightened expectations… an impossibly high bar to meet… An invigorated band tore through anthems and new stuff under a reconstituted sight-and-sound show. Enormous speakers from the ceiling spread out sound more evenly in the arena. Dazzling screens split the room in half. At times, it was a case of seeing is disbelieving… U2 reached that impossibly high bar. Again.”—USA TODAY
U2 – iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE – Live In Paris will be released worldwide on Blu-ray, DVD and digital download on Friday 10th June on Interscope/Island.
The concert film captures the Irish band’s groundbreaking tour as it returned to the French capital for two very special shows in December last year—one of which was The New York Times’ Jon Pareles’ #1 concert of 2015—despite the fact that he was not in attendance, marking quite possibly the first time a TV broadcast topped the Times’ live shows of the year list.
In addition to uplifting guest spots from Eagles of Death Metal and Patti Smith, U2 – iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE – Live In Paris puts viewers inside the AccorHotels Arena with Bono, Adam Clayton, The Edge and Larry Mullen Jr.: the deluxe versions of the release also include a behind-the-scenes interview with live broadcast director Hamish Hamilton; exclusive tour visuals narrated by the band’s lifelong friend Gavin Friday; music videos; additional live tracks filmed during the tour; and much more.
“Directing iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE was scary,” says live broadcast director Hamish Hamilton who previously worked with U2 on their 2001 Elevation Tour. “A technical nightmare married with a creative rollercoaster. It challenged everything I knew on so many levels…what blew my mind were the multiple narrative arcs combined with the number of emotional arcs you are taken through as you journey through the show. There’s a lot of good shows out there – but very few great shows.”
U2’s iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Tour kicked off in Vancouver in May 2015 and, to date, has played to over 1.2 million fans in 22 cities across Europe and North America. Staged in the round, the tour features multiple performance areas plus a state of the art 100 foot LED screen suspended above a 118 foot walkway running the length of the arena floor. Combined with an innovative suspended sound system, the tour has delivered mindblowing sound and visuals from every seat in every venue, as every night has seen “U2 reinvent the arena show” (Rolling Stone).
At the heart of U2 – iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE – Live In Paris is, of course, the songs: The band performs a staggering selection from its timeless catalogue, new and old: From ‘Songs of Innocence’ highlights featuring Cedarwood Road, Song for Someone and the stripped down live version of Every Breaking Wave, as well as career-spanning staples including I Will Follow, Pride (In the Name of Love), Vertigo, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Until The End of the World, Beautiful Day, Where The Streets Have No Name and many more.
For the full concert film track listing and bonus content information, visit U2.com.
U2 “iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Live in Paris” Pre Order:
U2 will return to Paris in early December to play their two concerts postponed from earlier in November. The new dates – Sunday, December 6th and Monday, December 7th at the Accorhotels Arena in Bercy – are confirmed by Live Nation today. Tickets for the previously scheduled November 14th performance will be valid for the December 6th event. Tickets for the previously scheduled November 15th performance will be valid for the December 7th event. Complete ticket information below.
Speaking from Dublin ahead of tonight’s opening night of U2’s four-night run in their hometown, Bono commented: “So much that was taken from Paris on the tragic night of November 13th is irreplaceable. For one night, the killers took lives, took music, took peace of mind – but they couldn’t steal the spirit of that city. It’s a spirit our band knows well and will try to serve when we return for the postponed shows on December 6th and 7th. We’re going to put on our best for Paris.”
U2 tour promoter and tour producer Arthur Fogel added, “The band wanted us to reschedule as soon as possible so that they could honour the commitment to their audience.”
And as originally planned, U2’s iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Tour will be broadcast live from Paris on HBO. The concert on Monday 7th December 2015 will be filmed live and will be shown on HBO at 9:00pm ET.
Ticket Information:
Tickets for the previously scheduled performances will be honoured at the door. Tickets for the previously scheduled November 14th performance will be valid at the December 6th event. Tickets for the November 15th performance will be valid at the December 7th event. Fans who are unable to attend the rescheduled show dates may refund their existing tickets through November 30th 2015. Tickets may be refunded at point of purchase. Any returned tickets will be immediately released for sale.
This weekend, HBO will air one of the most exhilarating and groundbreaking live concert experiences ever staged: U2: iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE LIVE IN PARIS. At 9pm EST on Saturday, November 14, HBO audiences will witness U2 performing in the City of Light on that same date of the iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE tour.
U2: iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE LIVE IN PARIS will showcase the lauded iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE performance that literally moves throughout the venue via multiple stages, the one-of-a-kind interactive floor-to-ceiling arena-length LED screen — and of course, the songs: The iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE setlist span the band’s entire career, from 1980 debut album, Boy, to the current, Songs of Innocence. The concepts of innocence and experience are explored in vivid musical and visual detail, progressing from songs inspired by the members of U2’s earliest influences and formative life experiences through decades worth of indelible anthems from the band that has won more Grammys than any other living rock band.
One of iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE’s innumerable magical moments occurs during the band’s performance of “Song for Someone”. Yesterday, U2, VRSE and Apple unveiled a 360-degree virtual reality video of the band performing the song alongside fans from across the world. View the interactive video here or witness the full VR experience by downloading GearVR in the Oculus Store or the Vrse app on your phone at vrse.com.
And anyone who’s seen a U2 show from 1980 to iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE knows that being pulled up on stage to perform with the band is a risk that comes with a floor ticket. This year’s sold-out North American run was no exception, with several lucky fans invited on stage to dance, sing, play guitar or document the live show via the streaming app Meerkat. This week, U2 asked fans to choose their favorite fan cameo from those North American and European performances. The voting is now closed, the results tallied, and the winners will be at the AccorHotels Arena in Paris for the show.
During the run-up to Saturday’s broadcast, U2 is providing fans with exclusive peeks behind the scenes of the iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE spectacle via their Facebook page. Fans have joined The Edge for a late-night practice session overlooking the French capital, accompanied Larry Mullen Jr. to the drum throne, helped Adam Clayton pick which of his favorite T-shirts to wear on stage and more. Visit facebook.com/U2 today to see what Bono has been up to ahead of the big event.
To celebrate their first-ever HBO special, U2 will host a Twitter Q&A on Saturday at 8pm EST, just one hour before the broadcast. Follow @U2 for more information.
U2: iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE LIVE IN PARIS will be shot at produced by Done And Dusted with Executive Producers Hamish Hamilton, Simon Pizey, Davis Guggenheim and Guy Oseary. It will be directed by Hamish Hamilton, who has worked with the band since 2001. Collaborations include Elevation 2001: Live from Boston; U2 Go Home: Live from Slane Castle, Ireland; the Beautiful Day Documentary; and Vertigo 2005: Live from Chicago. The youngest recipient of the BAFTA Special Award, Hamish has Directed and Executive Produced the London 2012 Olympic & ParaOlympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Directed the last six Super Bowl Half-Time shows, multiple Academy Awards ceremonies, Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show for over a decade, President Obama’s Inaugural Ball, MTV’s VMA’s, and many more.
“…the best U2 gig I’ve ever been to.” – IRISH INDEPENDENT
“U2 are among the most innovative and ambitious live bands in music history.” – IRISH TIMES
“…absolutely amazing.” – ROLLING STONE
“…an inarguable show of force.. still open to variation and rich with the determination to pull it off.” – LA TIMES
“… U2 are back, as big, absurd and thrilling as ever. You’ve never seen anything like the new U2 show.” – DAILY TELEGRAPH
U2’s sold out iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE European Tour 2015 will finish with six home shows, being Belfast on 18th & 19th November and four shows in Dublin on 23rd + 24th, 27th + 28th November 2015.
It is the first time the band will perform songs from their recent album Songs of Innocence to a home crowd. The album released last year, charts the group’s earliest experiences of growing up in Dublin influenced by 70s rock, punk and early 80s electronica and gives insight into how and why U2 came together. With its themes of home and family in songs such as Cedarwood Road, Iris (Hold Me Close) and Raised by Wolves, which deals with the impact of the ‘74 Dublin/Monaghan bombings, Songs of Innocence charts the end of the time of innocence for all four band members and their friends, as teens growing up.
Tickets for the Irish shows go on sale at 9am on Monday 14th September, will be limited to 2 per purchaser and are priced from £30 to £165 for Belfast and from €30 to €185 in Dublin, plus charges. Tickets can be bought at the 3Arena and SSE Arena box offices and online, with floor tickets being sold with the Paperless Ticket system, to ensure fans have access to tickets at face value. A limited number of student-priced floor tickets will be available for sale online. For full details see www.U2.com/tour
€2,000,000 (€2 million) from these concerts will go to Music Generation, Ireland’s National Music Education Programme which currently provides high quality subsidised music tuition to some 26,000 children and young people. Music Generation was originally set up with €5m funding from U2’s Croke Park shows in 2009, along with a further €2m raised by The Ireland Funds.
“In the 18 years that I have worked with U2, the home shows are always very special. These shows promise to be brilliant.” – Arthur Fogel, CEO Global Touring Live Nation Entertainment.
“Finding venues to take this show is actually quite tricky and we’re grateful to our overworked crew who finally cracked the reconfiguring to fit these venues.” – The Edge
The iNNOCENCE + Experience Tour kicked off in May in Vancouver to rave reviews and the US leg saw the band joined onstage by specials guests including Jimmy Fallon, Bruce Springsteen and Lady Gaga, as they performed songs from across their career.
The Dublin and Belfast dates are: Wed, 18th and Thurs, 19th November – Belfast – SSE Arena
Mon 23rd, Tues 24th, Fri 27th & Sat 28th November – Dublin – 3Arena
The U2 iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Tour 2015 powered by Salesforce is produced by Live Nation Global Touring. UPS is the Official Logistics Provider of the tour.
Music Generation:
Music Generation is Ireland’s National Music Education Programme that transforms the lives of children and young people through access to high quality performance music education. Set up in 2009 Music Generation has been made possible by a €7m philanthropic donation – €5m from U2 and €2m from The Ireland Funds. The donation represents the largest ever philanthropic donation to music education in Ireland in the history of the state.
Access is at the core of Music Generation and it is the key to change. Music Generation is concerned with performance music education – that is vocal and instrumental tuition, encompassing all music genres and all types of instruments and vocal styles which is delivered by skilled professional musicians. Music Generation programmes do not replace the teaching of the mainstream music curriculum within the formal education sector – rather, they complement it, add value to it and provide a different type of engagement that’s concerned with music performance and the interaction of children and young people with professional musicians.
While seed funded by the €7m philanthropic donation from U2 and The Ireland Funds, Music Generation works closely with Government (The Department of Education and Skills – DES) and Local Music Education Partnerships – MEPs. The core objective of Music Generation is to provide access for children and young people– annually the programme now reaches some 26,000 children and young people in 12 areas of the country.Music Generation also provides employment opportunities, especially for musicians – the programme has a workforce now of some 330 people, over 300 of these are musicians.
Ultimately Music Generation wants to achieve a sustainable outcome that would live beyond the term of the €7M gift and not become another arts education project that was only as good as the money lasted – through partnership (with DES & MEPs) a sustainable model has been created.
Music Generation is managed by Music Education Partnerships (MEP’s). The programme is in Carlow, Clare, Cork City, Laois, Louth, Limerick City, Mayo, Offaly/Westmeath, Sligo, South Dublin and Wicklow.
Paperless Ticket
A Paperless Ticket event is when the Credit or Debit Card that was used at the time of booking to purchase tickets is used as the customer’s ticket/entry into the event.
You will not receive physical paper tickets for Paperless Ticket events. Instead of going to the venue’s Box Office, you simply go direct to the door, present a valid photo ID (such as a driver’s license or passport) and swipe the credit card that was used to purchase entry to the event. Your entire party must enter the venue at the same time with the valid credit card and the tickets are non-transferable.
Virtual credit card users: please do not use virtual credit card account numbers for Paperless Ticket purchases as you must present the physical credit card at the time of entry.
10 years ago Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast, leaving behind a trail of destruction that The Edge of U2 would soon witness firsthand during a visit to New Orleans’ hard hit 9th Ward. Moved by the devastation suffered by the local musical community, Edge teamed with legendary producer Bob Ezrin, Gibson Guitars, MusiCares and the Guitar Center Foundation to provide immediate aid to the musicians whose lives and livelihoods had sustained the most damage when the levees broke. In short order, efforts including donations of net proceeds from the sales of Gibson and Epiphone Music Rising special edition guitars and the providing of musical instruments to professionals whose gear was destroyed in the storm were implemented. In a PSA at the time, Edge explained the helplessness he would have felt in the face of such overwhelming loss as Music Rising replaced thousands of instruments in what would ultimately be the first phase of its still ongoing and continually expanding mission.
Reflecting on the 10-year journey of Music Rising, The Edge commented: Music is at the core of these communities. It’s an essential part of their identities, their hearts and their lives. So when these centers of musical culture are damaged, getting the music going again is a crucial part of the healing process.
With Music Rising, we and our partners continue to do everything in our power to help support this centuries old music culture so it can do its magic for many generations to come.
What started as a direct response to one of the worst disasters to affect a musical capital of the U.S. has grown over a decade to offer assistance to musicians far and wide. Where there is music, there is hope, and Music Rising will continue to do everything possible to restore both for another 10 years and beyond.
In the decade following the initial 2005 Katrina aftermath, Music Rising’s efforts have grown in scope. Additional programs in the Gulf Coast region have included the distribution of over $5 million worth of instruments for some 30 schools (in conjunction with the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation), as well as becoming the largest purchaser of Hammond organs in order to replace those destroyed by Katrina in regional houses of worship, and contributed $1 million to develop the Music Rising curriculum at Tulane University. Music Rising’s national outreach broadened as the organization provided aid to creative communities impacted by the 2010 Tennessee floods, as well as relief along with MusiCares and the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation in the wake of Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
Music Rising’s nationwide efforts are not limited to aid in the aftermath of natural disasters—its outreach continues in the very fortunate lull between these cataclysms: The organization recently reached out to Detroit, with efforts to aid the Motor City’s singular musical heritage including the distribution or hundreds of musical instruments to students. Elsewhere, Music Rising’s Music Icons auctions hosted by the world renowned Julien’s Auctions have raised millions in bids for items donated by Edge, U2 and friends. With support from friends and family including the Hard Rock International Corporation, Aaron Neville, Trombone Shorty and Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day—who teamed with U2 for the historic 2006 performance that reopened the Superdome and welcomed the New Orleans Saints home—Edge, Ezrin and Music Rising’s efforts on behalf of musical communities in need promise to be just as tireless and far reaching for decades to come.
U2 have unveiled a second video for “Song For Someone,” directed by acclaimed illustrator and photographer Matt Mahurin and viewable exclusively on the band’s Facebook page for the next 24 hours.
“Song For Someone” video embed code: <div id=”fb-root”></div><script>(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src =”//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3″; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, ‘script’, ‘facebook-jssdk’));</script><div class=”fb-video” data-allowfullscreen=”1″ data-href=”https://www.facebook.com/u2/videos/10154161218031686/”><div class=”fb-xfbml-parse-ignore”><blockquote cite=”https://www.facebook.com/u2/videos/10154161218031686/”><a href=”https://www.facebook.com/u2/videos/10154161218031686/”>Song For Someone (Directed by Matt Mahurin)</a><p>‘Don’t let it go out…’ Illustrator and photographer Matt Mahurin directs this visual meditation on 'Song For Someone', from U2’s latest album Songs of Innocence.</p>Posted by <a href=”https://www.facebook.com/u2″>U2</a> on Thursday, August 27, 2015</blockquote></div></div>
Reuniting U2’s music and Mahurin’s distinctive style—the two worked together on 1993’s “Love Is Blindness”–“Song For Someone” is a visual meditation on a standout track from U2’s Songs Of Innocence album. Rendered in a beautiful black and white palette and featuring a performance from Bono filmed earlier this year in Malibu, Mahurin’s vision for “Song For Someone” draws sharp parallels between song, inspiration and other forces of nature.
On working with U2 once more, Mahurin said “Collaboration is a great part of the creative process – and it has been a true joy to once again jump aboard the band’s mission of music, mercy and mayhem.”
Mahurin’s evocative take on “Song For Someone” stands in stark contrast to Vincent Haycock’s short film starring Woody and Zoe Harrelson, which debuted July 9 on SundanceTV.
“Song For Someone” has been a nightly highlight of the band’s current iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Tour, which resumes September 4 in Turin, Italy.
U2 and HBO will be debuting a unique combination of two exclusive world premiere specials this fall, it was announced today by Michael Lombardo, President, HBO Programming. First, to debut on Nov. 7, a behind-the-scenes documentary that offers unprecedented access to the band and the team that worked with them to conceptualize and create its current iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE world tour. The following week, the network will present the tour’s Nov. 14 performance filmed at the newly renovated Bercy Arena in Paris and aired exclusively on HBO that same day. Both the documentary and the concert will be available on HBO GO and HBO NOW simultaneous to the programs’ HBO world premieres.
“U2 continues to take risks, which has made them one of the most consistently exciting forces in rock’n’roll,” said Lombardo. “The one-two combination of this documentary special, followed by the concert, will provide viewers with the ultimate look at this remarkable band behind the scenes and on the stage.”
The documentary takes a look into the creation of U2’s wildly innovative and widely acclaimed iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE world tour, which began May 14 in Vancouver and currently runs through November. The special will detail how a show of this magnitude is conceived, revealing the blood, sweat and imagination that has gone into making iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE, the tour that would ultimately “reinvent the arena show,” according to Rolling Stone’s opening night review.
Interviews in the documentary include all four members of U2 – Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. – as well as the supporting cast of Willie Williams, who has created tour concepts for the band for more than 30 years, award-winning designer Es Devlin, newly signed on for this tour, production director Jake Berry, Audio Director Joe O’Herlihy, executive director Gavin Friday, set designer Ric Lipson, and others who bring iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE to life around U2’s music, night after night.
The special also explores the challenges and setbacks U2 faced in the months before tour rehearsals began in April, including Bono’s serious bicycle accident in New York last fall, and his — and the band’s — hard road getting back into “fighting shape” for their triumphant return with iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE. This exclusive documentary chronicles in detail how these same four friends, who started out as a humble punk band from the Northside of Dublin more than 30 years ago, continue to create magic nightly with the most grandiose, yet most intimate, arena tour ever staged.
On Nov. 14th, the audience will see for itself the results of all of that hard work when U2 plays the Bercy Arena in Paris on the iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE tour, showcasing the inventive set that allows U2 to explore the concepts of iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE via a performance that literally moves throughout the venue via multiple stages, a one-of-a-kind interactive floor-to-ceiling arena-length LED screen that has earned its reputation as the fifth member of U2 on this run, and a radical new approach to surround sound that ensures that everyone in the audience sees, feels and hears the show with maximum impact from every seat in the house.
And of course, there are the songs: The iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE setlists span the band’s entire career, from its 1980 debut album, Boy, to its most recent work, Songs of Innocence. The concepts of innocence and experience are explored in vivid musical and visual detail, progressing from songs inspired by the members of U2’s earliest influences and formative life experiences through decades worth of indelible anthems from the band that has won more Grammys than any other living rock band.
The documentary will be produced and directed by Davis Guggenheim (the Oscar®-winning An Inconvenient Truth, Waiting For Superman, It Might Get Loud featuring U2’s The Edge, and From The Sky Down–the 2011 documentary chronicling the recording and release of U2’s 1991 classic Achtung Baby) and produced by Shannon Dill with U2 manager Guy Oseary serving as Executive Producer.
The concert will be produced by Done And Dusted with Executive Producers Hamish Hamilton, Simon Pizey, Davis Guggenheim and Guy Oseary. It will be directed by Hamish Hamilton, who has worked with the band since 2001. Collaborations include Elevation 2001: Live from Boston; U2 Go Home: Live from Slane Castle, Ireland; the Beautiful Day Documentary; andVertigo 2005: Live from Chicago. The youngest recipient of the BAFTA Special Award, Hamish has Directed and Executive Produced the London 2012 Olympic & ParaOlympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Directed the last six Super Bowl Half-Time shows, multiple Academy Awards ceremonies, Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show for over a decade, President Obama’s Inaugural Ball, MTV’s VMA’s, and many more.
