After Nevada Residency, U2 Members Share Their Pre-Concert Routines
Irish rock band U2 concluded their 40-date residency at The Sphere in Paradise, Nevada, last March 2. The group shared how they prepared for their performances along with their highs and lows.
Ahead of their final show, keyboardist The Edge shared, “We sort of had a very lucky break because being the first band, we got a chance to explore the sound system and work very closely with the venue people to get our visuals working.”
He added, “I don’t think anyone will do exactly what we’re doing, what we did, and I think that’s probably a good thing.”
Sharing a personal routine that he learned to adapt, frontman Bono revealed that he made himself stay indoors surrounded by humidifiers. This helped him maintain his three-octave tenor pipes amid Nevada’s dry climate.
The 63-year-old admitted, “It was like the reptile house in the zoo when we were kids in Dublin, and so the missus didn’t want to be in the room. It was like she said, ‘the smell of boiled carpet off you,’ and I’m like, ‘Okay, that’s not good.”
Bono explained, “When we did the first show [on September 29], as Edge said, something went off, and we had a visitation. We had a visitation, and if you’re going to drop a name, drop a big name. We had a visitation from a Beatle. That’s right. We had a Beatle. We had the Macca. We had Paul McCartney, and I hadn’t been able to see any of the guests because of my voice. I’ve been locked up in the reptile house, but he came round, the band came round. We all had one moment with the Beatle, and he gave us the benediction.”
Bono, whose real name is Paul Hewson, recalled how the legendary Paul McCartney told him, ‘”I could hear you better than ever. I could see you, but the bit when it breaks down in the middle, I could feel you.”
Based on Paul’s input, Bono reflected, “…and I think that’s what we learned after the first night was that we could have a more dimensional effect that’s dimensional, not dementia. We also have that, but that’s a given. But yeah, because it really is a load of bollocks if people don’t feel it and spectacle.”
He continued, “People talk about spectacle. It has to be; that spectacle has to be interior, too. You have to feel it, and the emotions going off that first night were very special. There’s been some really great nights, and then there’s the humbling thing. I have to say this. The sh*** nights and you leave the stage, you go, ‘That was that. Sh***,’ and you find out that’s somebody else’s favorite night, and you think, ‘Well, what do they know?’ and then you hear it back, and they’re right.”
The band’s drummer, Larry Mullen, who has been recovering from neck surgery and other health conditions, was present during their March 2 performance. Larry expressed his gratitude to Bram Van Den Berg for filling in as U2’s drummer, allowing Larry to attend to his health.
Adam Clayton, the bassist, shared what it was like to have a newcomer join them. “It was really great that you know, our audience accepted Bram, you know, into the fold,” he commented.
He added, “They knew he was stepping in for Larry, who couldn’t perform, and they embraced him, and within a very short period of time, it was like they accepted that Bram was there. He was doing a great job. They turned up with their signs for Bram, and it was like, wow.”
Bono confirmed that Bram had been genuinely welcomed by the group. He added in good humor, “…but I think the ‘Wham bam, thank you Bram’ t-shirts are just going too far. Edge spoke to me about it afterwards. He says, ‘We gotta knock this guy out.”‘
U2’s last performance in Nevada was streamed on U2 X-radio and Sirius XM Channel 32 last Sunday. With U2’s residency done, Phish will take over at The Sphere from April 18 to 21.
