U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere #16
'A Proper Juke Box Night'
The band made good use of their giant turntable Friday night, flipping the script by playing three songs from their 1983 album 'War' — 'Two Hearts Beat As One', 'Seconds' (a song they hadn't played live in almost 39 years), and an acoustic version of 'Sunday Bloody Sunday'.
Bono explained that he hadn't introduced Edge between 'Two Hearts' and 'Seconds' because 'I was gonna ask you to sing it'.
The 22-song set also included lyrical trips into Echo and the Bunnymen's 'Rescue' ( It's a proper jukebox night') and Aerosmith's 'Sweet Jane' and closed with 'Beautiful Day' segueing into 'Gloria' as the band left the stage.
What Bono Said
'What an awesome bass line!' he said, pointing at Adam toward the end of 'Two Hearts Beat As One', before introducing the man 'sitting in for Larry Mullen Jr. because we won't let him stand, Bram van den Berg, on a song he wasn't born [yet] when we wrote'.
Recalling the backstory of the 'War' album and 'Sunday Bloody Sunday', while he and Ali were on honeymoon in 1982. 'While I was away with my bride in Jamaica', he reminded Edge, 'You were back in Dublin in your flat arpeggiating your way out of a corner where you were trying to decide if you wanted to be in U2 or not…. and this song partly answered the question.
'Edge began working on this song, not even a song, a map of a way forward for our band.... in our head, 'Sunday Bloody Sunday' was like religious music meets The Clash…with a little bit of Bob Marley in there.'
Shout Outs
To Guggi, friend since childhood, who he was with when they discovered graffiti on the wall of a pub bathroom in Dublin that said, 'Elvis is Alive. We're dead.' 'We were about 17, were we not?'
To AJ, Bono's cousin, a member of the U2 crew, who 'fixes things when there's a problem'.
From the Socials
“Two Hearts Beat As One” in the middle set! And “SECONDS”!!!! Oh, my Lord! And such an apropos return of it. And now “Sunday Bloody Sunday.” What a night. @U2 #U2 #U2UVSphere' — @srharmon on X
'What is even happening right now. #U2UVSphere' — @apancella on X
'And I was there to witness it. I need to let this sink in cause my god that was goddamn epic #U2UVSphere' —@AnitaHartgers on X
'Just visiting some old friends we've known since 1980 #u2 #u2LVSPHERE #u2community' — @U2Podcast on X
From Zootopia/U2 Faniverse
'It's not often that one can say "that was epic" and not sound ironic — tonight was EPIC!
Already looking forward to tomorrow's show! Stay excited, everyone!' —DMWay
'I'm a '40' away from being on the floor!' —U22009
'CAN WE PLEASE PAUSE FOR A MOMENT SO MY HEAD CAN STOP SPINNING' — Canadanne
If you were at the show in Vegas, add your own review and upload your photos below.
#U2UVSPHERE ON SOCIALS