U2 At Sphere: Best Moments So Far Ahead Of 2024 Shows (2024)

U2 is a little bit over the halfway point of their Las Vegas residency at the Sphere. 25 shows down, 15 to go.

These shows are monumental for the group. Not only is it their first-ever concert residency, the band is commemorating their 1991 album, Achtung Baby. U2 is playing the album in full for the very first time in a live setting.

At the same time, they are paying homage to one of their signature concert tours, the “ZooTV” tour. That tour ran from 1992-93 and was in support of Achtung Baby and Zooropa (which the band wrote and recorded on the tour).

To say that U2's Sphere shows have been a spectacle is an understatement. It's almost as if the Sphere was built for the Irish rock band. To that end, as the band enjoys their break, we'll look back at some of the best moments from their run so far.

The 10 best U2 Sphere moments (so far)

U2 At Sphere: Best Moments So Far Ahead Of 2024 Shows (1)

It's hard to limit yourself to just 10 moments. U2 have several remarkable moments at every show. So these are the 10 best in my estimation.

Every show: The “ZooTV” opening

The setlist for U2's Sphere shows was kept under wraps in the build up to the residency. We did know that Achtung Baby would be played in full, so it only felt right that the band opened with “Zoo Station.”

What came next was a treat for any “ZooTV” fans. U2 would segue into a “ZooTV”-like set, with “The Fly”-“Even Better Than the Real Thing”-“Mysterious Ways”-“One”-“Until the End of the World”-“Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses”-“Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World.”

This specific sequence hasn't been done since '92 (specifically because U2 dropped “Wild Horses” before the '92 leg of “ZooTV”). It was a treat to hear these songs in a whole new context with mind-bending imagery. But more on that in a moment.

Every show: Stars falling from the sky during “The Fly”

When it comes to the visuals attached with each song, “The Fly” tops them all. It's a tight race between this song and “Even Better Than the Real Thing,” which features a trippy waterfall of Elvis imagery, but “The Fly” ultimately wins out.

The code-breaking visuals that serve as the backdrop are familiar to fans. U2 has generally used these types of visuals for the song, with various words being projected at lightning-quick speed.

9/29/23: Paul McCartney, Beatles homages

U2 has taken a lot from the Beatles. Heck, the opening sets before the band comes out — a curated dance party mix from Pauli “the PSM” Lovejoy — includes “Drive My Car.”

But at the opening show, Paul McCartney was in attendance. U2's Bono made note of this and made sure to pay homage to the Beatle icon. He dedicated “Desire” to McCartney, and also snippeted “Blackbird” and “Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band” at the end of the show's closing song, “Beautiful Day.”

10/25/23: “Shallow” with Lady Gaga

After being seen at one of the early Sphere shows, Lady Gaga returned to the venue. This time, however, she was a performer. She showed up to sing and joined the band for “All I Want Is You” and her hit song from A Star Is Born, “Shallow.”

Every show: Bram van den Berg's twists

Filling in for Larry Mullen Jr., the force behind songs like “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” was always going to be a tall task. But Bram van den Berg has found a way to put his own spin on classic songs.

It's most evident on “Ultraviolet (Light My Way),” which the band highlights him by having him play various fills during the final “baby, baby, baby” refrains. “Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses” is another standout as even the tiniest increase of snare drum hits make all the difference.

He's not a better drummer than Mullen, nor can he ever replace him. But he proved that he can hang tenfold with a band of U2's caliber.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTpQQR301bY

10/25/23-present: “Paint It Black” snippet in “Until the End of the World”

From October 25-onward, U2 includes a snippet of the Rolling Stones' “Paint It Black” in “Until the End of the World.” It comes during the middle eight of the song before Bono typically sings “In my dreams, I was drowning in my sorrows.”

Bono begins vocalizing the iconic guitar riff as The Edge joins him with his guitar. The U2 singer also descends into the crowd, getting face-to-face with the lucky fans at the front of the general admission zone.

It's a great homage to another one of U2's biggest influences. Perhaps the Stones will also make their way to the Sphere someday.

12/15/23: “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”

Just days after U2's cover of “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” was praised by its original singer, Darlene Love, the band played the song for the first time since 1987.

The band previously recorded a cover of the song for the charity album, A Very Special Christmas. This was the second of two surprises on that night, as U2 also debuted “City of Blinding Lights” during the residency.

Related NewsArticle continues below

U2’s unreleased ‘Happiness’ has Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark vibes2d‘Determined’ Bono propelled U2’s Sphere shows, according to Live Nation CEO2 wU2 makes special How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb 20th anniversary announcement1MSphere celebrates U2 concert film with stunning drone stunt1M

12/01/23: “A Rainy Night in Soho”

“A Rainy Night in Soho” is a song released by the Pogues. At the end of “All I Want Is You,” Bono began singing “A Rainy Night in Soho.” This was in tribute to Shane MacGowan, who had passed away on November 30.

The song was previously used as U2's walk-out song during their 2017 “Joshua Tree” anniversary tour.

11/03/23: War hits

Despite promising to play songs from various albums during the turntable set, U2 generally stuck to a Rattle and Hum-heavy set during their Sphere shows. That changed for the better on November 3, as the band swapped out their usual turntable set with War songs.

The band broke out some surprises like “Two Hearts Beat As One” and “Seconds.” the latter of which hasn't been played since 1985.

Bono and The Edge also broke out an acoustic rendition of “Sunday Bloody Sunday.”

Every show: Hearing Achtung Baby album tracks

This is a cop-out, but hearing U2 play songs like “So Cruel,” “Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World,” “Love is Blindness,” and even “Acrobat,” which was played on 2018's “Experience + Innocence” tour in 2018, is such a treat. Achtung Baby is U2's strongest album, and that includes the lesser-known hits.

“So Cruel” was the biggest questioning mark coming into U2's Sphere residency. The band hasn't ever properly played it live. Luckily, they hit it out of the park.

U2 will resume their Sphere residency on January 26.

U2 At Sphere: Best Moments So Far Ahead Of 2024 Shows (2024)

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Lidia Grady

Last Updated:

Views: 5620

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (45 voted)

Reviews: 92% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Lidia Grady

Birthday: 1992-01-22

Address: Suite 493 356 Dale Fall, New Wanda, RI 52485

Phone: +29914464387516

Job: Customer Engineer

Hobby: Cryptography, Writing, Dowsing, Stand-up comedy, Calligraphy, Web surfing, Ghost hunting

Introduction: My name is Lidia Grady, I am a thankful, fine, glamorous, lucky, lively, pleasant, shiny person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.