U2
The Sphere
Las Vegas, Nevada
January 31, 2024
Source: DPA 4060 => Tascam DR-2d
Conversion: WAV => Audio Cleaning Lab => FLAC (16-bit)
Location: Section 101, row 18
Track listing:
CD1 (74:10):
(1) Intro (2:18)
(2) Zoo Station (4:28)
(3) The Fly (5:05)
(4) Banter (0:31)
(5) Even Better Than The Real Thing (4:07)
(6) Banter (1:24)
(7) Mysterious Ways (5:04)
(8) Banter (0:18)
(9) One (4:51)
(10) Love Me Tender (1:31)
(11) Until The End Of The World (5:55)
(12) Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses (5:52)
(13) Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World (5:40)
(14) Banter (2:21)
(15) All I Want Is You (7:17)
(16) Banter (0:30)
(17) Two Hearts Beat As One (8:15)
(18) Seconds (2:57)
(19) Banter (1:09)
(20) Don't Dream It's Over (4:29)
CD2 (57:35):
(1) Acrobat (4:25)
(2) So Cruel (5:19)
(3) Ultraviolet (Light My Way) (5:12)
(4) Love Is Blindness (1:38)
(5) Viva Las Vegas (1:38)
(6) Elevation intro (1:14)
(7) Elevation (4:12)
(8) Atomic City (3:52)
(9) Vertigo (4:36)
(10) Where The Streets Have No Name (6:38)
(11) With or Without You (5:37)
(12) Encore break (1:46)
(13) Beautiful Day (5:39)
(14) Outro (1:04)
There are no fades applied to this recording; if you choose to burn to CD, the above splits are just a suggestion.
Comments: There has been an enormous amount of hype about these shows, so my wife and I were excited to check out the Sphere and how U2 had chosen to represent "Achtung Baby" 30 years after its initial release. I have to say, for however overheated the rhetoric is about this show -- it is better than anything you can imagine. We were with another couple, and frequently the four of us were sitting slack-jawed at the spectacle unfolding in front of us. Whatever you need to spend to get to one of the remaining Sphere shows will be worth it.
We took an Uber from the airport and told the driver we were in town to see U2. She told us that every time she picks people up from the Sphere after a show, everyone sits in silence because they are processing what just happened. That's how cool it is. I noticed during the show that there were very few people getting up to go to the bathroom or bar, and very few people standing at their seats. At least near me, there was not much talking. Everyone was soaking it in.
However, although the visual effects are spectacular, the audio (the most important part) is exceptional as well. Bono is in better voice now than he has been in years, and the band is very comfortable deviating from the script wherever feasible. Bram van den Berg, sitting in for the ill drummer Larry Mullen Jr., is very solid. The band is pretty tethered to their effects for the majority of the show so we won't get much deviation; however, the "turntable" set (here, tracks 15-19) give the band an opportunity to stretch out. After the initial "All I Want Is You," the band performed the very rarely played "Two Hearts Beat as One" and "Seconds," the latter of which featured Edge on most of the vocals. Mixed in was an ad hoc cover of the Clash's "Rock the Casbah." They closed the turntable set with a cover of Crowded House's "Don't Dream It's Over" with only Bono and Edge -- a beautiful and moving version.
We had a pretty good seat location slightly elevated off the floor, though I suspect the sound is pretty good everywhere. I was very happy with the quality of this recording; I needed to use the EQ to boost the high end a bit but otherwise a really solid capture. Fortunately, there is very little crowd interference to detract from one's enjoyment.
I wish they could take this tour on the road. Realistically, there would be no way to do it without the capabilities of The Sphere, but it would be great to see the show again without spending several thousand dollars.
Check out the samples in the comments if in doubt.
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