It seemed fitting that U2 were the first band to take a swing at a live production in the monolithic Sphere. The band and their longstanding crew have been pioneers in the use of video, from 1992s Zoo TV straight through to 2015s iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Tour. A band that pushes the outer limits of what a live show can be seemed like the perfect choice to test run a venue with seemingly endless creative possibilities. With 160,000 sq ft of LED for show creatives to play with, not to mention a fully immersive audio system, the Sphere dangles that carrot for productions to fully immerse an audience within a live show. A prospect, which TPi discovers, the U2 camp were only too happy to explore.
TPi caught up with a number of those who have worked with the band for many years to see how they approached this intimidating project and if they thought the Sphere was a sign of things to come in the live events space.
Words: Stew Hume
Photos: Rich Fury, Ross Andrew Stewart and Stufish Entertainment Architects
