U2-Vertigo-Tour.com becomes U2gigs.com

As some of you would have noticed, U2-Vertigo-Tour.com has recently changed its address, to U2gigs.com. We're well into 2008; the Vertigo Tour finished over a year ago in December 2006 and it's now time to move on and look to the future. Rather than tying the website's identity to the last tour, the new name reflects the whole content of the site - the fact it has the largest U2 concert setlist and photography database on the Internet. Old links now redirect to the new site address, but we recommend that those of you who link to the site update your links for faster and trouble-free web browsing. If you like the site and have your own, please consider linking - more traffic means more submissions of reviews, photos, and setlist information, resulting in a better and more comprehensive site experience for everyone. And more work for us, but we enjoy it!

So now it's just a matter of waiting for U2's next tour to materialise. Reports on the next album's progress are vague, with the band revealing little about when we may hear some new music. So far this year, only three live appearances have taken place. On the 14th of February, Bono made two special appearances, one in Washington DC and then one in New York; at both, he sung an a cappella cover of the Beatles' All You Need Is Love. Eight days later, the whole band appeared on Irish TV to participate with numerous other Irish musicians in a performance of charity single The Ballad Of Ronnie Drew. At this stage, no more live performances are expected in the immediate future. Naturally, wild rumours are doing the rounds - U2 are playing in the Philippines, U2 are playing 20+ gigs at London's O2 Arena, U2 are playing the Kunstmuseum Liechtenstein. But to use a cliche so common to U2 fansites, just keep in mind Bono's advice in Acrobat, "don't believe what you hear".

Regards,
Macphisto (Webmaster) and Axver (Setlistorian)

U2 Perform at the Cannes Film Festival

U2 have just performed on the steps of the Grand Théâtre Lumière at the Palais des Festival in Cannes, France prior to the premiere of the U2 3D movie at the Cannes Film Festival. This is the first time the band has performed live since the last gig of the Vertigo Tour in Honolulu on 9 December 2006. In a throwback to the tour, The Arcade Fire's Wake Up was played as the band walked up the red carpet, and then U2 performed a brief set. It was:

1. Vertigo / Ca Plane Pour Moi (snippet)
2. Where The Streets Have No Name / All You Need Is Love (snippet)

Bono made a number of comments in French, including the count-in to Vertigo and a short speech during Streets' intro.

This set is notable as one of the extremely few times that Streets has been performed outside of a full tour concert. This has only occurred twice before: the first instance was the very first time it was publicly performed, at its video shoot in Los Angeles on 27 March 1987, and the second instance took place on 3 February 2002 when U2 performed the Super Bowl's half-time show.

I spy something beginning with V!

I spy, with my little eye, something beginning with V ...



Poking between the southern stands of the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre in Brisbane is the Vertigo Tour stage, photographed by André Axver as he passed the stadium at 4pm this afternoon (Wednesday). This photo was taken from the main entrance to the stadium on Kessels Road, and for those of you attending the concert who are unfamiliar with the stadium, this is close to gates 8-10 and the box office. Gate 16, the entrance for General Admission ticketholders, is on the diagonally opposite side of the stadium from this entry.

U2 themselves are now in Australia and are staying on the Gold Coast, less than an hour south of Brisbane. Reportedly, U2 are allowed to start rehearsals at QSAC from 9am local time Friday, but if U2's past history is any indicator, they will likely rehearse in the afternoon and possibly evening.

Furthermore, for those of you attending the three Sydney concerts, Telstra Stadium has published on their website an extensive Frequently Asked Questions section regarding the concert. We advise you to have a read of it so that you know what to expect on the day and have a hassle-free experience.

Hello, hello, Vertigo's coming to a place called Brisbane!

In exactly a week from this post, crowds will be pouring out of the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre (QSAC) in Brisbane after U2's first concert on the Vertigo Tour's fifth leg. Here at U2gigs.com, we aim to bring you the Internet's most comprehensive coverage of the concert and the rest of the leg. The stage is already being set up at QSAC, and photos of it can be viewed at Australian fansite LyptonVillage.org here and here. Furthermore, rumour has it that U2 will rehearse in Brisbane from Friday to Monday, but we emphasise that this is merely rumour and should not be considered fact. However, if rehearsals do take place, we will be on hand to report on them. Stay tuned to U2gigs.com - there's much more to come, and between us, we'll be at all of the Australian and New Zealand shows. Look out for setlists, photos, and detailed reviews in the coming weeks!

It's been eight years since U2 last came to Australia and thirteen years for New Zealand, but the wait is nearly over! Enjoy the tour, everybody!

Regards,
Macphisto (webmaster) and Axver (setlistorian)

Vertigo's Polish Flag

Just a little over a year ago, U2 performed in Poland for only the second time. It was at this concert that something incredible happened, quite possibly the most astounding highlight of the Vertigo Tour. At the start of New Year's Day, a song inspired by the Polish anti-communist Solidarity movement, one part of the crowd became a sea of red and the other part a sea of white, creating the impression of the Polish flag.

This is the story of the flag.

ZOO TV On DVD

(U2.com) -- ‘Zoo TV Live From Sydney’ is set for DVD release in September. As well as the legendary live show, now digitally remastered, the new release comes with a bonus DVD of live tracks, mini-documentaries and the inimitable ‘Video Confessional’. Details here.

Filmed at the Football Stadium in Sydney, Australia, in November 1993 - and now only available on something called VHS – the film is directed by David Mallet and produced by Ned O’Hanlon and Rocky Oldham. More on the background to the DVD release in the next few days, meantime, here’s the running order.

Bono Performs With Wyclef Jean

A few days ago, on the 27th of May, Bono appeared unannounced at Wyclef Jean's Monaco Grand Prix Ball in Monte Carlo, Monaco. The ball was held to raise money for Jean's charity Yele Haiti, which works to aid development in Jean's troubled native country of Haiti. Bono joined Wyclef Jean to sing Redemption Song, a song he last sung on 17 July 1993 in Bologna, Italy. It is worth noting that this is the first time any member of U2 has performed in the country of Monaco.

It has also been reported that earlier in the same day, Bono sung aboard the yacht of the Renault formula one team's managing director, Flavio Briatore. Unfortunately, we don't know what exactly he sung.

Edited on 2006-06-30: We are human! I've just discovered a factual inaccuracy in this article. Bono has actually sung Redemption Song between 1993 and 2006: he performed it on 30 June 2001 in Barcelona, and just like this year, the performance was with Wyclef Jean.

The Edge appears at Jazz Fest

Earlier this year, rumours circulated stating that U2 was going to be one of the performers at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, often better known as Jazz Fest. These rumours turned out to be false, but one member of U2 did appear at the festival today. The Edge made a surprise appearance with the New Birth Brass Band for Stand By Me, and then appeared on the main stage with the day's headlining band, the Dave Matthews Band, to perform the song Smooth Rider.

An MSNBC article had this to say about Edge's appearance with the New Birth Brass Band:

While big names such as the Dave Matthews Band, Etta James and Herbie Hancock played at the bigger stages, one star casually dropped in on one of the smaller sets. The Edge, from supergroup U2, walked on during the New Birth Brass Band's already enthralling set, joining them as they sang "Stand By Me" in tribute to New Orleans. The group inserted its own new lyric, singing "New Orleans will never die" defiantly during the song.

Band leader and bass drum player Cayetano Hingle said his group, which was forced to relocate to Houston after Katrina, met U2 when the Irish rockers saw New Birth performing in the streets of New Orleans.

Though The Edge had said he might stop by to see the band perform at Jazz Fest, Hingle was still surprised.

"I looked to the side of the stage and I was shocked," he said, laughing.

Portland Setlist

After fifty shows played over more than three months, the third leg of the Vertigo Tour concluded today in Portland. Instant Karma! returned to the setlist after missing two shows, and surprisingly enough, it was positioned after One and closed the main set. During the encores, Happy Birthday was sung, though we currently are unsure for whom. The final song of the third leg was 40, and now U2 will take a well-earned break before commencing the fourth leg on the 12th of February 2006 in Monterrey, Mexico. During the break, stay tuned to U2gigs.com not just for tour news, but also for some upcoming special announcements and features!

The full Portland set was:

City Of Blinding Lights
Vertigo
Elevation
I Will Follow
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For / In A Little While (snippet)
Beautiful Day / Many Rivers To Cross (snippet) / Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home) (snippet)
Original Of The Species
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own / Torna A Surriento (snippet)
Love And Peace Or Else
Sunday Bloody Sunday / Rock The Casbah (snippet)
Bullet The Blue Sky / When Johnny Comes Marching Home (snippet) / The Hands That Built America (snippet)
Miss Sarajevo
Pride (In The Name Of Love)
Where The Streets Have No Name
One / Help (snippet)
Instant Karma! / Happy Christmas (War Is Over) (snippet)

Encore(s):
Until The End Of The World
Mysterious Ways
With Or Without You
Happy Birthday
Yahweh
40

All details for this show including reviews and photos can be found here.

If you attended the show we ask you to share your concert review or photos with other site visitors. You can post your review of the show here and upload your pictures here.

Salt Lake City Setlist

Today's concert in Salt Lake City was the penultimate show of the third leg of the Vertigo Tour, and after a fortnight's absence, All Because Of You regained a position in the encore. Reports indicate that a woman in a Santa outfit was onstage during Beautiful Day, and after that song, Bono sung a significant portion of Norwegian Wood before commencing Original Of The Species.

The full setlist was:

City Of Blinding Lights
Vertigo / She Loves You (snippet)
Elevation
I Will Follow
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For / In A Little While (snippet)
Beautiful Day / Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home) (snippet) / Happy Christmas (War Is Over) (snippet)
Norwegian Wood
Original Of The Species
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own / Torna A Surriento (snippet)
Love And Peace Or Else
Sunday Bloody Sunday / Rock The Casbah (snippet)
Bullet The Blue Sky / When Johnny Comes Marching Home (snippet) / The Hands That Built America (snippet)
Miss Sarajevo
Pride (In The Name Of Love)
Where The Streets Have No Name
One

Encore(s):
Until The End Of The World
Mysterious Ways
With Or Without You
Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of
All Because Of You
Yahweh
40

All details for this show including reviews and photos can be found here.

If you attended the show we ask you to share your concert review or photos with other site visitors. You can post your review of the show here and upload your pictures here.