D6 life music | THE STRAITS TIMES | THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2019 | WHEN LOVE COMES TO TOWN To commemorate the 30th anniversary of U2’s 1987 album, the Irish band embarked on The Joshua Tree Tour in 2017. The Straits Times checks out one of the biggest rock acts in the world before their concert in Singapore this weekend. HOW THE BAND STARTED From the despair of how GRAMMYS DARLING In 1976, Larry Mullen Jr pinned a “musicians wanted” relevant some of the dark songs In 1980, U2 debuted with their ambitious advertisement on the notice board at Dublin’s Temple still are to the joy, pure fun of Mount School: Drummer seeks musicians to form band. album Boy. With a On Sept 25, 1976, “this odd group of people convened the staging... it’s quite a ride. total of 14 albums in my kitchen in Artane and that’s where it started”, And now we get to do it all over under their belt, they recalls Mullen. They called themselves Feedback and again... Tokyo, Singapore, are the only band to win the Album of the Year category twice – in 1987 rehearsed in his kitchen. Inspired by punk, the band Seoul... we’re coming for you. became The Hype and then U2. for The Joshua Tree and in 2005 for – Bono How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb. Bono Here are some of their accolades. (vocals) US$700 million HOW MUCH THEY The Joshua Tree ARE WORTH (1987) U2 band members have 30th Grammy Awards a combined wealth of Larry • Album of the Year more than US$1 billion Mullen Jr • Best Rock ($1.36 billion). (drums) Performance by a Duo Source: Celebrity US$300 million or Group with Vocal – Net Worth (2018) The Joshua Tree The Edge Rattle And Hum (lead guitarist) Adam Clayton (1988) US$340 million (bass guitarist) US$300 million 31st Grammy Awards • Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal – Desire • Best Performance Music Video – Where The Streets Have No Name Achtung Baby (1991) 35th Grammy Awards • Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal – Achtung Baby Zooropa THE STAGE RIGS (1993) It boasts the largest high-resolution LED video Four rigs suspend 36th Grammy Awards screen (8k) ever used in a touring show. It is the speaker and Best Alternative painted in silver and gold to mimic the artwork lighting systems • Music Album of U2’s The Joshua Tree album. above the stage to provide a clean Speakers 37th Grammy Awards line of sight. • Best Music Video, Lighting Long Form – Zoo TV – Live From Sydney All That You Can’t Leave Behind (2000) 43rd Grammy Awards MAIN STAGE • Record of the Year – The 60m-wide Beautiful Day stage is • Song of the Year – equipped with Beautiful Day a piano lift. • Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal – SHORT FILMS Beautiful Day The staging includes haunting and evocative lms 44th Grammy Awards from Dutch photographer, lm-maker and long-time • Record of the Year – collaborator Anton Corbijn, whose iconic photography Walk On accompanied the original recording. • Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal – SPACE FRAME SCREEN B STAGE Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of Made of carbon bre and The 60m by 14m screen is The 22m-long runway • Best Rock designed to be lightweight, made up of 1,040 individual leads to a tree-shaped • Three sets of stages are in use. Performance by a Duo it is collapsible and fully video panels. One terabyte B stage, which mimics the They are assembled and disassembled or Group with Vocal – wind-braced. of data runs through the Joshua tree’s shadow. at any one time during the tour to Elevation screen every minute. It has piano and drum lifts. facilitate the tight schedule. • Best Rock Album – All That You Can’t LED video Leave Behind panels on mobile pallets are U2’S OTHER U2 & MORE lined up in a row. STAGE Billboard chart How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb The Claw stage was 7 No. 1 hits Grammy LED panels on the a giant structure of Awards (2004) outermost layer are 21 Top 10 hits 22 3million U2’s historic 360° Tour The number of fans 47th Grammy Awards attached to one another from 2009 to 2011. #22 The Joshua Tree tours will • Best Rock and hoisted by cranes. Albums have played to in 66 shows Best Artist of Performance by a Duo All Time - 14 in total across 2017 and this year Rolling Stone or Group with Vocal – Rows of panels are attached Vertigo to the subsequent rows below magazine • Best Rock Song – them and hoisting continues #19 500,000+ Vertigo until the screen is fully Back of screen Best Artist of 170m Estimated number of fans who • Best Short Form All Time - VH1 albums sold will attend this year’s concert tour constructed. Music Video – Vertigo 48th Grammy Awards • Album of the Year TICKET COLLECTION ROAD CLOSURE CONCERT SECURITY • Song of the Year – Sometimes You Can’t Standing pen: Security checkpoints will open at 4.30pm Concertgoers are encouraged to collect tickets before the day Patrons attending the concert Make It On Your Own of the show to avoid long queues on the day of the event. on Saturday are advised to Seated patrons: Security checkpoints will open at 6pm • Best Rock SPORTS HUB OFFICE: arrive two hours prior to the • All water bottles are not allowed. Performance by a Duo Singapore Indoor Stadium Kallang Wave Mall show via MRT. The nearest • All bags larger than A3 size (29cm by 42cm) are not allowed. or Group with Vocal – • 2 Stadium Walk; (available only on Saturday stations are Kallang (EW10) • No storage facilities will be provided. Sometimes You Can't open: 10am to 8pm & Sunday) and Stadium (CC6). Roads will • Air horns, loud hailers, large banners and sele sticks are prohibited. Make It On Your Own (Mondays to Saturdays) • 01-K1/K2, 1 Stadium Drive; be closed and there will be • Food and drinks can be purchased at the venue. Food and drinks bought • Best Rock Song – open: 5 to 9pm diversions along Nicoll outside are not allowed. City Of Blinding Lights Highway from 3pm. • Patrons without bags can use the Express “No Bag” Lanes for quicker entry. • Best Rock Album PHOTOS: EPA-EFE, EN-LAI YEOH STRAITS TIMES GRAPHICS: LEE HUP KHENG AND SIMON ANG.