On this day in 2001: U2 kicked off the Elevation Tour

Following the sheer extravagance of Zoo TV and PopMart, U2 decided to go back to basics for their next outing, All That You Can’t Leave Behind. Their egos were probably a bit dented, but certainly not their ambition. Produced mainly by the trusted team of Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, the album itself was a more straightforward collection of songs, with Edge reviving his early guitar sound for the opening track and first single ‘Beautiful Day’ (brushed up for release by Steve Lillywhite).

Bruised by the sometimes poor reception of PopMart, and the relatively low sales of Pop, Bono announced to the world’s media, “We’re back, reapplying for the job… And the job is best band in the world.”

The 113-date Elevation Tour – which opened on March 24, 2001 – saw the Dubliners mostly playing indoor arenas with a much more stripped down, intimate stage design (a heart-shaped B-stage extended from the main one, while encapsulating a small section of the audience).

Elevation also saw the band playing two extraordinary, unforgettable shows at Slane Castle on August 25 and September 1, 2001. Bono’s father Bob Hewson had been ill for some time, and the singer had been flying home on a nightly basis from Europe to spend time with him in hospital (each night onstage he dedicated ‘Kite’ to his ailing dad). Bob Hewson eventually passed away just a few days before their first night at Slane Castle. Hot Press writer Peter Murphy was at the show.

“20 years and the last seven days: U2 have gone through a whole heavenhell of a lot to get here,” he wrote. “One can only guess at Bono’s state of mind, high on the euphoria of playing the most ecstatic shows of his band’s career, drained from the freeze-dried exhaustion of flying home to Dublin from all points around Europe to endure the dim purgatories every son goes through when his father is dying.”

As it turned out, Bono managed to transform his grief into true rock ‘n’ roll greatness for both Slane shows. The second night was filmed by director Hamish Hamilton and released as a live DVD called U2 Go Home: Live From Slane Castle in November 2003. By any standards, this was a return to the summit. Buoyed by the huge international success of ‘Beautiful Day’ as a single, All That You Can’t Leave Behind debuted at No. 1 in 32 countries and sold 12 million copies.

In the midst of extremely busy times for U2, The Edge stars on the cover of the new issue of Hot Press.

The acclaimed musician offers a fascinating glimpse into his creative life, in a major Hot Press original – coinciding with U2's new album of re-interpretations, Songs of Surrender; a Disney+ docu-special; a new Sarajevo documentary, Kiss The Future, in which they're featured; and news of the band's starring role in the launch of a spectacular world-leading venue in Las Vegas.

In the piece, the guitarist – and producer of Songs Of Surrender – writes passionately about the inspiration behind the upcoming album, and the process of re-imagining some of U2's most beloved tracks.

Order the issue below: