- Music
- 13 May 17
The greatest band on the planet took to the stage last night in Vancouver for the first leg of their world tour to support the 30th anniversary of the seminal classic 'The Joshua Tree' album.
And word filtering back to us is that it was an amazing gig, showcasing a band very much at the peak of their powers.
On the night, U2 opened their set with ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’ and they wrapped the spectacular show up on a high, finishing with a new song entitled ‘The Little Things That Give You Away’. The band also played the full 11 tracks from ‘The Joshua Tree' album during what critics are hailing as a brilliant performance.
The crowd went ecstatic when Bono, Edge, Larry and Adam performed their hit song 'Where The Streets Have No Names'.
Just to give you a little taste of what to expect when U2 eventually play on home turf as part of the world tour you can check out the video clip from last night's gig here for 'Where The Streets Have No Names'...
Released to universal acclaim on 9 March 1987 and featuring hit singles “With Or Without You”,“I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” and “Where The Streets Have No Name”, The Joshua Tree went to #1 in Ireland and around the world, selling in excess of 25 million albums, and catapulting Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr “… from heroes to superstars” (Rolling Stone).
Time Magazine put U2 on its cover in April 1987, proclaiming them “Rock’s Hottest Ticket” in a defining year for the band that saw their arena dates roll into stadium shows to accommodate escalating demand – setting them on course to become the world’s No.1 rock band.
The 12 months that followed saw the band create now-iconic moments: the traffic-stopping Grammy Award-winning music video on the roof of a Los Angeles liquor store; winning a BRIT Award and two Grammys – including Album of the Year – their first of 22 received to date, distinguishing U2 as the most awarded rock band in Grammy history; as well as a triumphant return home for four unforgettable shows in Belfast, Dublin and Cork in the summer of 1987.
U2’s fifth studio album The Joshua Tree was produced by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, and featured iconic artwork which cemented the career of photographer and director Anton Corbijn. Recording took place in Dublin at Windmill Lane Studios and Danesmoate, the house which subsequently became bassist Adam Clayton’s home.
In one sense, this special tour represents a moment of pause to celebrate one of the most important albums in rock history. That the spirit of the tour will be given fresh relevance by recent political developments is undeniable. The album was made in the era of Ronald Reagan and Maggie Thatcher, when there was a high level of paranoia about the foreign policy of both the US and the UK – and the effect that the misguided policies of the respective leaders had on the lives of ordinary people all over the world.
Each show on The Joshua Tree tour will include a performance of the album in its entirety, with support in Dublin coming from special guests, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. Commenting on the supporting role, Noel said: “It will be both a pleasure and an honour to play my part in what still remains the greatest show on earth.”