Following the announcement of sold out shows in New Zealand and Australia earlier this week, U2 has confirmed that the band will bring their acclaimed Joshua Tree Tour to Asia!
Hot on the heels of U2’s highly-successful 2017 tour in celebration of its seminal album, The Joshua Tree Tour 2019 will see the Irish rock band make a much-anticipated live return to Asia. U2 will also make a stop at Singapore and Seoul for the first time ever – with what promises to be very special concerts from one of the most renowned bands in the world.
Due to an overwhelming response from fans following the initial sale for U2’s first and only show in Singapore on 30 November 2019 (Saturday) at the National Stadium, a second and final Singapore show for U2’s The Joshua Tree Tour 2019 has now been confirmed on 1 December 2019 (Sunday). U2’s The Joshua Tree Tour 2019 is a celebration of the original album and tour of the same name undertaken by U2 in 1987. It will feature the complete album played in sequence, along with a selection of highlights from U2’s extensive catalogue of songs.
The innovative concert staging includes a specially commissioned series of haunting and evocative films from Dutch photographer, film-maker and longtime collaborator Anton Corbijn, whose iconic photography accompanied the original recording, in brilliant 8K resolution on a 200ft x 45ft cinematic screen – the largest high-res LED screen ever used in a touring show.
“Our audience has given the Joshua Tree a whole new life on this tour. Doing these shows has been very special for us, a lot of emotion… From the despair of how relevant some of the dark songs still are, to the joy (and) pure fun of the staging… it’s quite a ride. And now we get to do it all over again,” said Bono, vocalist and rhythm guitarist of U2.
The Joshua Tree Tour 2019 will kick off in Auckland on November 8 2019 (Friday) and will visit Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Perth, before moving on to Singapore, Tokyo and Seoul.
About U2
U2 is an alternative rock band which formed in 1976 in Dublin, Ireland. The band consists of vocalist and rhythm guitarist Bono, The Edge on guitars, Adam Clayton on bass, and drummer Larry Mullen Jr.
U2 created a distinctive identity for itself, with its grandiose sound – a merger of the Edge’s minimal, reverb-drenched guitar and Bono’s quasi-operatic vocals. The band’s early records were characterized by an intense spirituality and commented on social and political issues – such as the civil strife in Northern Ireland – with compassion and tenderness. The rock quartet became renowned for its inspirational live performances and was sensationalized through word-of-mouth long before it made much of an impact on the pop charts.
The multimillion-selling success of The Joshua Tree (1987), as well as number one hits ‘With or Without You’ and ‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’, propelled U2 to stardom. Keeping up with the times, U2 re-emerged in 1991, reinvented itself for the new decade. Its album Achtung Baby (1991) carried a sound heavily influenced by European experimental, electronic, and disco music.
This came with a stage show that trafficked in irony and self-deprecating humour – qualities virtually absent from the band’s music in the previous decade. However – despite the more extravagant outlook – U2’s lyrics remained obsessed with matters of the soul. Subsequent lyrics saw the recurring theme of dehumanizing media and technology aspects, even when the band immersed itself in techno textures.
To date, U2 has won more than over 20 Grammy Awards, including Album Of The Year for The Joshua Tree and How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. The band was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.
U2 The Joshua Tree Tour – Live in Singapore
Date: 30 November 2019 (Saturday) and 1 December 2019 (Sunday)
Time: 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm
Venue: National Stadium, 1 Stadium Drive, Singapore 397629
Ticket prices start at SG$98. For more information, visit https://www.sportshub.com.sg/U2-2019
Visuals courtesy of Danny North and Ross Andrew Stewart.
