U2's next tour gets 'itching' truth bomb from The Edge, with Sphere twist

11/15/2024 09:07 AM

Recently, legendary guitarist The Edge of U2 has been talking a lot about the band’s post-Sphere tour plans. It sounds like the band has an important step to take before hitting the road again.

In a new interview with the Los Angeles Times, The Edge spoke about U2’s upcoming live ventures. He did acknowledge that the band will not “rule out doing something for the Sphere in the future,” though they clearly aspire to get on the road, saying they are “itching” to tour. They have not had a proper tour since the 2019 extension of the Joshua Tree 30th Anniversary Tour.

First, a new album will need to be released. The last live concerts have been centered around two of their previous albums, The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby. The Edge is aware of this and promises the band has other ambitions than nostalgia.

“Next thing we have to do is a new record, of course,” The Edge said. “This project [the Sphere residency] was a celebration of Achtung Baby, so we’re anxious to do something that’s about new work.”

Luckily, the band is hard at work. The Edge says U2 is “actively developing new material for what will become a U2 album in the future.” After that, the band will “be back to touring.”

One key reason the band misses touring is seeing a new audience in a new town each night. The Edge says he will miss the groundbreaking sound systems of the Sphere, but he also misses traveling for shows.

“As much as we loved being able to rely on the sound being great every night, there’s a great momentum to being on the road,” The Edge explained. “And seeing local fans, as opposed to relying on them coming to us — it’s different. We miss it.”

When will U2 tour again?

Until U2 makes a new album, it does not sound like they will tour again. So, barring a surprise album release similar to Songs of Innocence, it may not happen in 2025.

During an interview with Rolling Stone, The Edge also promised that the band’s next tour will be “quite different” than the Sphere shows. They hope to respond to their residency with something unique in the future.

Plus, the band is fresh off a 40-night residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada. This was the first time the band performed a concert residency in their long career.

The last album of original material, Songs of Experience, was released in 2017. It was a sequel to their 2014 album Songs of Innocence. They subsequently embarked on the Experience + Innocence Tour in 2018, which visited North America and Europe.

Since then, they went on a 15-show leg of the Joshua Tree Anniversary Tour in 2019 and performed the Sphere residency from 2023-24.

U2 fans are also waiting for the return of Larry Mullen Jr., the band’s drummer. He had to miss their Sphere residency due to his recovery from injuries.

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