U2 has been amazing concertgoers since launching their Las Vegas residency, U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere. A lot of work went into making sure it was an experience like none other. In fact, U2’s creative director, Gavin Friday, tells ABC Audio it was quite a task putting the whole thing together.
“We were working with technology we’ve never used before, the world has never used before, [a] sound system that’s going to change the face of live music,” he says. “It was otherworldly.”
The show premiered in September to rave reviews, and even Friday is amazed by what they pulled off.
“On the opening day, we all sighed a breath of relief because it was a huge success,” he shares. “And it’s like, you know, when you’re in the mine mining for that gold, you have your helmet on and your light [on] and you see nothing but the show — and we were knocked out. We knocked ourselves out, actually.”
Friday was also involved in setting up the Zoo Station: A U2:UV Experience pop-up shop at The Venetian hotel. While it’s basically a place for fans to buy souvenirs of the show, Friday says it was important to the band that it was much more than that.
“We made it quite an ambient, away from the hustle and bustle and glitz of Vegas,” he says. “We made it very much its own space because fans of U2 go back a long time and they tend to push the boat out on all levels, even if it’s selling merch.”
U2 recently added new dates to U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At Sphere, with the residency now running through February 18. A complete list of dates can be found at U2.com.
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