Predictions for the next tour's stage?

[Fastcars12]

4 men on a stage, no gimmicks....like every tour before Zoo Tv

Actually I'd take an indoor show just like Zoo TV. 

[imaginary friend]

An indoor arena tour. Four platforms in all four corners of the arena, each with a walkway leading to a central stage, so the band both surround the audience and are surrounded by them. Bare bones staging with the frequent visual effects. It's more about lightning than huge screens this time around, but maybe there could be a smaller version of the screen from the 360 Tour in the centre of the stage, it'd be cooler if there were screens above the walkways though. 360 meets Elevation.

Brilliant, all four come down the stairs from each corner of the arena.

With walkways along the outside connecting the platforms. Then you could add the 360 screen above it. Maybe make the walkways some sort of screen?

That'd be a hard choice between GA and the seats. I'd probably still take GA.

did you see Madonna at the Super Bowl? She took what Tool did with projectors in 2006 a few steps further. I like the stage design idea described here, but why not dispense with screens altogether? Give everyone entering the arena a cheap white t-shirt, have them put them on and use projectors to turn the audience and the entire interior of the arena into the video screen.

[xy]

3d images.... what Trent Raznor tried a few years ago?  When that gets fully developed...

But it would be nice, if they're going with what Bono said about playing more rare songs - and the trend continued from Vertigo even onto stadium tour like 360 - let them put the stage right into the middle of the arena.

[Tumbling Dice]

If it's an arena tour, playing in-the-round - if not exactly in the centre - is the only way to go, IMHO.

To quote Prince: "every seat is a good seat."

[TheSceneoftheAccident]

3d images.... what Trent Raznor tried a few years ago?  When that gets fully developed...

That sounds like a great idea. I've thought about it a few times myself. U23D tour would be a good follow-up to the U2360 Tour. But it may come across as too gimmicky to a lot of people and it'd be very, very expensive to pull off.

[Tumbling Dice]

3d images.... what Trent Raznor tried a few years ago?  When that gets fully developed...

That sounds like a great idea. I've thought about it a few times myself. U23D tour would be a good follow-up to the U2360 Tour. But it may come across as too gimmicky to a lot of people and it'd be very, very expensive to pull off.

When U2 go out on the road well into their 50's, I don't want fancy expensive gimmicks distracting from the focus on the music, particularly if they're playing more rarities.  I think U2 have already pushed that envelope far enough on PopMart.

[MLP Midnight]

Actually I think they should play on top of a gigantic LED screen placed in the center of the stage.

[teacher_mommy_u2fan]

3d images.... what Trent Raznor tried a few years ago?  When that gets fully developed...

That sounds like a great idea. I've thought about it a few times myself. U23D tour would be a good follow-up to the U2360 Tour. But it may come across as too gimmicky to a lot of people and it'd be very, very expensive to pull off.

When U2 go out on the road well into their 50's, I don't want fancy expensive gimmicks distracting from the focus on the music, particularly if they're playing more rarities.  I think U2 have already pushed that envelope far enough on PopMart.

Agreed 100%! I want them to bring it back to the music and forget the spectacle.

[spooked1oo]

3d images.... what Trent Raznor tried a few years ago?  When that gets fully developed...

That sounds like a great idea. I've thought about it a few times myself. U23D tour would be a good follow-up to the U2360 Tour. But it may come across as too gimmicky to a lot of people and it'd be very, very expensive to pull off.

When U2 go out on the road well into their 50's, I don't want fancy expensive gimmicks distracting from the focus on the music, particularly if they're playing more rarities.  I think U2 have already pushed that envelope far enough on PopMart.

Agreed 100%! I want them to bring it back to the music and forget the spectacle.

If nothing else they need to at least bring back the 360 screen.

[xy]

U2 tour won't exist without some sort of flashy gimmicks* IMO. Great visuals are expected since they did it on Zoo TV, Popmart, Vertigo and 360.

As for being expensive...A few screens can't be more expensive than what they have pulled off in the past. And maybe instead of focusing at least 50% of screen time on the band footage, they could be making custom-made visuals for each song. Live, during the show, improvised visuals especially if they will really dig up the rarities, as was the trend in this decade. Obviously they won't go BIG again right after 360, just go after the newest visual treats available.

*which don't really take away from the music. And they won't do more stripped down than Elevation.

[imaginary friend]

Actually I think they should play on top of a gigantic LED screen placed in the center of the stage.

that's kinda what Tool did in 2006. the whole stage was a projection screen done in movie screen white. It was utterly jawdropping watching fire curling across the stage during "Jambi," the 3rd song in the set. Some people around me actually screamed, it looked so realistic. Watching Adam walking among the clouds during "Wings For Marie/10,000 Days" was even more incredible. The best part was that it was for the people (like me) in the upper level of the arena. Obviously, no one in the best seats could even see it.

as far as the LED screen you mentioned goes, you can get one installed in your house now. I think I posted a pic of one model in the "omg want" thread a while back. 

update: looks like I didn't...so here's a video of one:    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--gACt4x1kA&feature=related

[mattressjedi]

I would hang a smaller 360-ish screen above and put the stage right in the center of the arena. 

[Sugarcube]

U2 tour won't exist without some sort of flashy gimmicks* IMO. Great visuals are expected since they did it on Zoo TV, Popmart, Vertigo and 360.

As for being expensive...A few screens can't be more expensive than what they have pulled off in the past. And maybe instead of focusing at least 50% of screen time on the band footage, they could be making custom-made visuals for each song. Live, during the show, improvised visuals especially if they will really dig up the rarities, as was the trend in this decade. Obviously they won't go BIG again right after 360, just go after the newest visual treats available.

*which don't really take away from the music. And they won't do more stripped down than Elevation.

Not True, Elevation had barely any visual props and rocked way harder than either Vertigo or 360. In fact, apart from ZOOTV and Popmart all their previous tours had very little in the way of visual and gimmicks

[Tumbling Dice]

U2 tour won't exist without some sort of flashy gimmicks* IMO. Great visuals are expected since they did it on Zoo TV, Popmart, Vertigo and 360.

As for being expensive...A few screens can't be more expensive than what they have pulled off in the past. And maybe instead of focusing at least 50% of screen time on the band footage, they could be making custom-made visuals for each song. Live, during the show, improvised visuals especially if they will really dig up the rarities, as was the trend in this decade. Obviously they won't go BIG again right after 360, just go after the newest visual treats available.

*which don't really take away from the music. And they won't do more stripped down than Elevation.

Not True, Elevation had barely any visual props and rocked way harder than either Vertigo or 360. In fact, apart from ZOOTV and Popmart all their previous tours had very little in the way of visual and gimmicks

True.  Another Elevation type stage would be awesome.  If they play in-the-round then a down-sized 360 cylindrical screen would be more than enough flash.

[Sugarcube]

U2 tour won't exist without some sort of flashy gimmicks* IMO. Great visuals are expected since they did it on Zoo TV, Popmart, Vertigo and 360.

As for being expensive...A few screens can't be more expensive than what they have pulled off in the past. And maybe instead of focusing at least 50% of screen time on the band footage, they could be making custom-made visuals for each song. Live, during the show, improvised visuals especially if they will really dig up the rarities, as was the trend in this decade. Obviously they won't go BIG again right after 360, just go after the newest visual treats available.

*which don't really take away from the music. And they won't do more stripped down than Elevation.

Not True, Elevation had barely any visual props and rocked way harder than either Vertigo or 360. In fact, apart from ZOOTV and Popmart all their previous tours had very little in the way of visual and gimmicks

True.  Another Elevation type stage would be awesome.  If they play in-the-round then a down-sized 360 cylindrical screen would be more than enough flash.

True. Just play the songs - if they're good enough they'll stand up by themselves without any flash gimmicks. 360 was a double whammy - a rubbish stage set and a rubbish album which is why it became a Greatest Hits tour