Apple Music’s Zane Lowe takes Bono and The Edge to the construction site that is the 20,000 capacity MSG Sphere at The Venetian hotel on The Strip in Las Vegas and, look, not a hi vis jacket or hard hat in sight!
U2 open the venue, which is clad in 580,000 square feet of fully programmable 2K LED screens with a massive 16k x 16k screen enveloping the interior, on 29 September. It will be the first night of a multi-date residency.
“Where U2 really thrives is in this place of pure experimentation and discovery, and where we can do something that we’ve never done before—and in this case, where we can do something that no one else has ever done before. I still think that touring is fascinating in its own way and we will definitely still be touring, probably on whatever our next album is, but I think what we’re seeing [with the Sphere show] is the dawn of a new creative genre and a new creative platform.”
The Edge
This new, immersive venue has haptic seats, allowing gig-goers to “feel” as well as see and hear the show. Environmental effect – targeted gusts of wind as cars race by or scents that match the narrative of a song – will further heighten the experience. 1,800 beamforming Holoplot speaker cabinets located behind the screen, intended to simulate wearing headphones, produce a sound that is richer and even more encompassing than that.
“Concert audio is, generally speaking, a huge compromise, because most venues are designed primarily for sports and so the sonic characteristic of the building is very much an afterthought. With the Sphere, the audio quality and precision and resolution and fidelity is designed in from the beginning.”
The Edge
Rehearsals for the show start in August.
Source: Wired