The tour opened in Vancouver tonight, the band playing The Joshua Tree in full for the first time.
Arriving on stage to Sunday Bloody Sunday and closing with a brand new unreleased song - The Little Things That Give You Away - the heart of the show was the eleven songs from The Joshua Tree, thirty years after the band first toured the album.
Here’s the complete set list from the show tonight.
Two years, almost to the day, since the 'Innocence & Experience' tour opened at the Rogers Arena, the stadium next door hosted the premiere of 'The Joshua Tree 2017.' It will play to a jaw-loosening total of 1.7 million people in just 33 shows, between now and August 1.
So it was that first Larry Mullen, then The Edge, Bono and Adam Clayton, walked out to assume their initial work stations on the relatively small second stage that would host five opening selections. “Here we are again,” said Bono, “trying to find some magic in this concrete temple.” Over the following two hours, that's exactly what happened. What we witnessed was something inherently different from the 2015 spectacle, in a show of sometimes more understated tones and textures, but one that was every bit as dynamic and absorbing.
That second stage featured a perfect shadow of the giant silver Joshua Tree that grows out of the main, custom-built screen, which is the largest unobscured and highest-resolution LED screen ever used in a touring production. In creative director Willie Williams' latest vision, the 200ft x 45ft edifice sat waiting to come to life, as the B stage witnessed definitive performances of such U2 staples as 'New Year's Day' and an especially cathartic 'Pride (In The Name Of Love).' In this modest setting, the visceral and unvarnished potency of four symbiotic musicians was tangible.
Then to the main stage, which burst into living colour as if the tree had reached maturity in seconds flat. To a huge cheer, the first of longtime visual collaborator Anton Corbijn's stunningly renewed visual representations of ‘The Joshua Tree' imagery appeared in breathtaking high definition, as accompaniment to 'Where The Streets Have No Name.'
The opening tracks of the album played out, as they do on record, like a snapshot U2 greatest hits set, with 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For' and 'With Or Without You' followed by a furious 'Bullet The Blue Sky.’ A highlight of the evening came in the band's first performance of the new, horn-laden Steve Lillywhite mix of 'Red Hill Mining Town,' soon to be found on the deluxe reissue of the LP.
The Edge, inventive throughout on guitar and keyboards, excelled on 'One Tree Hill,' which was followed by an inspired discovery: an original clip from a 1958 edition of the American western series 'Trackdown,' in which a con artist claims he can save the world by building a wall. By some crazy coincidence his name is Walter Trump.
The final, 'post-Joshua' section of the concert featured a buoyant 'Beautiful Day' and an elegant 'Ultra Violet (Light My Way),' dedicated to pioneering and trailblazing women in all walks of life - ‘Herstory'. A visual roll call paid respect to everyone from Rosa Parks to Pussy Riot, and from Rosetta Tharpe to Grace Jones. The piece appears in further support of the ONE organisation’s ongoing Poverty Is Sexist campaign.
Leading into 'One,' Bono requested the audience's support in a chant all too apposite for our times, “The power of the people, so much stronger than the people in power.” 'Miss Sarajevo' had a different, but also painfully relevant, accompaniment in a specially commissioned film by the French artist J.R., filmed at the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, where some 80,000 Syrians have been forced to temporarily settle.
The final coup was the new song 'The Little Things That Give You Away,' a reflective and promising preview of the group's next studio adventure. “Sometimes the end is not coming/The end is here,” sang Bono. Sadly that was true, but this had been an elevating occasion that eloquently merged U2's past and their future.
I’ve loved U2 since the 80’s and Joshua Tree has always been my fave U2 album. Finally got to see them in 2017 in Vancouver BC at BC Place, the tour opener.
dummypaiduser01
26 March, 2020
Amazing!
What a wonderful night!
Rupstarrr
04 August, 2017
A FANtastic opening night!!
Loved the opening show in Vancouver. I've seen U2 live in three cities now (Winnipeg, Seattle and Vancouver for different tours) and I found this show absolutely amazing as I grew up listening to this album. Once I heard they would be touring and playing the Joshua Tree album, I needed to book tickets (show and airline ASAP)...couldn't miss it and i'm glad I was a part of it with my family! xo
Char79
06 June, 2017
Amazing Show
Absolutely Incredible!
Marcy
01 June, 2017
U2OPIA in the house now
You're invited to join me in my journey from my corner of the stadium here.... thanks in advance for reading if you are so inclined
http://u2opia.blogspot.com
americana_muisc_ca
30 May, 2017
30 YEARS LATER: THE JOSHUA TREE STANDS T
Released thirty years ago, The Joshua Tree sent U2’s status soaring. The band went on to become the world’s biggest rock band. It was also a time when Ronald Reagan divided America with his foreign policies and Margaret Thatcher presided over a troubled United Kingdom at a time of political unrest.
Fast forward to 2017, The Joshua Tree is still relevant as U2 embarks on a 27-city tour to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its release. Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are political soulmates and the U.K’s Theresa May is morphing into the next Iron Lady.
The spotlight was on Larry Mullen Jr. as he made his way out to the left side of the stage to the music of The Pogues’ “A Rainy Night in Soho”, clad in black jeans and a black t-shirt, walking down a ramp and catwalk to the B-stage (shaped like the Joshua Tree logo) before sitting down behind his drum kit. The heavy drumming intro to the 1983 fiery protest song “Sunday Bloody Sunday” was the cue for The Edge’s entrance, also dressed in black jeans and leather jacket, a white t-shirt and his trademark beanie. His distinctive guitar sounds was the next cue. The ohs from the stage were followed by “I Can’t believe the news today” as Bono sang to a jubilant crowd of more than 50,000 at BC Place as he made his way to the secondary stage, wearing his ever-present purple-tinted, round framed sunglasses. Bassist Adam Clayton was the last to appear and not too far behind the band’s leader. “New Year’s Day”, U2’s first international hit followed. Inspired by the various worldwide conflicts at the time, the song is still relevant today, in a time of global unrest. “So here we are again in this city we love, Vancouver,” Bono charmed after belting out the two War favourites. “We’re trying to find some magic in this concrete temple, where we feel strangely at home.” he said (the band had been rehearsing in Vancouver for more than two weeks). The show that started out so simple, with just a few lights, continued with “A Sort of Homecoming”, which hadn’t been played since 2001, “MLK” and “Pride (In The Name Of Love)”, all songs from 1984’s The Unforgettable Fire.
Five songs and twenty-three minutes later, the enormous 200ft X 45ft screen came to life. Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech scrolled from right to left across the screen, white lettering over a black background. “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal. I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and …” with the words SING, PROMISE, COMPASSION and WAKE UP in bigger fonts and spread out, slowly leading the way off the screen as it turned to a fiery read as an orphaned Joshua tree silhouette appeared on the left side. The music buildup and transitioning to “Where The Streets Have No Name” began as the famous Irishmen made their way to the main stage, where they stood side by side, their silhouettes next to the tree and part of the landscape. Stunning visuals and imagery. The loud guitar and drums filled the air as Death Valley’s Highway 190 suddenly emerged on the screen with Larry and his drum kit on the double line, Bono standing in front with The Edge to his right and Adam to his left with the road moving forward under them as the lines changed between broken and solid. The Joshua Tree played in full and in sequence was like experiencing the album in IMAX, a music show you'd never imagined or ever forget.
Bono’s voice isn’t what it used to be, but it didn’t help that U2 was playing in a terrible venue. More often than not, his voice was terrible. The instrumentation made up for this, but it was the visuals that made this show a must-see.
The performance and visuals for “Bullet The Blue Sky” was brilliant, a great political song which describes the bloody consequences of Ronald Reagan’s foreign policy decisions on South America. “Outside is America, outside is America” Bono sang angrily before grabbing a large spotlight and shining it onto The Edge before abruptly turning it onto Adam, and back to The Edge again, rotating a few more times before turning the light on himself, each move adding to the one-light video visuals.
“Red Hill Mining Town”, a song about the United Kingdom miner’s strike of 1984, had never being played live. It made its debut on this night and performed beautifully with such passion. There would be no images of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher overlooking the band, instead, it was a projection of a Salvation Army Brass Band which was beautiful and very powerful.
“Trip Through Your Wires” hadn’t been played since December 1987. Bono joked “Thirty years and I still can’t play the harmonica.” Bono’s plaintive wail on the harmonica was played to perfection.
Another rarity was “Exit”, last performed live in 1989. A video segment from 1958's American western televison series Trackdown titled The End of the World would be the intro to the song. It featured a character named Walter Trump. The crowd erupted in cheers and laughter.
Trump: The world will come to a flaming end at midnight, tonight.
Townsman: Your name is Trump?
Trump: I am the only one. Trust me. I can build a wall around your homes that nothing will penetrate.
Townsman: What do we do? How can we save ourselves?
Trump: You ask, how do you build that wall? You ask, and I’m here to tell you.
Townsman: You're a liar.
Hands clapped in sync to Larry’s hickory on hickory sound, the snake oil salesman disappearing from the screen as Bono started to sing "You know he got the cure / But then he went astray He used to stay awake / To drive the dreams he had away. He wanted to believe / In the hands of love.”
During the encore, 1991’s Achtung Baby’s “Ultra Vilolet (Light My Way)” was beautifully done, Bono dedicated the song to “great women we know”. Images of women, including Canadians Joni Mitchell and k.d. lang, flashed across the screen during the song. THE WOMEN OF THE WORLD UNITE slogan appeared on the screen and changed to POVERTY IS SEXIST prior to the band performing “One”, another song from Achtung Baby. The infomercials to the ONE and RED Campaigns, non-profits Bono co-founded, then took over, “Send a message from Canada to the USA, not the people of the USA, but the people in power,” Bono urged, adding “Power of the people is so much stronger than the people in power.” Bono continued interacting with the audience, now singing the phrase. It just didn’t have that John Lennon “Power to the people” effectiveness. Bono then dedicated the song to David Wojnarowicz, the late artist and AIDS activist who died of the disease.
“The Little Things That Give You Away” closed out the concert. This new song will be on U2’s upcoming album Songs of Experience, the long-awaited follow-up to 2014's Songs of Innocence.
So much has changed over the last thirty years, including The Joshua Tree, an iconic album that truly comes to life in 2017.
Setlist
Sunday Bloody Sunday
New Year's Day
A Sort Of Homecoming
MLK
Pride (In The Name Of Love)
Where The Streets Have No Name
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
With Or Without You
Bullet The Blue Sky
Running To Stand Still
Red Hill Mining Town
In God's Country
Trip Through Your Wires
One Tree Hill
Exit
Mothers of the Disappeared
ENCORE
Beautiful Day
Elevation
Ultra Violet (Light My Way)
One
Miss Sarajevo
The Little Things That Give You Away
casfura
26 May, 2017
Mexifo
Amazing!!! Cant wait to see you in México
akamcbride
22 May, 2017
Thanks
Thank you for mentioning how America welcomed the Irish. My parents made a wonderful life for us here. Your message of love, tolerance and acceptance is as important today as it was 30 years ago.
Peace,
K.
u2danilo
22 May, 2017
Great Vancouver
Brazil - Canada
achtungbryan
20 May, 2017
The ultra HD screen that kept giving
You really had to see this monster of a screen in person so fully grasp its beauty. (200 feet by 45 feet!) I've never seen such ultea clarity on any screen. Throw in some genius photographers/videographers and you have something that's never been seen before. Here's just a small taste from waaay back in BC Place. Boys, you've done it again. I saw this tour back in '87 in Montreal and now in glorious Vancouver. Thank you.
Flavo
16 May, 2017
so we're told this is the golden age...
sounded and looked great. extra verse in new years day was a nice touch...so we're told this is the golden age..
crowd terrible as always in van. they don't participate
hobokel
16 May, 2017
Ultraviolet - women - why not use women
I gotta say... I love u2, I go to a ton of shows. I've worked very very hard all my life, donate money and time to a lot of charities. When you have a song like Ultraviolet and praise "HER" and then put up pics like Michelle Obama, or other famous people.... to me that is too easy. Why not dedicate at least a small spot to the female fans who may not be so famous, but shed their light nonetheless.. Its too easy to know the struggles and triumphs of someone who we already know... it would mean more to the u2 community if you highlighted the people that followed you, because there are some AMAZING men and women who do. This is just a thought.
BDyer1970
16 May, 2017
Late U2 Date
It was a night to remember for years to come. It was also our kids(Elijah 8 and Aubrie 6) first concert as now they are going to see the largest band in the world. However, the kids fell asleep due to the late start so everyone could get in to see U2. We missed Mumford and Sons and the kids wanted to hear and see them too. The massive crowds and the new credit card system was a disaster, though I like the idea on stopping the scalpers reselling concert tickets. BC Place let us down by not having enough barriers, no direction for the crowds and a lack of washrooms, etc. U2 was the real deal and we enjoyed the show.
jojovan
16 May, 2017
THE JOSHUA TREE TOUR 2017 MAY12 2017 VAN
The seasoned pros sounded great adding new flavours to many songs.
Production was simple but powerful. Awesome show!
MarcWatkins
15 May, 2017
Vancouver looks awesome roll on Brussels
Guys - show looks and sounds amazing, roll on Brussels !
bamei
15 May, 2017
Amazing show, but what's wrong with Vanc
Love U2, loved the concert. There was not much else I was listening to in the mid/end 80s; had all records, VHS tapes, and even managed to play a bunch of their songs on the drums.
My problem... Vancouver audience! What's wrong with people?
Lots of people were leaving the show while the band was still on stage; not even trying to get them out for another encore. WHY!? In other countries you scream your lungs out to make the band come out for more. If you are so concerned about getting stuck with your car on the way out... maybe you should give the ticket to a real fan.
I noticed in the set list for the 2nd show in Seattle that they finishe the show with "I will follow" after playing the new song - I am sure they would have done this in Vancouver if the majority of the audience wouldn't suck!
deborah_grech
15 May, 2017
Humanitarianism at its Best
What an amazing event. While the stage show, the set-up, and the voices were all spot-on, it was the message delivered that made the greatest impact on me. The fact that these powerful white males continue to use their fame and fortune to deliver a message of equality, acceptance, feminism, and humanitarianism is outstanding. The Syria video brought me to tears. Well done.
straker
14 May, 2017
Amazing!
These guys never disappoint. U2 sets the bar high....which is a reason why people wait in line early with GA tickets. Top 500 gets you a second row stance. Best seat in the house.
JessLee
14 May, 2017
Fire & Wire
First night success! Can't wait for June 25th! I just had a little Fire and Wire for my Mother's Day treat to myself. JessLee
Drccds
14 May, 2017
A good start, but...
The show was good. They are arguably one of the greatest rock bands in history and "The Joshua Tree" is unarguably one of the greatest rock albums ever released. All they have to do is come out and play it and it is going to be a good show. And they did that, so it was a good show.
But that said, it was an extremely conservative show. The songs they did other than the JT songs were standard choices altho they did end with a new song. They did only one snippet and I must admit I didn't even notice it at the time. It was even conservative in that they rarely strayed physically from their assigned spots. They have a long walkway on each side and simply didn't use it. There were no long (or short) winded stories about the album or any of the songs. The only attempt made to get the crowd to sing along fell amazingly flat. There was no one brought on stage from the crowd. All of these things have been staples of their show for their entire career. I've seen them many times and that is the only point of view I can speak from. Hopefully things will loosen up, because those things are the reason I go to U2 shows at this point. I feel badly for all the people who saw them for the first time or may never see them again. The show was good, but U2 did not get to be U2 by being good.
Pitboy64
14 May, 2017
Bono and Edge
For all of us that were there, all we can say is ... we got the message. Even in a world of Trump, Brexit, Sudan, and inequality ... there is real hope, and we all play a role in making our world a better place. #U2TheJoshuaTree2017
jjwankenobi
14 May, 2017
40 and The Little Things That Give You A
Last night's performance was very much A Sort Of A Homecoming as I remembered watching The Joshua Tour in 1987 at BC Place. It was like visiting heaven again. Not for fans of just their "hits". Playing the album from start to finish was like a poetry reading that not everyone will appreciate.
At the end of the show I couldn't help but imagine seeing my 13 year old self wandering around the general admission floor, half-deaf and drunk on the lingering sounds of "40" from that cold and wet November day in 1987.
And my 43 year old self thought of the wide-eyed wonder and innocence that he thankfully outgrew, as the lingering sounds of "The Little Things That Give You Away" faded into that cold and dry May night in 2017.
georgeathena
13 May, 2017
It's a start
Been to many shows. This one, not the best. The venue sucks. Way too big and crappy acoustics. Need more camera on the band as one has a hard time feeling connected in such a large venue. The JT album is probably my favorite record of all time, and it means a lot to me. Playing it in complete order might not be the best for the show, as patrons lost interest at the end. Mix up this album's songs with other songs. Social messages are great and Bono does a good job with it. However, when there are so many, and it becomes work for the fans when most just want to enjoy music and the meaning that each song brings forth on an individual level. How about mixing it up a little and bring additional musicians on the stage, e.g. a keyboardist who can play the backing synth and organ tracks. The new tune at the end sounded very good, even with the poor acoustics of the stadium. I could really see excitement from Edge as he played the song. Sincerely, a die hard fan.
WendyMulligan
13 May, 2017
Brilliant! Good craic!
I was so sick with a sinus infection but only a body bag was going to keep me from attending this show! So glad I went. Mumford & Sons was a fantastic choice as an opening act. The acoustics in BC Place have never been great, so it was difficult to make out what Bono was saying when he was speaking, which was a disappointment. Other than that, the only comment I would add is that I would have liked to have seen Gloria Steinem included in the section profiling women.
Lisa_74
13 May, 2017
Loved it!
Me and my sister have loved your music for over 30 years. Everytime we see you live it brings back so many great memories. The show was so amazing last night and the visuals and sound were stunning.
roslin
13 May, 2017
Love ❤
I fell in love ❤️ with my favourite band all over again! Awesome show!
hobokel
13 May, 2017
Had a great time
I flew in from NYC to partake in the festivities with the other U2 Super fans. I had my irish flag dress on and I was ready to rock the Red Zone. I thought the first show of the tour went well. You could tell there were a couple kinks in the show, from the fiasco of the GA line to a couple line errors. Overall I was so happy to be there and it was a FANTASTIC show. here is what I want to see before you come to NJ..... First of all Exit was a bit badass... but it needs to be more badass.... Also Bullet needs to be a little more badass.. I know that as the tour progresses, you become a little more confident in the show and it will be. The encore - I just want to know who decided it was a good idea to end with a mellow song that no one has ever heard before??? Loved the song, but it leaves fans with a weird exit to the show. I'd rather that be in the middle of the show somewhere. Red Hill - I'm not sure about the salvation army band... I just thought it took away from the song a bit. I LOVE that song and was so happy to hear it. The stage - it is incredible and massive. It almost appears 3D... I loved it and I didn't love it because it is so huge that at times made you guys look like ants amongst this grand technology. I want to see you bigger than the technology. (if that makes sense). I am being overly critical here really - because I really loved the show and I cant wait to see the tweaks in Philly, NJ, Boston and then Dublin.... I'd also like less politics. People did have the power when they had the election process... I personally hate all politics and would really prefer it not to be wound up in my music.
alonsomarysol
13 May, 2017
A concert for the real fans...
Loved the concert. Made me travel back to my youth again, took me to places I used to enjoy long time ago. My soul is full of good stuff... thank you!!!! A great one!!!!
morello
13 May, 2017
Joshua Tree 2017
Please, come to ARGENTINA!!!!
Browndog
13 May, 2017
Melbourne
Please don't fresh Australia again, let's all discover this wonderful album and now this incredible concert.