“After all these years, I get to see a U2 show,” brags U2’s guitarist David Evans, a.k.a. the Edge, in the 30-second teaser trailer for the upcoming concert film, V-U2: An Immersive Concert Film at Sphere Las Vegas. Apparently he, like a lot of the band’s fans, missed out on seeing the Irishmen perform at the Sin City orb. Soon, beginning Sept. 5, he and anyone else who missed or wants to relive the group’s residency will be able to watch the picture, which he and his wife, Morleigh Steinberg, directed, inside the Sphere.
The film was shot using the Big Sky camera system, which Sphere Entertainment developed. This footage will be projected onto the Sphere’s 160,000 square-foot display “plane,” an LED screen that provides 16k x 16k resolution. The venue will also provide high-def audio and “haptic” seats, which will vibrate to the rumbles of “Even Better Than the Real Thing” and the rest of the Achtung Baby! album, which they performed at their U2:UV engagement.
“The goal was to give the immersive moviegoers as close to the live U2:UV concert experience as possible — and then some,” the Edge said in a statement. “I’ve never seen a U2 show. I’m so relieved I caught a great one.”
“We knew all the tremendous capabilities of the technology, but we didn’t know what to expect from the process of making this film,” Steinberg, who previously directed U2’s “Staring at the Sun” video, said. “The work became a true collaboration between band, artists, producers, and technology teams. The end result is a cinematic experience that transports viewers into the energy and beauty of the live show.”
Tickets to the film begin at $100. Subscribers to U2.com and the Sphere’s “Inner Circle” members will get first dibs on tickets starting Thursday. The public will be able to buy what’s left at 10 a.m. PT on Friday.
After U2’s first performance at the Sphere, Rolling Stone published a rave review of the engagement. “Whatever happens going forward, it’s hard to imagine a better proof of concept for Sphere than this U2 show,” the review said. “It’s almost painful to imagine going back to a dumpy sports arena for a show after experiencing something like this.”
