NEWS - U2 BAND RECORD : 736 MILLION DOLLARS TOUR REVENUE

U2 band record: 736 million dollars tour revenue

Posted by Bruce Foster on July 31, 2011

The U2 band U2 has finished the series of concerts “360 Tour” on Saturday night in Moncton, Canada, with total revenue record of $736,137,344.
In their two-year tour, the members of U2 sang for a total of 7.26 million people and broke the revenue record previously established by the Rolling Stones band that generated revenues of 558 million dollars in a tour, according to Billboard.com.
Concert Series “360 Tour” began in Barcelona on June 30, 2009, its success is due to the concept of 360 degree production,  which may increase by up to 25% the stadium capacity.
However, news of the success the band will not be well received by those who have brought public attention on the issue of tax paid by U2. Earlier this month, U2 guitarist The Edge, has vehemently denied allegations that the band or its members would make a tax evasion. Many of these accusations were released after the news broke out that the most of the band’s  business is operated in the Netherlands.
The Art Uncut militant organization wanted to point the finger to Bono and his band colleagues, for their tax “maneuvers” and flew above the spectators at the Glastonbury Festival huge white balloon with the message “U Pay Tax 2?” The Art Uncut Organization claims that Bono, a prominent campaigner against poverty would have to pay all taxes in his native country, especially in this period of recession.
Others argue, however, that the Irish band has the right to pay taxes in any country they want and that Bono participate more than any other star in campaigns against poverty and global diseases.
Irish band U2 ranks first in the Forbes highest grossing artists of the last 12 months. Group U2, who came first in the 2010 top, gained 195 million dollars in the last 12 months, thanks to the great success enjoyed by the concert series “360 Tour”. Irish band tour was promoting the 12th studio album of U2, “No Line On The Horizon”, released on March 2, 2009.
U2 band, made up of Bono (vocals and guitar), The Edge (guitar, keyboards and vocals), Adam Clayton (bass) and Larry Mullen Jr. (drums and percussion), was founded in 1976, when its members were still adolescents without a thorough knowledge of music. But around the mid ’80s, the band gained international notoriety, most notably for its intense and deep sound, passionate voice of the Bono interpretation and The Edge’s guitar. The success enjoyed as a live band was even higher than that obtained from the albums sold, until 1987′s “The Joshua Tree”, when the band was raised to the status of “heroes to superstars”, as Rolling Stone magazine said.

NEWS - BUSES HEADING TO U2 WITH OR WITHOUT YOU

Buses heading to U2 with or without you

By BILL SPURR Features Writer
Sat, Jul 30 - 4:55 AM
 


Kevin Myers moved to Bedford from Prince Edward Island a month ago and hopefully his new neighbours are U2 fans like he is.
"My favourite U2 song of all time is Angel of Harlem," he says. "There’s something about it, it’s got grassroots like that Harlem gospel choir kind of feel, so every time I hear that song I gotta turn it up to 12. I have quite a few of (their albums), and the MP3 collection is pretty big.
"I used to play in a band that actually covered some U2 songs, and I’ve been a U2 fan since I was 17 or 18, and now I’m 19," jokes Myers, who’s actually closer to 39 than 19.
"We got just general admission tickets, but that’s a good opportunity to get into the crowd and crowd-surf and get to meet the real true fans that don’t have the big bucks to sit in the VIP seats. That’s how I like to see a concert."
Myers and his partner have seats on one of the 500 buses taking fans to the Magnetic Hill concert site for tonight’s U2 (with Arcade Fire) show in Moncton. Safety and socializing were equally important reasons for them to travel by bus.
"For convenience, and so we can have a few drinks and get back, so No. 1 is for safety and No. 2 is for the social aspect," he said. "You sit in a bus for 2½, three hours, you’re going to meet a lot of U2 fans and have a lot of interaction with people that share similar interests."
Steve MacLeod’s most vivid memory of the Eagles concert in Moncton in 2008 is the eight-kilometre walk from the concert site back to his car. MacLeod parked as close to the venue as he could, then hoofed it. That was for a show that attracted 40,000 people, so he fervently hopes that if U2 draws 100,000 tonight — a number that’s being tossed around — he doesn’t have to walk more than twice as far.
That won’t be an issue for people on the buses, which have their own designated parking spots at the venue.
Halifax charter bus company Ambassatours will have 15 motor coaches on the road today, carrying everyone from people who won the trip on Q104 to more than a hundred security guards being brought in to work the event.
"Once the hotels sell out in Moncton, the buses become extremely attractive," said Sean Buckland of Ambassatours. "It’s great business for us; to have the wheels turning on 15 buses is fantastic."
Elayne Pink of Absolute Travel has put together packages at up to $399 for VIP concert seating for six busloads of U2 fans, far more than for any previous show. "We could have sold more (but) we ran out of bus parking, so that was what stopped us. AC/DC (in 2009) did two buses, and the Stones (in 2005) did about two, so it’s quite a bit bigger."
Duane and Karen Chapman of Prospect will be attending their first outdoor concert tonight "cuz it’s U2," Karen said. "They were big when we were in high school."
The Chapmans already had tickets when they won another pair on the radio, as well as a bus ride, so they sold the first pair. Now with general admission tickets in hand, they’re hoping for fine weather.
Pam Long of Windsor Junction shelled out for more expensive tickets, which come with chairs, better bathrooms and a clear view of the headliners.
"We’re pretty psyched, (but) we’re not teenyboppers so I wanted to have a seat that I could sit in," she said.
"My husband and I talked once about going to Ireland to see them — maybe we had too much wine. Then we heard that they were coming here, and I always wanted to see them.
"Not being an outdoor concert person personally, this is a step for me, but I’m going to suck it up and do it. I have a rain cape, we’ll put some bug stuff on us and it’s going to be just great, I don’t care what I have to do.
"We sit home and listen to their music, have a glass of wine and I sing their songs. My daughters are really happy they’re not coming with us so they won’t be embarrassed."
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i added this story, because it was a bus trip to the Omni center in atlanta GA, that would change my life forever.
my best freinds brother Al, was a huge Hard-core U2 fan...and they had a tour date for the Joshua Tree album set in Atlanta...
He wanted to go WIth someone, and asked me if id go with him.
i HATED the band...i mean, HATED them, all except for that one song.."with or without you" , because the video intrigued me.
and I didnt want to go with him alone, i dodnt like him that much as it was...so i convinced him to go halfsies on another ticket for my best friend, his sister Sandy.
we paid 60 bucks a piece for the tickets.
had a round trip bus trip to and from.
and reserved seats. they were waaaaay far away, but being there, changed my entire view of the band...forever.
i cant even remember the set list, to be honest. i didnt own the cassette yet. so i ddnt listen to the band at all.

i was there for that one song...
but i dont even remember that as much as i remember when he pulled 2 girls up on the stage that had created (from a sheet) an AMNISTY INTERNATIONAL banner...
i can remember he stopped the band, let them up, paraded them around, and talked about what amnisty international was...
that was all the magic...
he stopped the band again, looked right down at his feet, asked someone if they could play the gitar.
an exchange of conversation happened, where we could only here Bono speaking.
looks down says: "can you play the guitar?"
person (ill guess they said something to the effect of: "yes"
some more chatter
Bono : "if you can play then you can come up here and play The Edges guitar for this next song."

the next moment was pure magic too me.

they ge tthe guy on the stage, The Edge takes a guitar OFF his shoulder, hands it to the guy, and the guy plays WITH THEM!
i cant remember if we could hear him or not, i dont even remember the song he did it on..

but THAT moment was what i took away with me.
well, 2 moments.
1 was about the effort to give people freedom.
the other was how well they loved the audience and  came to them and shared themselves on our level. they didnt seem too good to not be accessible.

 20 years later, at the newest almbums release (No Line On The Horizon), and my next opportunity to share in the magic again, they STILL pull individuals up on the stage and share moments with them.
and the humanitarianism STILL continues as well.

whats not to love about a band that does that?

MICHELLE
ill forever love this band...