The
Joshua Tree Tour was a concert tour by the
IrishIreland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain...
rockRock music is a genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the 1960s. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, rhythm and blues, country music and also drew on folk music, jazz and classical music....
band
U2U2 are a rock band that formed in Dublin, Ireland. The band consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr...
, which took place during 1987, in support of their album
The Joshua TreeThe Joshua Tree is the fifth studio album by Irish rock band U2, released 9 March 1987 on Island Records. Recording took place from July to November 1986 at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin. The album features the band's exploration of roots rock, with their music exhibiting influences from...
.
This concert tour's opening night was on April 2 at the
Arizona State University Activity CenterWells Fargo Arena is a 14,198-seat multi-purpose arena at 634 E Veterans Way in Tempe, Arizona, USA, a suburb of Phoenix, Arizona. The arena opened in 1974 as the Arizona State University Activity Center at a cost of $8 million. It was renamed after Wells Fargo & Co. in 1997. It is home to the...
in
Tempe, ArizonaTempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with a 2007 population of 174,091. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale on the north,...
in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The first leg took place in American indoor
arenaAn arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
s in the spring, the second leg in
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
an arenas and outdoor
stadiumA modern stadium is a place, or venue, for outdoor sports, concerts or other events, consisting of a field or stage partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.-History of the stadium:The word originates from the Greek word...
s during the summer, and the third leg back in American and
CanadianCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
arenas and stadiums in the autumn.
The
Joshua Tree Tour was a concert tour by the
IrishIreland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain...
rockRock music is a genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the 1960s. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, rhythm and blues, country music and also drew on folk music, jazz and classical music....
band
U2U2 are a rock band that formed in Dublin, Ireland. The band consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr...
, which took place during 1987, in support of their album
The Joshua TreeThe Joshua Tree is the fifth studio album by Irish rock band U2, released 9 March 1987 on Island Records. Recording took place from July to November 1986 at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin. The album features the band's exploration of roots rock, with their music exhibiting influences from...
.
Itinerary
This concert tour's opening night was on April 2 at the
Arizona State University Activity CenterWells Fargo Arena is a 14,198-seat multi-purpose arena at 634 E Veterans Way in Tempe, Arizona, USA, a suburb of Phoenix, Arizona. The arena opened in 1974 as the Arizona State University Activity Center at a cost of $8 million. It was renamed after Wells Fargo & Co. in 1997. It is home to the...
in
Tempe, ArizonaTempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with a 2007 population of 174,091. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale on the north,...
in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The first leg took place in American indoor
arenaAn arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
s in the spring, the second leg in
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus Mountains , and the Black Sea to the southeast...
an arenas and outdoor
stadiumA modern stadium is a place, or venue, for outdoor sports, concerts or other events, consisting of a field or stage partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.-History of the stadium:The word originates from the Greek word...
s during the summer, and the third leg back in American and
CanadianCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
arenas and stadiums in the autumn. The tour ended on December 20 back where it started in Tempe, Arizona, but this time at
Sun Devil StadiumSun Devil Stadium, Frank Kush Field is an outdoor football stadium located on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. It is home to the Arizona State Sun Devils of the Pacific-10 Conference. It has previously been the home of the NFL's Arizona Cardinals from 1988 to 2005, and was...
.
The Joshua Tree Tour sold out stadiums around the world, the first time the band had consistently played venues of that size.
The Joshua Tree and its singles had become huge hits and the band was at an apex of their popularity. Tickets for shows were often very hard to get, especially on the first American leg when they only played in arenas.
That first leg was also organized around multiple-night stands in centres of U2 fandom along the two U.S. coasts, with only a very few dates in the middle of the country. These multiple-night stands also featured an unusual
set listA set list, or setlist, is a document that lists the songs that a band or musical artist intends to play during a specific concert performance...
twist. All but the last night would begin in conventional concert fashion with the rousing pair of "
Where the Streets Have No Name"Where the Streets Have No Name" is a song by Irish rock band U2 and the opening track from their 1987 album The Joshua Tree. It was released as the album's third single in August 1987 . Bono was inspired to write the lyrics by the notion that it is possible to identify a person's religion and...
" into "
I Will Follow"I Will Follow" is the opening track from U2's debut album, Boy. The song was released as the album's second single in October 1980. Along with many songs in the band's early catalogue, such as "Silver Lining" and "Tomorrow", Bono wrote the lyrics to "I Will Follow" in tribute to his mother who...
", but the last night in each city would begin with the house lights fully up and the band performing the early 1960s classic "
Stand By Me"Stand by Me" is the title of a song originally performed by Ben E. King and written by Ben E. King, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.-Song information:...
", with
The EdgeDavid Howell Evans , more widely known by his nickname and stage name The Edge , is an Irish musician known best as the guitarist, keyboardist, and main backing vocalist for the Irish rock band U2...
singing one verse, all intended as a friendly, informal opening. The house lights would then stay up for "
Pride (In the Name of Love)"Pride " is the second track from U2's 1984 album, The Unforgettable Fire, and was released as the album's lead single in September 1984. Written about Martin Luther King, Jr., "Pride" is one of the band's most recognized songs, and appeared as the opening track on the compilation The Best of...
", only going off at the end of it; the rest of the set list would be consequently scrambled from the norm.
Cover performances
At Wembley Stadium in
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
, Bono sang a haunting version of The Beatles' "
Help!"Help!" is a song by The Beatles that served as the title song for both the 1965 film and its soundtrack album. It was also released as a single, and was number one for three weeks in both the US and UK. "Help!" was written primarily by John Lennon, but credited to Lennon/McCartney...
", dedicating it to those in the audience who were dreading another five years of the recently re-elected
Prime MinisterThe Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the political leader of the United Kingdom and the Head of Her Majesty's Government...
,
Margaret ThatcherMargaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher LG, OM, PC, FRS served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She is the only woman to have held either post....
. As another sign of the group's confidence, they also covered The Beatles' heretofore untouchable "Helter Skelter", declaring "This is a song
Charles MansonCharles Milles Manson is an American criminal who led what became known as the Manson Family, a quasi -commune that arose in California in the late 1960s. He was convicted of conspiracy to commit the Tate/LaBianca murders, carried out by members of the group at his instruction...
stole from the Beatles; we're stealin' it back." Other notable covers from the tour included Eddie Cochran's "
C'mon Everybody"C'mon Everybody" is a 1958 song by Eddie Cochran and Jerry Capehart, originally released as single b-side. Thirty years later, in 1988, the track was re-issued in the UK , and became a #14 hit in the singles chart...
", Peggy Seeger's "The Ballad of Springhill", Neil Young's "
Southern Man"Southern Man" is a song by Neil Young from his album After the Gold Rush. The album was released in 1970.The lyrics of "Southern Man" are vivid, describing the racism towards blacks in the American South. In the song, Young tells the story of a Southern man and how he mistreated his slaves...
", Curtis Mayfield's "
People Get ReadyPeople Get Ready may refer to:*"People Get Ready" , a song by The Impressions which has been performed later by many other artists* People Get Ready * People Get Ready...
" (during which Bono would invite a fan to play guitar on the song) and numerous
Bob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet and painter who has been a major figure in popular music for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was, at first, an informal chronicler and then an apparently reluctant figurehead of social unrest...
covers including "
Maggie's Farm"Maggie's Farm" is a song written by Bob Dylan, recorded on January 15, 1965, and released on the album Bringing It All Back Home on March 22 of that year...
" and "
I Shall Be Released"I Shall Be Released" is a 1967 song written by Bob Dylan.The Band played it on their debut album, Music from Big Pink , with Richard Manuel singing lead vocals, and Rick Danko and Levon Helm harmonizing in the chorus...
".
Filming for Rattle and Hum documentary
The band began to film and record various shows from the tour for the documentary and album
Rattle and HumRattle and Hum is the name of both an album and a companion motion picture recorded by Irish rock band U2. Both were released in 1988.The album, which was made following the band's 1987 Joshua Tree Tour, is a mix of live recordings, covers, and new songs...
. Live footage from November concerts at McNichols Arena in
Denver, ColoradoThe City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the state of Colorado, in the United States. Denver is a consolidated city-county located in the South Platte River Valley on the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
and at Sun Devil Stadium featured prominently in the film. The McNichols footage, shot in black-and-white, included performances from U2's back catalogue while colour material from Sun Devil mostly comprised (then) current material. Two shows were filmed in Tempe. Tickets were discounted to $5 a piece in consideration of the fact that the heavy filming equipment would obstruct views for many audience members; the discount also helped to ensure a full house for the cameras.
As with all U2 tours from 1983 on, the stage and lighting design was done by
Willie WilliamsWillie Williams is a video director, stage and lighting designer for concerts, theatre, & multimedia projects. He is best known for his groundbreaking work with the rock band U2, and is recognized as one of the leading artists in this field...
.
Support acts
A number of
opening actThe term opening act usually refers to any entertainer who performs at a concert before the featured entertainer...
s were used for the tour.
Lone JusticeLone Justice was an American country rock band formed in 1982 by guitarist Ryan Hedgecock and singer Maria McKee.-Early era:They began their career as one of the more promising bands of the L.A. cowpunk scene of the 1980s. Lone Justice was inspired by Hedgecock and McKee's mutual affection for...
was still given emphasis in this role, as they had been on the
Unforgettable Fire TourThe Unforgettable Fire Tour was a concert tour by Irish rock band U2, which took place in 1984 and 1985 in support of group's album The Unforgettable Fire.-Itinerary:...
, but it was not enough to give them a successful career. Other openers included
The PretendersThe Pretenders are a British rock band. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers...
,
Big Audio DynamiteBig Audio Dynamite were a British musical group formed in 1984 by the ex-guitarist and singer of The Clash, Mick Jones. The group were noted for their effective mixture of varied musical styles, incorporating elements of punk rock, dance music, hip hop, reggae, and funk...
,
UB40UB40 are a British reggae fusion band formed in 1978 in Birmingham, UK. The band has placed more than 50 singles on the UK charts, and has also achieved considerable international success...
, Little Steven,
The BoDeansThe BoDeans are a rock and roll and roots rock band formed in Waukesha, Wisconsin in 1983 by Kurt Neumann and Sam Llanas . In 1985, after adding a drummer and a bassist, the band signed a contract with Slash/Warner Records and recorded their first album...
, Mason Ruffner,
World PartyWorld Party is a British pop / alternative rock band, which is essentially the solo project of its sole member, Karl Wallinger. The band was started in 1985 after Wallinger left The Waterboys.-Formation:...
,
Spear of DestinySpear of Destiny are a British rock band, established in 1983 by singer and songwriter Kirk Brandon and bassist Stan Stammers...
,
The WaterboysThe Waterboys are a band formed in 1983 by Mike Scott. The band's membership, past and present, has been composed mainly of musicians from Scotland, Ireland and England. London, Dublin, Spiddal, New York and Findhorn have all served as homes for the group. The band has played in a number of...
,
Los LobosLos Lobos are an American Chicano rock band. They are 3-time Grammy Award winners. Their music is influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country music, folk, R&B, blues and traditional Spanish and Mexican music such as boleros and norteños....
,
Buckwheat ZydecoBuckwheat Zydeco is an American accordionist and zydeco performer. He is one of the few to achieve mainstream success....
,
The PoguesThe Pogues are a band of mixed Irish and English background, playing traditional Irish music with influences from punk rock and jazz, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. They reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s, until MacGowan left the band in 1991 due to...
,
The AlarmThe Alarm are an alternative rock band that emerged from North Wales in the late 1970s. They started as a Mod band and stayed together for over ten years. Unusually for a rock band, they displayed marked influences from Welsh language and culture...
,
The SilencersThe Silencers is the title of a 1962 spy novel by Donald Hamilton, the fourth in a series of books featuring assassin Matt Helm.-Plot summary:...
, and
Lou ReedLewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician best known as the guitarist, vocalist and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground as well as a successful solo artist whose career has spanned several decades. The Velvet Underground gained little mainstream attention during their career,...
.
Injuries
BonoPaul David Hewson, KBE , most commonly known by his stage name Bono, is an Irish singer and musician, best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his future wife,...
sustained injuries twice on the tour. At a rehearsal at the start of the first leg in
ArizonaThe State of Arizona is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. The capital and largest city is Phoenix. The second largest city is Tucson, followed in size by the four Phoenix metropolitan area cities of Mesa, Glendale, Chandler, and Scottsdale.Arizona was the 48th and...
, he fell backwards off the stage while holding a spotlight, which struck him in the chin. He went to the hospital and had stitches put in, and to this day has a small scar on his chin from the incident. During a concert on the third leg at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C., Bono slipped off the stage (which was slippery from rain) and dislocated his arm. He finished the show, but had it popped back in afterwards, and spent a couple of months with his arm in a sling (as evidenced in the
Rattle and Hum scenes in the
HarlemHarlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, long known as a major African-American residential, cultural, and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands.Harlem has been defined by a series...
church). By the time of the filming of the rest of the
Rattle and Hum movie in Denver and
Tempe-Places:* Vale of Tempe, Greece* Tempe, Arizona, United States* Tempe, New South Wales, a suburb in Sydney, Australia* Lake Tempe, Indonesia* Tempe, Bloemfontein, South Africa, home of the 44 Parachute Regiment...
his arm was out of the sling and he was playing guitar.
External links