Irish rockers U2 have added more nostalgic-futurism to their musical canon, releasing a video version of "The Fly" from their Sphere residency in Las Vegas. In addition, the band has an EDM-tinged remix of "Atomic City" now available on streaming services.
U2 - The Fly (U2:UV Achtung Baby, Live At Sphere / U2.com Edit)
"The Fly" was a persona that Bono adapted from Achtung Baby over to their Zoo TV Tour in 1992 and 1993, based on an oversized pair of black sunglasses that he wore to lighten the mood in the studio and then evolved into a leather-clad egomaniac meant to parody rock stardom.
Bono playing his onstage character "The Fly" during U2's show in Cleveland, Ohio on March 26, 1992 on their Zoo TV Tour
For the video, it's a heady mix of drone-in-the-air footage, as a barrage of multi-colored characters flashes and creates the illusion of a cube-shaped space, combined with swirling visuals and dozens of Zoo TV phrases such as "Home Sweet Hell" and "It's Your World, You Can Charge It" flashing on the 160,000-square-foot LED interior screen for the approximately 20,000 concertgoers.
Before the residency started in October, the band (including Larry Mullen, Jr., who for the duration of the Sphere residency is recuperating from back surgery), performed on the Strip for the filming of "Atomic City." This was the same area through which the group walked the night streets for 1987's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For." This time around, amidst the neon lights and thousands of onlookers and mobile phones recording, Bono & Co. rolled in on top of a flatbed and proceeded to thump out a Clash-style number, with elements of Giorgio Moroder and Blondie knotted tightly in for effect. The remix, courtesy of producer-rapper Mike WiLL Made-It hinges more on trap beats and electronic dance patterns, as Bono's vocals move powerfully center to the song.
U2 filming their "Atomic City" video on the Las Vegas Strip, October 2023.
U2 will be moving the show into 2024, with select dates in January, February and March. The first 17 shows have grossed approximately USD$110M and seen by nearly 282,000 attendees. With temporary drummer Bram van den Berg at the helm, U2 still has a few visual stunners left to unveil for the remainder of their residency.
While there has been rampant speculation as to the next round of gatekeepers, news has leaked that Phish will start their four-day Sphere residency from April 18-21, 2024 and tickets appear to be on sale right now.
