2023-09-16

Plaza Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada

Set List of Show:

"Atomic City"
"Beautiful Day"
"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"

Additional Music

Snippets of Other Songs Performed by U2:

Show Details:

As we mentioned earlier in the week, U2 have been working on a new song that is expected to be played at the Sphere shows, and should be released soon. (We expect a September 29 release to streaming services and digital store fronts.) Last night, the new song was played live in Las Vegas, as the band filmed a video for the song. Yes, the full band, including Larry Mullen. Larry Mullen has been working with the band in the South of France and more recently at LAFX studios and Sound City Studios in Los Angeles. Steve Lillywhite has been working with the band on the song, which is titled “Atomic City”. Recording finished earlier this week, although Bono did say that the song was unfinished as they were making a “low budget video”.

Bono introduced the song, “This is the world premiere of ‘Atomic City’ a rock ‘n’ roll 45-inch tradition of late 70’s post punk if you are interested…Blondie, The Clash” and he jokes that the band will take it from everywhere.

The Edge is wearing a black leather jacket with the handwritten Achtung Baby logo on the back. Larry Mullen is wearing a Ramones T-Shirt for the shoot. Adam Clayton is wearing a grey jumpsuit with what appears to be words in black over a red background on the back.

Although Mullen is present for the video shoot, and has been working in studio, we are told he will not be performing at the shows at the Sphere, and that his recovery from surgery earlier in the year continues. Bram van den Berg will be playing at all 25 shows at the Sphere. Bono shared “This is The Edge on guitar. The Edge is a science experiment, we should see what happens. Adam Clayton. Bet his whole life on U2 and we won. The four of us recorded this song, Atomic City. Sadly, Larry Mullen will not be with us at the Sphere. He doesn’t listen to doctor’s orders, neither do many of us. But he’s here tonight and we are so, so proud of our comrade. And wanted to be with us on this occasion.” Bram will be playing the 25 shows at the Sphere while Larry continues his recovery.

U2 were seen together performing the new song together on the back of a flatbed truck, and were filmed as they moved around the Fremont Street area. This area, is the same area where they filmed “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” in 1987. The truck moved from one spot to another throughout the video shoot. While moving the song was played three times through while the band mimed the performance, before finally coming to a stop in front of the Carousel Bar at the Plaza Hotel. When the truck came to a stop a crowd of 250 hired extras rushed toward the stage as the song was played a fourth time. Although Bono’s vocals were live, the remainder of the band were not live and the instruments were pre-recorded. The new song was played a second time at a full stop. The band then played “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” and Bono spoke about recording the song in the same location. The song was played as a “country song, it’s a Saturday night Sunday morning kind of deal anyway, it’s a confession about not going to confession.” The song was played in front of the extras. U2 then played “Atomic City” three additional times, the second time asking for more energy from the crowd of extras. The band also rehearsed “Beautiful Day” earlier in the night but it was not performed in front of the crowd of extras, but we include it here as it was a public rehearsal witnessed by many. (“Atomic City” was also played while the band were filmed performing on moving dollies.)

The performances while filming the video, are the first time the band have performed together publicly since December 2019 when they finished The Joshua Tree 2019 tour in India.

Officially Released Tracks