War Tour

The War tour saw U2 previewing the album for audiences in the months leading up to the release. They play a number of shows around Europe previewing a handful of songs from the new album. The tour then returns after the album is released for further shows around the UK and France, before embarking on a long tour of North America. U2 returns to Europe for the summer of 1983, and play a handful of festivals that some in Europe. The tour wraps up at the end of 1983 with stops in Hawaii and Japan. A final leg is planned for early 1984 in Australia, New Zealand and India, but the band decides not to proceed, and to go into studio to record a new album instead.

War Preview Tour [Europe]

War was released in early 1983, but U2 didn't wait until the album was out to take the songs for a spin. Starting on December 1, 1982, and running until December 24, 1982, the band play 20 shows and took just four nights off. The tour took them through Scotland, England, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, The Netherlands and Belgium, before returning to Ireland with a series of shows around the Republic and one show in Northern Ireland. And they even made a stop for an appearance on Swedish TV.

New songs "Surrender," "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "New Year's Day" all appeared in the first show. Bono expresses concern about "Sunday Bloody Sunday" during the tour, expressing he expects it won't get radio play, and telling an audience in Northern Ireland the band won't play it again if they don't enjoy it.

The tour wraps up at home with three shows at Saint Francis Xavier hall, the venue where U2 would eventually shoot the video for "Pride (In the Name of Love)." These shows were originally scheduled for Dublin's TV Club, but the popularity of the ticket caused a move to a bigger venue, announced by posters at the door when people arrived at the other venue.

Opening acts included The Alarm, The Set, Zerra 1, Blue in Heaven and Big Thorp.

War: Leg One [Europe]

The first official leg of the War tour, after the preview shows, saw the band travel mostly through England and Scotland, with a single stop in Paris at the end of the tour. Most of the songs from War made their live debut at the opening show in Dundee, Scotland. It is also the last time that "Like a Song" was played.

Support acts on this tour are The Nightcaps, Big Country, The Perfect Crime and The Alarm, with The Gun Club opening in France.

The band also makes an appearance on Top of the Pops during this tour.

War: Leg Two [North America]

War: Leg Three [Summer Festivals Europe]

U2 make a brief appearance in Europe again in the summer, playing a handful of festivals there including stops in Belgium, Germany, Ireland, and Norway. During an appearance at St. Goarhausen in Germany, most of the music for the live album Under a Blood Red Sky is recorded, although that album did use some tracks from other nights as well.

War: Leg Four [Hawaii and Japan]

After a couple of months off the road, U2 manage to get the tour to Hawaii and then onto Japan. They do one show in Hawaii and six in Japan, as well as some television appearances.

Original plans called for the band to return to the road in early 1984, including some festival appearances in Australia with a planned stop at the Narara festival, but they later choose to return to the studio instead. The tour wraps up in Japan. The time in Japan has an impact on the next album, and Hawaii plays in as well, as "Pride" was developed during sound checks there. The band is serious about getting to Australia though, and their next live performances will be there as part of the Under Australian Skies tour which starts in August 1984.

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