TAIT customised stage for U2’s Joshua Tree tour
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After reuniting with their fans at iHeartRadio’s Music Festival and Salesforce.com’s Dreamforce conference, the Irish rockers cemented the idea to celebrate the Joshua Tree album with the Joshua Tree Tour, making it the first time the band has ever taken an entire album from their back catalogue on tour.
In a Rolling Stone interview, Bono speaks about tour, stating, "It's so not like us to throw ourselves a birthday party. We didn't know if we could pull off a tour that honours The Joshua Tree without it being nostalgic. That's an oxymoron."
In order to showcase the album to its fullest potential, the tour requires a team full of innovative U2 vets who have grown with the evolution of production expectations for stadium shows. Having worked on several of U2’s previous tours, TAIT was requested to build the stage under the creative direction of Willie Williams.
TAIT custom-built a massive, 192ft. wide, mainstage that stretches parallel to a cinematic video screen which displays high-definition scenes of sunny, desert-like landscapes to mimic the infamous Joshua Tree theme. Likewise, the enormous set mirrors the tree silhouette with a custom scenic tree top header, attached above the video screens, in addition to a 75ft. long runway which leads to the tree-shaped b-stage.
The fully loaded stage is equipped with three prop lifts; one piano lift on the mainstage and both a piano lift and drum kit lift on the b-stage which permits for audience interaction that U2 is known for at their shows. The b-stage lifts are programmed, via TAIT Navigator, to lower below stage level to enhance the sightline of the band performing on the mainstage.
(Jim Evans)
