I can’t imagine any other band that could pull off such a spectacle. There was a giant “claw” planted in the middle of the stadium, glowing, flashing, and billowing smoke at various points during the evening; there were massive screens broadcasting footage of Mark Kelly from the International Space Station; plus remote controlled bridges that glided above the audience while the singer and guitarist performed atop them. By all rights, critics ought to have been able to write Spinal Tap across the top and be done with it. But I’m talking about U2 here, who were doing “big” arena-type shows even back in the days when they were performing to 50 people in smoke-filled Dublin dives. As far as I can tell, they’re incapable of phoning in a performance, which is what makes this outsized 360 Degree tour work. You could say that the exterior trappings have simply caught up with the monster-sized ambitions that were always there. Thirty-five years into their career, U2 occupy a unique position. The same four musicians who played on their first album Boy are the musicians treading the boards now, and this gives their work a focus and consistency lacking from most other rock

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