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The world's biggest band has stage to match

Staff photo by MICHAEL SPOONEYBARGER

U2 and its giant 'The Claw' stage are set up at Raymond James Stadium for Friday's show.

By CURTIS ROSS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 8, 2009

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Its designer calls it "the claw." U2 calls it "the space station."

Whatever it's called, the enormous structure that serves as the Irish band's stage on its current tour is a sight to behold.

Four jagged, arcing legs span half a football field. A spindle at the center towers at 165 feet, capped by a disco ball. The sound system and video screen are touted as the highest of high-tech.

"It's the biggest concert production ever to tour the world," said tour director Craig Evans, a veteran of U2 tours dating back to the enormous and problem-laden "PopMart" in 1997.

Dubbed the "360 Degree Tour," the show aims to give fans an up-close and intimate experience regardless of where they're seated, Evans said at a Thursday press conference at Raymond James Stadium, where U2 will perform Friday night.

And now a few more people can see the show. On Thursday, after reviewing the stage set up, organizers said a few hundred tickets have become available, You can scoop them up at LiveNation.com or by calling (877) 598-8698.

A big part of that is the hi-def, 500,000 pixel video screen, which Evans said will give concert-goers "an almost 3-D image" of the band. Images will be provided by 13 manned cameras embedded in the claw's legs.

The stage takes three-and-a-half days to set up and a day-and-a-half to tear down, Evans said. But, he added, the claw is not the show.

"It's so big, it disappears," he said, explaining that fans' focus will be draw to the stage and the video screen, causing the claw to fade into the background.

U2 fans will find out tomorrow night at Raymond James Stadium.

Curtis Ross can be reaches at (813) 259-7568.