Live Design: After three years on the road and 112 live shows to over 6.8 million fans, U2’s record-breaking $700 million grossing 360° tour ended this past summer, leaving its iconic stage, nicknamed The Claw and built by Stagco, up for sale. Until then, Stageco welcomes the systems back to its US and Belgium headquarters. Stageco was involved from the earliest stages of the Claw’s planning and conception, working closely with U2, show director Willie Williams, set designer Mark Fisher, and production manager Jake Berry to determine how it would be engineered, and logistically, how such a large structure could be transported the 70,000 miles the tour encompassed.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
What Will Happen To The U2 360 Claw?
Live Design: After three years on the road and 112 live shows to over 6.8 million fans, U2’s record-breaking $700 million grossing 360° tour ended this past summer, leaving its iconic stage, nicknamed The Claw and built by Stagco, up for sale. Until then, Stageco welcomes the systems back to its US and Belgium headquarters. Stageco was involved from the earliest stages of the Claw’s planning and conception, working closely with U2, show director Willie Williams, set designer Mark Fisher, and production manager Jake Berry to determine how it would be engineered, and logistically, how such a large structure could be transported the 70,000 miles the tour encompassed.
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The engineering on this is amazing. Looking at it and how much weight it is on it and how thin the legs are and how tall it is makes me the think that the L/D may be above 50. When I think about what wind would do to this thing. Well . . . I am glad that they had no incidents with it like they had in Indiana. It looks like it has little lateral bracing. If I built this in small scale it would not be very stable. I am curious how they braced it behind the coverings. Or how they fastened it to the ground. I definitely think it could use some lateral cross bracing but that would totally ruin the sign lines. Another note- This article was 98% how awesome this thing is and 2% what do we do with it now. I really want to know what becomes of the CLAW!!
I never got to go see the show when it was in tour but I wish I did. When the Claw came to Pittsburgh I know a few people that worked on the show and they sad that it was amazing the amount of things that went into the show. And now that the 3 claws are for sale I don't know what person would buy them. I bet whoever buys them will definitely change them in some way so people won’t think of U2 as soon as they see the set. I wonder what the price tag on that type of rig is. I wonder if the claw is owned by the people that built it or by the production company that did the show. If it was a rental I am sure that they cleared the cost easy.
This is another amazing feat of engineering from the entertainment industry. This is a very good example of the reason why concerts are so very expensive and such a great reason that concerts are such an experience. The amount of impressive shows on the road now is amazing and it is awesome to watch.
I somehow can't imagine that the sale of the giant U2 claw whose image is so intertwined with the band and its tour will be very successful for Stageco.
Whoops. Got cut off. I was about to go on to say, that despite the seemingly monstrous task of storing these pieces in the meantime (because that seems like that's what the article is implying is going to happen? they certainly have to be deconstructed and sit somewhere until they're needed again) this was an enormously impressive design and display from the TD team. I can imagine this being one of those cases where the designer's idea makes all the TDs facepalm. It seems impossible! I would really like to have seen included in the "key facts" a little bit more about the actual construction of this giant, that would be the more useful information.
This article makes it sound like it's going to be about disposal of the show, but it sounds like that aren't really sure what is going to happen to it. While they may well reuse most of the technology, the steel seems very specific and unlikely to be used whole. It seems pretty likely that the steel ends up getting recycled, which is still not an insignificant thing.
SO the 360 tour finally comes to an end after making the front page of several magazines in our industry for months. It was truly a feat of engineering and I would love to see the logistics of a load in for a concert that took 5 days which is so atypical for something that is usually a day. No wonder there are three of these monoliths for a 5 day load in and 2 day out that is a 7 day foot print so the band would stay in a city for two or three days even at a minimum due to the load in requirements. I wish I was able to see this show. My friend saw it and said it was one of the best shoes he's ever seen.
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