U2 “360 Degrees” Concert Review

With the energy and passion only U2 can deliver to a show, the 360 Degrees tour was every bit the spectacle it was hyped to be when it arrived Friday night in front of a crowd of more than 72,000 raucous fans at a packed Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.

Led by frontman Bono, the iconic Irish rock quartet displayed the musical genius that has made them a global phenomenon over the past three decades. Guitarist David “Edge” Howell Evans and Bassist Adam Clayton were in sync all night, beautifully blending rhythmic guitar sequences while Larry Mullen thumped the drums in unison.

The band opened with “Breathe” from its latest album “No Line on the Horizon” and played “Get on Your Boots” and “Magnificent” among others from the same disc. They also performed a wide variety of their classic hits, including “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” “Beautiful Day,” “Mysterious Ways,” “Stuck in a Moment” and “With Or Without You.”

Crowd favorites seemed to be “One” and “Where The Streets Have No Name” which the band played during the back-half of their set, when they took on a political and social tone. Images of protests from the Iranian elections were shown on screens during “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and Bono talked of imprisoned Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, dedicating the song “Walk On” to her.

Opening for U2 were British rockers Muse, who lived up to their reputation as one of the best live performances in the world. Blending elements of progressive rock and electronica into their music, the band began its set with a pulsating rendition of the politically charged “Uprising,” the lead single off their new album “The Resistance.”

Led by singer Matthew Bellamy, the band then played a number of well known songs from previous albums, including “Map of the Problematic,” “Supermassive Black Hole,” “Starlight” and “Time is Running Out” to the delight of their fans. Muse thrives in the concert setting with their ability to sound just as good live as they do on CD.

Much of the build-up to the show surrounded the use of a massive stage set dubbed “The Claw” that is reportedly the largest ever for a rock concert and being used by U2 for the tour. The structure weighs 209 tons and is joined by a 54-ton cylindrical screen made up of 500,000 pixels, according to the Tampa Tribune. The way the structure is put together allows for a 360 degree viewing experience for the crowd and better visuals for those in distant seating.

The booming sound system was also top-notch, making the tours’ emphasis on technological overload a great success.

– Ian Lanphier