We admit it: when U2 first unveiled their elaborate and absurdly expensive 360 Tour, we thought they were a little crazy. Of course, it all paid off for U2 in the end, and the band made bags of money as they toured and hitchhiked their way around the world. Now, the Irish arena rockers are getting ready to make one final profit off the tour: by selling "The Claw," the massive apparatus that surrounds the stage.
"It's certainly our intention to see these things recycled into permanent and usable ventures," U2 tour director Craig Evans explained to Billboard. "It represents too great an engineering feat to just use for [the tour] and put away in a warehouse somewhere."
Three of the massive four-legged apparatuses will be sold. Certainly, it would be a shame if these went unused. After all, each one is 29,000 square feet, making it reportedly the biggest concert stage ever. Plus, they would take up a hell of a lot of room in a landfill.
The 360 Tour won't finish until July 30 in Moncton, NB, but Evans said that U2 are already "in discussions to send them into different places around the world and have them installed as permanent venues. Some major events have shown interest in these, from four different continents -- and we haven't even really put the word out yet."
So what exactly can you do with these 29,000-square-foot steel claws? The tour director suggested "turning them into full interior pavilions and amphitheatres. They're something you can put up on a waterfront and become an instant skyline icon."
Certainly, they would work well as a frame for a building. "They're pretty well tried and tested," Evans confirmed. "They can carry weights no other structure can consider, and since they're already developed and designed, you can probably complete [a venue] in a one-month period instead of a two-year build period."
Then again, would you really want to see this "Claw" as a permanent fixture in your hometown?
"It's certainly our intention to see these things recycled into permanent and usable ventures," U2 tour director Craig Evans explained to Billboard. "It represents too great an engineering feat to just use for [the tour] and put away in a warehouse somewhere."
Three of the massive four-legged apparatuses will be sold. Certainly, it would be a shame if these went unused. After all, each one is 29,000 square feet, making it reportedly the biggest concert stage ever. Plus, they would take up a hell of a lot of room in a landfill.
The 360 Tour won't finish until July 30 in Moncton, NB, but Evans said that U2 are already "in discussions to send them into different places around the world and have them installed as permanent venues. Some major events have shown interest in these, from four different continents -- and we haven't even really put the word out yet."
So what exactly can you do with these 29,000-square-foot steel claws? The tour director suggested "turning them into full interior pavilions and amphitheatres. They're something you can put up on a waterfront and become an instant skyline icon."
Certainly, they would work well as a frame for a building. "They're pretty well tried and tested," Evans confirmed. "They can carry weights no other structure can consider, and since they're already developed and designed, you can probably complete [a venue] in a one-month period instead of a two-year build period."
Then again, would you really want to see this "Claw" as a permanent fixture in your hometown?
