U2 may have disappointed Canadians when they only announced one stop here for their Vertigo tour, but the band love our country enough to set up camp here a month before the tour begins.
The Canadian Press reports U2 are taking over Vancouver’s GM Place for the next month to rehearse for the tour. There’s been no official announcement from ClearChannel Entertainment – the tour’s promoter – if the band will be in Vancouver. There’s been reports of trucks lining up in the GM Place parking lot, however, so suspicions are high.
This isn’t the first band to stay in Vancouver while they get ready to go on tour. Other big names who have used the mountains to prepare include Cher and Janet Jackson.
Perhaps while the band are here Prime Minister Paul Martin will be making a call to his chum, Bono. The PM made a promise in February to Ottawa citizens to try to coax the band to make a stop in our nation’s capital when they return to North America later in the year.
GM Place is the only Canadian venue announced on U2’s spring tour. The band will play two sold out shows on April 28 and 29 at the arena.
If you take a look at the tour dates posted on U2’s website you will notice a trend – almost every show announced in North America and Europe is sold out. The only ones that remain open are shows where tickets haven’t gone on sale yet. The band have started to add second shows in some European cities, such as Paris.
A new opening band has been announced for summer dates on the Vertigo tour. One of this year’s hot new bands, Keane will be joining U2 this summer for some shows. They join the previous opening acts already announced – Kings Of Leon, The Killers and Snow Patrol. Kings Of Leon will be the openers on all of the North American dates.
