U2 fabric stage makes world tour

Dublin’s U2, recognized worldwide for its driving yet melodic musical vision, launched the band’s “360° World Tour” in June 2009 on a fabric-clad stage that rocks around the clock. The stage system resembles a giant steel-trussed spider clad with PVC-coated polyester blackout fabric. No matter where concert goers sit, even if the venue is a giant sports arena, the band is visible—and the stage riveting.

Band members worked with architect/designer Mark Fisher Studio in early stages and wanted the steel trusses covered. Architen Landrell, Chepstow, U.K., a manufacturer of tensioned-fabric structures, obliged with fabric of a specific color chosen by the band and the flexibility to capture the complex geometry of the design. The center of the structure contains a vertical LED-lit pylon and a retractable video screen. The company completed the stage’s tensioned fabric cover within nine weeks, a fast turnaround for the 360° World Tour that will continue into 2010.