Australian U2 fans finally get what they’re looking for

U2 fans watched The Joshua Tree’s 30th anniversary tour bypass Australia. Better late than never — U2 will play its biggest album in full in Melbourne as part of a national tour in November.

U2 are finally bringing The Joshua Tree tour to Australia, 32 years on. Pic: Danny North

U2 is finally bringing its Joshua Tree tour to Australia — two years after the album’s 30th anniversary.

The band confirmed the worst kept secret in Australian touring circles this morning on its social media.

U2 will play Suncorp Stadium Brisbane on November 12, Marvel Stadium in Melbourne on November 15, Adelaide Oval on November 19, Sydney Cricket Ground on November 22 and Optus Stadium in Perth on November 27.

They will be joined on the tour by Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.

Tickets for the shows go on sale June 11, with U2.com members able to buy tickets from June 4.

It’s about time stars put their health before profits

The Joshua Tree tour sees U2 play every song from their biggest album in order. Pic: Danny North

“It’s only taken me 30 years to learn how to sing these songs and it’s great to be able to say that I’ve finally caught up with the band,” Bono said in a statement. “Our audience has given The Joshua Tree a whole new life on this tour. Doing these shows has been very special for us, a lot of emotion … From the despair of how relevant some of the dark songs still are, to the joy, pure fun of the staging … it’s quite a ride. And now we get to do it all over again. Auckland, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Sydney, Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul … We’re coming for you”.

WAY BACK WHEN: THE DAY U2 PLAYED THE CORNER HOTEL

Guitarist The Edge added: “We really, REALLY wanted to bring The Joshua Tree to New Zealand, Australia and Asia. We promised we would and finally, now we can say that we will see you in November … It’s going to feel like a homecoming and we are very excited”.

The tour will see U2 play The Joshua Tree in full and in sequence, as well as a selection of other songs from their career bookending the show.

In 2017 the band took the tour through North America, Europe and Latin America for the 30th anniversary of the album’s release — the record was home to the hits With or Without You, Where the Streets Have No Name and I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For.

The album has sold over 25 million copies and made them global superstars.

However Australian fans were up in arms when the tour bypassed these shores and bombarded the band with abuse and petitions which fell on deaf ears — until now.

U2 in 1987 at the time of the release of The Joshua Tree. Pic: Universal

U2 has not toured Australia since the 360 tour in 2010, which featured a giant claw.

Their last tour Experience and Innocence, only visited North America and Europe last year.

Details of The Joshua Tree tour coming to Australia leaked online earlier this month, with U2 fan sites taking screen grabs of all the information.

The tour will be the first time all stadium floor tickets will be paperless in Australia, with tickets delivered to mobile devices 72 hours prior to the applicable show.

There will be an eight ticket limit for general public sales and a four limit ticket in the fan pre-sale.

As part of The Joshua Tree tour’s staging the band’s long-time visual collaborator Anton Corbijn made a series of evocative films which will air on a 200 x 45 foot cinematic screen, which is the largest high-res LED screen that has ever been used in a touring show.

The 2017 tour grossed over $450 million, selling over 2.7 million tickets from 51 shows.

This tour is so far the only one U2 have scheduled in 2019 and they will be the first show the band have ever played in Seoul.

Noel Gallagher, former member of Oasis, played with U2 on some of the 2017 dates.

Gallagher said “We, NGHFB, are beside ourselves. The Joshua Tree 2017 Tour was some of the most fun we ever had. It will be both an honour and a pleasure to share the stage with our friends and comrades once again. It’s gonna be a ripper!!!!!”

Bono’s son Elijah Hewson’s band Inhaler will open for Gallagher’s band on some of their UK dates this year.

U2 toured the Joshua Tree in 2017, but they had unfinished business. Pic Danny North

U2 Joshua Tree setlist 2017

(not guaranteed to be the same in 2019, besides the second act)

First act

Sunday Bloody Sunday

New Year’s Day

Bad

Pride (In the Name of Love)

Second Act

Where the Streets Have No Name

I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For

With or Without You

Bullet the Blue Sky

Running to Stand Still

Red Hill Mining Town

In God’s Country

Trip Through Your Wires

One Tree Hill

Exit

Mothers of the Disappeared

Encore

Miss Sarajevo

Beautiful Day

Elevation

Vertigo

You’re the Best Thing About Me

Ultraviolet (Light My Way)

One