U2 Releases ‘Atomic Metropolis’ Video, Shot in Las Vegas, Night time Earlier than Sphere Debut
Late Thursday night time, U2 launched a brand new single and video, Atomic Metropolis. It arrived the day earlier than the Irish band’s first Las Vegas residency, “U2:UV Achtung Child,” kicks off on the MSG Sphere on the Venetian.
U2 singer Bono mimes alongside on a dolly, pulling him previous the casinos of downtown Las Vegas. (Picture: YouTube)
The tune and the video, U2’s first since 1997, is a love letter to Las Vegas shot on a crowded Fremont Avenue and inside an empty Sphere.
“This can be a new tune written about you,” singer Bono defined to the VIPs gathered underneath the Fremont Avenue Expertise cover to observe the shoot within the early morning hours of September 17.
The video exhibits U2 arriving on the shoot on the again of a flatbed truck — shades of a promotional stunt staged by the Rolling Stones down New York’s Fifth Avenue in 1975 — which shuttled it between two capturing areas: behind the third Avenue stage and in entrance of the Plaza Lodge and On line casino.
U2 referred to as the tune an homage to Blondie, Giorgio Moroder, the Conflict, ’70s punk, and town of Las Vegas. Certainly, the primary few notes of the tune’s refrain resemble Blondie’s 1980 hit, Name Me.
Anticipated to be the residency’s set-opener, Atomic Metropolis celebrates the historical past of Las Vegas (“Sinatra swings, a choir sings”) whereas on the identical time pandering to a few of its extra fashionable (and dated) stereotypes, such because the stage it supplies to has-beens (“Come all you stars falling out of the sky”) and its reputation amongst extraterrestrials (“All UFOs come in your manner dwelling”).
Las Vegas was referred to as Atomic Metropolis within the ’50s and early ’60s when 100 atomic bombs had been detonated within the air over the Nevada Take a look at Website.
Larry Mullen, Jr. drums in entrance of the Plaza Lodge within the video for “Atomic Metropolis.” (Picture: YouTube)
Larry Was Mullen It Over
The video prominently options founding drummer Larry Mullen, Jr., who’s sitting out the Sphere dates as he continues recovering from surgical procedure for longtime neck and elbow issues.
This week, it was revealed that Mullen additionally performs drums on the brand new observe, which was recorded at Sound Metropolis in L.A., the place it was produced by Jacknife Lee and longtime U2 collaborator Steve Lillywhite.
Larry went the night time earlier than to only be certain that,” Bono instructed Apple Music 1. “He didn’t know if he might play for an hour … He didn’t know if he might play for quarter-hour. And he simply performed up a storm.”
On stage, Mullen might be changed by Bram van den Berg, a nearly unknown drummer from The Netherlands.
A Type of Homecoming
Setting a video about Las Vegas historical past on the Plaza was applicable on a number of ranges, because the on line casino resort sits on the positioning of the primary railroad cease in Las Vegas — the one accountable for town’s delivery in 1905. Although the unique depot was demolished in 1970 to make room for the Plaza, the practice tracks, now used completely for freight, nonetheless run behind the on line casino resort.
The setting was additionally a homecoming for U2, whose smash 1987 video for I Nonetheless Haven’t Discovered What I’m Trying For was filmed on a pre-canopied Fremont Avenue. Within the clip, U2 clowned round whereas imitating Elvis, shocking vacationers who didn’t count on to stumble upon essentially the most well-known music act on this planet on the time.
