U2 / Las Vegas 2023 5th Night / 2CDR+1DVDR

 

U2 / Las Vegas 2023 5th Night / 2CDR+1DVDR / Uxbridge

The Sphere, Las Vegas, NV, USA 8th October 2023

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U2’s “U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere” shows off the cutting edge of music entertainment created by humanity and is shocking the world. The latest report, a luxurious set of “live album + video”, will be released simultaneously with 3 titles.
This “U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere” is not a “tour” but a “residency”. Without having to travel, we are performing repeatedly at the new venue “The Sphere” in Las Vegas until mid-December. Last week, the first 5-disc set “LAS VEGAS 2023 1ST & 2ND NIGHTS (Uxbridge 2023)” was very popular, but that was the set for the first and second day of the residency. This week, the 3rd, 4th, and 5th performances will be released individually. Among them, this work is an audience 3-disc set with the best full recording of “October 8, 2023 (5th performance)” on DISC 1-2 and the superb view video on DISC 3.

[DISC 1-2: A different dimension live album with a further changed set] This work is of the highest quality, both the live album version and the video version. First of all, it is a live album version, but this is a wonderful sound that combines clarity and dynamism. The clearest recording at the moment is “LAS VEGAS 2023 3RD NIGHT (Uxbridge 2026)”, but this work is also not defeated. The extremely thick core approaches without any sense of distance, and the details are clear. The sense of closeness is unthinkable by U2’s standards, where gigantic venues are the norm, and it’s worthy of being called “just like a soundboard.” The bass in this work is especially amazing. The rough attack sound is clear down to the outline of each grain, and the vibe is extremely detailed. Sphere, which uses more than 160,000 speakers, is said to deliver sound through the floor, and you can literally feel the increase in floor space.
On top of that, this work has a vast dynamism. This sound is strangely beautiful, and it’s interesting because it feels like it’s in another dimension. That feeling is a spectacle in which the music spreads around you. As mentioned above, the core transmitted from the floor is in close contact with zero distance, but the music is emitted into the space through the whole body and spreads to every corner of the huge venue. Since audience recordings usually involve “flying sounds,” the sound tends to create a sense of distance, but in this work, the sound is directed outward from oneself. The combination of vastness and vividness is a pleasure that I have never experienced before, and it is an unprecedented feeling that can only be experienced with the “Sphere”.
The latest full show that has gradually changed is depicted with such a different dimension sound. Let’s organize it by comparing it with the set from the first three days.

●First half: CD 1/3
・Acton Baby #1: Zoo Station/The Fly/Even Better Than The Real Thing/Mysterious Ways/One/Until The End Of The World/Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses/Tryin’ To Throw Your Arms Around The World
・Acoustic set: I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For (★) / Pride (In The Name Of Love) (★) / MLK (★)
●Second half: CD 2/4
・Acton Baby #2: So Cruel/Acrobat/Ultraviolet (Light My Way)/Love Is Blindness
・Encore: Elevation/Atomic City (new song)/Vertigo/Where the Streets Have No Name/With or Without You/Beautiful Day
*Note: Songs marked with “★” were not performed on the first, second, and third days.

…and it looks like this. The change was made to the “acoustic set” in the middle. The basics are the same as on the 4th day, but “Angel Of Harlem” is also dropped. The “RATTLE AND HUM” number has disappeared. Furthermore, before playing “Pride (In The Name Of Love)”, Bono talks about the Israeli festival attack by Hamas and changes the lyrics and sings it.

[DISC 3: Masterful photography technique that looks like a multi-camera] Accompanying the live album, which has a well-balanced direct feel and sound, is a spectacular video with an excellent sense of balance. All of these three series come with masterpiece audience videos, but each one has quite a different personality. The great thing about this work is its “variety of visual fields.” Although this is a one-camera shoot, thanks to the masterful photography techniques, a variety of scenes are produced one after another, making it hard to believe that only one camera was used.
Specifically, it’s a distant shot of the left side of the stage (edge side), but from there, a series of super zooms are taken. The close-up zoom of Bono and Edge’s facial expressions shows off the performance of the latest equipment. And it’s amazing because it’s not just a zoom. Taking advantage of the distant view, the huge screen is fully captured, and the all-sky spectacle looking straight up is also firmly captured. He uses direct shots and distant views in a leisurely but skillful way.
What’s even more clever is that it even incorporates the facial expressions of the audience. A large crowd gathered at the scene, surprised and excited by the unknown “Sphere”, roaring with colorful images, and unable to hide their joy at the famous songs of “Acton Baby”. In such a scene, he quickly looked around the opening of the venue and shot shots of the huge crowd and the stunned expressions. The sense of perspective between the audience and the giant images creates an even greater spectacle. As a result, there is no monotony that is common in audience shots, and the video work is so much like a multi-camera video work.

A live album with a different dimension that is more than just a soundboard, and a video of Takumi’s work that I would like to call “solo multi-camera.” The three sets released simultaneously this week each have different charms, but this is a three-disc set that allows you to enjoy the charm of the new venue “Sphere” from various angles. In a sense, it’s the most entertaining super-entertainment blockbuster. Please enjoy it to your heart’s content.

★3-disc set of the best full recording of “Sphere Performance on October 8, 2023” + audience with spectacular footage. The full recording (DISC 1-2) allows you to enjoy the different dimension sensation of a sphere where sound is transmitted from the floor, and the video version (DISC 3) is a “single multi-camera” state where the scenery changes rapidly with a variety of shooting techniques. This is a 3-disc set that allows you to enjoy the charm of the new venue “Sphere” from various angles.

人類が生み出した音楽エンターテインメントの最先端を見せつけ、全世界に衝撃が走っているU2の“U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere”。その最新レポートとなる「ライヴアルバム＋映像」の豪華セットが３タイトル同時リリース決定です。