u2-uv live at sphere

A retroSPHEREtive

I remember the older couple at the bus station who had been visiting their daughter in Anaheim. They were intrigued by my strange accent, and I was intrigued by their newly retired life in Las Vegas.

I remember wanting to hug the bus driver when he said, “Everyone on, I want to be home to have lunch with my wife at 2:00pm" He had just pulled up half an hour late; my anxiety had already started to mourn the idea of seeing U2 during those 30 minutes. 

I remember the shocked face of the man I had just interrupted. Always knock before opening an unlocked bus toilet. We then spent the next 5 hours avoiding eye contact at every rest stop.

I’ll never forget listening to the Joshua Tree album while driving through the desert, the perfect U2 pilgrimage. As tears of excitement flowed, it began to sink in—what I had waited months for was now hours away.

I remember the relief of pulling into the Las Vegas bus depot; at this point, there weren’t many obstacles between me and U2. My new-found peace allowed me to enjoy the rant the Uber driver went on about the Formula 1 construction that was causing chaos to the Las Vegas Strip.

I remember dragging my suitcase through the carpeted casino floor and the disgusting burger patty I forced myself to eat before the show. 

I’ll never forget seeing it for the first time. Big, round, bright, and beautiful! Sphere, a world-first immersive entertainment venue. I had a ticket to the fifth ever show to take place in this shiny new spaceship, and my favourite band happened to be in the captains seat. 

I remember sitting on the floor starring straight up, mesmerized. I had found a spot centre stage and only meters from the action. It took some time to properly take in the scale of the space, but at this point I was still oblivious to what I was about to witness.

I’ll never forget Doug and his friends. The crowd at a concert will always have at least one common interest, and while sitting on the floor completely surrounded by speakers and screens, I listened to Doug tell stories about the U2 shows he went to during his college years. As the anticipation built, Doug and the group around us made sure I had the perfect view of the stage. American hospitality at its finest. I’m forever grateful for those strangers turned instant friends. 

It scares me that I can close my eyes and take myself back to the moment that U2 appeared and brought The Sphere to life. Life-changing is a ridiculous claim; the experience at its core is a concert. How could a concert be life-changing? But that's really the only way I can describe it one year on. There were so many signs along the way that made me feel like I was meant to be there.

Obstacles that challenged but never deterred. It almost feels like the sad prophecy of a girl who just needed to be pushed out of her comfort zone to see the 1.2 million LED lights on the other side. And in fulfilling this prophecy, she has rewired her brain to see what is possible if we just push our boundaries a little, a constant reminder of what amazing things can happen when we leave the comforts of normality.