IF U2 build it, then they will come, and the stars of Hollywood and rock n roll came to Las Vegas last night for the opening night of U2's PopMart tour 1997 at the Sam Boyd Stadium.
"The Rolling Stones will be here, and so will Pearl Jam and Smashing Pumpkins," said U2 manager, Paul McGuinness, but he forgot to mention Michael Stipe, Cameron Diaz, Pamela Anderson, Mel Gibson, Elizabeth Shue, Christian Slater, Bruce Willis and Calvin Klein, all of whom were on the guest list for the show.
Asked why the band chose Las Vegas as the venue for their first tour in four years, Paul McGuinness said, "I'd love to be able to say it was symbolic, but the truth is we needed a stadium that didn't have a football team, so we could use it for three weeks. Also, Las Vegas is a good place to work - the local crews are very experienced in setting up live shows."
U2 cut the ribbon on their PopMart tour with typical pizzazz, playing a recording of M's Pop Muzik before exploding onstage to the technohammer beat of MoFo. "A rock n roll show like this doesn't have the privileges of theatre," commented Paula McGuinness. "The whole world is watching on the first night."
Speaking about the proposed U2 concert in Phoenix Park, for which planning permission is being sought, Paul McGuinness said, "Dublin is the most difficult place in the world to put on a show. There are just too many legal restrictions, and it's extremely frustrating, especially since Dublin is a music town. We play in stadiums and fields around the world, and it will be easier for us to play in Sarajevo than in Dublin."
Asked for his impressions of the PopMart stage, with its giant TV screen, 100 foot yellow arch and 35foot mirrorball lemon, McGuinness said, "Pretty trashy, loud and vulgar - and fun."
See also Weekend page 12
