The now-famous 'Claw', designed by the combined talents of show architect Mark Fisher and long-time U2 collaborator, show designer/director, Willie Williams, forms a 28m high canopy over one of the largest stages ever toured.
Pivotal to the 'Claw' is a central spire or pylon, 50m high and loaded with 34 PRG Icon 2 'Bad Boy' moving lights and two 600mm mirror balls, which has been developed and fabricated by UK staging company, Brilliant Stages.
"Working with Jeremy Lloyd of Stufish to Mark Fisher's design, we devised a construction that would withstand the rigours of a 44-date, international tour of outdoor arenas and stadia, yet which would also be easy to erect and transport," explains Brilliant Stages general manager, Tony Bowern.
The pylon, which has a diameter at its centre of 2.4m and tapers towards each end, is composed of 19 2.4m high sections, constructed in high grade aluminium, with high tensile steel connections between each.
Each section has six main 9cm diameter cords welded at each end to a 10mm profiled aluminium plate, which form the roof and the floor for the section.
"Brilliant Stages is very proud to be involved with the biggest cutting edge tour in the world," says Bowern, "and that Mark, Willie and Jake have shown confidence in the Brilliant Stages team to develop and build the Pylon."
The U2 360° Tour plays to a succession of huge audiences through 15 European cities during July and August and is followed by a North American tour in September and October 09. For an indepth feature on this tour, see the August/September issue of Lighting&Sound magazine.
(Jim Evans)
