Irish rock band U2 has received many awards throughout their 35 years together, ranging from Grammys to MTV Awards. The group was even inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. Lately, however, the band has accomplished an even more difficult feat.
U2’s “360˚” tour closed last night as the highest grossing tour ever. The tour nearly lasted two years and consisted of 110 shows, which were seen by over 7 million fans, with an additional 10 million watching the bands performance at the 2010 Rose Bowl stream live on YouTube.
Total revenue for the tour exceeded $730 million! Most high school bands never make it out of their garage, yet U2 (which formed when drummer Larry Mullen Jr. posted a note on his high school bulletin board) have gone on to become one of the most successful bands in history.
There was a strategy behind U2’s success. The name of the tour, “360˚,” is not coincidence. The band consistently played at large venues and often set up the stadiums in a manner that would allow for a bigger audience.
In addition, they capitalized on new technology. An enormous media configuration guaranteed audience members good visibility regardless of their seats. This permitted the band to increase the number of tickets available.
Before U2, The Rolling Stones held the record for highest grossing tour. Their 2005-2007 “Bigger Bang” tour was seen by 6.3 million people, and grossed just over $500 million.
To get a better idea of the innovative technology the band used, check out the video below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=op4cD7KCMCU
