The "1 U2 The Blackout" concert series refers to the series of exclusive, intimate performances U2 staged in 2017 to launch their fourteenth studio album, Songs of Experience. These rare, small-venue shows were specifically designed to strip away the spectacle of stadium touring, focusing instead on raw performance, direct fan interaction, and the debut of the track "The Blackout."
The U2 "The Blackout" concert series stands as a distinct chapter in the band’s storied live performance history. Departing from the massive, technologically complex "Experience + Innocence" tour that would follow, these events were characterized by their exclusivity, low-profile venues, and intense focus on the songwriting process of their 2017 record. For fans and music historians, these shows represent a pivot point where the band sought to reconcile the grandiosity of their legacy with the intimacy of their roots.
Context and Origins: The Path to Songs of Experience
To understand the significance of the "The Blackout" concert series, one must look at the band's trajectory leading into 2017. Following the release of Songs of Innocence (2014) and the subsequent "Innocence + Experience" tour, U2 had spent years refining a narrative of personal reflection. By the time 2017 arrived, the band was prepared to release the companion piece, Songs of Experience.
The "Blackout" concept was born from a desire to road-test new material in an environment that provided immediate, unfiltered feedback. Unlike the highly choreographed stadium sets that have become the band's hallmark, these performances were intentionally unpolished in their staging. They were not "concerts" in the traditional sense of a world tour; they were "events" or "experiences" meant to capture the spark of a song before it was fully integrated into a massive stage show. The track "The Blackout" served as the thematic anchor—a song dealing with political instability, personal darkness, and the metaphorical need for a light in the shadows.
Venue Selection and the Architecture of Intimacy
The most striking element of this series was the venue selection. U2, a band synonymous with playing to 80,000-seat stadiums, opted for theaters and historic clubs. Venues such as the Apollo Theater in New York, the Third Man Records storefront in Nashville, and intimate theaters in cities like London and Berlin were selected precisely because they forced a different relationship between the performer and the audience.
From an acoustics and production standpoint, these venues offered a technical departure from the band’s standard touring kit. Without the massive LED screens and elaborate hydraulic bridges associated with their stadium shows, the sound design had to be tighter and more reactive. The objective was to prioritize the clarity of the lyrics and the interplay between Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. By reducing the distance between the stage and the back row, the band essentially turned these concerts into a high-stakes rehearsal environment.
Production and Setlist Dynamics
The setlists for these performances were intentionally fluid. While they served as a promotional vehicle for Songs of Experience, the band frequently interwove deep cuts from their 1980s catalog to bridge the gap between their newer work and their formative years. The structure of the show generally followed a progression of high-energy new material punctuated by acoustic interludes.
Technical observers noted the lack of traditional stadium-grade "cues." In large-scale tours, the band plays to a click track and a pre-determined visual grid to ensure the massive video screens sync with the music. In "The Blackout" series, these constraints were largely abandoned. This shift allowed for a "looser" performance style. If a song needed to be restarted, or if the band wanted to interact with the crowd in a specific moment of improvisation, the lack of rigid digital synchronization provided that freedom.
Access, Requirements, and Ticketing Challenges
Access to these shows was notoriously restricted. Unlike a standard arena tour, which relies on broad-market ticket sales, these events utilized a mix of fan-club lotteries, contest winners, and select industry invites. This approach was intentional, aimed at creating a "members-only" atmosphere that built anticipation and buzz ahead of the album launch.
For fans, the requirements for entry were often stringent. Attendees were frequently required to present government-issued identification matching the name on their digital ticket, a strategy used to prevent scalping and ensure that the audience consisted of long-term supporters rather than secondary-market profiteers. The logistical difficulty of securing a seat became part of the lore of the tour, turning the series into an exercise in exclusivity that defined the era of the album's promotion.
Comparison: The Blackout Series vs. Stadium Touring
The following table outlines the fundamental differences between the "Blackout" intimate series and the conventional stadium tour model U2 typically employs.
| Feature | The Blackout Series | Stadium Tour (e.g., E+I) |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 1,000–3,000 (Theaters/Clubs) | 50,000+ (Stadiums) |
| Visual Tech | Minimal / Focus on Stage Lighting | Complex LED/Augmented Reality |
| Setlist | Experimental / Spontaneous | Strictly Curated / Fixed |
| Logistics | Rapid Setup / Boutique Venues | Massive Cargo / Long Lead Times |
| Audience Feel | Immersive / High Interaction | Spectacle / Collective Experience |
| Ticketing | Fan Lottery / Highly Controlled | General Market / Dynamic Pricing |
The Role of Technology and Media
It is important to address how "The Blackout" series leveraged technology. While the live show was "stripped back," the media capture of these shows was advanced. Professional recordings of these performances were released concurrently with the album marketing cycle. This created a dual-purpose strategy: the live, in-person shows provided the "authenticity" that critics look for, while the high-definition recorded clips provided the "marketing" necessary for global digital streaming.
The band used the song "The Blackout" as a centerpiece for these media clips. By filming in black-and-white or high-contrast styles, the production team reinforced the theme of the music. This served as a case study in modern promotional strategy: using a limited, physical experience as the bedrock for a massive, digital-first campaign.
Common Misconceptions
One common error in discussing this series is conflating it with the full-scale tour that followed. The "Blackout" concerts were a precursor, a separate entity from the Experience + Innocence tour. Many fans mistakenly believe that the massive LED screens used in the 2018 stadium tours were present at these 2017 shows; in reality, these smaller venues simply could not accommodate the weight and power requirements of such equipment.
Another misconception is that these shows were intended for the general public. These were not open-market events. To characterize them as standard concerts ignores the fact that they were highly filtered environments intended to cultivate a specific narrative about the band’s return to their creative roots.
Legacy and Impact on Future Touring
The "Blackout" series provided U2 with a blueprint for how to engage with fans in the modern era. By proving that they could generate massive global interest with a series of small, low-fi shows, the band demonstrated that the "spectacle" of a stadium show is not the only way to maintain relevance. This approach influenced how other legacy acts approached album launches in the following years, moving away from late-night television appearances toward exclusive, venue-specific live content.
For the band members, these shows served as a reset button. After years of performing in front of massive, distant crowds, the ability to hear the audience’s direct reaction allowed them to sharpen their delivery for the stadium tours that followed. The technical lessons learned—regarding sound isolation and stage intimacy—were eventually translated back into the stadium format, informing the design of the "Experience + Innocence" stage setups.
FAQ: Understanding the Series
What was the primary goal of the 1 U2 The Blackout series? The goal was to test new material from the album Songs of Experience in an intimate, low-pressure environment while building exclusive, high-value hype ahead of the album's commercial release.
Were these shows part of a larger tour? No. These were stand-alone, limited-engagement events that functioned as a promotional bridge between the recording of the album and the launch of the subsequent worldwide stadium tour.
How did fans get tickets to these intimate shows? Tickets were primarily allocated through the official U2 fan club, U2.com, via a lottery system, along with various radio contests and strategic industry invitations to ensure a dedicated fan base was present.
Did the stage production match the band's typical arena shows? No. These shows were intentionally stripped back. They lacked the large LED screens and complex mechanical structures of a stadium tour to focus entirely on the band's musicianship and the raw energy of the new songs.
Why is "The Blackout" song significant to this series? "The Blackout" served as the thematic and literal centerpiece of the series. Its lyrical content—touching on political and personal upheaval—perfectly encapsulated the tone the band wanted to set for their 2017/2018 era.
Can I still watch footage from these performances? Yes. Several professional recordings of these intimate shows, including the specific performance of "The Blackout," were released via the band’s official channels and remain available on major video platforms as part of the archival material from the Songs of Experience period.
Recommendation for Further Engagement
If you are researching this series for historical or academic purposes, the best next step is to examine the specific setlists from the Apollo Theater performances. These setlists provide a clear view of how the band balanced their legacy catalog against the, at the time, unreleased tracks from Songs of Experience. Additionally, reviewing the press coverage from the 2017 period will reveal how music journalists reacted to the band’s shift toward a more intimate, "stripped-back" performance style.
For those interested in the technical aspects, look for the engineering reports or production interviews regarding the sound reinforcement in smaller, historic theaters. Understanding how a band of that magnitude manages high-decibel performance in a space designed for much quieter acoustics is a fascinating look into the evolution of modern live sound engineering.
