Joshua Tree Tour

Joshua Tree Tour
Concert tour name	Joshua Tree Tour
Artist	U2
Album	The Joshua Tree
Start date	March 1987
End date	December 1987
Number of shows	110

Joshua Tree Tour

The Joshua Tree Tour was a concert tour by U2 in support of their fifth studio album The Joshua Tree that traversed North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Latin America. Conceived after the critical and commercial breakthrough of the album, the tour consolidated the band's status alongside contemporaries such as Bruce Springsteen, Prince, Madonna, Michael Jackson, and R.E.M. while interacting with cultural institutions like MTV, Rolling Stone, NME, Billboard, and major venues including Madison Square Garden, Wembley Stadium, and Wembley Stadium (old).

Background and Development

Following recording sessions with producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, and influenced by travels through America, the band—comprised of Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr.—released The Joshua Tree in 1987. Management by Paul McGuinness and promotion through Island Records led to collaborations with tour designers formerly associated with acts like Pink Floyd, David Bowie, and Peter Gabriel. Political themes referencing events such as the Cold War, the Central American crisis, and debates around South African apartheid informed the conceptual framing, while media partnerships with BBC, CNN, and MTV Networks amplified reach.

Setlist and Musical Themes

Typical setlists blended tracks from The Joshua Tree—including Where the Streets Have No Name, With or Without You, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For—with earlier material like Pride (In the Name of Love), New Year's Day, and Sunday Bloody Sunday. Thematically, performances invoked imagery tied to American West, desert landscapes, and literary references to authors such as John Steinbeck, C.S. Lewis, and T.S. Eliot, while songs addressed figures and events like Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, and the legacy of Vietnam War. Encores often featured covers associated with artists like Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, and Sam Cooke in tribute segments.

Production and Stage Design

Stage production employed stadium-scale rigs informed by production teams who previously worked with The Rolling Stones, Genesis, and U2 themselves on earlier tours. Visual elements included large-screen projections tied to directors from Anton Corbijn, with lighting design referencing techniques used by Fellini-affiliated cinematographers and concert films such as Stop Making Sense. Sound engineering standards matched guilds like Audio Engineering Society practices, while staging incorporated set pieces reminiscent of Monument Valley vistas and architectural motifs from Los Angeles, Dublin, and London. Corporate sponsorships paralleled partnerships seen with Coca-Cola and PepsiCo in contemporary tours, negotiated by management and promoters including Live Nation precursors and regional promoters like AEG Presents.

Tour Dates and Geographic Legs

The itinerary spanned major markets across the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, continental Europe, Japan, Australia, and Mexico. Notable engagements took place at Madison Square Garden, The Forum (Inglewood), Wembley Stadium, Croke Park, and festival appearances alongside events such as Live Aid-era lineups and memorial concerts for figures associated with Bob Marley tributes. Routing decisions intersected with global calendar events involving venues managed by companies like Ticketmaster and municipal authorities from cities including New York City, Los Angeles, London, Dublin, and Tokyo.

Reception and Critical Response

Contemporary reviews in outlets such as Rolling Stone, NME, The Guardian, The New York Times, and Los Angeles Times praised the band's arena-to-stadium translation and Bono's stage persona, while some critics compared the spectacle to productions by Pink Floyd and Bruce Springsteen for scale and sociopolitical rhetoric. Academic commentary from scholars of popular music at institutions including University of Oxford, University College Dublin, and New York University analyzed the tour's interplay with late-1980s geopolitics and cultural identity, referencing documentaries broadcast by BBC Two and segments on 60 Minutes.

Commercial Performance and Records

The tour achieved substantial commercial success, with ticket sales reported in trade publications like Billboard and gross receipts tracked by concert industry analysts similar to those associated with Pollstar. Stadium grosses placed the tour among top-earning tours of the decade alongside tours by Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Prince. Merchandise distribution and ancillary revenue streams were handled through partnerships comparable to those of Warner Music Group and independent merchandisers operating at venues across Europe and North America.

Personnel and Supporting Acts

Primary personnel included producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois in advisory roles, management by Paul McGuinness, and technical crews drawn from production houses that serviced U2 and peers like The Rolling Stones and Genesis. Supporting acts varied by market and included artists who would become prominent, sharing bills with performers such as Sinead O'Connor, R.E.M., The Pretenders, Public Enemy, and regional openers promoted by local agencies. Session musicians and backing vocalists occasionally featured collaborators associated with Daniel Lanois recordings and touring ensembles linked to Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.

Category:U2 concert tours