The Joshua Tree Tour
The Joshua Tree Tour was a concert tour by Irish rock band U2. Staged in support of their 1987 album The Joshua Tree, it comprised 109 shows over three legs, spanning from April to December that year. The first and third legs visited North America, while the second leg toured Europe. While it reflects previous tours in minimal production, the Joshua Tree Tour was the first to involve larger venues in arenas and stadiums as a result of the album's breakthrough. Like the themes of its parent album, the tour has the group exploring social and political concerns, along with American roots and mythology, collaborating with American guest musicians and opening acts such as B. B. King. U2 also recorded new material; these songs and the band's experiences on tour were depicted on the 1988 album and documentary film Rattle and Hum and on the 2007 video and live album Live from Paris. Territories that this tour missed would later be covered by Rattle and Hum's Lovetown Tour.
| Tour by U2 | |
Promotional poster for the Modena concert | |
| Location |
|
|---|---|
| Associated album | The Joshua Tree |
| Start date | 2 April 1987 |
| End date | 20 December 1987 |
| Legs | 3 |
| No. of shows | 110 |
| Attendance | 3 million |
| Box office | $40 million |
| U2 concert chronology | |
The Joshua Tree Tour and its album were a huge commercial and critical success, continuing to greatly increase U2's popularity. Songs from The Joshua Tree would become concert staples from then on. Venues were quickly sold out and tickets were difficult to get. Despite this, Bono suffered injuries and the band were unprepared with their newfound fame and the tour's intensity. Their experiences combined with the controversial reception of Rattle and Hum led them to change their musical direction and image, beginning with Achtung Baby and the Zoo TV Tour. U2 would later embark on anniversary tours of The Joshua Tree three decades later.