U2 played their 1983 song ‘Seconds’ for the first time in nearly four decades during the latest night of their Las Vegas residency (November 3). Watch the footage below.
The song, originally released on the band’s third studio album ‘War’, was a regular in their setlists in the period after its release, but before yesterday, it had not been played at any U2 concert since 1985.
U2’s residency at the dazzling new Sphere venue in Las Vegas, titled ‘U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere’, began on September 29, and was initially scheduled to run until December 16. However, the band recently confirmed that they had added an extra 11 dates, culminating on February 18.
The venue, which reportedly cost $2 billion (£1.6 billion), has been the centre of speculation recently over who the next act to take on the residency could be. Back in August, the New York Post reported that MSG, who own the venue, were “locking in” The Eagles as the next band to take over from U2, and that the venue would play host to a farewell tour for the band. However, given the reported extra U2 dates, it seems that those negotiations are still ongoing.
‘Seconds’ was written by Bono and The Edge about the fear of nuclear proliferation. It was the first song the band recorded that was not sung solely by Bono, with The Edge taking the first two verses.
In a five-star review of U2’s opening night at the multi-billion dollar venue, NME described the event as one that “truly takes your breath away”.
On October 25, Lady Gaga made a surprise appearance alongside the Irish rock veterans at the Sphere. She sang a version of the band’s ‘All I Want Is You’, from 1988’s ‘Rattle and Hum’, before taking the lead on a version of ‘Shallow’, the Oscar-winning song from the soundtrack of A Star is Born.
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