U2 is marking St Patrick’s Day with a new concert footage of their legendary Slane gig in 2001 called U2: The Virtual Road.
And the band is being joined by support acts that include current Irish hotshots Dermot Kennedy and Fontaines D.C.
YouTube, Island Records, Interscope, UMe, and UMC announced that U2: The Virtual Road, a series of four concerts will broadcast for the first time exclusively on the band’s YouTube channel, for 48 hours only.
The first concert will be broadcast today, St Patrick’s Day.
U2 Go Home: Live From Slane Castle celebrates the band’s return to the legendary Irish concert site on 1st September 2001 for their first performance on the banks of the River Boyne in over 20 years.
And in an exclusive YouTube performance, Dermot Kennedy will open the show with a solo performance recorded last week outside Los Angeles.
“Every show is memorable for us but these four particularly so… It’s exciting to be on the road again… Embracing all the wonder of the virtual road…
“And especially exciting to be joined by such a brilliant line-up of fellow travellers in Dermot Kennedy, Fontaines D.C., Carla Morrison and Feu! Chatterton,” the band, made up of Bono, The Edge, Adam and Larry said.
On March 25 fans can tune in to see U2: Live At Red Rocks recorded on 5th June 1983 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado, United States on the band’s War Tour.
A career defining show, the rain-soaked performance at the iconic venue helped establish U2’s reputation as one of the greatest live acts in the world.
Grammy-nominated Dublin band, Fontaines D.C. will open the show with a performance recorded in their hometown last year.
The PopMart Tour stormed into Mexico City in December 1997 for a memorable show at the Foro Sol Stadium and 1st April will see Carla Morrison open for the band, only on YouTube, for a very special one-off performance ahead of Popmart: Live From Mexico City.
U2: The Virtual Road marks the first time that three of these concerts Slane, Red Rocks and Mexico have been made available digitally.
In December 2015, U2 returned to Paris less than a month after the November 13 terrorist attacks on the city for two rescheduled shows.
iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE: Live in Paris marked the final performance on the tour, an unforgettable evening which included an emotional performance of Patti Smith’s ‘People Have The Power’.
On 10th April, YouTube will broadcast the show for the very first time, with French band Feu! Chatterton on support.
Dan Chalmers, Director of YouTube Music for EMEA said: “It’s fantastic that YouTube is partnering with U2 for this exclusive broadcast.
“The four concerts featured in The Virtual Road are the most memorable and iconic in the band’s history, and indeed rock history at large.
“As one of the world’s best-selling music artists, U2 have been at the top of the global rock scene for the past four decades.
“When they perform, the world takes notice - their performances are always a landmark moment for music lovers around the world.
“We’re proud to be providing the platform for an artist that has come to embody the definitive live music experience.”
