From the S&S archives: U2: Is it 'live' or is it TV?

If you're watching Zoo-TV, you've got the hot ticket in town.

Zoo-TV — the latest U2 video show — can't be seen on MTV. Rather, it's brought to you live at your local stadium.

The current U2 tour, billed as the Zooropa Tour in Europe and Zoo-TV stateside, is no ordinary concert. It's a multimedia show, featuring at least seven large-screen video monitors and Bono running amok with the remote controller.

Early in the concert, Bono flexed his video power by switching live to Germany's satellite television programming. "The thing about TV is, whenever something serious comes on, you can always change the channel," Bono told the crowd of 40,000 at the Waldstadion in Frankfurt, Germany, last week.

Bono finally settled on his favorite program: Zoo-TV. And that's when he replaced his remote control with a small, wide-angle camera that he pointed at himself while he sang, spinning around for effect, and then at the front row crowd of screaming fans. On Zoo-TV, Bono is the star.

The satiric commentary on the electronic media reflects U2's crusader approach to solving world problems. The Irish alternative rock band has always worn its social conscience on its sleeve. Sunday Bloody Sunday was an outcry against violence in Northern Ireland; New Year's Day spoke of Russia's dominance of Poland; Pride (In The Name of Love) was a tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr.; I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For was based on Christian mysticism.

These days, the message is to watch less television and not to believe everything. Bono seems to be saying that it's time to turn off your television sets and to turn on your mind.

The crowd of 40,000 was young, decidely yuppified and quite civil. Drugs, drunkenness and brawls were not part of the U2 act.

Rowdiness was limited to such antics as those performed by two American soldiers from Kirch-Goens, Germany, Mike Poling and AI Biland. They did a comical Keystone Cops routine out of Poling's attempts to climb onto Biland's shoulders for a better view of U2. After several mishaps, which amused German bystanders, Poling finally climbed aboard the hunched-over Biland.

"He's only 5-6," said Kate Biland of her husband, "so he (Poling) still didn't get to see too much."

While many girls were hoisted onto other's shoulders, many in the infield crowd were more inclined to watch U2's Zoo-TV show on the large-screen videos and dance to the music.

While the video show was part of the attraction, U2's music was what this concert was all about. The 2½-hour prime-time show featured Bono (Paul Hewson), the Edge (Dave Evans) on guitar, Adam Clayton on bass guitar and Larry Mullen Jr. on drums.

U2's songs ranged from their earlier anthemic approaches, such as Sunday Bloody Sunday and New Year's Day, to newer songs off their Achtung Baby album that hints at a new sexuality in their music.

Those new songs — One, Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses, Even Better Than The Real Thing,  Love Is Blindness — have U2 firmly grasping the subject of love more fervently than at any other stage in its time.

One girl, presumably from the audience, danced on stage with Bono for Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World, and a professional dancer moved sensually on stage for Mysterious Ways.

The show was visually appealing, but the sound was not as distinct as, say, the recent Metallica concert. At times, Bono's vocals were drowned out by the music.

Keir Burke, dancing with her husband, James, in the infield at the rear of the stadium, agreed: "I thought the visual show was great. It was better than the music," she said.

While the sound was not cutting edge, the Zoo-TV tour is still the concert of the summer. And if you miss Bono's vocals, it's not that much of a problem.

Bono has, after all, 40,000 backup singers.