Legendary Irish rockers U2 have joined forces with HBO for two specials airing this November; a behind the scenes documentary and a live concert special.
The documentary, premiering on November 7th, will give us a behind the scenes look at the band and their current iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE tour, which began in May and will run through to November.
The special will feature interviews from the band members themselves, as well as the crew behind the scenes such as Willie Williams, who has been with the band for over 30 years creating tour concepts. Production designer Jake Berry and set designer Ric Lipson will also give us a look into how the tour is brought to life. According to a press release we will also get to see Bono’s recovery from the biking accident that sent him to hospital last Autumn.
The documentary will be directed by Academy Award winning director Davis Guggenheim, who has worked with The Edge before on 2008’s documentary It Might Get Loud.
The second special, which will air a week later on November 14th, will showcase the band’s Paris concert from Bercy Arena on the same day. Regarding the two specials, HBO’s programming president Michael Lombardo said:
“U2 continues to take risks, which has made them one of the most consistently exciting forces in rock ‘n’ roll. The one-two combination of this documentary special, followed by the concert will provide viewers with the ultimate look at this remarkable band behind the scenes and on the stage.”
Meanwhile back at home, Irish fans of the band may have to wait a while longer to see the legends in the flesh. Back in May Bono told The Irish Times that they can’t bring the iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE tour to Dublin in its current form as there is no suitable venue in the city. He told the paper: “There may be acoustic shows. We will play the 3Arena but we can’t play the present show”.
Both the documentary and the concert will be available on HBO GO and HBO NOW simultaneous to the programs’ world premieres on HBO.