HBO to air two non-compulsory U2 specials later this year

By Sam Barsanti | July 31, 2015 | 12:39am

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U2’s plan to dump free copies of its Songs Of Innocence album on everyone’s iTunes accounts last year was an undeniable success that annoyed absolutely nobody (mostly), so now that there are literally millions of new U2 fans in the world, the band is celebrating by putting together a pair of new specials with HBO. The first one will be a behind-the-scenes documentary on U2’s “iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Tour” that (according to the press release) “offers unprecedented access to the band and the team that worked with them” to create the tour’s imagery and concept. It will also feature interviews with everyone in the band and a handful of crew members who help make the shows happen.

However, a documentary about a concert is a little disappointing if you can’t actually see the concert, so HBO will dedicate the second U2 special to an actual performance of the “iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE” show from Paris’ Bercy Arena. That means you’ll be able to see all of the levitating platforms, wind machines, and LED screens from the documentary in action, levitating Bono, blowing wind at The Edge, and flashing pictures of the other two guys who aren’t as well known. (Their names are Larry Clayton and Adam Mullen Jr., we’re just pretending we don’t know as a joke.)