U2 – POP GIANTS (2CD) Compact Disc Double

U2’S PopMart Tour, staged in support of the group’s 1997 album Pop, was an elaborate production. Its lavish stage design had a 165-foot-wide LED screen, a 100-foot-high golden arch, and a large mirror-ball lemon. As with their previous jaunt, the Zoo TV Tour, the band delivered an image and performance that were ironic and self-mocking on PopMart, deviating from their earnest performances of the 1980s; U2 performed in costumes that, along with the stage design, poked fun at the themes of consumerism and pop culture. The shows were performed in stadiums and parks in 1997 and 1998, and spanned five legs and 93 shows, and took U2 to South America, South Africa and Israel for the first time. The tour was booked while the band were still completing Pop, which was planned to be released during the 1996 holiday season. However, the recording sessions went long, delaying the release until March 1997 and cutting into rehearsal time for the tour. Although it was the second-highest-grossing tour of 1997, PopMart was marred by technical difficulties and mixed reviews from critics and fans, particularly in the United States. PopMart grossed US$173.6 million from 3.98 million tickets sold.