U2 concert to be streamed live from Rose Bowl

A scene from the Boston show of U2's 360 show, what has been called the biggest rock show in history. This Sunday's show, at the Rose Bowl, in Pasadena, Calif., will be streamed live on YouTube.

(Credit: U2)

U2 fans who can't make it to the band's giant concert this Sunday evening at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., don't fret: you'll be able to watch anyway.

The band has announced that it plans to stream the concert on YouTube, and fans around the world will be able to tune in to watch it live.

"The band has wanted to do something like this for a long time," said U2's manager, Paul McGuinness, in a statement on the band's Web site. "As we're (already) filming the LA show, it's the perfect opportunity to extend the party beyond the stadium. Fans often travel long distances to come to see U2--this time U2 can go to them, globally."

According to the BBC, this is not U2's first experiment with live streaming. The band "allowed fans to watch a Boston date of their Popmart tour in 1997 via Microsoft's MSN Web site," wrote the BBC.

In addition, YouTube has also experimented with large live events. Around 700,000 people watched its YouTube Live concert/variety show in November, which was streamed from San Francisco and featured several celebrity acts including pop stars Katy Perry and will.i.am.

U2's current tour, called U2 360, is said to feature the biggest rock show in history, at least as measured by the complexity of the concerts' infrastructure.

[subterraneancinema]

This is going to be an awesome event and another groundbreaking achievement in music history. Im going to take it one step further: in the Second Life virtual world, Im going to stream the broadcast on a huge virtual screen, thus making it the first major concert to be streamed to a virtual audience live as it is happening in "first life". If you are a citizen of SL, look for "Alexander Howl" during showtime to join the virtual celebration! :)

[NouberNou]

Wait, you are seriously saying it is somehow better to watch it in Second Life?! You know those "huge" virtual screens will never be bigger than your monitor, so why not watch it broadcast via whatever plugin they use and see it in full screen?

[TG2Cnet]

@NouberNou ... I don't think its all about watching U2, it's as much about watching U2 from inside a virtual world as the youtube broadcast ... the idea that the real world simulcast to (potentially) millions of people world wide, and simultaneously millions of virtual persons ... that's pretty cool ...if Mr. Howl can pull it off.. :)

[tenc21]

geez U2 is sooo 80's! Streaming from the Rose Bowl? Bono and his greybeard fans probably have a difficult time getting up any stream (and I don't mean like a salmon) ...