PSA: THE BIGGER PICTURE
SAFETY MATTERS TO U2… AND YOU, TOO U2 have been at the cutting edge of live production technology for decades, consistently leading the field with ubiquitous current technology easily traced back to their constant presence at the cutting edge....
Historically, the PSA column has examined the theory, regulation and enforcement of safety. However, this month, we’re lucky enough to get a view from the practical end. During interviews with the U2 touring team, Mark Cunningham probed the safety issues. Naturally, we were all too happy to hand over this month’s excerpt to the musings of those that enable the safe adoption of the biggest and best in show design. Of course, the thrills are not without their spills... Based in Bristol, The Event Safety Shop (TESS) has developed a solid
relationship with Jake Berry and U2 over many tours, and it’s one that both parties take very seriously. “Health and safety regulations are rampant in Europe, and the paperwork involved in putting on a show is frightening,” said Berry in Paris during the European leg of the 2018 eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE tour, “so you need someone you can trust to dedicate themselves to such a time-consuming responsibility. “If you have all the correct paperwork, it’s not a problem. It’s when you aren’t armed with the right paperwork that you can find yourself tied up in 106
