U2 performs "Atomic City" on Freemont Street in Las Vegas.U2 Chile, YouTube
U2 performed "Atomic City" at an impromptu concert on Fremont Street in Las Vegas, the same area where the iconic Irish band filmed the music video for their hit song "I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For" in 1987.
U2's song "Atomic City" is named after a famous nuclear test site in Nevada 65 miles northwest of Las Vegas.
U2 frontman Bono told the crowd that the song was "a rock ‘n’ roll 45 in the tradition of ’70s post-punk" and said it drew inspiration from The Clash and Blondie among others.
U2 played the song multiple times to capture footage for a music video and treated fans to one verse of "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" in a nod to the original music video.
The Irish band will begin their residency for the "U2:UV Achtung Baby Live At The Sphere" on September 29. Tickets have already sold out.
Although drummer Larry Mullen Jr. appears in the "Atomic City" music video, he will not be taking part in the upcoming residency due to health issues.
Mullen Jr. announced the decision in February 2023, citing injuries to his elbows, knees, and neck. However, he clarified that he was not leaving the band.
"My body is not what it used to be physically. Like next year, I won’t be performing live next year. I don’t know what the band’s plan is," Mullen Jr. said last February.
Bono paid tribute to Mullen Jr. for performing during the impromptu concert despite recently undergoing back surgery.
"The four of us recorded [‘Atomic City’]. Sadly, Larry Mullen Jr. won’t be with us at the Sphere," Bono told the crowd.
"He doesn’t listen to doctor’s orders. Neither do many of us. But he is here tonight … Give it up for Larry Mullen Jr."