The Vancouver Sun from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada • 10

D10 II WESTCOASTLIFE I BREAKING NEWS: VAMC0UVERSUN.COM I THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2009 CONCERT REVIEW MARK VAN MANENVANCOUVER SUN U2 guitarist The Edge (background) and singer Bono perform at BC Place stadium Wednesday. Beautiful Day for U2 fans at BC Place Irish rockers land in Vancouver with Black Eyed Peas in tow U2 Black Eyed Peas Wednesday night BC Place personally planting the 20,118 trees environmental activist Helen Roberts claimed were necessary to neutralize the tour. The logic behind the scale and timing of such a production can be argued until Bono wears his patented shades to the grave: After all, U2 certainly doesn't require it to fill seats. CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE strong crew needed for the production around North America. Add to that the band's private jet and its 70,000 miles logged over the course of the two-year, worldwide tour and, well, that's a pretty substantial carbon footprint.

However, if you were to believe the spin from a certain American music rag, the timing for such a colossal greenhouse fart couldn't be better. After all, with the world mired in its various crises, they argue, what better time to tour with such an audacious, irresponsible rock spectacular? And that's probably true, if you're the type of person who thinks it's kosher for a company to throw a lavish Christmas party for its management the day after laying off 90 per cent of its staff. Then again, this is U2. The biggest band on the planet, in case you haven't heard. And, frankly, whatever irrevocable damage to the environment a giant, upside-down claw in the midst of an elaborate goliath of a live show causes, it's at least less annoying than some of the hot air frontman Bono has spewed into the atmosphere over the years.

Besides, the band promised to buy carbon offsets. They even hired a company to help. And that's almost as responsible as BY GRAEME McRANOR Reportedly, U2's 360 tour requires anywhere from 120 to 189 trucks and buses to haul its giant-claw-like stage and the 500-.