ARRIVING in the early hours of Saturday morning, having played two sold-out concerts the previous two nights in San Jose, U2 and associated management have once again settled into their west coast headquarters.

Nowadays those headquarters consist of a combination of luxury hotel villas and private residences. (Edge and family have finally settled into their newly-acquired Malibu residence.)

It has been 20 years since U2 first played in Southern California. Millions of miles have been logged traveling the world over, but in some ways not much has changed in the way the band approaches each performance.

One of the key players on the management side of this Elevation Tour 2001, is the highly affable and very organized tour manager, Dennis Sheehan.

For over 18 years, Sheehan has handled the phenomenal responsibility of seeing that every person and piece of equipment is at the right place at the right time when it comes to U2 tours.

He has seen to it that Ireland's favorite sons have successfully performed at over 2,000 shows worldwide. Raised in Dungarvan, Co. Waterford, Sheehan has been involved with the music business his entire life.

As a young boy, he began playing the piano. As the aspiring musician grew older, several influences would forever change his life. One event he recalls as if it was yesterday. "I had a run-in with a teacher, who, as discipline for my behavior assigned me to (school) detention hall."

Acoustic guitar

Sadly, he arrived early to, as he said, "take my licks" and overheard the teacher playing an acoustic guitar "in a way I had never heard before." With a good deal of begging from Sheehan, the teacher eventually began to give the former piano-playing lad guitar lessons.

"It totally consumed me. I did everything I could to raise enough money to finally buy a guitar of my own." Sheehan's family eventually moved to England where his father worked as a sheet metal fabricator.

This was another transforming event. Sheehan's father had hoped that his son would follow in his footsteps. But young Dennis had other ideas. Soon he was playing in several bands in and around London.

"There were over 2,000 clubs around the city where we could always get booked," he said. Sheehan also learned that besides playing music he had developed another talent perhaps more important than performing - "the ability to get along with the idiosyncrasies of musicians as a whole."

That ability led him on to produce hundreds of rock concert tours throughout the 1970s. His first major break came when he was asked to promote and tour manage the then mega-group, Led Zeppelin.

"At their peak, Led Zeppelin actually had more people to oversee than we (U2) have ever had - including the PopMart and ZOO TV tours" Sheehan said. "They had over 300 people for Zeppelin, and on this Elevation Tour we have around 75 people in total. That breaks down to around 23 people in 'band and management' and another 54 on our (rigging) crew, lights,
techs, video and sound team."

THIS entire North American leg of the "Elevation Tour" will include 33 cities with 50 individual concerts, spread out over 90 days. The band will have crossed the North American continent at least twice.

For most of the cities, Sheehan said, "the band has maintained some type of headquarters here in Los Angeles."

Executive jet

Most of the shows so far "have been 'one-off' events (single night performances). So rather than having to stay in unfamiliar settings, the band and management prefer to fly out following the evening' performance and get back to L.A.

"We have a very comfortable jet at our disposal and it really does make things all the easier."

For the entire 90-day American leg of "Elevation Tour 2001" the band and management utilize a 727 Executive jet, configured to seat around 34 people. Those include the band, management, security and sometimes friends and family.

The rest of the personnel are transported in 10 customized silver and white tour buses. Each bus can comfortably sleep 10 people. Unlike some previous U2 tours, where there were two complete sets of stages, lights, video screens, etc., which then "leap-frogged ahead" every other city, this tour only uses one stage.

Sheehan used an example of how he tries to utilize the band's off-stage time to a maximum. "When we did the Denver show (April 6) the band left L.A. in the morning around 10:30. We got to the arena for sound check around 4 p.m. The band had some light food and refreshments. They hit the stage at around 8:30, played for a little over two hours and then we rushed to the airport to fly back to L.A.

"The next morning they had to be at Universal Studios (three miles from their hotel) at 7 a.m. to shoot their newest 'Elevation' video. That lasted the entire day, so by the time they had finished, they were ready to relax."

Sheehan is a tireless man and one who laughs easily. At 54, he admits, "I don't know if I can do this forever." He describes meeting the band's manager, Paul McGuinness, back in 1982, when he accepted the offer to become the tour manager as "one of the best days of my life."

When asked what it's like to be the tour manager for one of the greatest rock and roll bands of all time, he pauses to reflect and then smiles. "Well, I have to say, I've never worked with such committed musicians and people like I do with this band. Sure, they are my bosses and employer, but that's not why I say that I do have one of the best jobs in the world!

"This entire band and organization are artists first, but they are also tremendous individuals. At my age, I'm able to do a lot of other things, but I'm committed to this band. Paul, Bono, Edge, Larry and Adam seem like brothers in a way. No one works with or for U2 for very long if they don't become part of the 'big family' so to speak."

Predictable concert day!

ALTHOUGH each venue is different and poses its own unique requirements, Sheehan has gotten the science of tour manager down to an art form. A typical concert day is very predictable. He's up around 7a.m. and puts in about a 3-4 mile run. At noon, after checking with the band members and McGuinness, he's on his way to the arena or stadium, typically driving himself and tour business manager Bob Koch.

He arrives in his "portable, ever moving office" on site by 1:30 p.m. After seeing to countless minor issues, he awaits the bands' arrival at 3:30 p.m. Sound check is typically from 4 to 6 p.m., where he oversees any last minute details. The band members gather for a light catered meal, and then retire to their dressing rooms.

The band members, McGuinness and Sheehan discuss the night's concert and then decide on the set list, which constantly changes, based on pre-concert discussions. Typically, there are a handful of celebrities and associated VIPs to meet and greet which Sheehan describes as a way for "the band to meet some old friends and to make some new ones as well."

During their first Anaheim show, some notables were seen, including Gwen Stefani and No Doubt, author Salman Rushdie and even Belfast's own Wayne McCullough with his wife Cheryl.

Bono had invited the two to come for a visit and so that Wayne could get some photos and boxing gloves signed, for as he said, "my own wall of fame collection. When they played in Vegas (April, '97) we all got together for some laughs."

Since U2's tour began in Fort Lauderdale on March 24, U2 have, as of the Anaheim dates, played in 13 cities, spanning 34 days. Behind every one of these unique shows can be found "a juggler of details and logistics" - Dennis Sheehan.

As the band prepares for its next stop, Sheehan is already making plans for weeks down the road. On June 21, "Elevation Tour 2001" will leave North America and head over for the European leg. When asked what's different once the tour gets to Europe, Sheehan pauses for a moment and replies, "the accents and the weather!"