ADAM JONES On Possible TOOL Residency At Sphere In Las Vegas: 'I Think We Will Do It At Some Point'

In a new interview with Ronni Hunter of the 99.7 The Blitz radio station, TOOL guitarist Adam Jones confirmed plans for him and his bandmates to stage a run of shows at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada.

"We were supposed to open that place," Adam said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "We were asked, and because of 'Game Of Thrones' band politics, we just couldn't make it work. And then they ended up using U2, which I think we probably would've gotten bumped anyway. But they have been really enthusiastic about us playing there, so we've been talking to them since it opened about doing some kind of residency there. And there's just a lot of production details and budgeting and money and timing. So it's complicated. But I think we will do it at some point."

Earlier this year, TOOL drummer Danny Carey told Spiral Out that he and his bandmates were in talks about a possible residency at the Sphere after the release of their next studio album. When the interviewer noted that TOOL is "a very cinematic band", particularly when it comes to the group's live shows, Carey concurred. "Yeah, we're very much into that," he said. "We're hoping when we release the new record, maybe do a stint at the Sphere [in Las Vegas] 'cause I think we're the perfect band for that. We've been talking to those guys."

Carey went on to say that "the preparation" to bring a massive Sphere residency from blueprint to opening night "is pretty intense". He added: "It's a very expensive endeavor, and it takes a while to get into the black. I think [you have to play] quite a few shows before you make any money."

Asked if he has ever been to the Sphere, Danny said: "Yeah. Well, I just took a tour of it. I haven't actually seen a full-on show, but they took [us around the venue] to show it off. It's incredible, man. I almost got vertigo [just looking around it]."

The Las Vegas Sphere is a 17,600-capacity venue which has transformed live entertainment since opening in September 2023.

Known for its immersive entertainment experiences, including concerts and films, featuring a state-of-the-art 16K resolution wraparound screen and a powerful sound system, the Las Vegas Sphere is nestled near the Venetian Resort and Wynn Las Vegas just off the Las Vegas Strip.

The Sphere has already hosted residencies from a number of legendary rockers, including U2, PHISH, DEAD & COMPANY and THE EAGLES.

U2 opened the building with 160,000-square-foot LED screens and 4D features, playing to more 700,000 fans across 40 sold-out dates from September 2023 through March 2024. The shows commemorated one of U2's most successful albums, the chart-topping 1991 release "Achtung Baby", played in its entirety, along with select tracks from other U2 LPs.

Sphere's next-generation technologies include the world's highest-resolution LED display that wraps up, over and around the audience, creating a fully immersive visual environment. The venue also features the world's most advanced concert-grade audio system, Sphere Immersive Sound, powered by HOLOPLOT, which delivers audio with unmatched clarity and precision to every guest.

This past March, METALLICA added 16 dates to its Sphere residency, tripling the number of shows for the engagement, which begins in early October and now extends into 2027. All 24 "Life Burns Faster" shows will continue the "No Repeat Weekend" tradition that began with the 2023 kick-off of the band's "M72" world tour, with no songs repeated on each Thursday and Saturday.

METALLICA originally announced eight dates at the venue between October 1 and 31 October, but later added shows in November (November 5 and 7),January (January 28 and 30),February (February 4, 6, 18, 20, 25, and 27),and March (March 4, 6, 11, and 13).

Quite possibly the era's most highly anticipated album, TOOL's latest LP, "Fear Inoculum", debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top 200 and earned heaps of critical praise, with NPR saying, "'Fear Inoculum' was worth the 13-year wait," Revolver proclaiming the album "a masterpiece to be dissected for years to come" and Consequence saying the release finds "TOOL in peak performance."

In 2022, TOOL released "Opiate2", a re-imagined and extended version of the 1992 EP's title track and an accompanying short film, marking the band's first new video in 15 years. The band also unveiled the first incarnation of "Fear Inoculum" vinyl, dubbed the Ultra Deluxe edition, the limited offering included five 180-gram vinyl discs emblazoned with a unique etching and accompanied by an elaborate pictorial booklet including never-before-seen artwork.

TOOL formed in 1990, releasing five studio albums: "Undertow" (1993),"Ænima" (1996),"Lateralus" (2001),"10,000 Days" (2006) and "Fear Inoculum" (2019); two EPs: "72826" (1991) and "Opiate" (1992),and the limited-edition boxset "Salival" (2000). The band has won four Grammy Awards: "Best Metal Performance" (1998, "Ænima"),"Best Metal Performance" (2002, "Schism"),"Best Recording Package" (2007, "10,000 Days") and "Best Metal Performance" (2020, "7empest").

Photo credit: Travis Shinn