U2 bring out special guest during final Sphere show that made huge difference

U2‘s final Sphere show was full of surprises. Bono, The Edge, and Adam Clayton brought longtime collaborator Daniel Lanois for a special performance of “One.”

A special performance of U2's “One”

During the final show of U2's Sphere residency in Las Vegas, the setlist began ina  similar fashion to the previous 39 shows. When it got to “One,” Lanois made his way to the stage as the second verse commenced and played guitar on the track.

While he didn't sing a whole lot or have a guitar as loud as The Edge's, Lanois' presence made a huge difference. Since 2015 or so, Bono hasn't been able to play rhythm guitar. That places a lot more emphasis on The Edge's guitar riffs and sometimes makes certain songs feel a bit empty. Compare performances of “One” from the band's “ZooTV” tour and Sphere and you'll notice the difference.

Luckily, Lanois' appearance made this performance even more iconic. He supplemented The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Bram van den Berg's playing. Bono also invited Lanois to sing with him during the final refrains of the song. The performance also included an extended snippet of “Invisible,” with Bono singing refrains of “No them, there's only us.”

After the song ended, U2 played a snippet of Elvis Presley's “Love Me Tender” to segue into “Until the End of the World.” This happened at all 40 shows of the Sphere residency. However, this time, it was played almost separately since the band thanked Lanois for joining them before going into their Elvis cover.

Daniel Lanois' relationship with U2 goes back decades. He was brought in during the recording of The Unforgettable Fire and co-produced it with Brian Eno. His fingerprints remained as he helped produce The Joshua Tree next in 1987. Lanois also helped produce Achtung Baby, which the band was celebrating at the Sphere.

After taking off for Zooropa and Pop, Lanois returned to work with the band in 2000. He produced all three of the band's albums in the early '00s, All That You Can't Leave Behind, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, and No Line on the Horizon.