Thursday, March 31, 2011

U2.COM : Buenos Aires - Get On Your Boots [video]

U2.COM : The Journey To La Plata [video]



'All of this can be yours...'

It's showday in Argentina and we're on the way to Estadio Unico de La Plata in Buenos Aires. (Were you there on opening night? Did we catch you on camera?)

U2.COM : Opening Night in Argentina

'Give me one more chance, and you'll be satisfied.
Give me two more chances, you won't be denied.'


Opening night of three at Estadio Unico de La Plata in Buenos Aires tonight and a big surprise right at the top of the show as the return of Space Oddity gave way to the unmistakable opening bars of Even Better Than The Real Thing. A huge response from this capacity crowd for a song that hasn't been in the live set for almost a decade, and the Argentinian volume levels didn't drop all night.

U2 setlist - March 30, 2011 at La Plata, Argentina

Venue: Unico Stadium

Opening Act(s): Muse

Main Set: Even Better Than the Real Thing, I Will Follow, Get On Your Boots, Magnificent, Mysterious Ways, Elevation, Until the End of the World, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, Beautiful Day - Blackbird, In a Little While, Miss Sarajevo, City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, I'll Go Crazy (remix), Sunday Bloody Sunday, Scarlet, Walk On - You'll Never Walk Alone

Encore(s): One, Where the Streets Have No Name, Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me, With or Without You, Moment of Surrender

Comments: Space Oddity returns as the band's intro music and is followed up by a surprise - the first performance of 'Even Better' since June 2001. There may be a song missing before Beautiful Day. The Madres de la Plaza de Mayo join the band on stage during One. Bono dedicates Moment of Surrender to Argentine rock singer Gustavo Cerati, who is still in a coma after suffering a stroke in 2010.

source : http://www.u2tours.com/

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

U2.COM : Meeting The Press



Subscribers Special:Larry, Adam, Bono, Edge and Paul McGuinness talk to the Argentinian media ahead of tonight's first show in Buenos Aires.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

U2.COM : 'No Room for Hate'



The powerful political art of Chilean painter and mural artist Rene Castro has been shown all over the world. His work became known to U2 fans initially after featuring on The Joshua Tree Tour and later when the band commissioned him to come up with a series of striking, colourful images for the LoveTown Tour including a guitar, candle, snakes, dollar signs and stars and stripes. Rene also painted some of the cars on the ZOOTV Tour.

After the 1973 military coup in Chile, Rene spent two years in a concentration camp - including ten weeks in what is now Estadio Nacional, where the show took place on Friday. Later he escaped and sought exile in the US and, though now back in Chile, seeing U2 on Friday was only the second time he'd been back to the stadium since.

During the show the band played a haunting instrumental version of Mothers of the Disappeared and One Tree Hill, which references Chilean cultural hero Victor Jara and Bono gave a special welcome to Rene, ' an old friend'.

U2.COM : Follow The Shows in Buenos Aires

If you want to follow the build up to the shows in Buenos Aires this week, take a look at this thread and join the chat.

U2.com Subscribers might like to check in on this thread for live updates from fans at the shows as it all happens.

On each show day, open another window for the home page of our Community area and join fans tweeting from the show and others following online.

If you're tweeting from - or about - the show, use the hashtag #U2360ARG or #U2360SAM - that way we can feature your updates in our rolling feed.

U2.COM : I Will Follow - Santiago [video]

Sunday, March 27, 2011

U2.COM : 'Walk On' for Japan

Walk On' is one of 38 tracks on Songs For Japan, a benefit album responding to the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan earlier this month.

John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Lady Gaga, Kings of Leon, Beyonce, Eminem and Bruce Springsteen are among a stellar collection of artists taking part and profits will go to the Japanese Red Cross.

The album is available now to download from Itunes and will come out physically on April 4.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Martin McCann puts in a star turn as the U2 frontman in 'Killing Bono.' It's no surprise.

Every now and then the brave cinemagoer emerges from a film and, after chewing over the intricacies of the plot, remarks: "But hang on. Who was that guy?" A few years ago, when Richard Attenborough released Closing the Ring , a strange, era-jumping melodrama set in Belfast, the reviews were pretty iffy about the story, direction and production values. But who was that guy in the lead? He was unbelievable.

U2 Santiago 2011-03-25 [videos]









U2 in Santiago airport 2011-03-24

U2.COM : 'More Hopeful Place' [video]

U2 setlist : March 25, 2011 at Santiago, Chile



Venue: National Stadium
Opening Act(s): Muse

Main Set: Beautiful Day - Sgt. Pepper's, I Will Follow, Get On Your Boots, Magnificent, Mysterious Ways, Elevation, Until the End of the World - Anthem, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - I Want to Know What Love Is, One Tree Hill, Pride, In A Little While, Miss Sarajevo, City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, I'll Go Crazy (remix) - Two Tribes, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Scarlet, Walk On - You'll Never Walk Alone

Encore(s): One, Mothers of the Disappeared - Where the Streets Have No Name - All You Need Is Love, Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me, With or Without You, Moment of Surrender

Comments: U2 plays in Chile for the third time. Bono changes up the lyrics to 'End of the World'. Chilean singer Francisca Valenzuela joins the band to sing with Bono during One Tree Hill. Instead of Amazing Grace, Edge plays the guitar intro to Mothers of the Disappeared while Bono chants over it for a minute or so - he doesn't actually sing any of the song's lyrics. Bono dedicates Moment of Surrender to the people of Japan. Rene Castro, whom U2 spent much time with during the Joshua Tree through Lovetown period, is at the show.

source http://www.u2tours.com/

U2.COM : Lift Off In Santiago

'You said you'd wait Chile, you said you'd wait until the end of the world...' And five years after the band last played in South America, five weeks after the last show and 21 months after this tour opened in Barcelona, U2360 achieved lift-off at the Estadio Nacional in Santiago tonight.

The 23-song set featuring tracks from nine different U2 albums, opened with Beautiful Day ('Larry Mullen right behind you...') and closed two and a half hours later with Moment of Surrender. Set list surprises included One Tree Hill, only twice previously played outside New Zealand since 1990, and a moving instrumental version of Mothers of the Disappeared between One and Streets.

'There's lots been going on here in the last five years,' reflected Bono. 'Both upsetting and inspiring times. From where we've been standing Chile - you look so strong - fuertes, fuertes, fuertes - and pretty handsome too.'

A special guest joined the band to share vocals on One Tree Hill: 'We'd like to ask to the stage the very gifted, the very wonderful Francisca Valenzuela.' The young and talented Chilean singer-songwriter brought a beautiful new dimension to a song with special connections to Chile and its most famous poet and political activist:
'Jara sang, his song a weapon in the hands of love.
You know his blood still cries from the ground.'


Bono dedicated the song to Joan, wife of Victor Jara. 'We never forget Victor Jara,' he added, and Pride too was, 'For Victor Jara once more.'

Another veteran Chilean artist and activist, who's known and worked with the band since the 1980's was also here tonight. 'Rene Castro,' announced Bono. 'An old friend, in the house!' Rene was responsible for creating the memorable stage backdrops on the LoveTown Tour at the end of the 1980's.

The country, as Edge points out on a video for U2.com, has changed dramatically for the better since the band first played here, but change is still coming in other countries - and the set list tonight referenced the dramatic people movements taking place in 2011. Sunday Bloody Sunday went out to a country in north Africa ('Libya, can you hear us?') while Scarlet segued into Walk On with a meditation on Aung San Suu Kyi.

'This beautiful spirit is out now, is free, she wants to thank U2 fans, Amnesty International, all people who campaigned for her - rejoice.' But the military junta that kept her under house arrest still locks up its political activists. 'Are you hearing us Burma?'

An irresistible version of Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me led into a pretty epic version of With or Without You - this Chilean audience sang at full volume all night, but never more so than now.
'Our hearts and our prayers go across the world from Chile to the people of Japan,' said Bono, with the opening bars of Moment of Surrender. A poignant note to close a powerful show.

Were you in Chile tonight? Add your own review and upload your photos on our Tour page. Ƃ

source : http://www.u2.com/

Friday, March 25, 2011

U2 Santiago 2011-03-24 Queue footage 6pm

U2 Rehearses in Santiago

With all four band members finally in Santiago (Bono and Larry arrived today), U2 finally took the stage tonight for what amounted to a slightly abbreviated rehearsal prior to Friday night's concert at the National Stadium. With hundreds of fans already in line and listening from outside -- and many tweeting the whole time -- the band went through a near-complete setlist, but Bono only sang on a handful of songs. Here's what U2 rehearsed tonight, with notes in parentheses as needed:
Return of the Stingray Guitar
Beautiful Day (twice)
I Will Follow
Get On Your Boots
Magnificent
Mysterious Ways
Elevation (Bono)
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (Bono)
One Tree Hill
Miss Sarajevo
(Fez segue - possibly live vocals?)
City of Blinding Lights
Walk On
Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
Moment of Surrender (Bono)
Beautiful Day (Bono)
In addition, fans reported hearing what sounded like guitar bits of "Mothers Of The Disappeared," the piano from "New Year's Day," and the siren sound from "Vertigo" during some rehearsal downtime. The inclusion of "One Tree Hill" would be unusual, since it's typically associated with and performed in New Zealand. But the song does mention Chilean poet Victor Jara Jara, who was murdered in Santiago in 1973.
Bono also reportedly visited earlier today with artist Rene Castro, whom the band met and became friendly with during the Joshua Tree - Rattle And Hum - Lovetown tour era.
U2 is reportedly going to take the stage at about 9:30 pm local time Friday night. You can follow along on Twitter via our U2 setlist tweets list or in the official setlist thread in our forum.

source : http://www.atu2.com/ by Matt McGee

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Mercury acts Arcade Fire, U2 and Killers to stop releasing physical singles

Mercury Records, the label home to U2, The Killers and Arcade Fire, is to stop the production of physical singles.

Except for on "rare occasions" the label is to rely almost entirely on downloads for its singles output.

Mercury lost money on singles releases in 2010. It will now only create physical singles when, according to company chiefs, "it is guaranteed to make a profit," reports the Daily Mail.

The label is also home to Elton John, whose 1997 single 'Candle In The Wind' remains the biggest-selling UK single of all time.

Figures compilied by the Official Chart Company earlier this year showed the recent decline in sales in the UK. In 2006 sales of seven-inch single totalled more than a million, but by 2010 the figure had fallen to 152,000 - an 85 percent drop.

Increased manufacturing costs have meant that less money is being made from the formats. The cost of dealing with excess stock wiped out any profits that Mercury made on singles last year.


source : http://www.nme.com/

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Everything's set in Chile!!!

Justin Bieber and U2 to appear on Japanese charity disc

Justin Bieber and U2 are among artists who have agreed to contribute songs to an album to raise funds for victims of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami.

Record label Universal Music said it hoped to release the digital-only album globally by the end of the week.

Bon Jovi and Rihanna have also been confirmed for the album, which will raise money for the Japanese Red Cross.

On Tuesday police said the death toll from the disaster had risen to 9,079, with 12,645 people listed as missing.

"We are doing it only digitally because it is faster," said a Universal spokesman, adding that the record would be "a worldwide release".

Announcing his involvement with the album on Twitter, Bieber wrote: "Japan needs our help... We all need to step up."

Trinidadian singer and rapper Nicki Minaj, whose album Pink Friday went to number one in the US last year, is also confirmed.

Universal artist Lady Gaga may also appear on the album, with more artists set to be announced.

The Poker Face singer has designed a "We Pray for Japan" rubber wrist band to sell to fans, with all proceeds going to relief efforts.

Last week she announced her fans had raised $250,000 (£153,000) within the first two days of sales.

source : http://www.bbc.co.uk/

The Edge Rock Cafe ticket stubs!

Photobucket

Monday, March 21, 2011

U2.COM : Follow The Show in Chile

If you want to follow the build up to Friday's's show in Santiago, Chile take a look at this thread and join the chat.

U2.com Subscribers might like to check in on this thread for live updates from fans at the show as it all happens.

On Friday, open another window for the home page of our Community area and join fans tweeting from the show and others following online.

If you're tweeting from - or about - the show, use the hashtag #U2360SAM - that way we can feature your updates in our rolling feed.

Jay-Z forced Bono to review below par U2 album

How many people can look Irish rock legend Bono of U2 in the eye and tell him that when it comes to the music on his latest album, perhaps he's stuck in a moment he needs to get out of?
Maybe more people than you think.
This week rapper Jay-Z revealed that his constructive criticisms of a U2 album prompted the Irish legend to rework an entire album - because, he said, he was simply worried it just wouldn't live up to their lofty history.
Jay-Z told the press: "One night I ran into Bono and he told me he'd read an interview I'd done."
"The writer had asked me about a U2 record that had just been released and I said something about the pressure a group like that must be under just to meet their own standards."
"Bono said the quote had really gotten to him and he decided to go back to the studio, even though the album was already done, and keep reworking it till he thought it was as good as it could possibly be. I was surprised that at this point in his career that he still got that anxious about his work."

source : http://www.irishcentral.com/ by Buzz Brady

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Coming soon in Marousi Hellas.....


Bono meets with members of the Senate

Putting some wind at the back of ONE members who have been lobbying their senators to oppose cuts that will cost lives, our cofounder Bono was in DC this week. He met with members of Congress on both sides of the aisle about the importance of preserving smart, effective programs that are delivering major results in the fight against extreme poverty, AIDS and malaria. Heading to the Hill, he met with Rep. Kay Granger, as well as a number of Republican senators organized by Senator Mike Johanns and a number of Democratic senators organized by Sen. Chris Coons, before stopping at the White House to meet with several senior staff working on the budget.
At ONE, we know that Congress is faced with making difficult choices on the budget, but effective American programs are saving millions of lives and putting tens of millions of children in school — all for less than 1 percent of the federal budget. The House budget cut several key programs that are delivering AIDS and malaria medicine to people who desperately need it and would help poor farmers grow more food for their families and communities. ONE is urging the Senate to avoid similar cuts and hopes to work with both parties to ensure these effective programs – which represent just a tiny fraction of the overall budget – get the funding they need.

source : http://www.one.org/ by Kathy Mckiernan

U2.COM : 'Force One' [video]



Ahead of the show in Paris last September, the brilliant French artist Fabien Verschaere met up with Edge... and totally transformed the look of his Fender Telecaster.

Maybe you were in the audience that night wondering about that new guitar Edge was playing? Don't lose any more sleep over it. Here's your answer - in the fantastical imagination of a singular artist.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Bono's doppelganger hits the big time

As a teenager, Neil McCormick had ambitions to be a global rock star. So, unfortunately, did his schoolmate Paul Hewson.

Bono, as he became universally known, achieved all the ambitions that McCormick and his brother Ivan had set out for themselves.

As U2 rose to world domination, they fell short first as Yeah Yeah! and then Shook Up!. They even got a record deal, but ran out of luck.

U2.COM : 'U2:Duals' To Ship & Exclusive Content

Great news! The first copies of 'U2:Duals' will begin shipping next week.

Please log into your U2.com subscriber account today and confirm that your mailing details are current and correct to ensure that the new CD is sent to the right location. (If your mailing address has changed since you resubscribed to U2.com please send us a note on the Contact Us form and submit your updated address this week. Make sure to select 'Duals Order Address Correction' from the drop down list.)

We're advised that shipping within North America and in Europe will take up to two weeks, with a further week for countries elsewhere in the world.

Still with DUALS, a few weeks back we made the opening track, 'Where The Streets Have No Name', featuring the Soweto Gospel Choir, available for subscribers to download. Last month the Choir came to the show in Jo'Burg, met up with the band and performed the song beautifully backstage. We've just posted some exclusive footage for subscribers.

As ever Willie Williams was keeping his tour diary up to date for us during the South African shows and, in case you missed them, we've also been featuring two extraordinary 360° interactive images from Jo'Burg and Cape Town. Zoom in on them, tag yourself or your friends, see if you can believe the detail.

Ever wondered how the U2360° crew manage to move the show between cities... or countries? Another subscribers-only clip we've just posted goes behind the scenes down under last November to show you just how it's done.

Lastly, thanks for the hundreds and hundreds of great comments you posted after we broadcast the show from Cape Town. It was pretty amazing to have U2.com subscribers listening and commenting live from so many countries around the world.

Next up it's Chile, Argentina and Brazil with the first show at the end of next week. Take a look at another new video we've added (on the home page) as the crew get set for South America.

best wishes,
The U2.com Team.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Adam turns 51 today!


Happy birthday Adam from all of us!!! All the best!!!

Friday, March 11, 2011

U2.COM : Load-Out. Take-Off. Touch-Down. [video]


Subscribers Special: Ever wondered how the U2360° crew manage to move the show between cities... or countries?

This clip shot in the hours after the second Auckland show on November 26th - and early the following morning - shows you just how it's done.

Five hundred and eighty two tonnes of equipment safely loaded into six 747 cargo planes thanks to the best rock'n'roll touring crew in the world.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

U2.COM : All Set For South America [video]

U2.COM : Gospel Music in Jo'Burg [video]



'We're fans and we fell in love with the sound you make so tonight we're going to open the show with one of your pieces.'

The Soweto Gospel Choir were at Soccer Stadium in Jo'Burg last month to greet the band ahead of the first date of 2011.

Last year the double-Grammy winning Choir recorded several U2 tracks including 'Where The Streets Have No Name', which opens 'U2 Duals'.

And it was their own version of 'Get On Your Boots' that was playing as the band arrived on stage.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Glastonbury warning for headliners U2

Glastonbury organisers have laid down the law to U2 and banned the stars from bringing their giant screens and spectacular stage props to the festival this summer.

Bono and the band will enjoy one of their finest hours when they headline the world's biggest festival in June.

But the stars won't be able to use any of the jawdropping effects from their record-breaking 360 degree tour because Glasto organiser Michael Eavis is insisting they "keep it real". Instead the Dubliner's will have to strip down their stage performance and use the same set as all the other acts. And last night a source close to the band revealed the stars will be ditching their set list that has been touring the world for the past 18 months, and instead perform a "greatest hits" gig for Glasto.

A band insider revealed last night: "Michael Eavis told the band it will be almost impossible to bring any elements of their current stage set to Glastonbury. There won't be room for the big screens and all the props on the Pyramid stage, so the band are having to completely redesign their show for the Glasto gig. Bono has already suggested they completely change the set list and do a greatest hits set. It means they'll only play a couple of songs off their last album and instead focus on the glory days. Songs including Where The Streets Have No Name, Sunday Bloody Sunday and With Or Without You have already been put on the short-list."

U2 will be joining Coldplay and Beyonce as the main headline acts and play the Pyramid stage on Friday, June 24. Tickets for their Glastonbury appearance have already sold out with touts selling passes to the gig for up to £1,000 a pair.

A Glastonbury spokesman said: "Tickets are now securely identified and therefore cannot be resold."

source : http://www.mirror.co.uk/

Friday, March 4, 2011

Discovery astronauts wake up to U2 (video)



(NECN/NASA TV) - Astronauts on the shuttle Discovery woke today to "City of Blinding Lights" by U2.

The song was chosen by Steve Kopra, who was supposed to lead the final space walk but was grounded after a bicycle accident.

This will be a day of rest for the crew following Wednesday's successful walk in space.

Discovery is scheduled to undock from the International Space Station Sunday for the trip back to earth. This is the final flight for NASA's oldest space shuttle as the program winds down.

source : http://necn.platformicstaging.com/

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

U2 Fans Petition for Better Fan Club

Upset not only about the Duals track list, but also with the U2.com fan club on the whole, U2 fans have started an online petition calling attention to the situation. The petition outlines many of the complaints that have surfaced recently about Duals - the new U2.com members-only CD that mostly features songs already available on other releases. In an unscientific poll we ran on @U2 last month, fans overwhelmingly gave Duals a poor grade. The petition also includes other fan club problems, such as selling mislabeled lithographs and non-exclusive concert ticket pre-sales.
Via a couple sources, we understand that U2.com is aware of the petition and the complaints, in general. Zootopia moderator Bajagirl recently posted that she doesn't expect any official response to the petition.
UPDATE: Bajagirl has clarified her post in Zootopia saying that she was only referring to the threads about Duals, not to the fan petition. However, an email last Friday from info@numb.ie (the official "U2 World Service" email address listed in most album booklets) to a U2 fan who works on another fan site confirms that the petition has been "passed on to our people at U2.com."

source : http://www.atu2.com/ by Matt McGee

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Clayton's ex-PA sent for trial

The former personal assistant of Adam Clayton was served with a book of evidence today and sent forward for trial for allegedly embezzling millions of euros from the U2 bassist.
Carol Hawkins (47) with an address at Crannagh Rd., Rathfarnham, in Dublin, had been charged in January with 184 counts under the Theft and Fraud Offences Act.
The charges relate to theft of varying sums of money, in their thousands, worth up to €3 million, from bank accounts in the name of Adam Clayton, on dates from 2005 until 2008.
She appeared at Dublin District Court today for a second time where Detective Sergeant Clodagh White, of the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation, served a book of evidence, which comprises three volumes, on Ms. Hawkins.
State solicitor Joanne Gleeson told Judge Denis McLoughlin that that the DPP consented to Ms. Hawkins being returned for trial on indictment to the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on all of the 184 charges.
An application for legal aid to be granted was made by Ms. Hawkins' solicitor.
However, Ms. Gleeson for the State, said there was on objection. "GardaĆ­ are of the view that the accused may have property or assets in her own name," she submitted.
The court was furnished with a statement of the defendant's means, however, the State said that time was needed to make enquiries in relation to the accused's properties or assets.
Judge McLoughlin made an order sending Ms. Hawkins forward for trial and said that the issue of whether legal aid would be granted could be dealt with at a later stage pending a Garda investigation of the statement of means.
Legal aid may be granted subsequently, he told Ms. Hawkins.
He notified her that if she intended to use an alibi she must notify the State within 14 days. The judge then made an order sending her forward for trial at the present term of the Circuit Court.
Ms. Hawkins, who was dressed in a black coat and trousers, spoke once during the case to confirm her signature on her bail bond.
She is on bail in her own bond of €500 with conditions and must notify the State if she intended to change her address, the court was told.

source : http://www.irishtimes.com/