Tuesday, May 31, 2011

U2.COM : U2360° FANCAM Returns: Denver, Salt Lake City


Remember the breathtaking 360° images we posted after the shows in South Africa?

The ones where you could zip around the stadium and zoom in anywhere - from your best mate to Larry's drum kit ?

Well - U2360° FANCAM is back!

Monday, May 30, 2011

U2.COM : U2 Toast Amnesty International at First Canadian Show



U2 joined the celebrations for the 50th Anniversary of Amnesty at the Canad Inns Stadium in Winnipeg, Canada last night (May 29th, 2011).

With a pint of Guinness in hand, Bono made a toast from the stage, “Tonight is Amnesty International’s 50th birthday. Fifty year’s ago Amnesty was formed because two Portuguese students were imprisoned for seven years for raising a toast to freedom… so in their honour - tonight we raise a toast to freedom and might you join us to sing happy birthday to Amnesty International”

The 50,000 strong Canadian crowd joined U2 in a rousing version of “Happy Birthday”.

Burmese pro-democracy leader, Aung San Suu Kyi appeared on the cylindrical screen above the stage, with a video message for the crowd, “We are not bystanders in our own history, every one of us writes a story that is told… I see it through your support for Burma, for Amnesty International. Where basic human rights are denied or basic human needs are not met, the struggle may be hard, it make take time… but if we demand it, change will come.”

The Winnipeg show was U2’s first concert in Canada on this - the second leg of U2 360° Tour.

U2.COM : 'A Toast to Freedom'


'People have been saying it's cold? No, not at all!' mused Bono, as a  huge Canadian audience cheered in agreement. ' I don’t know what they’re talking about. You’re Canadian…we’re Irish… and we have some real men in the band, you know who you are...
'Fourteen years ago we played a show here we will never forget. It's a privilege for us to come and play for you.
'What are you going to play for us The Edge?
The Edge had prepared a number called All I Want Is You and with its opening bars, Winnipeg could hardly have been hotter. Earlier, planes from the Canadian airforce aerial team The Snowbirds had  offered us  three dazzling fly-bys in the minutes before the show, including one which spectacularly circled the stadium, but it was Even Better than The Real Thing that signalled the arrival of the main space attraction of the evening.

U2 setlist - May 29, 2011 at Winnipeg MB, Canada

Venue: Canad Inns Stadium


Opening Act(s): The Fray

Main Set: Even Better Than The Real Thing, I Will Follow, Get On Your Boots - Oh Canada, Magnificent, Mysterious Ways, Elevation, Until the End of the World - Where Have All The Flowers Gone, All I Want Is You, Stay, Beautiful Day - Heart of Gold, Pride, Miss Sarajevo, Zooropa, City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo - You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet, I'll Go Crazy (remix) - Discotheque - Life During Wartime - Psycho Killer - Please, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Scarlet, Walk On - You'll Never Walk Alone, Happy Birthday

Encore(s): One, Will You Love Me Tomorrow - Where the Streets Have No Name, Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me, With or Without You

Comments: The Royal Canadian Air Force does a flyover shortly before the show starts. The fan-read poem before Beautiful Day this time is actually the lyrics to You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet by Winnipeg's Bachman Turner Overdrive. At the end of the main set, Bono leads the crowd in singing Happy Birthday for Amnesty International, which is 50 years old this year. Although Moment of Surrender is on the printed setlist, the show ends after With or Without You.

source : http://www.u2tours.com/

Sunday, May 29, 2011

U2 breached Suncorp Stadium noise limit with 100-decibel-plus 360 Degree World Tour concert

Reports obtained by The Sunday Mail show Irish supergroup U2 exceeded the regulated 100-decibel limit inside the venue at one of their two 360 Degree World Tour concerts in Brisbane last year.

The group notched 105 decibels, but will not be fined for the breach, unlike the $50,000 penalty the band received from their hometown of Dublin earlier in the tour.

The reports also reveal one of the five external sites Stadiums Queensland is required to audit is still failing to accurately record noise levels and recorded excess levels for U2 as well as Bon Jovi a few nights later.

Tens of thousands of people live around the stadium in some of Queensland's most expensive suburbs such as Paddington, Auchenflower, Red Hill and Milton.

The flaws come five years after a problem with the "skewed" site at 105 Hale St was discovered and recommended to be fixed, and two years after Sports Minister Phil Reeves failed to explain why they had not been fixed.

The reports show acoustics contractor Cardno Consulting had measuring difficulties at the noisy Hale St site, where the same problems occurred during concerts by Robbie Williams in 2006.

The stadium had 21 complaints and three compliments over the two U2 nights last December but only one complaint for Bon Jovi.

"There were some slight exceedences on night one and none on the second night," the report said of U2's performances.

Mr Reeves yesterday said the problem site would be reviewed next year.

But Opposition sports spokesman David Gibson said the five-year delay was another example of poor management.

"It is disgraceful that not only has the Government failed to fix the 'skewed' monitoring station but that they also fail to adhere to or enforce their own regulations," he said.

source : http://www.couriermail.com.au/

Saturday, May 28, 2011

U2.COM : Rehearsals in Winnipeg

The band  arrived in Winnipeg today and went straight into rehearsals at the Burton Cummings Theatre. 

Outside the theatre Bono told fans that they were here filming a documentary about Achtung Baby with Davis Guggenheim and he was pleased to see they'd brought the Irish weather to Winnipeg.

Adam and Bono signed autographs and met with fans who'd been waiting outside  since early this morning.

Friday, May 27, 2011

Q&A: U2's Larry Mullen, Jr. on Why Acting Does Not Come Naturally (Cannes)

U2 drummer Larry Mullen Jr. will make his acting-producing debut with the crime drama Man on the Train, which Sierra / Affinity and Preferred Content are selling in the Marche de Cannes this week. The musician, who will have to skip the Festival de Cannes because of "touring commitments," spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about the excitement and anxiety attached to this new artistic venture.
The Hollywood Reporter: Had you been interested in getting involved with filmmaking for a while? How did that originate?
Larry Mullen, Jr.: Filmmaking never really crossed my mind. My involvement in the process came about by accident over a social drink with writer/director Mary McGuckian, whom I've known for years. After deciding to try and acquire the rights to re-make the movie, it turned out to be way more complicated than anticipated. Eventually everything fell into place. I enjoyed that process. It’s an independently financed project. It was shot in only 17 days – in Orangetown, a small suburb outside Toronto. Stefan Von Bjorn, our director of photography, makes it look expensive. Becoming a producer felt natural - unlike the acting funnily enough.

U2.COM : Follow The Show in Winnipeg

Coming to the show in Winnipeg on Sunday ? Planning to follow online? Here's how.

If you want to follow the build up to the show in Winnipeg, take a look at this thread and join the chat. 

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

You can upload images, video and even have your own blog directly embedded in our #U2360WPG Group over on our community pages.

On  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 #U2360WPG or #U2360CAN, that way we can feature your updates in our rolling feed.

How does it feel to volunteer at a U2 show? Invigorating.

Invigorating. That’s the first word that comes to mind as I think about my ONE campaign volunteer experience yesterday. How can six hours of hitting the pavement talking to hundreds of people be invigorating?

Simple. Imagine teaming up with 30 equally enthusiastic ONE volunteers. There you are, you’ve got your ONE shirt on, your bag of bracelets and information packets packed into your shoulder bag, and you are ready to spread the word about ONE’s vision to as many people as you can. You are ready to speak on behalf of those who are unable to speak for themselves. You are ready to be an advocate.
And that’s exactly what we did.
Along with invigoration, inspiration is top of my list of emotions to describe how it felt as I informed fellow concert attendees throughout the Rice Eccles Stadium grounds in Salt Lake City.
As I spoke of ONE’s current efforts to save 4 million children by 2015, people’s ears began to perk up. The number was shocking to… but that number is a reality. A harsh reality, which caused several people to ask questions about what they could do.
And ONE volunteers love questions — that means people are already beginning to use their voice to promote justice and equality! And don’t you worry, before too long, as word was getting around throughout the queues at the stadium, people were coming up to me and tapping my shoulder, asking what they could do to help.
What I learned last night was comforting to my activist heart: People want to help! People want to give a voice to those who are unable to speak for themselves. They just are looking for the an outlet to do so, and ONE is able to offer that outlet, whether it be by information, petition-signing, writing to the White House, or better yet, becoming a ONE member and volunteering themselves.
With that said, it is my pleasure to report on behalf of my fellow Utah ONE volunteers and the 3,572 new ONE members: We are ONE! Are you?
-Sara Vranes, ONE community volunteer, Provo/Salt Lake City, Utah

source : http://www.one.org/

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Bono & The Edge - Rise Above (Spiderman) - American Idol Season 10 Finale - 05/25/11

U2.COM : 'Ladies and Gentlemen...'



'There's a heavy metal album, a gospel album, one with the Irish tenors... a golfing tribute album.'

On Sunday night U2 were in Las Vegas to be named Top Touring Artist at the annual Billboard Awards.

The U2.com cameras had access all areas as the band arrived from the previous night's show in Denver, greeted the other guests, made the speeches and met the press.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

U2.COM : 'Robo-Bono in Salt Lake City'


We've had storms this week but turned out to be a beautiful, crisp evening at the Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City tonight, another capacity audience executing spectacular Mexican waves as we waited for the band to take the stage.

And then we were in it - 'Real Thing', I Will Follow, Get On Your Boots, Magnificent, Mysterious Ways - the audience response was deafening, U2360° was in orbit again.

'Thank you for coming out, thanks to The Fray and thanks for your patience!' said Bono, taking a breath after Until The End of the World. 'Let me tell you that we are so much better this year... I've been rebuilt by better design... vorsprung durch technique...What do you make of Robo-Bono?'

No exaggeration to say that 'Robo-Bono' was well received.

'A lot can happen in a year,' he continued, looking stage left. 'There's something about the way this man is walking and moving around the stage, a certain manliness - Adam Clayton has become a father for the first time.. and proud of it!'

Larry received plaudits for his newly released and 'very cool arthouse movie' and then there was The Edge.

U2 setlist - May 24, 2011 at Salt Lake City, UT

Venue: Rice Eccles Stadium

Opening Act(s): The Fray

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, All I Want Is You, Love Rescue Me, Happy Birthday, Stay, Beautiful Day - Here Comes The Sun, Pride, Miss Sarajevo, Zooropa, City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, I'll Go Crazy (remix) - Discotheque - Mofo, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Scarlet, Walk On - You'll Never Walk Alone

Encore(s): One, Blowin' In The Wind - The Times They Are A-Changin - Where the Streets Have No Name, Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me, With or Without You, Moment of Surrender

Comments: It's not on the printed setlist, but U2 does Love Rescue Me in honor of Bob Dylan, who's 70 years old today. Dylan co-wrote and performed that song on Rattle And Hum. Bono then leads the crowd in singing Happy Birthday to Dylan. Before Beautiful Day, Bono brings three girls on stage and joins them in reciting a poem about Utah.

source : http://www.u2tours.com/

Behind the scenes of U2 in Salt Lake

In another life and time, Craig Evans might have been a carnival barker, attempting to drum up interest and sell tickets for any number of traveling entertainment troupes passing through town.

In today's world, however, Evans is the director for the U2 360° Tour -- the biggest and grandest rock concert endeavor of all time. Indeed, by the time this traveling spectacle wraps in July, it will be the highest-grossing (to the tune of $700 million) and highest-attended (7 million tickets sold) tour of all time.

Despite the unprecedented, off-the-charts success of the tour, Evans was still at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Monday afternoon, holding court with local media members and drumming up advance coverage for tonight's long-awaited U2 appearance. (The show was postponed from last summer due to emergency back surgery for Bono, the band's lead singer and frontman.)

U2 Press Conference I BBMA 2011

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

U2.COM : U2 Are Not Performing on American Idol

U2 are not performing on American Idol this Wednesday.

Bono and Edge will appear alongside Reeve Carney, who plays Peter Parker, and cast members from SPIDER-MAN Turn off the Dark which is set to open on Broadway,  June 14.

U2 at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards - Top Touring Artist

Monday, May 23, 2011

U2.COM : Follow The Show in Salt Lake City

Coming to the show in Salt Lake City on Tuesday ? Planning to follow online? Here's how.

If you want to follow the build up to the show in Salt Lake City, take a look at this thread and join the chat.

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

You can upload images, video and even have your own blog directly embedded in our #U2360SLC Group over on our community pages.

On  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 #U2360SLC or #U2360USA, that way we can feature your updates in our rolling feed.

U2.COM : 'A Weapon of Mass Destruction'

Ahead of U2's Glastonbury set next month, Adam has been talking to The Observer newspaper in the UK about five songs that have been part of the soundtrack of his life as a musician.  Read the whole piece here.

'Hanging Around' by The Stranglers in 1977 was the track that turned Adam on to the bass guitar.

'The comprehensive I went to in Dublin was where I met Edge, Bono and Larry. I much preferred it. It came with the freedom that I'd been deprived of, including the length of my hair and the clothes I wore.

Bono helped IDA get Google to Irish shores

ROCK star Bono played a pivotal role in persuading (EU)120bn-valued technology behemoth Google to move its international headquarters to Ireland in 2004.

"Bono is close to Sheryl Sandberg, who he met when she worked with Larry Summers at the Department of Treasury when he was in to talk about third world debt," according to one source. "She became director of online sales and operations at Google and was responsible for international operations. She made the call about Ireland."

U2.COM : 'Top Touring Artist'

The day after U2360° arrived back in North America  the band accepted the Billboard award for Top Touring Artist.

On a beautiful, balmy evening in fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada  Will I Am introduced the band as 'The most important group in music, my friends and inspiration... U2.'

Here's some highlights of what the band had to say.

Bono: 'Some of the greatest music is made quietly. You can make classic albums in your bedroom, you can play the greatest show of your life on a one string guitar... but we just don't do that.'

Larry: 'I'd like to thank our crew. I'm embarassed to say I don't know all of their names... But they leave their homes and families to put up and tear down our spaceship, our claw.  It's been our home for the last two years and we want to thank them for that.'

Adam added that he thought the stage looks  like a children's toy while  Edge finished up by saying that his favourite part of the show every night is 'when they turn all of that shit off and we get to feel like we're alone with our audience.'

More news on the evening and quotes from the band over at the Billboard site.

U2.COM : 'How Beautiful You Are...'

'You don't know how beautiful you are
You don't know, and you don't get it, do you?'


Another full-length live track for subscribers, this one from the opening night of the North American dates in Denver.

Check out the new visuals from Willie and team at the top of the piece. This show never stands still. 'Meet me in the sound...'

U2.COM : The Edge Remembers Red Rocks

U2.COM : U2360° kicks off in Denver

U2.COM : 'Louder Than Any Rock Band...'


'You who across such distances sent such support to Burma - we thank you: students, teachers, workers, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, music fans - U2 fans like me.
'When you raise your voices we hear them in our country and around the world, they are louder than any rock band, than any army, than rocket fire or fighter jet...'

U2 setlist - May 21, 2011 at Denver, CO

Venue: Invesco Field


Opening Act(s): The Fray

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, All I Want Is You, Stay, Beautiful Day - Here Comes the Sun, Pride, Miss Sarajevo, Zooropa, City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, I'll Go Crazy (remix) - Discotheque - Please, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Scarlet, Walk On - You'll Never Walk Alone

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

Comments: U2 returns to the U.S. after last year's tour was postponed due to Bono's back injury. With claims of a rapture happening today dominating the news, Bono plays up the theme a bit during Until The End Of The World. There are a number of new elements in the show, including a video of Aung San Suu Kyi that plays in the first encore break before One. All four band members come out in jackets with flashing lights during City Of Blinding Lights. Rather than Amazing Grace, Bono sings and plays a bit of Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow before Streets. Bono dedicates Moment of Surrender to Josh Green, a ONE Campaign member from Colorado who died in 2009.

source : http://www.u2tours.com/

Saturday, May 21, 2011

U2 dress rehearsal setlist : May 20, 2011 at Denver, CO

Venue: Invesco Field


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 - Anthem, All I Want Is You - Worried Blues, Stay, Beautiful Day - Blackbird, Pride, Miss Sarajevo, Zooropa, City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, I'll Go Crazy (remix) - Discotheque - Please, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Rejoice, Walk On - You'll Never Walk Alone

Encore(s): One, Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow - Where the Streets Have No Name, Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me, With or Without You

Comments: U2 does a dress rehearsal for what appeared to be about 500 people, made up of corporate guests and participants/members of Special Olympics - Colorado. Bono makes a lengthy, sometimes funny speech during 'Until the End of the World' about the rumors and reports that tomorrow actually will be the end of the world. There's a new video that plays after the main set and before 'One,' replacing the traditional Desmond Tutu clip. Several dozen fans listen to the show outside the stadium.

source : http://www.u2tours.com/

U2.COM : 'Radically Different'

'If you compare the set list of the opening of this tour to what we're doing now it's radically different, as is a lot of the show imagery and the production effects.'

On the eve of the US and Canadian dates, Edge reflects on how U2360° has changed since opening night in Barcelona in June 2009.

Bono reveals pride in FitzGerald

U2 frontman Bono has paid his own inimitable tribute to former taoiseach Garret FitzGerald who he struck a friendship with in the early days of the band.
The Dubliner, who is in the US preparing for the next leg of the band's latest tour, said he felt pride when Mr FitzGerald led the country.
Bono said he was a gentleman who followed the rules while others did not. He said: "He rebranded Ireland with his grace and intellect. I remember feeling very proud that he was our leader."
He met Mr. Fitzgerald 30 years ago when they shared a flight from London to Dublin and stayed in touch in the following years.

U2.COM : Special Olympics Denver


Tonight in Denver - Sydney, Skylar and Cody from Grandview Highschool will attend a dress rehearsal of U2 360. The three participate in a special education spirit programme organised by the Special Olympics in Colorado.

Tonight's dress rehearsal will be the first time the teenagers have seen U2 in concert and they were pretty excited to meet u2.com and have their picture with The Claw. U2 performed at the Opening Ceremony of the Special Olympics in 2003. This is third time U2 have opened up a dress rehearsal to participants of the Special Olympics and other invited guests - with previous events taking place in Brussels and Barcelona.

U2.COM : Follow The Show in Denver


Got tickets for Denver on Saturday ? Planning to follow online? Here's how.


If you want to follow the build up to the show in Denver, take a look at this thread and join the chat.

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

You can upload images, video and even have your own blog directly embedded in our #U2360DEN Group over on our community pages.

On  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 #U2360DEN or #U2360USA, that way we can feature your updates in our rolling feed.

Friday, May 20, 2011

U2.COM : 'A Class Act...'

Bono has recalled former Irish Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald who has died in Dublin.

Mr FitzGerald, 85, served twice as Taoiseach between 1981 and 1987 at the head of Fine Gael/Labour coalition governments.

'The Queensbury rules amongst street fighters... a gentleman.' said Bono. 'He rebranded Ireland with his grace and intellect. I remember feeling very proud that he was our leader. A class act, cut crystal, diamond mine of information, statistics, the detail of peoples lives, that he so cared about. Us.'

U2.COM : 'Free and Gratis...'

FREE and GRATIS!

Welcome to a new area on U2.com where we'll be hosting free graphics, photos, wallpaper and other cool stuff for you to take away.  (Our subscribers, of course, get the biggest choice and the rarest content.)

Help yourself... and keep checking back as we'll be adding more content regularly.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

30 Seconds To Mars to cover U2!

30 Seconds to Mars have done a lot in the time since they released their This is War album — world tours, nocturnal bike rides, dirty music videos — but they've yet to do a proper episode of "MTV Unplugged." Until now, that is.
On Friday, 30STM taped what was, from the looks of things, a thoroughly epic installment of the long-running series. Though their "Unplugged" won't premiere until July, MTV Radio was on hand for the performance and spoke to frontman Jared Leto about being asked to participate and what it meant to him to contribute to the franchise's long and storied history.
"I think our generation, it was kind of a rite of passage, and if you were invited to do 'MTV Unplugged,' it certainly was a pretty big deal," Leto said. "And so many of our favorite bands did 'Unplugged' and still do it, so we were really thrilled to be asked."
Their "Unplugged" set featured standards like "Hurricane," "Kings and Queens" and "Closer to the Edge," plus a pair of iconic covers: the Police's "Message in a Bottle" and U2's "Where the Streets Have No Name," the latter of which Leto said holds a special place in his and his brother Shannon's hearts — and what better place to perform it than "Unplugged"?
"To be honest, [U2's] Joshua Tree was a big record," Leto said. "My brother had a copy of it, and he would open the windows of the apartment, and put the speaker in the windowsill, and it would hold the sill open, and we would be outside in the summer, listening to it.
"It's a big song for us, it's nostalgic, and we really had a good time working on it."

source : http://www.mtv.com/

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

U2.COM : 'We're mild and green...'



Subscribers Special Zooropa - live and uninterrupted from Mexico City!

Zooropa... a bluer kind of white
Zooropa... it could be yours tonight

And it is yours tonight. (And all day too, depending on your time-zone). One of the set list surprises of U2360 and here it is, Zooropa, live and uninterrupted from Mexico City.

Be a winner
Eat to get slimmer

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

U2.COM : 'HI, THIS IS EDGE...'

U2.COM : Questions to the President

While in Mexico Bono met with President Calderon and after the meeting  gave us this message:

'Next year Mexico will chair the G20, the annual get together of the most powerful leaders on the planet. Obama, Hu Jintao, Sarkozy, Merkel, Zuma, Dilma, they'll all be flying in.  By the time they fly out, we want them to have agreed specific decisions which we know will save and transform lives in the poorest parts of the world.  As the host, President Calderon will set the agenda.  I asked him to persuade the G20 to take bold action on the fight against corruption globally, on improving healthcare, and on boosting agriculture around the world.'

Monday, May 16, 2011

U2 Love Rescue Me, Mexico City 2011-05-15

U2 All I Want Is You, Mexico City 2011-05-15

U2.COM : 'Pride' In Mexico

'I want you to send a message of love along the border to the good and the great people of the United States of America.' announced Bono, during 'Pride' at the third show in Mexico tonight. ' I want you to send a message to people of conscience.
'Ask them to answer the question. Why is it that all we hear on the news is how drugs are smuggled through Mexico to the United States ?
'And we don't hear about all the automatic weapons  that are being smuggled into Mexico from the United States. Nine thousand registered arms dealers on the other side of the border. Nine thousand.
'Most of the murders committed here are from weapons sold in the United States of America.
'We sing this for the innocents who have lost their lives in the violence here,' he said, before continuing the song with an alternate lyric.

'Late in the evening, April 15
Automatic round takes a mother and child.
Free at last,  they took your life
A lioness and her pride
In the name of love....'

U2.COM : 'All I Want is... Mexico'


New Year's Day, All I Want is You and Love Rescue Me  all arrived in the show tonight for the final stop in a record-breaking week in Mexico.

'Thank you for this last week,' said Bono in Spanish towards the end of With or Without You. 'We've had some great times in this country. This has been the best of all. Can we consider ourselves Irish Mexican?'

U2 setlist : May 15, 2011 at Mexico City, Mexico

Venue: Azteca Stadium

Opening Act(s): Snow Patrol

Main Set: Even Better Than The Real Thing, New Year's Day, Get On Your Boots, Magnificent, Mysterious Ways, Elevation, Until the End of the World, All I Want Is You - Worried Blues, Love Rescue Me, Pride, Beautiful Day - Blackbird, Miss Sarajevo, Zooropa, City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo - Teenage Kicks, I'll Go Crazy (remix) - Discotheque - Please, 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: Bono sings a bit of Bob Dylan's 'Worried Blues' at the end of All I Want Is You. He sings an unknown song/snippet before Streets. A female fan gets on stage during Vertigo, but three security guards quickly intercept her and take her off stage.

source : http://www.u2tours.com/

Sunday, May 15, 2011

U2.COM : Out Of Control In Mexico City

U2 Out Of Control, Mexico City 2011-05-14

U2 Zooropa, Mexico City 2011-05-14

U2.COM : 'Where's Frank?'


Another remarkable show tonight with a record-breaking Mexican audience totally pumped, a swathe of unexpected changes in the set list  and the spirit of Frank Sinatra in the house.

'Where's Frank?' asked Bono during Until The End of the World. 'Thirteen years ago we said goodbye to Frank Sinatra...'  At which point he broke into  Strangers in the Night and before you knew it 100,000 Mexicans were also 'spreading the news'.

'Peace...peace... We need it all over the world and here in Mexico. I woke up this morning - drums in my head - even the car horns were playing a tune. I realised it wasn't a dream it was Mexico City.
'And it's Saturday night... there's magic in the air ...we are Irish Latinos. '

U2 setlist : May 14, 2011 at Mexico City, Mexico

Venue: Azteca Stadium

Opening Act(s): Snow Patrol

Main Set: Even Better Than the Real Thing, Out of Control, Get On Your Boots, Magnificent, Mysterious Ways, Elevation, Until the End of the World - Strangers in the Night - New York New York, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, Stand By Me, Desire, Stay, Beautiful Day, Miss Sarajevo, Zooropa, City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, I'll Go Crazy (remix) - Discotheque - Mofo - Please, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Scarlet, Walk On - You'll Never Walk Alone

Encore(s): One, Amazing Grace - Where the Streets Have No Name, Ultraviolet, With or Without You, Moment of Surrender

Comments: Bono reportedly wears a sombrero during Mysterious Ways. He sings a bit of two Frank Sinatra songs during 'End of the World' - Sinatra died 13 years ago today. As has happened at many recent shows, a fan comes on stage to read the lyrics to Beautiful Day before the band plays the song. With both Zooropa and Stay being played tonight, it's the first show since Dec. 10, 1993 to have multiple songs from the Zooropa album in the setlist. Mexican President Felipe Calderon is at the show, and live-tweets a photo from his skybox near the end of the concert.

source : http://www.u2tours.com/

Thursday, May 12, 2011

U2 - Fez Intro / Zooropa, Mexico City 2011-05-11

U2.COM : Opening Night - Mexico City

U2.COM : 'Mexico, Mexico...'

U2360° took off again in Mexico City tonight and that wasn't the only reason to celebrate.

Ok, so it was actually a day after Bono's birthday but that's a minor detail when you have a stadium full of fans who want to serenade you. Edge led the massed chorus of 'Happy Birthday' and Bono explained that he thinks of his own mother on his birthday, particularly so here, coinciding with Mothers Day. Special mention to Ali, the mother of his own children, who has flown in for the show.

'Mexico, Mexico...'

U2.COM : Message from Bono

U2.com'ers…

Arrived in Mexico on Monday with the band…we love this place so much… can't wait for the shows.  We're going to be here for almost a week.  It was great to spend my birthday here.

The ONE campaign are with me too because next year Mexico will chair the G20 – an annual get together of the most powerful leaders on the planet… Obama, Hu Jintao, Sarkozy, Merkel, Zuma, Dilma, they’ll all be flying in.  By the time they fly out, we want them to have agreed specific decisions which we know will save and transform lives in the poorest parts of the world.  As the host, President Calderon will set the agenda so we’re going to meet him while in Mexico City.  If you had one question for him, what would it be?

Your fan,
Bono

U2.COM : 'In This Space and Time'



Subscribers SpecialIt's the night before the opening show in Mexico City and inside a deserted stadium the production team are making final changes.

U2 setlist : May 11, 2011 at Mexico City, Mexico

Venue: Azteca Stadium

 Opening Act(s): Snow Patrol

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, Happy Birthday, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, Pride, Stuck In a Moment, Beautiful Day - Rain, Miss Sarajevo, Zooropa, City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, I'll Go Crazy (remix) - Discotheque - Please, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Scarlet, Walk On - You'll Never Walk Alone

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

Comments: In the break before I Still Haven't Found, the crowd sings Happy Birthday to Bono. Edge then leads the crowd through it a second time. After 'Stuck,' a female fan comes on stage and reads a poem by the ancient Mexican poet Nezahualcoyotl.

source : http://www.u2tours.com/

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

U2.COM : 'One Week Sleeping Here' [video]



'At night we sing With or Without You'.

They have been camped outside the stadium in Mexico City for days and days.

At night they sing U2 songs and talk about the band. Last night they were listening in to the final rehearsals as the band ran through Magnificent, 'Crazy', Walk On, Zooropa and 'Real Thing'.

Tonight they will be first into the stadium and then right down the front for the show. Serious fans!

U2 in Mexico, 2011-05-10 [video]

U2.COM : Mexico Soundcheck


A U2 soundcheck ringing out from the Azteca Stadium last night, first one of the final lap of U2360° as it heads through North America this summer.

Zooropa, Even Better Than The Real Thing, 'Crazy' and Unknown Caller were all road-tested ahead of the first show of three in Mexico City tomorrow night.

More rehearsals today... along with birthday wishes for Bono

(Incidentally, these Mexican fans, like the ones above,  are pretty dedicated... some of them have been camped out for days waiting for the show. Respect!)

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

HAPPY BIRTHDAY B-MAN!!!!!


U2.COM : 'It's Been Magical...'


Snow Patrol have played more dates with U2 on the 360 Tour than anyone else and they're back for three more in Mexico this week.

Singer and mainman Gary Lightbody, who first wrote us this great piece after the show in Poland in 2009,  again mused  on life on the road with U2 ahead of the Istanbul show  last Autumn: 'A good time to say our thank yous
for a tour like no other.'

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Follow The Shows in Mexico

Got tickets for the shows in Mexico ? Planning to follow online? Here's how.


If you want to follow the build up to the shows in Mexico, 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.

You can upload images, video and even have your own blog directly embedded in our #U2360MEX Group over on our community pages.

On  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 #U2360MEX, that way we can feature your updates in our rolling feed.

Friday, May 6, 2011

Music projects get U2 support

PROJECTS IN Louth, Mayo and Sligo are to receive musical tuition worth €1.6 million from a scheme part-funded by U2.
The three counties were successful in the first round of applications for Music Generation, the €7 million national music education programme, which includes a €5 million grant from U2 with the rest coming from the Ireland Fund.
The money will be used to fund up to a dozen musical partnerships, involving local authorities, schools, individual music teachers and music schools, between now and 2015 when the Government has pledged to continue funding it on a national basis.
U2 agreed to step in after a successful Music Network pilot, which funded an expanded musical education programme in Donegal and Dublin, could not be rolled out nationally because of a lack of funding.
The money will allow structured tuition for thousands of young children who would not otherwise have access to voice or instrument training.
Music Generation director Rosaleen Molloy had described the initial response as “phenomenal” with expressions of interest from all 34 local authorities which translated into 23 bids for funding. Each local authority has to come up with matching funds.
Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn said the Government was committed to continuing the partnership after the Music Generation money ceases.
He said music education plays a role in promoting creativity and self-expression while also improving children’s cognitive and affective skills.

source : http://www.irishtimes.com/

Thursday, May 5, 2011

U2 - Athens 2010 Multicam Teaser

U2.COM : Oh You Look So Beautiful....

'The more you see the less you know
The less you find out as you go...'


Way above the blinding lights, look down on the U2360 city and it all looks a little bit different.

This vertigo-inducing footage was shot at Estadio Unico de La Plata in Buenos Aires last month - it'll give you a whole new perspective!


Sunday, May 1, 2011

Agency won't oppose Malibu-area compound, in return for funding and dedicated open space

The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy reverses course on a proposal by U2 guitarist the Edge for multiple mansions on an undeveloped ridgeline.


The state planning agency that oversees open space in the Santa Monica Mountains will drop its opposition to a controversial bid by U2 guitarist the Edge to build a compound of homes above Malibu in exchange for more than $1 million in funding, consulting services and dedicated open space from the musician and his partners.

In a deal with the rocker narrowly approved this week, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy agreed to take a neutral position on the high-profile project in exchange for a $750,000 payment, $250,000 worth of work by a consultant who works for the musician, 97 acres of conservation easements, and development restrictions around the homes that would eventually allow a short length of trail to be built through a sliver of the property.