U2's Bono Busks on the Streets of Dublin; Band's Manager Says New Album May Arrive in 2013

For the fourth year in a row, U2 frontman Bono and some musical friends have taken to the streets of Dublin, Ireland, on Christmas Eve to sing some tunes while collecting money for charity.  The AtU2.com fan site reports that Bono was joined by Frames/Swell Season singer Glen Hansard, Sinead O’Connor andDamien Rice, among others, at the busking session on the city’s Grafton Street.

Fan-shot video shows the musicians performing three songs, as the crowd sings along: “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home),” “Silent Night” and a rendition U2 song “Desire.”

In other news, longtime U2 manager Paul McGuinness reports that 2013 may see the group deliver a follow-up to its 2009 album, No Line on the Horizon.  In an interview with The Independent, McGuinness says, “There’s always activity, so certainly expect a new record.”

source : http://www.classichitsandoldies.com/

Bono & friends busking in Dublin! [videos]

U2.COM : Final Cut

Print. Assemble. Dispatch. From The Ground Up:U2.com Music Edition... is on the way.

Bono sings "I've got you under my skin"

A surprise guest at the Jaime Nanci and the Blue Boys' gig last night. U2's Bono got up and asked to do a song.

U2.COM : Edge's Picks

Fifteen live tracks from U2360° on one CD.

Recorded in 12 cities over two years.

Curated by The Edge.

Only available with From The Ground Up:U2.com Music Edition. 

Here's the track-listing. In the comments below, tell us what you think will be the stand-out tracks. (And wander through our new gallery of images from the book.)

1. Breathe

Recorded at Stadio San Siro, Milan, 8th July 2009

2. I Will Follow

Recorded at Stade Roi Baudouin, Brussels, 22nd September 2010

3. Get On Your Boots

Recorded at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, 20th September 2009

4. New Year's Day

Recorded at Croke Park, Dublin, 27th July 2009

5. Electrical Storm

Recorded at Stadio San Siro, Milan, 8th July 2009

6. Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of

Recorded at Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, 11th May 2011

7. Your Blue Room

Recorded at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, 23rd September 2009

8. Vertigo

Recorded at Subiaco Oval, Perth, 18th December 2010

9. I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight

Recorded at Stade de France, Paris, 11th July 2009

10. Sunday Bloody Sunday

Recorded at Vanderbilt Stadium, Nashville, 2nd July 2011

11. Scarlet

Recorded at Vanderbilt Stadium, Nashville, 2nd July 2011

12. In A Little While

Recorded at Estadio Morumbi, Sao Paulo, 9th April 2011

13. Miss Sarajevo

Recorded at Estadio Morumbi, Sao Paulo, 9th April 2011

14. Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me

Recorded at Estadio Nacional, Santiago, 25th March 2011

15. "40"

Recorded at Magnetic Hill Music Festival, Moncton, 30th July 2011

U2.COM : 'Just Give Me What I Want...' [video]

It opens with Breathe and closes with "40". It has fifteen tracks - you already know that Electrical Storm, New Year's Day and Get On Your Boots are in the mix. When we asked you to predict the other tracks on 'Edge's Picks', the limited-edition CD that comes with 'From The Ground Up:U2.com Music Edition' everybody guessed we were at a place called Vertigo. So here it is, live from U2360°. And (did we mention this?) when you subscribe (or resubscribe) to U2.com you also get some very fine instant downloads including No Line On The Horizon, Spanish Eyes and Desire. Hello Hello...

U2.COM : 'This Shirt Defends Human Rights!'

For two decades the world’s top artists and bands have collaborated with Hard Rock International  as part of the brand’s Signature Series programme, helping raise millions for good causes.

Today Hard Rock launches its U2 Signature Series: Edition 30 T-shirt in support of human rights around the globe. 

Through a partnership between EDUN LIVE and Hard Rock, the limited-edition shirt will be available in stores and online, with 15% of the retail price benefitting the work of  Amnesty International in campaigning for  human rights  worldwide.

'I hope this T-shirt generates loads of cash for Amnesty International and their tireless work towards the release of prisoners of conscience all around the world,' said The Edge. 'Plus there's a guitar on it - so it’s a win-win as far as I'm concerned.'

Hard Rock’s U2 Signature Series: Edition 30 T-shirt features an image of an electric guitar with angel wings, emblazoned with the words 'JUSTICE', 'HUMANITY' and 'EQUALITY'. A barbed wire is seen wrapped around the neck of the guitar. The back of the T-shirt bears the signatures of each member of the band.

'We are thrilled that U2, Hard Rock and EDUN have generously offered to support Amnesty International in this high-profile way,' said Thomas Schultz-Jagow, Campaigns & Communications Director, Amnesty International. 'We have a history of working with all three, and the combined power of us all coming together on this project will make a huge difference by raising awareness of our human rights work around the world.'

The new T-shirt will be available online and at Rock Shops at Hard Rock Cafe locations in New York, London and Dublin from today,  to coincide with International Human Rights Day. It will be available in Hard Rock Cafes, Hotels and Casinos worldwide beginning in February 2013. The U2 Signature Series T-shirt is printed on a navy blue EDUN Live T-shirt made from 100% African cotton and is available in men’s sizes. 

More  on Amnesty International here and on EDUN Live here.

U2.COM : Grammy Nomination

From The Sky Down, the Davis Guggenheim directed documentary about the making of Achtung Baby, has been nominated for Best Long Form Music Video at the 2013 Grammy Awards.

The first ever documentary film to open the Toronto International Film Festival, Guggenheim travelled  with the band back to Hansa Studios in Berlin to reveal the hidden story behind the recording of a landmark album in the band's career.   'Quite simply, ' reported Entertainment Weekly, 'It's one of the most transcendent close-up looks at the process of creating rock & roll I’ve ever seen.'

From The Sky Down is up against some strong competition at the Awards in February including Big Easy Express (Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros and Old Crow Medicine Show), Esperanza Spalding's Radio Music Society, Get Along (Tegan & Sarah) and the Sade concert video Bring Me Home.

U2.COM : 'Could Be The Ley-Lines...'

'From the Ground Up' is the story of U2360°, the inside track of what became the biggest rock'n'roll tour in history. The recently announced 'U2.com Music Edition' of this essential book, adds the soundtrack - Edge's Picks, a 15 track live CD curated by The Edge.

In our second edited extract, writer Dylan Jones travels with the band to the Glastonbury Festival, describes how Damien Hearst got involved, how the set list came together and why 'it's all about the connection.'

'It's not often you hear an Irishman singing 'Jerusalem',' explains Bono. 'Could be the ley lines...'