U2.COM : U2 INNOCENCE + EXPERIENCE TOUR 2015

The band are heading out on the road again, playing indoor arenas for the first time in a decade. 

The iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Tour will see U2 play 19 cities worldwide next year, with pairs of shows in each city. Special shows are being planned for Dublin for the end of next year to benefit the U2-initiated Music Generation project and details will follow once they are finalised. 

“We are going to try to have a completely different feeling from night one to night two,” said Bono, “and have some fun playing with the idea of innocence and experience. More to be revealed!” 

Tickets for all shows go on general sale next Monday - December 8th - but presales to paid U2.com subscribers begin tomorrow, Thursday December 4th. (Read about the new U2.com subscription offer and ticket presales here.) 

Songs Of Innocence, gifted by Apple to over half a billion iTunes Music Store customers, has now been streamed 81m times and downloaded by 30m fans. 

"The anticipation for a U2 tour is always extraordinary, as it should be," said Arthur Fogel, President, Global Touring and Chairman, Global Music. "Following the record-setting 360° Tour I'm amazed that they still want to be ground-breaking, this time on a more intimate scale."

More news as soon as we get it - if you're a U2.com subscriber look out for your ticket presale email, containing your unique code to use when buying tickets. 

NORTH AMERICA 2015 
May 14th Vancouver, BC, Rogers Arena
May 15th Vancouver, BC, Rogers Arena
May 18th San Jose, CA, SAP Center at San Jose 
May 19th San Jose, CA, SAP Center at San Jose
May 22nd, Phoenix, AZ, US Airways Center
May 23rd, Phoenix, AZ, US Airways Center
May 26th, Los Angeles, CA, Forum
May 27th, Los Angeles, CA, Forum 
May 30th, Los Angeles, CA, Forum 
May 31st, Los Angeles, CA, Forum 

June 12th, Montreal, QC, Bell Centre
June 13th, Montreal, QC, Bell Centre
June 24th, Chicago, IL, United Center
June 25th, Chicago, IL, United Center 

July 6th, Toronto, ON, Air Canada Centre
July 7th, Toronto, ON, Air Canada Centre
July 10th, Boston, MA, TD Garden
July 11th, Boston, MA, TD Garden
July 18th, New York, NY, Madison Square Garden 
July 19th, New York, NY, Madison Square Garden 
July 22nd, New York, NY, Madison Square Garden 
July 23rd, New York, NY Madison Square Garden 

EUROPE / UK 2015 
Sep 4th, Turin, Italy , Pala Alpitour 
Sep 5th, Turin, Italy, Pala Alpitour 
Sep 8th, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Ziggo Dome
Sep 9th, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Ziggo Dome
Sep 16th, Stockholm, Sweden, Globe
Sep 17th, Stockholm, Sweden, Globe
Sep 24th, Berlin, Germany, O2 World
Sep 25th, Berlin, Germany, O2 World 

Oct 5th, Barcelona, Spain, Palau Sant Jordi 
Oct 6th, Barcelona, Spain, Palau Sant Jordi
Oct 13th, Antwerp, Belgium, Sportpaleis
Oct 14th, Antwerp, Belgium, Sportpaleis 
Oct 17th, Koln, Germany, Lanxess Arena 
Oct 18th Koln, Germany, Lanxess Arena

Oct 25th, London, UK O2 
Oct 26th, London, UK O2 
Oct 29th, London, UK O2 
Oct 30th, London, UK O2 

Nov 6th, Glasgow, UK, The SSE Hydro 
Nov 7th, Glasgow, UK, The SSE Hydro 
Nov 10th, Paris, France, Bercy 
Nov 11th, Paris, France, Bercy

50 Best Albums of 2014 - #1 U2, 'Songs of Innocence'

U2 unleashed a brilliant surprise, Bruce Springsteen hit a new peak, St. Vincent made deliciously weird noise and more

There was no bigger album of 2014 – in terms of surprise, generosity and controversy. Songs of Innocence is also the rebirth of the year. Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. put their lives on the line: giving away 11 songs of guitar rapture and frank, emotional tales of how they became a band out of the rough streets and spiritual ferment of Seventies Dublin. This is personal history with details. In the furiously brooding "Cedarwood Road," named after Bono's home address as a boy, he recalls the fear and rage that drove him to punk rock. "The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)" is a glam-stomp homage to the misfit voice that inspired Bono to sing. And that's his mother, who died when Bono was 14, still guiding and comforting him in the chorus of "Iris (Hold Me Close)."

This is a record full of the band's stories and triumph, memory and confession detonated with adventure and poise. In its range of sounds, there may be no more complete U2 album: The band bonded its founding post-punk values with dance momentum in "Volcano" and the raw, jagged "Raised by Wolves," and humanized the digital pathos of "Every Breaking Wave" and the harrowing "Sleep Like a Baby Tonight" with the vocal folk-soul warmth of The Joshua Tree. "I have a will for survival," Bono sings in the closing track, "The Troubles." Songs of Innocence is the proof – and the emotionally raw rock album of the year, at any price.

source : http://www.rollingstone.com/

U2.COM : IN TIMES SQUARE FOR WORLD AIDS DAY

Welcomed to the stage in New York's Times Square by former President Bill Clinton, U2 Minus 1 hosted some pretty special guests for World AIDS Day - Chris Martin of Coldplay, Carrie Underwood, Kanye West and Bruce Springsteen.

Introducing the surprise show President Clinton read an email Bono had sent him earlier in the day: 'Twenty-six years ago it wouldn't have been possible to have a concert in Times Square on World AIDS Day because to be diagnosed with AIDS was a death sentence. A few years ago when Secretary of State Clinton said that we could end AIDS, a lot of people didn't believe it. But this year, for the first time ever, more people were put on life-saving medicine than were diagnosed with AIDS. We are going to win this fight.'

As reported earlier, Bono, recuperating from his recent accident, couldn't be with the band for the (RED) Thank You presented by Bank of America ...  but some pretty special friends had agreed to step in.

'It's my great honour to introduce, with their special guest Chris Martin, one of the greatest bands in the history of rock music, my friends U2...'

Wearing a t-shirt with the slogan 'SUBSTITU2', Chris was right at home singing with U2 Minus 1.
'They kicked things off with "Beautiful Day", ' reported Rolling Stone. 'And the Coldplay frontman poured himself into the task, clearly thrilled to be filling the shoes of one of his biggest influences. "Dreams come true," he said, "for young and old people alike." They wrapped up with a powerful "With or Without You," and anyone who closed their eyes could have easily believed it was Bono there in Times Square.'

Edge stayed on stage to introduce a strong set from 'the reigning Queen of Country' Carrie Underwood before Adam and Larry were back to welcome 'the most groundbreaking artist in music today'.  Kanye West was a forcefield, delivering a powerful eight minute medley of 'Power,' 'Jesus Walks,' 'Black Skinhead,' 'Stronger' and 'Touch the Sky.'

To close the evening U2 Minus 1 were back on stage and breaking into the familiar opening bars of 'Streets'... with The Boss himself,  before closing the night with 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For.' 
'I want to send this one out To Bono in Ireland,' he said, 'Be well my friend'.  

Here's how Hot Press reported it. 'Bruce Springsteen took on the lead singer's role, as U2 powered into a superb version of 'Where The Streets Have No Name'. Finally, there was time for an emotional 'Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For' with Bruce delivering a wonderfully soulful rendition backed by an enthusiastically, vocal crowd. There was a final Irish twist too, with the Boss throwing in a reference to Hozier's 'Take Me To Church...'

Were you in Times Square for the show? Or did you catch it online?  Add your reviews in the comments below.

U2 & Chris Martin + U2 & Bruce Springsteen : Beautiful Day, With Or Without You, Where The Streets Have No Name, I Still Haven't found What I'm Looking For

U2.COM : U2 MINUS 1 - LIVE IN NEW YORK

Friends have stepped in to save U2’s surprise World AIDS Day (RED) performance which was jeopardised by Bono’s November 16 bike accident in Central Park.  

Kanye West and Carrie Underwood will perform at the event - tonight at 7.30pm - and Chris Martin and Bruce Springsteen will join U2 Minus 1, as the singer remains under doctors' orders to refrain from performing until fully recuperated from his injuries.

The World AIDS Day event in Times Square will begin promptly at 7.30pm and feature performances from special guests Kanye West and Carrie Underwood.

Adam Clayton, The Edge and Larry Mullen Jr. will be joined by Bruce Springsteen and Coldplay’s Chris Martin, each of whom will take a turn as frontman on the U2 songs. Appearing at the personal invitation of U2, Springsteen and Martin have graciously donated their time and talents to save the World AIDS Day event from cancellation.

"This year is a World AIDS Day like no other," said Bono, speaking from Dublin. "The world reached a tipping point in the fight against AIDS - more people were newly added to life-saving treatment than were newly infected with the virus. A lot of people are calling it the beginning of the end of AIDS. 
"We wouldn’t be at this point without American leadership, people from the left and the right.  Today, 13 million people have access to life-saving treatment, up from 300,000 just over ten years ago.  Americans don’t know the role they’ve played in this fight.  Tonight’s event is to inform them and thank them.”

A (RED) Thank you Presented by  will be broadcast live on YouTube, radio across the US including iHeart Radio which is becoming iHeart (RED) for World AIDS Day and as part of ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown. 

The event starts at 7.30pm EST at Duffy Square in Times Square, on Broadway between 46th & 47th Streets. Attendees should enter at 50th Street and Broadway. 

Watch it all live and add your comments below. In Times Square tonight? Tell us about it. Watching online? Add your own review.