Pete The Chop

Stephen Maguire

U2 were forced to pulled out of a planned trip to help Nelson Mandela celebrate his 90th birthday party -- to concentrate on their latest album.

The supergroup were due to join a host of other stars at London's Hyde Park on Friday for a special concert.

But the group backed out at the last minute -- with Bono and the Edge sending a video message instead.

The millionaire rockers are holed up in their Hanover Quay studios in Dublin putting the final touches to their new album which is expected to be released in October.

A source close to the band said they were bitterly disappointed they couldn't make the party.

"The band have always been supporters of the anti-apartheid movements and became personal friends with Mr. Mandela. They wanted to go but are simply snowed under," said the source.

Dozens of stars including Annie Lennox, Simple Minds, Leona Lewis and Coldplay sang for the world's most famous former prisoner.

Andrea Corr flew the flag for Ireland with a haunting duet with Queen guitarist Brian May.

A staggering 46,664 people, Mandela's former prisoner number, attended the concert.

© 2008 Sunday Mirror.

Tags: Uncategorized by Jonathan
Comments Off

Video Of The Week: Crumbs From Your Table recorded Dublin 2004

Post from: U2 Exit News Blog

VOTW: Crumbs From Your Table

ShareThis

Tags: Uncategorized by spun2u
Comments Off

TWO hearts beating as one? Adam Clayton was dining a deux with a mystery lady last week in Expresso Bar in Dublin. Has the dapper U2 bassist found what he’s looking for? I, for one, certainly hope so.

Early last year, he sadly broke up with his fiancee, Suzy Smith. (Adam and Canadian beauty Suzy had chosen St Valentine’s Day 2006 to get engaged. They had been going out for eight years. Another time, another country, and besides…).

My Deep Throat in the U2 camp refused to be drawn on Adam’s new romance, as if I would tell anyone that three months ago, Adam started seeing a girl who worked in a bank.

“She looks very similar to Suzy. It was a very low-key relationship, if it is still on. That’s all I know.”

I know, however, that last Friday week, in Dublin, U2 listened to a rough mix of their album. Presumably, there was some celebrating in Han(g)over Quay afterwards.

- Barry Egan, independent.ie

Post from: U2 Exit News Blog

Adam’s mystery date

ShareThis

Tags: Uncategorized by spun2u
Comments Off

U2 have reportedly turned down the chance to play at next year’s All-Ireland finals, which will mark the 125th anniversary of the Association.

The Irish super-group were asked by the GAA to entertain the crowd at Croke Park – where they played three sold out gigs in 2005 – during the half-time intervals of next year’s finals.

However, the foursome have other plans for the dates in question, explained Jarlath Burns, head of the planning committee for the anniversary event.

“They sent us a lovely letter back saying that they would love to be involved but unfortunately it’s not going to be possible as they are rehearsing a new album,” Burns told The Irish Mail on Sunday.

Despite the disappointment of not securing U2’s services, Burns has plenty of other extravagant plans he hopes will come to fruition during the GAA’s 125th anniversary year, says the paper.

He wants every inter-county pitch to have pained into it a new logo, which will incorporate a ‘125’, for the duration of the 2009 championships, while also hoping the St Patrick’s Day parade will take on a GAA theme.

by Dave Maher

Post from: U2 Exit News Blog

U2 decline GAA anniversary offer

ShareThis

Tags: Uncategorized by spun2u
Comments Off

According to the french website Voir which interviewed Daniel Lanois there’s an interesting news about the new u2 album, one of the new tracks is called “The Cedars of Lebanon” and it draws inspiration from Jimi Hendrix. Could be a good album name too?

Tags: Uncategorized by u2 star
Comments Off

Bono

I wanted to set the record straight on behalf of the members of U2 on comments made to the BBC by our much-loved and valued manager, Paul McGuinness, regarding Radiohead’s decision to make the music of ‘In Rainbows’ available as a download, using the ‘honesty box’ idea for payment.

We agree with our manager that this is a head-scratching and worrisome time for many musicians who, unlike ourselves, are depending on royalty or publishing cheques to pay the rent (particularly songwriters). We also agree that it is disturbing to see internet service providers and technology companies profit from the so-called ‘disintermediation’ of the music business when so many music lovers are losing their jobs. And while there is no doubt that it’s extremely difficult for a new artist to get the kind of investment on which U2 depended in the first few wobbly years of recording, we disagree with Paul’s assessment of Radiohead’s release as “having backfired to a certain extent.” We think they were courageous and imaginative in trying to figure out some new relationship with their audience. Such imagination and courage are in short supply right now…they’re a sacred talent and we feel blessed to be around at the same time.

With respect,
Bono

-NME

Post from: U2 Exit News Blog

U2 defends Radiohead in letter to NME Magazine

ShareThis

Tags: Uncategorized by spun2u
Comments Off

Bono and The Edge comin' atcha. With the high notes and all.

Tags: Uncategorized by U2log.com // Weblog and Magazine
Comments Off

Bono & Edge perform Happy Birthday for Nelson Mandela during the *Nelson Mandela at 90* concert on June 27th, 2008 from Hyde Park, London, England.

Post from: U2 Exit News Blog

Bono & Edge perform during the *Nelson Mandela at 90* concert

ShareThis

Tags: Uncategorized by spun2u
Comments Off

Bono - exercising some damage control - has written to the NME to say he thinks 'Radiohead were courageous for 'In Rainbows' release' in response to Paul McGuinness' earlier comments regarding Radiohead's 'In Rainbows' pay-what-you-like release. McGuinness, who controversially believes ISP's facilitate music pirating and are thus robbing artists, had claimed the experiment was a failure and U2 wouldn't be following their example. Bono writes he disagrees with his manager, and says Radiohead are 'courageous and imaginative in trying to figure out some new relationship with their audience.' An example U2 hopefully will follow.

The full letter will appear in today's edition of the printed version of the NME.

Tags: Uncategorized by U2log.com // Weblog and Magazine
Comments Off

Singer rejects manager’s claim that download ‘backfired’

U2’s Bono has sent a letter to NME this week (June 25) following the band’s manager Paul McGuinness’s comments regarding Radiohead’s decision to release their last album, ‘In Rainbows’, on a pay-what-you-like basis as a download.

Earlier this month, McGuinness said Radiohead’s album release “backfired” and that U2 would not be following the Oxford band’s example when they release their next record.

In the letter, printed in tomorrow’s (June 25) edition of NME, Bono says that he disagrees with his manager’s comments, calling “courageous and imaginative in trying to figure out some new relationship with their audience”.

“Such imagination and courage are in short supply right now,” he continued. “They’re [Radiohead], a sacred talent, and we feel blessed to be around at the same time.”

Read the full letter from Bono in the new issue of NME, out nationwide tomorrow.

-NME.com

Post from: U2 Exit News Blog

Bono: ‘Radiohead were courageous for ‘In Rainbows’ release’

ShareThis

Tags: Uncategorized by spun2u
Comments Off

U2 fans from around the world donated over $26,000 to the African Well Fund to build wells in Africa in honor of Bono’s birthday. The African Well Fund is a registered non-profit organization that was formed by a group of U2 fans 6 years ago. Since that time they have raised more that a half a million dollars to fund clean water projects in Africa.

Schenectady, NY (PRWEB) June 23, 2008 — The African Well Fund and Africare are excited to announce that this year’s fundraiser to “Build a Well for Bono’s Birthday” has raised $26,554.77 to fund clean water projects in Africa. This year marks the 6th one in a row that U2 fans from around the world have come together to honor Bono’s May 10th birthday by raising money for clean water in Africa.

The fundraiser launched on March 16th and donations were collected through May 15th. After donating, fans signed an online birthday card for Bono at the African Well Fund web site www.africanwellfund.org . Their signatures and birthday greetings will be incorporated into a beautiful hand made card that will be sent to Bono in Dublin. For 6 consecutive years, the African Well Fund has held a fundraising campaign in honor of Bono’s Birthday. These campaigns have raised a total of more than $125,000 and have been used to fund water and sanitation projects throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.

Water and sanitation projects, funded by U2 fans have been implemented by our partner Africare in Uganda, Angola and Zimbabwe and have changed the lives of thousands. In September 2006, two AWF board members traveled to Uganda to visit water projects that were built with the very first “Build a Well for Bono’s Birthday” fundraiser. They were accompanied by filmmaker Steve Buckwalter who produced a short documentary about the trip. The film may be viewed on African Well Fund’s YouTube page http://www.youtube.com/AfricanWellFund. . The film is also available in DVD format upon request, write to info@africanwellfund.org for more information on how to receive a copy.

The African Well Fund is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization that was founded in 2002 by a group of U2 fans. Since that time, AWF has raised more than $500,000 which has been used to fund clean water projects throughout the continent. All donations to the African Well Fund go directly to Africare, one of the leading private, non-profit, charitable organizations assisting Africa. It is also the oldest and largest African-American led organization in its field. Since its inception in 1970, Africare has delivered more than $710 million in assistance and support to 36 countries Africa-wide. To learn more about Africare and its programs, please visit www.africare.org .

The African Well Fund was founded to focus on one achievable goal: providing access to clean water to everyone in Africa. The African Well Fund believes that access to water is not merely a basic human need but a Basic Human Right.

PRWEB

Post from: U2 Exit News Blog

U2 Fans Raise Over $26,000 to Build Wells in Honor of Bono’s Birthday

ShareThis

Tags: Uncategorized by spun2u
Comments Off

Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own [Acoustic]

Visit the U2tube for more…

Post from: U2 Exit News Blog

VOTW: Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own [Acoustic]

ShareThis

Tags: Uncategorized by spun2u
Comments Off

Read the schedule at The Official U2Star Tv Page

Tags: Uncategorized by u2 star
Comments Off

Activist rockers Bono and Bob Geldof challenged French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Wednesday to increase aid to Africa, saying France was failing to live up to commitments it made at a summit of leading industrialized countries in 2005. The U2 frontman and the former Boomtown Rats singer, who played an active role in the Live 8 [...]

Tags: Uncategorized by u2 star
Comments Off

MANILA, Philippines - The wildly rumored U2 concert in Manila won’t happen this year, if it’s ever pushing through.

This was relayed to Inquirer Entertainment by promoter Francis Lumen, whose events company, Concertus Inc., was earlier negotiating to bring in the Irish superstar act.

“The problem is, we’re being required to hold it in a 100,000-capacity stadium, which we don’t have,” explained Lumen, who’s also president of MTV Philippines.

Although there isn’t any forthcoming U2 tour, either, the band has reportedly expressed a desire to perform in one Asian country. Lumen’s staff, tasked to scout for a suitable venue, failed to find one.

Keys to MoA

Meanwhile, MTV Philippines also announced that the Alicia Keys concert on Aug. 5 will be transferred from the Araneta Coliseum to the Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay. The open-air grounds, said to have a capacity of 25,000, is also allegedly “more audience-friendly” than the Fort Bonifacio open field, which has a rough, unpaved surface.

But the main reason for the change in venue, Lumen pointed out, is that he wants to keep ticket prices low in the general admission section.

The 11-time Grammy-winning Keys, whose current live act includes a 48-member cast, has upped her talent fees, and to hold the concert at the Big Dome would correspondingly increase ticket prices, Lumen said.

By Pocholo Concepcion
Philippine Daily Inquirer

ShareThis

Tags: Uncategorized by spun2u
Comments Off