The Unofficial U2 Blog

Let me out !! Let me out !!

2005-09-17T15:20:00.000-07:00

Let me out !! Let me out !!
Originally uploaded by itrimble.

I don't know waht to say... except.. get me out of the back of this truck... I am not a Mexican !!

Pras Does 'Something Crazy' To U2 Favorite With Bono's Blessing

2005-08-24T05:30:00.000-07:00

I called Bono and said, 'I'm about to do something crazy and ask you something crazy.' " — Pras

There are many perks to being a member of a politically conscious group. Like, for instance, a direct line to Bono.

"I called Bono and said, 'I'm about to do something crazy and ask you something crazy,' " Fugees

"I called Bono and said, 'I'm about to do something crazy and ask you something crazy.' " — Pras

Photos, audio and video from this story

		Pras on sampling U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For"

rapper Pras recalled recently. "He started laughing. I told him what I was doing. He heard it. He said, 'Look, if it's going to help you, you got my blessing.' So I respect him for that."

What Pras played for the U2 singer is his latest single, "Haven't Found," a remake of sorts of "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For."

Read More

Is Bono At Risk ?

2005-08-22T07:58:00.000-07:00

STONE'S ERROR PUTS BONO AT RISK

SHARON STONE nearly triggered a security scare when she left BILL CLINTON and BONO's telephone numbers behind when she moved out of her rented London apartment.

The BASIC INSTINCT star surprised Londoners when she suddenly quit her $7,200 (GBP4,000)-per-week flat following last month's (JUL05) bombings in the British capital - and cleaning staff were shocked to find the discarded celebrity numbers.

The source tells British newspaper Daily Mirror, "There were lots of handwritten notes, including some Post-Its stuck on the outside of the Yellow Pages.

"We were staggered to find these included numbers for Bill Clinton and Bono."

U2 Rock 70,000 In MUNICH

2005-08-20T11:33:00.000-07:00

U2 rock 70,000 in Munich

"Singing in the Rain" (Gene Kelly), 'I Can't Stand The Rain' (Tina Turner) or simply "Rain" (The Beatles) . It was pouring cats and dogs for hours in Munich but Bono being the number one showman in the biz did not cry for shelter but stepped right into the open.

Emptying a bottle of water over his head whilst entering the stage to the driving rhythm of The Arcade Fires 'Walk On', Bono demonstrated to the 70.000 soaking wet fans just one thing: I might be the frontman of U2, but tonight I am one of you, too. A simple trick that made all the difference.

Read More

Battle Of The Summer Concerts

2005-08-20T11:32:00.000-07:00

Summer Music Contest: It's U2 vs. McLachlan

The finals of the Daily Times Summer Concert Contest is set. The odds-on favorite from day one, U2, advanced to the finals by knocking off a game Dave Matthews Band by a slim margin (by U2 standards) 56 to 44 percent.

The other half of the bracket had two surprise semi-finalists, and in the end, the overall musical talent of Sarah McLachlan won out over the over-50 sex appeal of Sting by a final score of 59-41.

Read More

U2, me too?

2005-08-20T11:31:00.000-07:00

The night is very dark in Dharamsala, the small hill station in northern India where the Dalai Lama lives, and the shops are so few that after 9pm you can see more stars than lights. Internet connections are always a gamble here, not least because the phones tend to go down as soon as the electricity comes back on, and it’s not often I can access AOL in less than two hours flat (in the land that produces many of the world’s greatest software engineers).

Yet at 11.17pm, a figure is hunched over two computers (the only two) in the Tibetan government-in-exile’s guesthouse. Tickets for a U2 concert in Los Angeles seven months later are about to go on sale (at 10am in California), and this fool is trying to get online the moment they become available at www.ticketmaster.com. He clicks away frantically while a night-watchman shoots him baleful glances and wild dogs bark across the hills.

U2 at Fenway in '06?

2005-08-19T07:06:00.000-07:00

Before Mick Jagger has even set foot on the stage at Fenway Park, the whispering has begun about next summer's boffo shows at the ballpark. How do you follow Bruce Springsteen, Jimmy Buffett, and the Rolling Stones? How does U2 sound? Word is the Irish lads, who are on a never-ending tour to promote ''How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb," are nearing a deal to occupy the outfield next summer for two nights. Neither the Sox nor Clear Channel would comment yesterday, but the band has demonstrated it's a big fan of Boston. In May, Bono and the boys played three sold-out shows here, and they're returning for two more at TD Banknorth Garden Oct. 3 and 4. But wait, there's more. According to the trade publication Pollstar, U2 is bound for Boston yet again in December, playing shows at the new Garden on Dec. 4 and 5.

By Carol Beggy & Mark Shanahan, Globe Staff | August 18, 2005

Bono lined up for Nobel

2005-08-19T07:02:00.000-07:00

p2pnet.net OT News:- British knighthoods have been awarded to the likes of Paul McCartney and Elton John, and now a similar fate could await the Nobel peace prize.

The 2005 prizes will be announced between October 3 and 14 with "Irish U2 rock star Bono or nuclear watchdogs such as IAEA seen as possible winners of the prestigious Peace Prize," says Agence France Presse, quoted in The Local.

"The Peace Prize, the most celebrated of the Nobel honours, will be announced on October 14 in Oslo by the Norwegian Nobel Committee."

Bono's "global push to tackle African poverty" is named as the reason for his nomination, "while the nuclear issue has been in focus with Iran and North Korea stubbornly pursuing their nuclear programmes as the world this year marks the 60th anniversary of the nuking of Hiroshima," says the story, adding:

"Other potential winners include Ukraine President Viktor Yushchenko, Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, humanitarian organisations that assisted in the December 26 tsunami crisis, and the Indonesian government and Aceh rebels, who recently signed a peace accord ending almost 30 years of fighting," says the story

U2 Get Ready For Vertigo Tour In Toronto

2005-08-18T07:11:00.000-07:00

U2 Get Ready For Vertigo Tour In Toronto
Wednesday August 17, 2005 @ 03:00 PM
By: ChartAttack.com Staff

Toronto appears to have become a rehearsal haven for legends of the rock world, as speculation mounts that U2 will warm-up for their Vertigo tour in the city.

To be fair, this doesn't really match Rolling Stones rehearsing in the area in preparation for their tour, but the Toronto Sun reports U2 are now set to use a downtown location to tune up their guitars and perfect the second North American leg of their worldwide tour, which, uncoincidentally, kicks off in the T-dot.

The Irish juggernaut rolls into town to play the Air Canada Centre September 12, 14, 16 and 17, but will use the Air Canada Centre on September 9, 10 and11, to make all the last minute preparations.

As previously reported, U2 have joined the ever-growing celebrity fanclub of The Arcade Fire, and have secured the Montreal act to support them on their three non-Toronto Canadian tour dates.

Here is the full list of U2's Canadian tour dates:

September 12 Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre

September 14 Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre

September 16 Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre

September 17 Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre

November 25 Ottawa, ON @ Corel Centre

November 26 Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre

November 28 Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre

—Robert Munford

Sharon Osbourne & Simon Cowell Mock U2

2005-08-17T06:07:00.000-07:00

Sharon: "Talk about a knees-up? Have you seen U2's live show? It's boring as hell. It's like watching CNN."

Sharon on boring Bono
Last updated 16 August 2005

'The X Factor' was launched yesterday (Monday) and they're promising more talent and less bitching.

However, Simon Cowell has admitted he's out for revenge after Louis' band, G4, beat last year's winner, Steve Brookstein, on sales.

It's fair to say that Steve's career has hardly soared but, despite that, Simon told us he reckons the music industry needs 'The X Factor'.

However, a cackling Sharon Osbourne took the opportunity to have a dig at one of the world's biggest bands:

Simon: "The music business at the moment is not exactly a barrel of laughs. We're not going to go out with Coldplay and have a fun evening!"

Sharon: "It wouldn't be a knees-up!"

Simon: ""I think if we're going to make a talent show, let's make it as fun and as crazy and as real as we can."

Sharon: "Talk about a knees-up? Have you seen U2's live show? It's boring as hell. It's like watching CNN."

Read More

Jesse Helms: Bono's my buddy

2005-08-17T06:02:00.000-07:00

Jesse Helms: Bono's my buddy !!

Former Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) considers Irish rock star Bono “an enormously impressive gentleman” and a friend of his and his wife’s.

So says the conservative icon in his memoirs, Here’s Where I Stand, due out late this month.

The 83-year-old Helms confesses he’d never heard of the U2 front man before their first meeting in 2001 but his “younger staff members had” and “lined up to get their pictures taken.”

Read More

ATHLETE are locked in a battle with fellow British band SNOW PATROL to see who can become the next U2 first.

2005-08-17T06:01:00.000-07:00

Athlete frontman JOEL POTTS and Snow Patrol guitarist NATHAN CONNELLY decided to instigate their race to become superstars while watching U2 play in the Netherlands recently.

Potts says, "We were in Germany when we first got asked to support U2 and we just laughed. It was kind of one of those dreams. It was the same with REM.

"We supported U2 in Amsterdam and I was standing with Nathan from Snow Patrol.

"U2 were incredible and everyone was just standing singing at the top of their voices. I was going, 'I want this', and so was Nathan. We ended up going, 'I'll race you.'

"We'd love to nick (steal) their crowd."

Portugal honours Irish rockers U2 for quarter century of humanitarian work

2005-08-14T20:10:00.000-07:00

PORTUGAL PEOPLE U2 TOPIX
Originally uploaded by itrimble.

LISBON, Portugal (AP) - Members of the Irish rock band U2 received Portugal's Order of Liberty, one of the country's highest honours, at a formal ceremony held before their concert Sunday in the Portuguese capital.

President Jorge Sampaio presented the medals to Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen in recognition of their work for humanitarian causes over the last 25 years, including heightening awareness on the debt issues facing developing countries.

U2 played at a Live Aid concert for Ethiopian famine relief two decades ago, and last month took part in the Live 8 concerts aimed at pressuring leaders of the world's richest countries to increase aid to Africa.

The award ceremony was held at the presidential palace in Lisbon.

Sunday was the final European date on the band's Vertigo tour.

Portugal honours Irish rockers U2 for quarter century of humanitarian work

2005-08-14T19:51:00.000-07:00

President Jorge Sampaio presented the medals to Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen in recognition of their work for humanitarian causes over the last 25 years, including heightening awareness on the debt issues facing developing countries.

All that you want U2 on DVD

2005-08-12T00:43:00.000-07:00

U2: The Complete History gives the world a similar unauthorized look into the state of the U2 art. From their humble beginnings in 1976 Dublin, to their world leadership role as musicians, spokesmen for their generation and, in the case of lead singer Bono, political activism, this two-hour blockbuster details the stories behind the stories, letting those close to the band speak as never heard before. The viewer gets to know the members of U2 as people first, rock stars second. Their story is a fascinating, circuitous route towards superstardom that no U2 aficionado could possibly be without.

40,000 quiver at Anoeta stadium with U2

2005-08-10T20:17:00.000-07:00

40,000 quiver at Anoeta stadium with U2

The Irish band combined music, sight, and protests against world hunger and in favour of peace. Bono managed to win the affection of the spectators by singing "Uno, dos, tres… catorce" in Basque.

U2 did not let spectators down. The Irish band showed its talent at Anoeta stadium of Donostia-San Sebastián. With red and black colours standing out in the stage design, Bono and his band made 40,000 spectators quiver last night.

The Arcade Fire

2005-08-10T20:13:00.000-07:00

The Arcade Fire have found another friend in a high place. U2, who have taken to opening their world tour dates with The Arcade Fire's "Wake Up," have invited the Montreal band to play it themselves at U2 gigs. As no one has yet been known to turn Bono down and survive, The Arcade Fire accepted. They will open for U2 on three Canadian dates this November.

Read More

Could Coldplay be the next U2?

2005-08-10T20:11:00.000-07:00

Both bands have lobbed a steady barrage of megahits at America from across the pond. A charismatic, socially conscious frontman leads each group. And they share a penchant for rock with an expansive scope and an emotive core.

When Coldplay performed Tuesday at Riverbend Music Center, the British group demonstrated its most striking similarity to its Irish predecessors: The ability to forge an intimate connection with individual members of a thousands-strong arena crowd.

Just like U2’s Bono, Chris Martin exudes an enigmatic yet approachable confidence. He gripped the crowd in his thrall from the minute he strode onstage to the final notes of the show’s finale, the current hit “Fix You.”

Read More

U2 Rock Space with Their Music!

2005-08-10T11:10:00.000-07:00

How cool is this ? Astronauts of NASA's space shuttle Discovery got a rock 'n' roll wake-up call when Irish rockers' U2's hit single Vertigo was piped through their space ship.

Read More...

U2 In Concert

2005-08-10T11:01:00.000-07:00

U2 in concert

Today early in the morning citizens have started queuing for U2's concert tonight at Anoeta stadium. At last! Today our eyes will fix on the enormous stage of Anoeta stadium in Donostia-San Sebastián. Thousands of citizens marked today's day on their calendar, as today's concert will be the most attended in the Basque Country expecting to overcome Rolling Stones' in June 2003.

U2 To Get Portuguese Award

2005-08-10T10:55:00.000-07:00

LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal said on Tuesday it would award Irish rockers U2 the country's Order of Liberty to honor the band's humanitarian efforts.

President Jorge Sampaio will award the Dublin four -- lead singer Bono, guitarist The Edge, bassist Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen Jr. -- before a concert in Lisbon on Sunday.

Read More....