A Dutch U2 fan put tracks from their new album on the internet after overhearing them being played at Bono's French home
John Burns, Sunday Times
THEY seem stuck in a moment they can't get out of. The launch of every U2 studio album since 1991 has now been preceded by a leak or theft of music, resulting in snatches of songs being posted on the internet or circulated on bootleg tapes.
To lose one album would be unfortunate; to lose six smacks of carelessness. As well as being the wealthiest band in the world, U2 may also be the unluckiest. They have been the victims of a bizarre medley of mugged couriers, German chambermaids and light-fingered French studio operators, as well as Dutch and Spanish eavesdroppers.
In the latest episode, excerpts of four tracks from the Dublin band's next album ended up on YouTube after Bono blared them at high volume from his house in Eze-sur-Mer in southern France. Ben van Riemsdijk, a Dutch fan, recorded the material on his phone and shared it online with other U2 enthusiasts.