September 2009 Archives

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Photograph by Sam Jones (Rolling Stone Magazine)
Digital imaging and logo treatment by Splashlight

Rolling Stone

The numbers associated with the U2360° Tour are staggering: a 170-ton stage rightfully dubbed "the spaceship," 200 trucks carting it around, 250 speakers, nearly 400 employees and $750,000 a day in overhead. But the band's stadium show is more than a fantastic spectacle -- it's the biggest rock tour of all time, and Rolling Stone is onstage and backstage with U2's Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. as they make history in our new issue, on stands today.

Explore three decades of U2 in photos.

Sales for U2's latest album, No Line on the Horizon, may not match their biggest blockbusters, but the foursome are out to "engage and try and do something different," as Edge puts it, as well as prove their new material can stand up next to the classics. "I walk out and sing 'Breathe' every night to a lot of people who don't know it," Bono tells RS' Brian Hiatt of the No Line show opener in our cover story. "I'm a performer -- I'm not going to hang on to a song that doesn't communicate and add up to something. They're great songs live, and I think it's a great album." But three-fourths of U2 (save the Edge) think "Get On Your Boots" was the wrong pick for a first single.

Look back at U2's essential LPs in our album guide.

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By Chris Richards, Washington Post Staff Writer

After months of anticipation, it finally descended upon FedEx Field: The stage prop to end all stage props. Looming 164-feet over the stage and christened "The Claw," its menacing girth made Funkadelic's mothership look like a Frisbee covered in Reynolds Wrap.

It was stunning, surreal -- oh, and a rock band played beneath it, too. The band is called U2, and it's on the most extravagantly staged tour of its 33-year career and -- judging from the stage banter at FedEx Field Tuesday -- its fans are mostly high-ranking politicians.(Only at a U2 concert will Nancy Pelosi be shouted-out twice.)

The band charged through a satisfying set of its most rousing tunes -- "Where the Streets Have No Name," "Sunday Bloody Sunday," "Beautiful Day" -- but they often felt secondary to the nonstop visual turbulence. This wasn't about the band onstage. It was about the stage itself. "We got a spaceship," declared frontman Bono early in the show. "But it isn't going anywhere without you!"

Unforgettable Fire remastered........soon!!!!

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The Edge (102.1 that is) spoke to The Edge (guitarist) about the remastered edition of The Unforgettable Fire, coming next month

Gabrielle Monaghan, The Sunday Times

It is one of the world's most popular live events but U2's massive 360° tour has still not turned a profit.

The concerts have generated €205m in ticket sales so far, but Paul McGuinness, the band's manager, said that the tour has not yet broken even because the daily running costs are more than €500,000.

The band started the tour in Barcelona at the end of June, followed by North America for a string of concerts that began at Chicago's Soldier Field on September 12.

"When do we hit the break-even point? We haven't hit it yet," McGuinness told Billboard, the American music trade publication last week. "But we will between now and the end of this leg. Not exactly gravy, because whether we're playing or not, the overhead is about $750,000 (€511,245) daily."

Live Remix of "Crazy Tonight"
at Giants Stadium, Sept. 24

U2 brings the U2 360° Tour into Giants Stadium, sets a record for attendance and leaves the fans wanting more, but is "more" really necessary?

By Jonathan Wayne, U2Station.com Webmaster

Minimalism isn't something U2 does well.

Nor is disappointment.

On Thursday night in front of a record crowd of 85,000 people in East Rutherford, New Jersey, I witnessed the world's most grandiose and gargantuan rock band rock the socks off of Giants Stadium. With its 170 foot tall, 390 ton "Claw" (or Spaceship) rising into the air, 7 story, 500,000 pixel and 54 ton video screen, and 1.2 million watt sound system, the only thing missing was a rocket launch to the moon.

From my vantage point in the mezzanine level behind the stage and in a galaxy far away, I could barely see the pilon at the top of the "Claw" as it jutted out into the sky above. In the last row under the upper roof, the flourescent lights stayed on during the entire concert. The glare of the overhead house lights bounced off my glasses and enforced my realization that it really does create a different impression on where you sit (or stand) during a concert. Nevertheless, I was here amongst the tens of thousands to see U2 on the world's largest travelling rock n' roll production ever created.

Video Clips of U2 on SNL

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Last night on NBC, U2 performed 4 songs on Saturday Night Live, 3 of which were broadcast. The band performed "Breathe", "Moment Of Surrender", "Ultra Violet (Light My Way)" and "With Or Without You" (which did not air but was performed solely for the studio audience). Below are video clips we found online of the band on SNL.

Metro Opens Doors for U2 Fans

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NBC Washington

LANDOVER, Md. -- Imagine going all the way to Maryland to see a bunch of washed up arena rockers and then -- after hours of screaming "Where the Streets Have No Name!" and "The one from the iTunes commercial!" -- finding yourself trapped there, unable to hop a train back to civilization.

It happened Wednesday in New York, where Maryland is called "New Jersey." Thousands of fans left the U2 concert at the Meadowlands and found themselves unable to get back on the train. An estimated 20,000 fans used New Jersey Transit to get to the stadium, and that was too many to handle coming out. Many in the mob that descended on the train station waited hours to board a train, and some said it got so late their trains stopped running.

Metro doesn't want that to happen to U2 fans attending Tuesday's concert at FedEx Field in Landover. The transit agency plans to keep the Morgan Boulevard Metro Station open until 1 a.m. Wednesday. The last inbound train usually leaves the station at 11:25 p.m.

By John Baiata, NBC News' Senior Editor

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Political activism from rock stars has a long lineage. You can trace it all the way back to George Harrison's "Concert for Bangladesh" in 1972, the "No Nukes" concert in New York in 1979, "LIVE AID" and "We Are the World" in the 1980's, and many more. Today such activism is ubiquitous. Concert-goers are urged to support a wide range of causes, and artists' web sites act as grass-roots organizations for a multitude of high-minded projects.

But no band - and no band leader - embodies this ideal more today than U2 and Bono. The band supports the efforts of Amnesty International, Greenpeace, and the Chernobyl Children's Project. Bono has used his fame to put considerable pressure on countries to reduce the burden of debt on developing countries and to draw attention to the fight against AIDS in Africa with his RED project.

New Jersey News Room

More than 84,472 concert goers turn out for Thursday's show

U2 blasted the Giants Stadium attendance record Thursday night with 84,472 fans coming out to see the Irish rock band's sold out show. The previous record was held by Pope John Paul II after his visit to the stadium in 1995 (82,948).

The significance of the historic feat was not lost on lead singer Bono.

"News just in," said Bono from the stage near the end of the night. "We've broken every record for attendance in this stadium -- including the Pope. Sorry Bruce -- we know it's your birthday and all."

By David W. Chen, New York Times

In hindsight, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg acknowledged, grudgingly, on Friday, taking a helicopter flight from Manhattan to New Jersey to catch a U2 concert may not have been the most environmentally friendly way to travel.

Especially since Mr. Bloomberg had events on Thursday and Friday that were meant to burnish his environmental record.

On Thursday, Mr. Bloomberg, joined by former Vice President Al Gore, unveiled a program to paint rooftops white to reduce energy usage. On Friday, the mayor promoted a plan to offer energy-efficiency tips to 1,000 superintendents and building managers.

By M. Amedeo Tumolillo, New York Times

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's plans to attend the U2 concert at the Meadowlands were disrupted Thursday night after the pilot of his private helicopter made a mistake during a test flight to Giants Stadium.

The pilot, flying without the mayor as he familiarized himself with the area, missed the helipad and instead landed the helicopter in a bus parking lot around 7 p.m., said Trooper Mark Pierce of the New Jersey State Police.

The State Police intercepted the pilot and verified his identity before clearing him to leave the area, Trooper Pierce said. However, the pilot was not allowed to enter the airspace for the rest of the evening.

by Jonathan Wayne, U2Station.com

U2 will be taking their U2 360° Tour back to Europe in 2010 with 12 new tour dates scheduled starting August 10. Amongst the dates are stops in Moscow, Russia and Istanbul, Turkey for the first time in U2's history. These dates may not be the only ones however as there are rumors of U2 playing a concert in Israel as well as Brussels. According to U2.com, additional cities and dates are to be confirmed.

Tickets for these shows go on sale next week. U2 will most likely perform in South America as well as Australia & New Zealand and possibly one last leg back to North America.

The list of dates can be seen below:

August 10, 2010 - Commerzbank Arena, Frankfurt, Germany
August 12, 2010 - AWD Stadium, Hannover, Germany
August 15, 2010 - Stadium, Horsens, Denmark
August 20, 2010 - Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland
August 25, 2010 - Luzhniki, Moscow, Russia
August 30, 2010 - Ernst Happel Stadium, Vienna, Austria
September 3, 2010 - Olympic Stadium, Athens, Greece
September 6, 2010 - Ataturk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey
September 15, 2010 - Olympic Stadium, Munich, Germany
September 18, 2010 - Stade De France, Paris, France
September, 2010 - Olympic Stadium, Seville, Spain
October 2, 2010 - Stadium, Coimbra, Portugal

Russia Today

Legendary Irish band U2 has never before given concerts in Russia, but will come to Moscow next summer for their first live show - the U2 360° Tour - in support of the band's latest studio album "No Line on the Horizon."

The tour started in 2009, and the rockers, inspired by their last album's success, decided to continue their tour in 2010. "European fans who missed out in 2009 will have a new opportunity to experience the U2 360° Tour extravaganza, with stops confirmed in Germany, Denmark, Finland, Russia, Austria, Greece, Turkey, France, Brussels, Spain and Portugal," the band's website reports.

U2 will travel with loads of technical gadgets and a huge stage crew to organize the dream performance for the stars. A perfectly round stage is among the hardware allowing each spectator see all the nuances of the show. Apart from the stage, the spectacle will also be equipped with numerous screens, and other visual effects.

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Some U2 fans still might not have the train they were looking for

By Jennifer Millman, NBC New York

Achtung, Baby! Suffice it to say that the new train service from Penn Station the Meadowlands leaves much to be desired, especially for U2 fans who say they were stranded for hours after last night's concert at Giants Stadium.

Tens of thousands of exhilarated fans poured out of the stadium after the show got out around 11:15 p.m. But there were too many people trying to get to the train - and getting out of the Meadowlands Sports Complex took more than two hours for some.

There were no clear signs telling people where to go, said Amanda, a diehard U2 fan from Manhattan who asked to be identified by first name only.

"It was crazy," she said. "Once you found your way, there were barricades up to guide the thousands of people pushing and shoving their way towards the area to board the trains."

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See more pictures and coverage here

By Jon Pareles, New York Times

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Pointing a finger toward the audience surrounding U2 on Wednesday night at Giants Stadium, Bono sang, "Oh, you look so beautiful!" -- with the crowd itself shouting along. It was just one moment of mutual affirmation in a concert with an ever-expanding mission.

U2 kept raising the metaphysical ante. At first the show was about the band itself and its joy in the music it has been making for more than 30 years together. The set began with "Breathe," a song from U2's current album, "No Line on the Horizon" (Interscope) that declares, "I've found grace inside a sound."

Soon it turned from musical ambition to rock community-building, bonding the band and the 60,000 fans who had sold out the stadium. Being in New Jersey on Bruce Springsteen's 60th birthday, U2 segued Mr. Springsteen's "She's the One' (with Bono changing the chorus to "He's the one") into its own "Desire."

By Rafer Guzmán, Newsday

The biggest rock band in the world came to New Jersey Wednesday night with a massive stage, its famously sweeping sound and something else: a sense of humor.

The juggernaut known as U2 played a refreshingly casual set at Giants Stadium, reducing the 60,000-seat venue, and the band's humongous, four-limbed, 150-foot tall stage set - nicknamed The Spaceship - to an almost intimate scale. (The band plays again Thursday at Giants Stadium.)

Bono played the amiable host, introducing his bandmates - bassist Adam Clayton, drummer Larry Mullen Jr and guitarist The Edge - as if fans might not be familiar with them.

An Ode To Pop

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The Pop album and PopMart tour have gotten a bad rap over the years. Let's be honest, a lot of us had a WTF moment while watching the "Discotheque" video for the first time. But 12 years later, there seems to be a lot of buzz around this album again. On Monday night, at the last show in Boston, Bono did a snippet of "Mofo" before "City of Blinding Lights".

By Ray Waddell

NASHVILLE (Billboard) - As U2 wraps the 2009 dates of its groundbreaking 360 world stadium tour, the band is expected to gross about $300 million and sell about 3 million tickets to fewer than 50 shows.

Rather than a high-end ticket price, the big numbers are more about a unique staging concept that boosts configurations at stadiums, and fans know that U2 is again pushing the production envelope. The tour is in support of the band's latest album, "No Line on the Horizon," and if it isn't scaling the sales heights of previous sets -- since its March release, "Line" has sold 991,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan -- the band's manager, Paul McGuinness, credits that more to overall market conditions than a decline in the act's popularity.

Though sometimes outspoken about industry issues -- his 2008 MIDEM keynote excoriating the industry for its lackluster response to digital distribution still resonates -- McGuinness is anything but riled as he sits in an office backstage at Chicago's Soldier Field just before U2 went onstage. "What do I possibly have to be pissed off about?" he wonders. Both pragmatist and gambler, McGuinness guides the career of what has become arguably the biggest band in the world, and it has been a banner year for the group he has represented since the start of its career.

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J. Kelly Nestruck, Globe and Mail

Bono certainly was a busy boy on U2's recent trip to Toronto. He popped by a local radio station , played a couple of concerts at the Rogers Centre , and, we have learned today, dropped by the Royal Alexandra Theatre to sit in on a rehearsal of the new(ish) Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ben Elton musical, The Boys in the Photograph.

"[W]e have a lot to learn from Andrew Lloyd Webber," Bono said, in a quote Mirvish Productions have supplied to the press along with the above snazzy photo of him and writer/director Ben Elton.

That quote might be a bit shocking to some U2 fans - but only those who didn't know that Bono and The Edge are in the process of writing the music and lyrics for Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark , a musical set to open on Broadway next year. (Yes, still, despite rumoured financial troubles .) Thematically, too, Boys in the Photograph is up Bono's alley, given that it deals with the Irish Troubles in the late sixties and early seventies. Heck, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunday_Bloody_Sunday_ per cent28song per cent29 could very well be one of the songs.

RTE

Tom Cruise and his wife Katie Holmes revealed they are big U2 fans when they cheered on the band this week at a concert in Boston's Gillette stadium.

According to The Boston Herald, a source said: "They were having the best time dancing, holding hands together in the air and looked genuinely happy together.

"He and Cameron Diaz are filming in Worcester which is about 50k west of Boston and he came especially for the concert."

The source added: "Cameron Diaz was dancing the entire time, turning around to laugh and smile at Tom and Katie.

"And when Bono asked the crowd to take out their cellphones to create light, even Cameron took out her BlackBerry."

Tricia Duryee, mocoNews.net

Research In Motion's BlackBerry has launched an application aimed at U2 fans through its partnership with the popular Irish band that is currently on tour to promote the album, "No Line on the Horizon."

Unfortunately, the application can only be considered late given that the tour is more than halfway over, and more likely can be considered a complete bust because it does not feature full-length songs, unlike the name would suggest, "U2 Mobile Album." In addition, despite BlackBerry being the tour's official sponsor, there are no tie-ins between the application and the live concerts, which misses a big opportunity for the historically enterprise-focused company to appear more consumer-friendly.

The free application launched Sept. 14, according to the BlackBerry App World, but it seems like the company only started publicizing it today in emails, which details how users can download it.

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By Jed Gottlieb

Witness the power of a fully operational U2.

Last night the spaceship - as Bono called the in-the-round stage setup - landed at Gillette Stadium and four Irish aliens emerged as the biggest rock stars in the world. That's what happens when you project yourself on a 360-degree, 14,000-square-foot video screen.

Those who despise Bono, Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. for growing up (and up and up) to be a parody of the furious, little new wave punks they began as would have hated U2's latest, greatest show on earth. But for 60,000 fans last night (and for thousands more tonight), it was a mothership - a 150-foot tall, pastel green and orange-spotted, claw-shaped mothership buzzing with a million points of light - come to take them to planet U2.

By Rick Massimo, Providence Journal Pop Music Writer

FOXBORO, Mass. -- U2 doesn't work small.

The Irish rock legends brought their U2 360 Tour to Gillette Stadium for the first of two shows Sunday night, and it's tempting to simply review the stage.

Since it was impossible to ignore, it's as good a place as any to start.

The gargantuan structure, which took four days to build, resembled nothing so much as a four-legged spider with light-green skin and orange polka dots. Its legs contained dozens of speakers; smoke billowed from various portals. Above the band was a huge cylindrical screen that could project or be projected upon, and which expanded to nearly reach the stage later in the show.

U2's massive intimacy

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U2's 360 Tour is the latest evolution of the stadium tour, one that tries to be both big and small

Mike Doherty, Weekend Post

It's no secret ambition bites the nails of success - or so Bono likes to tell us. And after taking on world famine, war, and pestilence, he and his U2 bandmates have set themselves arguably their biggest task yet: trying to make a stadium show feel intimate.

On their 360 Tour, they've spared no expense to do so: they've commissioned a 150-foot steel structure housing a 54-ton video screen made up of a million separate pieces, all of which takes four days to put together (and reputedly 120 trucks to cart across North America, although this was the one figure their tour publicist declined to confirm - justifying their carbon footprint to the press, it seems, would be one miracle too many).

But why should it take so much effort, material, and money to create intimacy? The rock 'n' roll stadium show has always been a strange beast, created from commercial and logistical, rather than artistic, concerns. Thrust into an enormous space designed for sporting events, what's a band to do?

By Jane Stevenson, Sun Media

U2 drummer Larry Mullen Jr. sat down with Sun Media in an exclusive Canadian newspaper interview late Thursday backstage at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, just hours before the band performed their second show at the venue.

Mullen gets the credit for the formation of U2, as he was the one who posted an ad on his high school notice board when he was just 14, looking for bandmates. The rest is history. He used to joke it was The Larry Mullen Band for about 10 minutes, before frontman Bono walked in.

Here's the best of what Mullen had to say during our 20-minute chat. Contrary to his reputation for being quiet, he was chatty and warm in person:

By Jane Stevenson, Sun Media

U2 guitarist The Edge is largely considered the soul of the Irish rock band, what with his distinctive, atmospheric style of playing that conjures both emotion and awe with every chord.

He told Sun Media, in an exclusive Canadian newspaper interview backstage at Rogers Centre on Thursday night before the band's second show in two nights, that performing live is where it's at for him.

"On a good night, I think there's no band like U2, and there's certainly no audience like the U2 audience," he said.

Here's the best of the rest of what The Edge had to say during our 20-minute chat:

Sun Media: You seem to still be enjoying yourself up there after three decades of doing this.

The Edge: Touring is sort of a crazy way to live, but what really makes it bearable is that two-hours-15 that you're on stage playing the songs with your best friends, to some other great friends -- the U2 fans. It's a fantastic job.

By Jane Stevenson, Sun Media

U2 bassist Adam Clayton is the group's resident sophisticate.

Frontman Bono jokingly described him Wednesday night at the Rogers Centre, during the band's first show at the venue, as "Adam Clayton, the effortlessly stylish citizen of the world, and sexual predator -- the only man in U2 who uses face cream."

Clayton addressed some of those charges in an exclusive Canadian newspaper interview with Sun Media on Thursday night backstage at Rogers Centre. Clayton was funny, smart and charming.

Here's the best of what he had to say:

Sun Media: So, I have to ask, what kind of face cream do you use?

Clayton: As it happens, I don't use face cream. I'm very lucky. I have quite oily skin, which means that you don't need to moisturize that much. So he obviously just attributes me as using a lot face cream.

Watch the video on this story

Carolyn MacKenzie & Ryan Cripps, Global News

An 8-year-old London boy had the experience of a lifetime Thursday night when U2's lead singer lifted him on stage at a sold-out concert at the Rogers Centre.

Thousands watched as Lucas Zara was hoisted into the waiting arms of Bono on a catwalk above him.

"This is like the greatest moment of my life," Lucas told Global News in an exclusive interview on Friday.

Lucas was on stage for the entirety of "City of Blinding Lights", a moment that was watched and recorded by thousands.

"We made eye contact and he gestured to put him up," said Russ Zara, Lucas' father.

U2 Rocks Toronto, Twice!

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by Sacha Gera, National Post

Having had the privilege of attending both U2 concerts in Toronto over the last two nights, I felt that it was only appropriate to write a quick review.

I've been a U2 fan for a long time. It was my brother that got me into them at a young age. I remember him continuously playing Sunday Bloody Sunday over his ghetto blaster - a memory that always sticks with me. I didn't become a true fan of the boys until I was a bit older. U2 put out the Achtung Baby album in 1991, and I was mesmerized by the first single, The Fly. Ever since, my liking for U2 has gained through the years. In my opinion there are three clear demographics of U2 fans: the 80's lovers, the 90's slickers, and the Millennial techies. I would consider myself a second generation U2 fan and I am fonder of their post-Achtung Baby era.

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Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of their 1984 classic The Unforgettable Fire, U2 will reissue their fourth album with remastered sound on October 27th, the band announced on their official website. As with last year's reissues of the band's first three albums Boy, October and War, the Unforgettable Fire reissue will be available in a variety of formats: CD, 12" vinyl, a deluxe edition and a limited edition box set.

The deluxe edition will feature both the remastered album culled from the original audio tapes and a bonus CD stocked with B-sides and other unreleased material. The full contents of the bonus audio CD haven't yet been revealed, but in addition to the B-sides of the era, the disc will feature two previously unreleased tracks from the 1984 Slane Castle sessions: "Yoshino Blossom" and "Disappearing Act," which the band recently completed.

Survivor credits U2 for healing

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By Joe Warmington, Sun Media

First came the plane crash.

Then the cancer.

So Angie Koliakos knows even being at the U2 concert last night is both a mystery and a miracle.

Angie knows Bono is not singing specifically about her, a 48-year-old Toronto woman, but she says as far as she is concerned, he is.

The legendary singer sings about war, struggle, love, forgiveness, faith and survival, and Angie knows about each and every one.

"Bono says we have one life, one love, you've got to do what you can," she said last night.

"U2 has been an inspiration to me as far back as I can remember, but most important it has helped me heal through the tragedies in my life."

Bono reveals U2's next albums

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By Jane Stevenson, Sun Media

FROM THE BACKSEAT OF BONO'S SUV, DOWNTOWN TORONTO -- Most first dates involve having dinner and seeing a movie.

Yesterday afternoon in Toronto, U2 frontman Bono picked me up in a shiny black Chevy Suburban on Yonge St., and it was non-stop talking.

OK, so it wasn't a date. Bono wasn't actually driving, and I got in the car first.

But the scenario was that one of the world's biggest music stars and his equally famous bandmates -- guitarist The Edge, bassist Adam Clayton, and drummer Larry Mullen Jr. -- had just visited 102.1 The Edge radio station, drawing dozens of fans for the last-minute appearance. And I ended up talking to the singer, resplendent in a denim ensemble and tinted glasses, in the backseat of his car, en route to last night's second show by U2 at the Rogers Centre.

The only others with us were his driver and his security man, while the car was given a police escort through downtown Toronto.

Ah, the life of Bono.

By Jed Gottlieb, Boston Herald

Achtung babies! U2's first stateside stadium tour in a decade is on the horizon.

On Sunday and Monday, Gillette Stadium will host about 140,000 fans for the Irish icons' 360 Tour's New England stop. To get you psyched for these beautiful nights, we've unearthed some tour details.

The songs: A big chunk of the set doesn't change from night to night, including U2 opening with a quartet of new songs "Breathe," "No Line On The Horizon," "Get On Your Boots" and "Magnificent." But among the new tunes and expected hits ("Beautiful Day," "Vertigo," "One," "Bad," "With Or Without You") are some surprises. Last week, the band debuted "Your Blue Room," a song from the "Original Soundtracks 1" album recorded under the pseudonym Passengers. Also, the band has been tucking in snippets of covers, including "All You Need Is Love," "Blackbird," "King of Pain," "Stand By Me" and "Amazing Grace."

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Band in town for concert and film festival make surprise stop at 102.1 The Edge

Josh Wingrove, Globe and Mail Update

When The Edge calls The Edge, people listen.

A phone call by representatives of Irish rockers U2 on Thursday morning came as a surprise to staff at the Toronto rock radio station, 102.1 The Edge.

The band has been in town for much of the Toronto International Film Festival, and held a massive concert in front of about 60,000 fans at the Rogers Centre Wednesday evening. The next morning, they decided they'd enjoy an impromptu chat with the local station.

The only stipulation? Organizers couldn't publicize their appearance until five minutes before they got there.

Live Review: U2 in Toronto

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Shot by National Post photographer Brett Gundlock

U2: Rogers Centre, Toronto - September 16, 2009

By Jane Stevenson, Sun Media

TORONTO - Well, it wasn't under a blood red sky, but at least you could see the clouds before the sun set.

Not to mention the sight of the CN Tower nearby.

U2's 360 Degree Tour pulled into Rogers Centre last night to begin a sold-out, two-night stand at the venue with the roof open for a concert for only the second time in the stadium's history.

The only other time was six years ago for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.

And the open air atmosphere made it still feel like summer in the city in mid-September, even if it got slightly chillier as the evening progressed.

Farrell, Bono, The Edge, Neil Jordan, Jim Sheridan walk red carpet

Belfast Telegraph

There were screams and near fainting from the crowd when Colin Farrell pulled up for the world premiere of Neil Jordan's latest movie Ondine at the Toronto Film Festival.

And the scenes were matched only by the reception for Bono and The Edge when they pulled up five minutes later. Delirium wasn't the word for it.

A ticket for the first screening was one of the hardest things to come by last night and the 900 seater Winter Garden cinema was packed to the rafters -- no mean feat in a festival which has the Coen Brothers and Werner Herzog among the many heavy hitting competitors.

by Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone

All four members of U2, Scarlett Johansson, Courtney Love, Antony, Martha and Rufus Wainwright and many more will take the stage at a (RED)NIGHTS concert at New York's Carnegie Hall on October 4th. "Hal Willner Presents: An Evening with Gavin Friday and Friends" will also feature performances from the Turtles' Flo & Eddie, the Pogues' Shane McGowan, Laurie Anderson. punk icon Lydia Lunch and, as the name of the event denotes, Gavin Friday and members of his goth band, the Virgin Prunes.

Part of the proceeds from the tickets, which go on sale tomorrow, September 16th, will go toward the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The evening's presenter Hal Willner, a frequent Friday collaborator, has also produced albums by Lou Reed, Marianne Faithful and the soundtrack for the film Million Dollar Hotel, based on a story by Bono.

U2's concerted effort noticed

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Prepping for a 2-night run, bandmates indulge fan appreciation

Local U2 fans had cause enough to be excited this week, as the rock supergroup prepared for its two shows at the Rogers Centre. But now, as they count down the hours to the first show tonight, superfans must be bursting with excitement as more news about the band's activities comes to light.

The band filmed an unusual episode of CTV's musical program Spectacle: Elvis Costello With ... last night at Toronto's Masonic Temple. The event was separate from the rest of the season's episodes, which have yet to begin filming; last season's episodes (featuring Costello in conversation and musical collaboration with gifted guests like Lou Reed) were shot in Harlem's famed Apollo Theater. Though the identity of Costello's guests was not disclosed in a CTV news release yesterday, fans put two and two together, and lead singer Bono was greeted by paparazzi and autograph seekers as he arrived for rehearsal yesterday.

by Michael D. Ayers, Billboard

While U2's "360 Tour" just got underway in Chicago this past weekend, fans are in store for another treat this fall as the 25th anniversary of the band's classic 1984 album, "The Unforgettable Fire" will be celebrated with a host of reissue configurations. Due October 27 from Island/Universal, four options will be available that include B-sides, rarities, alternate versions, and previously unreleased songs including "Disappearing Act" (a.k.a. "White City"), a song that was originally started in 1983 with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. Only recently the band put the finishing touches on "Disappearing Act" in France, according to an interview with BBC Radio 1.

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By Michael S. Eddy, Live Design

During the early rehearsals in Barcelona of the U2 360° Tour, show designer and director Willie Williams said, "The goal always for me is when the fans come into the stadium, they see something the like of which they have never seen before." While the design of the 360° Tour certainly fulfills the objective of Williams from the audience point of view, for lighting director Ethan Weber, he wants to ensure Williams see a show each night that looks a lot like the one he saw before. With Europe behind them and the US leg just begun, it is important to continually maintain the design that Williams worked so long and hard to create with his team. I spoke with Weber about touring, programming and a memorable audience.

MSE: Describe your role as lighting director on the 360° Tour?

EW: As lighting director, I look after the integrity of the light show--focusing, running, etc.--as well as to help build it as the tour progresses. Willie has a pretty steep workload as designer and overall show director, so I try to take a little bit off his shoulders and, hopefully, give him less to worry about and deal with.

On September 13, 2009 at Chicago's Soldier Field, U2 made history by performing "Your Blue Room" live for the very first time. Here is a 4 minute clip in HD of U2 performing the song.

An Official Electronic Press Kit (EPK) has been created for the North American leg of the U2 360° Tour. It features soundbytes from all of the band members and Manager Paul McGuinness at Chicago's Soldier Field, coverage of the September 12 Soldier Field show including aerial views and finally live snippets of Unknown Caller, Unforgettable Fire, City Of Blinding Lights and the remix of "Crazy Tonight".

Video blog from LAX!

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I have finally gotten home and finished editing my pictures...but I thought I would share a video log I did for you all today with a review of last night's show in Chicago. Apologies for the crappy muzak in the background and my general looking like ass-ness.

Check out a video review by Chicago Tribune rock critic Greg Kot as he reviews the North American opening night show of U2's 360 Tour at Soldier Field.

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REVIEW | Fails to uphold creative spirit of new album

by Jim DeRogatis, Chicago Sun-Times

Touring in support of its first two albums in the new millennium, the unadventurous U2-by-the-numbers "All That You Can't Leave Behind" (2000) and "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" (2004), Bono and the boys were in danger of becoming their generation's Rolling Stones -- a rote if occasionally rousing arena act more devoted to selling tickets than to breaking new musical ground.

Released last February, "No Line on the Horizon," the Dublin band's 12th studio album, came as a welcome surprise: Though they didn't always succeed, the musicians at least took chances again, veering from that familiar U2 bombast to deliver their most creative disc since "Achtung Baby" (1991). Unfortunately, the new album also has been the slowest selling of their career, with U.S. sales yet to reach platinum status of a million sold -- a fact that can be attributed to no one buying CDs anymore, or to fans being turned off by the group's experimentation.

BBC Opens Up Its U2 Archives

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BBC Worldwide Music, part of the commercial arm of U.K. broadcaster the BBC, has unveiled two major new U2 shows that it is making available for sale to international broadcasters.

NEDA VANOVAC, Columbia Reports

For several weeks now, Colombia has been abuzz with the rumor that megaband U2 will perform in Bogota, but all that depends on whether the Mayor permits them to use El Campin stadium.

The Irish rock group's 360 Tour features an innovative stage designed to allow clear unhindered views from anywhere in the stadium.

Designed for arenas, U2's stage has a structure rising 50 metres from the ground so that it can be seen from everywhere. The lighting system also has 360-degree mobility. To transport all the equipment, 30 trucks are needed. The band always travels will all of their own equipment.

"The size, the extent [of the stage] is necessary so that everyone will be able to see from wherever they are. That permits the energy not just to go from the stage forward to the people but to circulate everywhere," said Bono, as reported by Terra Musica.

By Kate O'Brien, MobileSyrup

It's been several weeks since RIM announced they were sponsoring the U2 360 tour, more importantly their first mobile album. We got word that this is scheduled to be released on the the opening night of their North American tour, which is this coming Saturday, September 12th in Chicago.

In the teaser video it looked like they will also be including some sort of App that will work with the GPS in your Berry to locate the band, your friends and anyone else that has a Berry. Also you'll be able to share watch videos, share images, get news and updates.

Imagine if this mobile album works. I'm sure there is actually a bigger game going on here. Who better to test out a "mobile album" with no other than the biggest band in the world? If it's successful, could this be the solution for online piracy? The mobile industry goes into the mobile album app business?

© 2009 MobileSyrup.com

Baltimore Sun

With concerts by Jay-Z and Bruce Springsteen scheduled for 1st Mariner Arena, the second half of 2009 is already shaping up to be a big year for live music in Baltimore.

But what if we also got U2? As it turns out, we almost did. Here's Sun writer Kevin Van Valkenburg with details:

I asked Ravens president Dick Cass about potentially booking more non-sporting events at M&T Bank Stadium as a potential revenue source, since I remembered that they had Kenny Chesney play there.

Cass said that the Ravens were negotiating with promoters about a potential U2 concert this fall, was interested in doing it until the date U2 offered conflicted with the Ravens schedule. ...

Showing dates for U2's 360° Tour 2nd leg: North America

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This is the schedule for the USA 2nd leg of the 360 tour
· 2009-09-12 - Chicago, Illinois, USA - Soldier Field
· 2009-09-13 - Chicago, Illinois, USA - Soldier Field
· 2009-09-16 - Toronto, Ontario, Canada - Rogers Centre
· 2009-09-17 - Toronto, Ontario, Canada - Rogers Centre
· 2009-09-20 - Foxboro, Massachusetts, USA - Gillette Stadium
· 2009-09-21 - Foxboro, Massachusetts, USA - Gillette Stadium
· 2009-09-23 - East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA - Giants Stadium
· 2009-09-24 - East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA - Giants Stadium
· 2009-09-29 - Landover, Maryland, USA - FedEx Field
· 2009-10-01 - Charlottesville, Virginia, USA - Scott Stadium
· 2009-10-03 - Raleigh, North Carolina, USA - Carter-Finley Stadium
· 2009-10-06 - Atlanta, Georgia, USA - Georgia Dome
· 2009-10-09 - Tampa, Florida, USA - Raymond James Stadium
· 2009-10-12 - Arlington, Texas, USA - New Cowboys Stadium
· 2009-10-14 - Houston, Texas, USA - Reliant Stadium
· 2009-10-18 - Norman, Oklahoma, USA - Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
· 2009-10-20 - Glendale, Arizona, USA - University of Phoenix Stadium
· 2009-10-23 - Las Vegas, Nevada, USA - Sam Boyd Stadium
· 2009-10-25 - Pasadena, California, USA - Rose Bowl
· 2009-10-28 - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada - B.C. Place Stadium

RTTNews

U2 guitarist the Edge has accidentally composed a song that is very similar to the White Stripe's hit "Seven Nation Army." The Edge explained to the Daily Express, "I went back and listened, and it wasn't exactly [Seven Nation Army], but it was way too close."

Luckily, the Edge was working with White Stripe's frontman Jack White for the filming of the It Might Get Loud rockumentary and White was able to convince the Edge that there was a very close similarity between the two songs.

The Edge said, "I played it for Jack, and he was like, 'Mmm, it's a bit close, isn't it?'"

This is another example of how the famous riff from "Seven Nation Army" has taken on a life of its own. The song has become the anthem for Italian soccer fans and was used as the victory song during the World Cup.

by RTT Staff Writer

© 2009 RTTNews. All rights reserved.

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By Staff reporter, Derry Journal

A dedicated Derry U2 fan and first time author is using the Irish supergroup's 30 year career as a backdrop to his own life story.

Cathal McCarron said the love of the band began as a young boy in his Foyle Springs home and over the last 24 years the group has been one of the few constants in his life.

That relationship now serves as a backdrop to the young author's life story in " Me &U2, their music, my life."

"Outside of my family life and a few life long friends, my relationship with U2 is arguably the longest lasting relationship in my life. In that sense, much as the same way Nick Hornby does with Arsenal Football Club in Fever Pitch, it made sense shape the book around that relationship" he told the 'Journal'.

"This is the story of the many places where, the many times when, and the many ways how, U2 have inspired, entertained, influenced and enraged me: with their music, their lyrics, their concerts and their concepts."

Actress is promoting 'Jennifer's Body' and band is in midst of world tour

Access Hollywood

LOS ANGELES - The 35th season of NBC's "Saturday Night Live" will start with a bang.

Megan Fox will host the show, while rock legends U2 will be the Sept. 26 kick-off episode's musical guest, "SNL" comedian Bill Hader revealed to Access Hollywood on Wednesday.

Fox will be promoting her next film, the Diablo Cody-penned dark comedy "Jennifer's Body," out Sept. 18. U2 is in the midst of their U2 360 world tour in support of their latest album, this year's "No Line On The Horizon."

Live Review: U2

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NME Reviews

There's sentimentality, shocking omissions and too much new stuff... but somehow it all works. Hampden Park, Glasgow, Tuesday, August 18

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