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New Stories:
Sunday Times: U2 mention in Designer Ireland (5-20-2001)
Sunday Times: Bellefire cover AIWIY (5-20-2001)
Sunday Times: Bono to meet with Clinton (5-20-2001)
Observer: Furtado likes U2 (5-20-2001)
The Star: Part 3 - Biggest Band In The World (5-20-2001)
The Star: Part 2 - Biggest Band In The World (5-20-2001)
The Star: Part 1 - Biggest Band In The World (5-20-2001)
Chicago Tribune: Lanois, U2 mentions in Dylan article (5-20-2001)
Chicago Tribune: U2 mention in ABBA article (5-20-2001)
The Age: U2 #18 in Australia (5-20-2001)
Jam!: Beautiful days (5-20-2001)
Toronto Sun: MM to interview U2 after ACC gig (5-19-2001)
MacCentral: Macs in music (5-19-2001)
IHT: U2 mention in pirate CD article (5-19-2001)
Independent: U2 remixing BD for MOTD (5-19-2001)
NZ Herald: U2 mention in Bob Dylan review (5-19-2001)
MuchMusic: U2 special details (5-19-2001)
Irish Times: Gardai warn of counterfeit U2 tickets (5-18-2001)
YouTwo.net: Would you like to appear in a U2 documentary? (5-18-2001)
MuchMusic: U2 Does Much (5-18-2001)
Jam!: U2 to pay post-show visit to MuchMusic (5-18-2001)
Music365: Musique Vs U2 'New Year's Dub' RM (5-18-2001)
U2log.com: More on Slane II (5-18-2001)
Chicago Sun-Times: Vintage U2 pics on display (5-18-2001)
USA Today: More Bono on Dylan (5-18-2001)
Chicago Sun-Times: Ono Bono . . . (5-18-2001)
Xtra: Courtney Love Blasts Her Peers for Not Supporting Vedder (5-18-2001)
The Record (NJ): U2 to perform in New Jersey (5-18-2001)
Irish Echo: Quotable Bono (5-18-2001)
USA Today: Times change, but Dylan leaves a lasting imprint (5-18-2001)
Philstar.com: A walk in the park for U2 (5-18-2001)
Billboard: Official attendance and sale figures for Elevation tour (5-18-2001)
Aloha: U2 is back to basics (5-18-2001)
U2.com: 'Soft and Cuddly' U2 on CNN This Weekend (5-18-2001)
Spin: U2 Tour Review (5-18-2001)
PRNewswire: U2 Nominated for GQ's Band of the Year (5-18-2001)
Ain't It Cool News: U2's TOMB RAIDER Video Is Online!! (5-18-2001)
RTE: Warning over forged U2 concert tickets (5-18-2001)
National Post: U2 mention in REM concert article (5-18-2001)
Chicago Tribune: U2 mention in music article (5-18-2001)
Chicago Sun Times: U2 reject denying PJ Harvey use of Sound System (5-18-2001)
Sunspot: Bee Gees borrow from U2 (5-18-2001)
Irish Times: SDLP offering U2 tickets on web site (5-18-2001)
Jam!: U2 to return to Canada? (5-18-2001)
Boston Globe: U2 ticket giveaway (5-18-2001)
Rockol.it: U2: no problems with bootlegs (5-18-2001)
YouTwo.net: Elevation video download (5-18-2001)
YouTwo.net: Turin on sale on May 24 (5-18-2001)
National Post: U2 mention in free concerts article (5-18-2001)
AP: Use of 'Pride' unseemly in movie (5-18-2001)
Best Music Poll: U2 win 4 awards (5-17-2001)
Boston Phoenix: Leading indicators - Part 2 (5-17-2001)
Boston Phoenix: Leading indicators - Part 1 (5-17-2001)
U2Tomorrow.de: Unconfirmed Elevation Single (5-17-2001)
Zap2it: CNN Goes Backstage At The Tomb Raider Music Video And U2 Concert
(5-17-2001)
All Ireland Music: U2 to continue Elevation tour after second Slane date
(5-17-2001)
PRNewswire: Universal Music Group Selects iNEXT Web Solution .. (5-17-2001)
Chicago Tribune: Where's the party? (5-17-2001)
YouTwo.net: Chicago Night 4 Setlist (5-17-2001)
Ananova: Youth worked on Vanessa Mae album (5-17-2001)
YouTwo.net: Chicago Night 3 Setlist (5-16-2001)
U2.com: Could this be the start of a trend ? (5-16-2001)
ABC Chicago: Counterfeit U2 Tickets (5-16-2001)
Virginmega: U2 Continue To Elevate (5-16-2001)
Chicago Sun Times: U2 & Ol' Blue . . . (5-16-2001)
YouTwo.net Exclusive: Fall 2001 Tour Details (5-16-2001)
YouTwo.net: Bono and The Edge confirmed for Frock and Roll Festival (5-16-2001)
FilmForce: U2 unhappy with 'Elevation' video (5-16-2001)
Excite: 'Moulin Rouge' soundtrack relies too much on film (5-16-2001)
AP: You Too Could Be Swindled For U2 (5-16-2001)
Daily Herald: It's the music - Part 2 (5-16-2001)
Daily Herald: It's the music - Part 1 (5-16-2001)
NME: Bono mention in Thom Yorke Article (5-16-2001)
Irish Times: Non-nation state (5-16-2001)
Ananova: U2 fans fall victim to Chicago ticket scam (5-16-2001)
MTV: U2 mention in Goo Goo Dolls article (5-16-2001)
Denver Post: U2 mention in Hothouse Flowers article (5-16-2001)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday Times: U2 mention in Designer Ireland (5-20-2001)
Condensed from The Sunday Times:
Designer Ireland No 83: Dublin City University canteen
Furniture designers Tadhg and Simon O'Driscoll have created
pieces for many of Ireland's trendiest interiors, such as the
bars of the Morrison and Clarence hotels and U2's
recording studio. However, recent work by the O'Driscolls
can be found in the more prosaic setting of Dublin City
University's student canteen.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday Times: Bellefire cover AIWIY (5-20-2001)
Condensed from The Sunday Times:
The first fruit of [Bellefire's] endeavours is the Jorgen
Elofssen-produced Perfect Bliss, which gives The Corrs a run
for the money - its summery harmonies are a soothing aural
opiate, but hardly a spectacular calling card. The group are
bringing out the big guns for their planned second single, a
cover of U2's All I Want is You, all soaring vocal arrangements
and epic emotion. This calculated approach seems to place
clinical image-building above music, but Walsh is adamant that
is not the case.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday Times: Bono to meet with Clinton (5-20-2001)
Condensed from The Sunday Times:
During a three-day visit to Ireland, his first since leaving the
White House, Clinton will be feted by the country's wealthiest
businessmen and entertainers. He will be guest of honour at a
charity dinner hosted by George Mitchell, the former American
senator, to raise money for the Northern Ireland Fund for
Reconciliation.
Guests include Michael Smurfit, the packaging tycoon who is
expected to make a substantial donation to the charity, and
Bono, lead singer with U2. The singer is taking a break from his
band's world tour to be in Dublin for the birth of his fourth child.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Observer: Furtado likes U2 (5-20-2001)
Condensed from The Observer:
But wait, Furtado also digs Cornershop,
Bob Marley, Jeff Buckley, Smashing
Pumpkins, Salt-N-Pepa, Ice-T, De La
Soul, Garbage, U2, and TLC. And don't
even get her started on how excited she is
about Beck. Or Mariah Carey, whose
songs she used to sing in the shower.
And then there was the stint at Lilith Fair,
where Furtado was bowled over to appear
with one of her all-time heroines, Chrissie
Hynde. I'm beginning to smell a rat here.
Possibly with a Spanish twist.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Star: Part 3 - Biggest Band In The World (5-20-2001)
R.E.M. is the only other significant, '80s-generated band to enter
the current decade with its integrity and
following largely intact. If
anything, the band from Athens, Ga., which
played to an
estimated 20,000 fans during a free street
concert at Dundas
and Yonge on Thursday, is more critically
revered. But, for all their
quiet charisma, singer Michael Stipe,
guitarist Peter Buck and
bassist Mike Mills do not come close to
matching Bono's
messianic zeal.
"I respect those guys (in U2)," said the
characteristically low-key
Buck after Thursday's show. "They're friends
of mine. I love their
records. They're good at that big thing. I'm
not sure we are. I don't
think I have what it takes to be that kind of
an iconic, public figure.
U2 really know how to do that rock-star
thing."
Even so, R.E.M. ranked the highest in a
Web-site poll asking
browsers to identify U2's most formidable
rival. Radiohead, the
influential young English quintet, placed a
respectable second,
with the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Metallica
trailing distantly
behind.
Radiohead, whose two most recent albums, last
year's Kid A and
1997's OK Computer, were consensus choices as
the best
releases of their respective years, would
seem to be the logical
heir. But you get the feeling that leader
Thom Yorke is no more
interested in wearing the crown than is his
friend Stipe. Limp
Bizkit's Fred Durst would probably like to
try it on for size, but at
this point he's a pretender in a ball cap at
best.
It's entirely possible U2 will be the last
Biggest Band In The
World. Not only is "the job," as Bono calls
it, a difficult one to fill, it
might also have outlived its usefulness. Kind
of like the monarchy.
While the music industry clings to the hope
that future monster
acts will emerge, most of the evidence is to
the contrary. For one
thing, U2 is already the lightest-selling
Biggest Band In The World
to date. While record companies mourn the
passing of reliable
behemoths, listeners have more choice than
ever. And they seem
to like it that way.
As much as some might hold to the nostalgic
notion that things
were better when we all watched Bonanza and
listened to the
Beatles together, few of us would happily
return to the days when
TV offered a maximum of a dozen channels or
when the
programmers at CHUM were busily galvanizing
our taste in
music.
In a world where everything is available to
each person,
consumers are losing their appetite for
cultural dishes designed
to suit all tastes. "Beautiful Day," in
addition to being a supremely
effective pop song, is also generic.
Spectacularly generic, to be
sure. But generic, nonetheless.
U2 emerged at a time when size still
mattered. And they've done
a credible job of carrying on in that
tradition, in spite of contrary
trends.
When the king is dead, it is customary to
assert continuity by
saluting the heir. When U2 leaves the stage,
it might be time to
turn out the stadium lights.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Star: Part 2 - Biggest Band In The World (5-20-2001)
With The Joshua Tree, produced by Hamilton native Daniel
Lanois, U2 laid hand to a larger legacy than
merely being one of
the most important bands of the '80s, a
higher status it solidified
with two releases from the early '90s,
Achtung Baby and
Zooropa, and 2000's All That You Can't Leave
Behind, its 10th
studio album in 20 years.
Of the factors that contribute to a group's
staying power, stability
might well be the most underrated. It goes
without saying U2
wouldn't even be in a position to be the
Biggest Band In The
World if it had not held together all these
years, but given the
vagaries of the music business it certainly
defies the odds, if not
logic, that U2 has always had the same four
members: singer
Bono (Paul Hewson), guitarist the Edge (David
Evans), bassist
Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen, Jr.
Critically, the band has more than held its
own. While some
reviewers, this one included, have remained
largely impervious to
U2's bombastic appeal, the band does not want
for champions,
particularly in the U.S., where leading
publications such as
Rolling Stone are constantly beating the drum
on the group's
behalf.
"U2 has maintained not only its massive
popularity, but also its
status as one of the most adventurous and
groundbreaking acts
in pop music," according to the bio in The
New Rolling Stone
Encyclopedia Of Rock & Roll.
Perhaps nothing validates U2's Biggest Band
In The World status
more than the international,
multi-generational and cross-gender
nature of its appeal. None of this is
scientific, mind you, but I have
colleagues whose 14-year-old daughters are
queuing up for one
of the band's two shows at the ACC. Seated in
front of me during
the Elevation 2001 launch at the National Car
Rental Center in
Sunrise, Fla., in March was a twentysomething
couple from Italy.
In the row behind sat a boisterous quartet of
fortysomethings from
Germany.
U2, as you will discover if you check out the
myriad fan sites on
the Web, is not only the Biggest Band In The
World, but also Die
Grssste Band Der Welt. Achtung baby, indeed.
Further mousing
allowed me to become the 15,425th person to
visit the official
Web site of U2's Bulgarian fan club.
The Elevation 2001 tour is designed to
emphasize U2's special
relationship with its fans. The stage is set
up on a heart-shaped
runway that actually encloses a portion of
the audience. In
Florida, fans with standing-room admission
began lining up more
than 12 hours before the show to guarantee
the closest possible
vantage point.
Throughout the show, Bono prowled the
exterior of the heart,
stopping frequently to touch the outstretched
arms of the masses,
a laying on of hands that harkened back to
medieval French
monarchs using their divinely endowed powers
to heal the sick.
The set list, which changes nightly, also has
crowd-pleaser
written all over it, with tunes from All That
You Can't Leave
Behind blended seamlessly in with such
anthemic favourites as
"Sunday Bloody Sunday" and "New Year's Day."
Clearly, the band means to make amends after
the cold
spectacle of 1997's PopMart outing. Still, it
tells you something
that in U2's universe an evening of intimate
communing with your
followers involves playing to 20,000-plus in
hockey arenas. Few
other bands can match U2's mastery of the
grand gesture - and
sound as good doing it.
(Continued)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Star: Part 1 - Biggest Band In The World (5-20-2001)
From The Star:
Biggest Band In The World
U2, here this week for two sold-out shows, has only a few serious
competitors after more than two decades in the rock business
Vit Wagner
POP
MUSIC CRITIC
ALL HAIL U2.
The veteran Irish rock group arrives for sold-out shows at
the Air Canada Centre Thursday and Friday, having
hungrily reasserted its claim to the title of Biggest Band In
The World.
The current king of the castle - and we don't just mean
Ireland's Slane Castle, where the group is to headline a
festival at the end of the summer - U2 is the latest in a
line of conquering rock warriors, heirs to the Beatles, the
Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, the Eagles and Pink Floyd.
Since the release of last year's All That You Can't Leave
Behind, including the hit singles "Beautiful Day" and
"Walk On," front man Bono and company have made it
plain that they are prepared to take on any
and all challengers.
"Have we got the job?" Bono asked, as the
band prepared to
leave the stage after the kickoff concert to
the royal tour, dubbed
Elevation 2001, two months ago in Florida.
Everyone knew that
the job he had in mind was Biggest Band In
The World. And
everyone also knew that the answer was yes.
Bono had signalled U2's determination to
return to the top of the
heap during his acceptance speech at this
year's Grammy
Awards, which saw the band win three awards
for the song
"Beautiful Day."
"The whole year has been humbling, going back
to scratch and
applying for the job," Bono said at that
time.
The larger question, however, is whether U2,
like the Romanovs
who ruled Russia prior to 1917, have
inherited an empty crown.
As the Biggest Band In The World, will U2
also be the last to bear
that title?
But first, to the legitimacy of U2's claim.
While owning the right to call yourself the
Biggest Band In The
World might not be as clear-cut as, say,
Beatrix's birthright as
Queen of the Netherlands, there are basic
entitlement criteria.
It helps, of course, to sell a few records,
although sales are by no
means the decisive factor.
U2 hasn't exactly slouched when it comes to
moving product, but
you might be surprised to learn the band's
best-selling release,
The Joshua Tree, ranks only 78th on the
Record Industry
Association of America's all-time list. After
26 weeks, All That
You Can't Leave Behind stands 48th on the
Billboard Chart,
having sold more than two million copies in
the United States.
While more than respectable, the totals rank
well behind recent
releases by younger acts such as Nelly,
Shaggy and Limp Bizkit.
The Beatles, as always, are in another league
altogether.
In any case, being the Biggest Band In The
World is more a
mythical than literal honour. And intangibles
such as career
longevity, critical acclaim, continuing
vitality and
cross-generational credibility are ultimately
what counts.
In other words, the Rolling Stones were the
Biggest Band In The
World but have retired from that exalted
height, while Limp Bizkit
hasn't nearly stood the test of time. As for
'N Sync ... Hell, as they
say, will freeze over first.
U2, which first banded together at Mount Temple High School in
Dublin in 1978, has seldom been out of the
public eye since the
1980 release of its debut album, Boy. A
product of the post-punk
era, U2 emerged as part of a pack that
included the likes of Echo
and the Bunnymen, the Teardrop Explodes and
Duran Duran
before launching into the stratosphere with
the 1987 release of
The Joshua Tree, which yielded two
chart-topping hits, "With Or
Without You" and "I Still Haven't Found What
I'm Looking For,"
while earning the band its first Grammy for
Album Of The Year.
(Continued)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago Tribune: Lanois, U2 mentions in Dylan article (5-20-2001)
Condensed from The Chicago Tribune:
Here's an attempt to identify the essential Dylan--the recordings,
books, videos and Web sites that best
define the artist, arranged in
order of importance:
7. (RECORDINGS) "Time out of Mind"(Columbia; 1997): Dylan's
most sonically adventurous album, recorded
with U2 collaborator
Daniel Lanois, and also one of the best
late-period works by any
artist in any genre.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago Tribune: U2 mention in ABBA article (5-20-2001)
Condensed from The Chicago Tribune:
Little wonder that the group has achieved pop immortality. Nearly 20
years after their break-up, ABBA provide
fodder for revivals both
campy (Erasure's "ABBA-esque" tribute EP)
and sincere (the
career of the A-Teens). ABBA have not only
been covered by their
likeminded countrymen, Roxette, but by
unlikely admirers such as
Marshall Crenshaw and U2. Even Nelson
Mandela once announced
that ABBA was his favorite pop group. And
whenever I hear
"S.O.S." -- a song with a melody so
impossibly rich that it needs two
choruses to resolve itself --for exactly 3
minutes and 20 seconds
they're my favorite pop group too.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Age: U2 #18 in Australia (5-20-2001)
Condensed from The Age:
The top 20 albums in the Australian charts
18 (16) All That You Can't Leave Behind You/U2
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jam!: Beautiful days (5-20-2001)
From Jam!:
Beautiful days
The Edge and U2 come to town
revitalized, and as vital as ever
By JANE STEVENSON -- Toronto Sun
In one short paragraph, U2 guitarist The Edge might have summed up the
reason for the veteran Irish rockers' enduring popularity after more than
two decades of making music together.
The 39-year-old musician said the Dublin-based foursome have not
changed how they approach making records since they made their exciting
1980 debut with the album Boy.
They arrive in town this week for two sold-out shows at the Air Canada
Centre on Thursday and Friday nights. The Friday performance is to
be followed by a late-night appearance at MuchMusic.
In some key ways, The Edge says the band's approach is exactly the
same. He was calling from New York City last October, on the day of the
band's latest release, All That You Can't Leave Behind.
"(There's always) this kind of mythical record that you always try to make
when you're in the studio," he says. "I think that we're probably trying to
make the same album since Boy, whatever that perfect record is, that
crystal. And so we're still in some ways on the same path. We're still
trying to make that big music and write the greatest lyric that's ever
been written, have the greatest chorus that's ever been written.
"We clicked into something with that Boy album," he says, "where we
really started to see the studio setting as a kind of creative tool, and not
just
a place to come and document the music. But in the process of doing
that, (we want) to unlock the music and find ways of developing it. Every
time we go in, we really thrive on that sense of discovery and, 'Wow, where
can this go?' "
In the case of All That You Can't Leave Behind, it meant a
back-to-basics approach that has led to a major comeback for U2 in the
past year. The band has won three Grammys, including best song and
record of the year for the deserving first single, Beautiful Day; two BRIT
awards, including one for outstanding contribution to British music; seen
sales of their new album approach 400,000 copies in Canada and 8.5
million worldwide; and launched a well-received, stripped-down arena
tour that sees them performing inside a heart-shaped catwalk.
For a band that took some major critical and commercial hits the
previous decade for progressively heavier experimentation on their last
three albums -- 1991's Achtung Baby, 1993's Zooropa and 1997's Pop -- the
recent successes have to be encouraging.
The Edge says the sound of All That You Can't Leave Behind -- which was
produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, the two men responsible for
some of U2's most successful albums in the '80s -- was never intended to
be a reaction to the not-always-favourable reception during the '90s.
Instead, the guitarist says it was their producers on Pop who pointed out to
them what it was that made U2 unique as a band in the first place.
"Every time we played together, Howie B, our mate and producer, and
Flood, who's produced the record as well, would really freak out and go,
'Wow, that's an amazing thing you're doing there.'
"And I can remember one incident with Howie B when he came out on
the road for a while to help us translate the album to a live setting,
'cause we were a bit behind. We actually rented a room in Washington
in our hotel and we just set up the band in this small reception suite and
(were) playing away. He was just floored by the sound of the band just
playing, no other elements. We started to think, 'Well, you know that's
something that we have to include in this next record.' "
All That You Can't Leave Behind has been seen as one of the last great
hopes for rock 'n' roll at a time when pop, R&B, rap and metal rule the
airwaves and charts.
The Edge said consumers can't be blamed for turning away from the
genre, since there has been a dearth of great rock records in recent years.
"I don't think there's any problem with pop," he said. "It's more that rock 'n'
roll has maybe lost its ambition to communicate, its ambition to be on
the radio. It's too content to be in its own little ghetto. I suppose also
there's this kind of bogus notion that being successful means that your
music is not for real, that it's somehow compromised by success.
We've never subscribed to that idea.
"The first time around, when we first formed, that idea was prevalent and
we rejected it at the time. It seems to have come around again, and I just
have no time for it."
As a young guitar player in the '70s, The Edge said he was influenced by
the likes of Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd from Television -- "particularly
the first record, Marquee Moon" -- as well as by Robert Fripp, David
Bowie's guitarist Carlos Alomar (co-author of Fame) and Magazine's
John McGeogh.
Among today's young guitarists, The Edge named only Radiohead's Jonny
Greenwood and Ed O'Brien as those he likes.
"I tend to like more melodic playing. You know, there's not a lot of that
going on now," he said.
Not that he has given up on the genre in the slightest.
"Rock and roll, I suppose, has always had somewhat more significance than
pop, only because it's got a political aspiration as well as a musical
aspiration. It's always had something else going on."
Pop music, he says, has tended to create a scene where music is more
a commodity than something culturally significant. "The political
aspect of music gives it its staying power, its resonance," he says.
U2 is certainly still resonating 23 years after the musicians came
together as Dublin high schoolers. They've since sold 100 million albums
worldwide.
"A lot of groups break up after a while because of the personalities
involved," The Edge says. "We're lucky probably because we started
out as friends. We dealt with a lot of those issues early on and we don't
have those kinds of problems. We might not agree on every issue, but
we're able to work it out and we're still here. We're lucky."
They have also stayed together even though most of the band's four
members have become husbands and fathers. During the making of All
That You Can't Leave Behind, both The Edge and Bono welcomed
additions to their growing broods.
"I think you just make it work," says the guitarist, who has five children,
aged one to 16. "At this point I've had a few kids -- you just find a way of
making it work. I guess everyone's situation is different, but I find that
whilst it might be hard at times, it really helps to have a home life and
something else going on that's not just music.
"So, far from finding it a kind of difficulty, I think it really helps keep
you rooted, keep you grounded, and I think in the end, it keeps the music
real."
When The Edge speaks of his children, specifically four daughters
(Hollie, 16; Arran, 15; Blue, 11; Sian, 3) and one son (Levi, 1), it becomes
clear just how much he appreciates their opinions.
"It's a wild combination, but what's great is they all get on really well," he
says. "My youngest two are with my new girlfriend, my eldest three are
with my ex-wife. (They're all) very interested in music, but not so much
into playing.
"It's getting to be really fun, though, to play them what we're working on and
get their read on it. They're all very perceptive. Sian, at three years old,
spotted (the current single) Elevation. She knows all the lyrics to Elevation.
It's a good tune and I think it's got a vitality and an energy, which is pretty
universal."
Kind of like U2 themselves.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Toronto Sun: MM to interview U2 after ACC gig (5-19-2001)
From Toronto Sun:
May 19, 2001
MM to interview U2 after ACC gig
By JANE STEVENSON -- Toronto Sun
Irish rockers U2 and MuchMusic are partnering up to give fans a little
something extra when the group is in town next week for two sold-out shows
at the Air Canada Centre on Thursday and Friday nights.
Immediately following their second ACC show on Friday night, the Dublin band
will travel to MuchMusic headquarters at Queen and John Sts. for an
hour-long chat starting at midnight.
Leading up to the interview, MuchMusic will broadcast countdown
programming beginning at 7:30 p.m. that will include live veejay reports from
inside and outside the Air Canada Centre.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MacCentral: Macs in music (5-19-2001)
Condensed from MacCentral:
Famous People: Macs in mags, music, movies, more
by Dennis Sellers, dsel...@maccentral.com
May 18, 2001, 7:00 am ET
Music
The British group, DeaconBlue, are Mac users. In an article on their Web site,
it mentions that the lead
singer's home-based recording is equipped with a Power Mac G4 and ProTools
software, according to
Nathaniel Brockman.
Don Trouba said he has found evidence that a Titanium PowerBook helps run rock
band U2's current
Elevation tour. He reported that on their current tour, one of the people who
works for U2 (named
Willie) is keeping an online diary.
"I clicked on the May 7 button in the navigation, and there was the Titanium,"
Troube said.
"Interestingly enough, the copy on the page talked about how Willie tried some
new things during the
show."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IHT: U2 mention in pirate CD article (5-19-2001)
Condensed from The International Herald Tribune:
On the streets of Kuala Lumpur, for example, the pirated
version of the latest CD by U2, the Irish rock band, sells for
the equivalent of $2.40 while "Traffic," the
Oscar-nominated movie, sells for $1.80 on video and
$4.50 in
the more advanced DVD format.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Independent: U2 remixing BD for MOTD (5-19-2001)
Condensed from The Independent:
The name of the new flagship programme is a closely-guarded
secret, known only by a handful of insiders, but might include
branding as part of a simple title. The theme tune will certainly
be the U2 song Beautiful Day. It is being remixed by Bono
especially and may become Beautiful Game. Lynam will host
the show, which will be 75 minutes long, and be assisted by
Venables and McCoist, who has signed a three-year deal with
ITV this week. The channel has resisted the urge to poach any
of the BBC's main presenters -- who in any case will continue at
MOTD for other live games -- although the commentator John
Champion and some MOTD backroom staff will swap channels.
Robbie Earle and Andy Townsend are likely to feature as
occasional pundits.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NZ Herald: U2 mention in Bob Dylan review (5-19-2001)
Condensed from The New Zealand Herald:
The Bootleg Series Volumes I-III (1991): Ah, the
three-CD set which proved just how profligate of
genius
this man has been. Most of the material here -
from a 61
recording in a hotel room to Series of Dreams
where
Dylan and Lanois effortlessly bridge the gap
between the
Crystals' Then He Kissed Me and U2's atmospheric
sensurround-sound - was unreleased and so
provides an
alternate history of Dylan. Full of undiscovered
gems:
Moonshiner from 63 where he sounds ancient sage,
the
unfinished and bitter She's Your Lover Now from
the
Blonde on Blonde sessions, the lovely Someone's
Got a
Hold of My Heart which became Tight Connection
to My
Heart, the eerie Blind Willie McTell from 83 ...
It's a big
one but, after you've been through the others
above, this
becomes essential, too.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MuchMusic: U2 special details (5-19-2001)
Condensed from MuchMusic:
Huge announcement. Three words: U2 Does Much. Beginning at 7:30 pm ET
on May 25th, MuchMusic will commence a "Countdown to U2 Does Much"
featuring Rick Campanelli, Bradford How and George Stromboulopoulos feeding
live reports from inside and outside the Air Canada Centre, with Sook Yin Lee
anchoring all the action at the MuchMusic building. Much cameras will bring
viewers across North America an all-access peek at U2 as they take the stage,
and capture the band's post-show trip to the nearby MuchMusic environment
where they will deliver a live 1-hour interview with George Stromboulopoulos at
midnight ET.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Irish Times: Gardai warn of counterfeit U2 tickets (5-18-2001)
From The Irish Times:
Gardai warn of counterfeit U2 tickets
Gardai today warned that hundreds of forged tickets for U2?s upcoming Slane
concert are
in circulation.
A spokesman for Ticketmaster Ireland, which distributed the tickets, said the
counterfeit
tickets while of good quality are worthless and will not secure entrance to the
concert.
Gardai believe
hundreds of tickets may have been sold. The operation was discovered
after a man
purchased two tickets advertised in a Dublin third level college. He contacted
the gardai when he
noticed that the serial numbers on both tickets were identical.
A man was questioned
in relation to the incident and a file is being prepared for the
Director of Public
Prosecutions. Forged tickets are being offered for sale in colleges,
magazines and
newspapers at 80 pounds each -- double their retail price.
The forgeries can be
distinguished by three features. They are printed on ordinary paper,
the hologram is
stuck on rather printed and the bar code is a copy and will not secure
admission.
All 80,000 U2 Slane
tickets sold in under an hour last March.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
YouTwo.net: Would you like to appear in a U2 documentary? (5-18-2001)
YouTwo.net note: The following is a message from a friend of YouTwo.net's.
We encourage you to contribute to her project.
Do U want to be in a video documentary about U2 fans?
If U don't want to be in it do U have footage that I can use? If so...read
on...
The scoop on this project is below. The band and Principal Management will be
seeing this video. Arrangements have already been made. What do U need to
tell them?
I am graduating from film school extremely soon and my final film project,
which is equivilent to a thesis, is a 45min to 60min documentary on U2 fans.
Some of you may already know about this because I have been interviewing
fans, filming footage at shows, and talking about this since 1997. I will be
filming the rest of this tour. Some shows in Europe, some more in the US in
fall, and possibly more when the band goes to Asia or Australia.
Summary of documentary:
I am basically focusing on the fans who travel to 5 or more shows to see U2.
Why they do it, how they get the money and make all their arrangments, their
difficulties or non-difficulties in getting tickets, fans waiting for the
band outside after shows or before soundcheck, why fans have things they need
to tell the band and what those are. I am also focusing on the fans who
spend incredible amounts of money on U2 collectibles and people who trade
(NOT sell) U2 bootlegs. In addition to that, I am also focusing on
the people who are webmasters for Top U2 sites on the net. I want to know how
much time and money goes into obtaining collectibles, trading bootlegs, and
putting together online sites. All of this will be contained in the
documentary. SOME parts of this documentary will not be serious. I want for
people to laugh and enjoy it who may not be U2 fans. I'm also in the process
of getting a video interview with one or more members of that band to ask
them how they feel about their fans and what they go through. Extensive
editing and animation will also be in the final piece.
So with that said, here is what I am looking for and the footage I need:
* I need footage of the band talking, meeting with fans, and signing
autographs. Also..footage of fans who sleep outside waiting for them.
* I need footage of people recording all of the U2 memorablia or bootlegs in
their houses. Talking to the camera. Telling me something about themselves
(where
they are from, how old, how long they have been following the band, why they
do it, what they do for a living, etc...), their love for U2, and anything
else they want to talk about in regards to U2. If U have a U2-related tattoo
please show it on camera.
* I need footage of fans waiting in line outside of shows.
* I need footage of fans getting to shows (any road trip footage, hotel
footage, or plane footage, etc).
* I need footage from audience recorded concerts videos that I do not already
own.
* I need footage of the hotel rooms where 5-10 fans, more or less, share one
room to save money. U all know who U are!
If U want to be a part of this documentary please contact me. Everyone who
submits any footage will receive their name in the credits.
To make sure that the video stays at the same quality level throughout I have
to ask that U send me a direct copy from the master tape. (so 1st gen tapes
only). If U are in a country that uses PAL email me for more information on
how to get a tape to me.
Thanks for your time!
popf...@aol.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MuchMusic: U2 Does Much (5-18-2001)
Thanks to Stone Cold CDragon for the following.:
From MuchMusic:
A MuchMusic World Exclusive
U2 Does Much
LIVE ACROSS NORTH AMERICA
Exclusive Backstage and Pre-Concert Coverage
from Toronto's Air Canada Centre
-- PLUS -- LIVE Post-Show Interview
with U2 from The MuchMusic Environment
Friday , May 25th, Beginning at 7:30pm ET
(May 18th, 2001 - 4:10pm ET -Toronto) MuchMusic Vice President and General
Manager David
Kines has confirmed that MuchMusic has secured exclusive rights to present LIVE
coverage of
backstage action and fan buzz from the Toronto concert appearance of Universal
Music
supergroup, U2.
In addition, Much cameras will bring viewers across North America an all-access
peek at U2 as
they take the stage, and capture the band's post-show trip to the nearby
MuchMusic Environment
where they will deliver a LIVE 1HR interview with George Stroumboulopoulos at
Midnight ET.
Beginning at 7:30 pm ET on May 25th, MuchMusic will commence a "COUNTDOWN TO U2
DOES MUCH", featuring Rick Campanelli, Bradford How and George Stroumboulopoulos
feeding
LIVE reports from inside and outside the Air Canada Centre, with Sook Yin Lee
anchoring all the
action from up the street at MuchMusic WorldHeadquarters.
"Orchestrating and delivering compelling LIVE coverage of major pop culture
events is MuchMusic's
signature. We're delighted to bring our viewers this kind of continued access,"
said Kines.
Elevation is the latest in U2's long line of headline-making megatours - and is
supporting their current
album, "All That You Can't Leave Behind."
Also, as part of this unprecedented MuchExclusive, our cameras will bring an
exclusive behind-the-
scenes technical look at the making of the super rock show in the 21st century.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jam!: U2 to pay post-show visit to MuchMusic (5-18-2001)
From Jam!:
U2 to pay post-show visit to MuchMusic
By JAM! Music
U2 will spend some time before and after the
second of their Toronto concerts next week with
MuchMusic, the station announced Friday.
The Irish group is performing at Toronto's Air
Canada Centre on Thursday, May 24 and
Friday, May 25. Prior to the Friday show, Much
cameras will give a live, behind-the-scenes tour
of the show. Immediately after the quartet
leaves the ACC stage, they'll head over to
Much's studio for a post-concert chat,
scheduled to begin at midnight (ET).
Much's coverage of U2's "Elevation Tour"
Toronto show kicks off at 7:30 p.m. (ET) on
Friday.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Music365: Musique Vs U2 'New Year's Dub' RM (5-18-2001)
From Music365:
Musique Vs U2 'New Year's Dub'
(Serious)
Great U2 footage in this danced-up version from the
maker of 'Choose Life'
Moussa Clarke (better known as Moose, the man behind
Ewan MacGregor's 'Choose Life' Trainspotting sample hit)
this time chooses U2's 'New Year's Day', and in
particular The Edge's infmaouse guitar riff. Add to it a
Barney C vocal and Musique's beats and you've got a
huge dance anthem - and a good excuse to roll out some
ancient and kind of recent U2 footage. Keep an eye out
for a topless Adam Clayton.
http://www.music365.com/audio/Mus_56k.ram
http://www.music365.com/audio/Mus_128k.ram
http://www.music365.com/audio/Mus_256k.ram
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U2log.com: More on Slane II (5-18-2001)
From U2log.com:
SLANE TWO
This in from Dublin just now: FM104 just put in their latest news that
MCD has officially applied to the Meath County Council to allow
them to go
ahead with a 2nd Slane Gig on the 1st of September. They called
it a step
forward and said it should take at least 5 weeks before any
decision will be
made.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago Sun-Times: Vintage U2 pics on display (5-18-2001)
Condensed from The Chicago Sun-Times:
U2 HISTORY: Leave it to nightlife photographer Philin Phlash (yeah,
that's his name!) to dig out some great vintage snaps of Bono and
U2--from way back in 1980! Phlash, then living in Boston, caught the
band's first U.S. tour at a Beantown venue. An
exhibit of the previously
unseen photos is at the Takohl Gallery, 110 N.
Peoria, until May 30.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
USA Today: More Bono on Dylan (5-18-2001)
Condensed from USA Today:
''When you're a young man, there's a load of Bob Dylan records for you,'' U2's
Bono
says. ''When you're ready to kick down the
door of indifference, there's a Bob Dylan
album for you. When you've lost your keys and
lost your wife, Bob has a song for you.
He's there for every period. I've rediscovered
songs I didn't have a clue about when I
was a teenager.''
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago Sun-Times: Ono Bono . . . (5-18-2001)
From The Chicago Sun-Times:
Ono Bono . . .
Dateline: The Party Line--U2 didn't show up at grand pooh-bah
B.J. Murray's
party at Le Passage on Wednesday to raise funds for the group's
favorite charity,
the Free Burma Campaign. But Sting did . . . for a few seconds
before driving away
after seeing police blockades and loads of fans.
Bono reportedly hopped a plane back to Dublin immediately after
Wednesday's
show to make it home for the birth of his fourth child with high
school sweetheart
Ali.
Murray collected $5,000 for the charity.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Xtra: Courtney Love Blasts Her Peers for Not Supporting Vedder (5-18-2001)
From Xtra:
Courtney Love Blasts Her Peers for Not Supporting Vedder
Outspoken rocker Courtney Love has laid into pop stars for
failing to stand up to a 'monopoly'. Love, 35, blasted herself
and her peers for not supporting Pearl Jam star Eddie Vedder
in his bid to prevent American concert giant Ticketmaster from
monopolising seat prices on all tours.
Vedder filed a complaint with America's DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE over the alleged monopoly exercised by Ticketmaster,
wherein Pearl Jam claimed the agency used its influence with
promoters to boycott the band's planned low-priced 1995
summer tour.
Love, who used to be one of the Pearl Jam star's most outspoken
critics, now believes he was doing the right thing and should
have
had her support.
The HOLE singer says that she feels ashamed she didn't support
Vedder, explaining, "When he took on Ticketmaster, nobody stood
up
with this guy.
"That image of him standing up alone in front of Congress has
haunted me. And, by the way, where were U2 and REM and everyone
else at that moment?"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Record (NJ): U2 to perform in New Jersey (5-18-2001)
Condensed from The Record (NJ):
Supporting its Grammy Award-winning album "All That You Can't Leave
Behind," U2 plays Madison Square Garden in Manhattan June 17
and 19
and Continental Arena in East Rutherford June 21-22. Bono and
the boys
haven't toured since the late Nineties, and the group's new,
stripped-down
show has been drawing rave reviews.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Irish Echo: Quotable Bono (5-18-2001)
From The Irish Echo:
Quotable
"We got started on the poetry and punk rock of New York City.
More than anybody, the band that got us started when we were 15,
16 -- Larry was 14, still is -- was the music of the Ramones."
-- Bono on the death of Punk legend Joey Ramone.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
USA Today: Times change, but Dylan leaves a lasting imprint (5-18-2001)
Condensed from USA Today:
Times change, but Dylan leaves a lasting imprint
By Edna Gundersen, USA TODAY
Bob Dylan has never had a No. 1 single in a span of 453 songs recorded on
42 albums. His album sales average 1.53 million a year, respectable but
certainly modest by 'N Sync standards. Yet, as Dylan turns 60 on May 24,
he is considered, by Time and a wide variety of pundits and historians, the
most influential musical artist in the latter half of the 20th century. His
songs
recycle in uncountable covers, from remakes of the career-triggering
Blowin' in the Wind to versions, by four different artists, of To Make You Feel
My Love from 1997's Grammy-winning Time Out of Mind. Things Have
Changed, from the film Wonder Boys, won an Oscar and Golden Globe this
year for best movie song.
...U2 singer Bono taught himself guitar while listening to Dylan.
"His voice has been a bee buzzing around my ear since I can remember being
conscious," he says. "It's an
unusual voice, not always soothing, sometimes
nagging, but it reminds us of the
possibilities for music and its place in the
world."
Shaped by punk rock, the quartet
had disregarded its Irish roots until Dylan
sent them excavating. During their
first encounter, Dylan probed Bono about
Ireland's folk balladeers, then
recited Brendan Behan's Banks of the Royal
Canal.
"U2 kind of came from outer space,
where punk was ground zero and you
didn't admit to having roots. Bob
scolded me, 'You're sitting on all this stuff.
You should check it out.' As we
fall over ourselves toward the fast and
furious future, Dylan feels like
the brakes, reminding us of stuff we might have
lost, like our dignity."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Philstar.com: A walk in the park for U2 (5-18-2001)
From Philstar.com:
A walk in the park for U2 - RHYTHM AND WEEP
by Matthew Estabillo 5/18/01
Now where was I? Oh yeah, I almost forgot. It has something to do with U2,
right?
Well, one thing remarkable about the group despite having played for three
straight
hours was the fact that they exhibited "tightness."
In most of their songs, it sounded like they were merely having fun and just
jamming,
but the fantastic lighting of the stadium made it look well-rehearsed and
terrific. You
can either sing or dance to their tunes, or maybe do even both.
While the band played on, I took my eyes off them for a second and tried to see
what
the rest of the media delegates were up to. Unfortunately, most of them looked
tired,
and some looked bored. I guess the music didn't appeal to them at the very
least. I
admit I myself felt a little lost in an army of U2 fans, but I stuck in there
like glue.
I guess I was a little disappointed after the show because the band did not
bother to
play my favorite U2 tune Staring at the Sun. They mostly covered tracks from
their
new album, which were a little too foreign for my taste. Nevertheless, every
track they
played was accomplished in terms of music and sound.
There was a moment at the time when the group did an "Elvis" and everyone
thought
they had already left (the building). But just as they started, the four members
of one
of the most successful rock bands in history once again walked slowly on the
stage
and performed With or Without You, before finally calling it a night.
The things I can't really say about the band's show are the things that are too
realistic.
It doesn't come with the job, but I'll say it anyway. The performance was
electrifying
and does make you feel good. It's like the problems you have don't really matter
and
you can still overcome all of it. That's the upside.
The only problem is, the adrenaline of the show wears off too soon, and you're
suddenly faced with the task of trying to get back to reality. The spirit of U2
doesn't
really have that lasting effect on me or some rock fans, sad to say. And much to
the
renowned group's chagrin, George Harrison of the Beatles felt the same way.
U2, for all their talent and luck in the music business, have simply stayed on
top
because of their image and sound. They developed and grew with the times. They
never really set the trends, they merely utilized it. And that's what made them
a whole
lot different from the rest of the pack, I guess.
In their 22 years together, U2 still looks like they're still waiting for that
one bit
significant hit that will allow them at least, to bow down to the throne of the
Beatles
and Elvis. They're as good as anybody musically, and they have just the right
image
to project it. It's now just a matter of time and where they do it next.
The "Elevation Tour," which I hear has sold-out arenas all over the United
States, is
just another walk in the park for a group that never really had to try that hard
to make
it big. It was timing and luck, maybe (I'm always wrong, you know).
As we started our trip back to our hotel in Sunset Boulevard (where Eddie Murphy
and Hugh Grant were caught with their "pants down"), I wondered what Bono felt
at
that very moment.
Was he still enjoying that bit? Was he doing it for the money? Did a rush still
come
over him as he gracefully danced around the stage, singing his classic and
brand-new
songs to an audience filled with young and old people? Whatever he felt at that
moment
was the way he might feel for the next 22 years. It's tough changing something
that
you've gotten used to, even if it's for the better.
Hopefully, the group will still sound as fresh and enthusiastic about their
records and
gigs in the future, and maybe, just maybe, they start setting the trends for a
change.
Next week, it's Bon Jovi, folks. And while I'm not the least bit thrilled about
it, I'll try to
give these guys the proper respect they deserve for contributing their original
hits to
the music world.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Billboard: Official attendance and sale figures for Elevation tour (5-18-2001)
Thanks to Sascha of U2news.de for the following:
Here are the official attendance and sale figures for some US Elevation 2001
shows (taken from Billboard.com):
Miami, March 24/26, 2001 - 37.969 (both sold out) $ 3,032,028
Charlotte, March 29, 2001 - 19.054 (sold out) $ 1,447,355
Atlanta, March 30, 2001 - 20.596 (sold out) $ 1,500,277
Houston, April 2, 2001 - 14.859 (sold out) $ 1,198,589
Calgary, April 9/10, 2001 - 35.778 (both sold out) $ 1,824,131
Portland, April 15, 2001 - 16.653 (sold out) $ 1,276,120
San Jose, April 19/20, 2001 - 35.550 (both sold out) $ 2,878,940
Anaheim, April 23/24/26, 2001 - 49,377 (all three sold out) $ 4,152,640
Phoenix, April 28, 2001 - 17.575 (sold out) $ 1,424,390
Dallas, April 3, 2001 - 18.166 (sold out) $ 1,450,655
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aloha: U2 is back to basics (5-18-2001)
Thanks to Chantal for the following:
From the May issue of "ALOHA" (Dutch magazine):
Expectations for the new Elevation Tour 2001 were high strung, but in spite
of this, Bono dropped in on the American minister Colin Powell to talk about
dropping the dept of the Third World. The always politically involved Bono
finds this is one of the most important problems of the whole world. In that
way, Bono will always stay the same, and that's what has to be appreciated.
But the idea of the new tour has changed, as they have put away the high-tech
effects of ZOO-TV (1992) and POPMART (1997). U2 is back to basics and (it
has to be said!) it's a relief. Imagine the Paradiso stage and place it in Ahoy,
without the curtains or whatever, with only four gigantic stand lights.
Taking the stage by the four man in their forties in the National Car Rental
Center
(the home base of the ice hockey team Florida Partners), happens while the
arena music is still playing. The band starts with Elevation (the arena lights
still on), followed by Beautiful Day, which are both from the album All That You
Can't Leave Behind. For 20,000 Americans they played a lot of classical songs
including New Year's Day, I Will Follow, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bullet The
Blue Sky and Discotheque. The biggest attraction of the evening is the
heart-shaped catwalk around the stage. This heart runs about fifteen meters
into the arena and is for Bono only. He runs, jumps, poses, plays with the
audience
and lowers himself into the crowd. Marked is also the space The Edge has with
his typical guitar sound. Drummer Larry Mullen and bass player Adam Clayton
play their famous, modest but utmost respactable part.
U2 is back where they started: the small stage and the smaller arena.
Hopefully, other bands will do the same. The band plays in Arnhem the 31th of
July and the 1st and the 3rd of August.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U2.com: 'Soft and Cuddly' U2 on CNN This Weekend (5-18-2001)
From U2.com:
'Soft and Cuddly' U2 on CNN This Weekend
CNN's World Beat gets behind the scenes with U2 on the 2001
Elevation tour this weekend, with a programme that also features
the making of the Tomb Raider video.
The programme includes interviews with the band and manager
Paul McGuiness, along with producers, directors and show
designer Willie Williams.
'We're playing a more intimate kind of venue, the 15-20 thousand
seaters," Edge told World Beat. 'Last time we were in football
stadiums .... As weird as it might sound the indoor arenas do feel
like spaces that we feel comfortable in. The football stadiums are
a bit of a challenge for us. They are very big and it's hard to feel
the people at the back of the venues.'
'A soft and cuddly U2,' Bono added.
The programme reports from the break in the tour for the bands
two-day shoot in Los Angeles to make the video for 'Elevation',
the track which also opens the soundtrack of the new Tomb Raider
movie. World Beat airs behind-the-scenes footage on the making
of the video, which has the band facing off with an evil version of
itself and a kidnapped Edge being
rescued by the film's star
Angelina Jolie.
World Beat's special report will air
this weekend on CNN in the US
and on CNN International in 212
countries an.
U.S. Times Midnight-ET/9 p.m.-PT
Saturday 3:30 p.m.-ET/12:30
p.m.-PT Sunday
For international times check local
listings or
www.cnn.com/worldbeat
(Also this Saturday in the US, U2
interviewed on E! Entertainment
Television at 8:00 pm. It is the
network's "What's Hot This
Summer" special.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Spin: U2 Tour Review (5-18-2001)
Thanks to Chantal for the following.
From June issue of Spin:
U2 March 24, 2001
National Car Rental Center, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
And coming around what may be their final turn: U2, the once- and again mighty
saviors, now fortified with a renewed commitment to sincerity. elevation is the
nostalgically uplifting name of their latest tour, the first since the relative
debacle
of 1997's Pop Mart extravaganza, but a more accurate name might be Reclamation.
After all, it's been a decade since anyone besides fanatics went to a U2 show to
hear the new stuff, and the triumph of All That You Can't Leave Behind has send
the aging rockers questing for their old job as World's Greatest Band. They know
this may be their last chance, so they've jettisoned the lemons and olives in
favor
of a utilitarian stage smaller than a New York City rooftop. They've also
dropped
the irony and replaced it with old fashioned l-o-v-e.
At various points during this sold-out show, opening night of a 33-city tour,
Bono
wished his wife happy birthday, dedicated a song to Michael Hutchence, and
stopped the show to hug his bandmates on a heart-shaped catwalk that jutted into
the audience. While risky both artistically and literally (Bono accidentally
toppled
into the audience during "Until The End Of The World"), the closeconnection
with their fans paid off in the music. It was particularly striking to see how
the crowd
connected with new material like "Elevation" and "Beautiful Day", the newest
shout-along anthems driven by The Edge, whose melody-oriented playing
continues to chime like church bells.
The band treated the requisite oldies with the same passion as the lesser-known
songs. Freed from the ironic distance they once brought to their live shows, U2
got
over almost solely on the intensity of their playing. By midset, about the only
visuals
we'd seen were black-and-white shots of the band on monitors above the stage.
But as the show progressed, up popped U2's famed self-indulgence. Bono sang
the first verse of "Mysterious Ways" lying on his back while a video screen
lifted him
skyward. Six new color screens then flashed a silhouetted woman belly-dancing
in slow motion. Even as they appoach the finish line, U2 still beg us to love
them,
metaphorically waving that same flag from Red Rocks so many years ago. They'll
win the race by a nose, with their egos coming in a close second.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRNewswire: U2 Nominated for GQ's Band of the Year (5-18-2001)
From PRNewswire:
2001 GQ 'Men Of The Year' Poll Released - Exclusively Online at www.gq.com!
Story Filed: Friday, May 18, 2001 9:13 AM EST
NEW YORK, May 18, 2001 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Gentlemen, start your
search engines! GQ Magazine starts the polling for the sixth annual GQ "Men of
the
Year" on Friday, May 18th with voting exclusively on-line at http://www.gq.com!
Art
Cooper, editor in chief of GQ, has announced nominees from the fields of film,
television, sports, music, fashion, theater, literature & food to be voted
online by
GQ readers.
Winners will be featured in the November issue of GQ, and honored at the sixth
annual GQ "Men of the Year" awards show to be broadcast as a national network
special in late fall. Voting at http://www.gq.com begins Friday, May 18th and
continues through June 15th. As a bonus for casting a vote, participants will be
automatically entered in a sweepstakes to win a trip to New York or Beverly
Hills,
plus a wardrobe worth $10,000!
Last year's GQ "Men of the Year" were Russell Crowe, James Gandolfini, Matthew
Perry, Matthew Broderick, Ted Koppel, Pierce Brosnan, Ridley Scott, Foo
Fighters,
Carlos Santana, Pete Sampras, Shaquille O'Neal, Doc Rivers, Giorgio Armani,
Michael J. Fox and Elton John.
Here are the categories and nominees for the 2001 GQ "Men of the Year":
* MUSIC: BAND -- American Hi-Fi, Basement Jaxx, Coldplay, Outkast,
Radiohead, Sugar Ray, Tool, Travis, U2
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ain't It Cool News: U2's TOMB RAIDER Video Is Online!! (5-18-2001)
From Ain't It Cool News:
U2's TOMB RAIDER Video Is Online!!
Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings
From The Lab.
Earlier today, I saw MAKING THE VIDEO on MTV, and the
featured video was "Elevation" by U2. Jospeh Kahn of
SuperMegaMedia is behind the camera on this one, and
I've gotta say... it's one of my favorite mixes of footage
and new material in quite a while. Normally I hate this
sort of video where they're just selling you a movie, but
thanks to Kahn's imagination and a really catchy U2
track, this one should be playing all summer long. Big
thanks to TRMovie.com for hosting the video.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RTE: Warning over forged U2 concert tickets (5-18-2001)
Thanks to Amy for the following.
From RTE:
WARNING OVER FORGED U2 CONCERT TICKETS
Gardai have issued a warning about
forged U2 tickets for this Summer's
concert in Slane which are being
offered for sale around the country.
Gardai say they believe this is an
organised criminal counterfeit
operation.
One man has been arrested and a small
number of forgeries have been seized.
Ticketmaster says the forged tickets
are of a good quality but are worthless
and will not secure admission to the
concert.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
National Post: U2 mention in REM concert article (5-18-2001)
Condensed from The National Post:
"It's fantastic having a huge talent like that in downtown Toronto," said Darryl
Weeks, marketing
supervisor for the HMV Superstore on Yonge Street.
"This is a big musical stop for people and bands like U2 and R.E.M. are focusing
more on Toronto," he
said.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago Tribune: U2 mention in music article (5-18-2001)
Condensed from The Chicago Tribune:
The long list of contemporary artists who have given us marvelous
music despite being in and out of
commercial favor ranges from U2
and R.E.M. to Emmylou Harris and Bruce
Springsteen. And don't
forget Randy Newman and Tom Waits, or
Public Enemy and Steve
Earle, or Aretha Franklin or Al Green,
among so many.
My suspicion is that '90s arrivals such as
Moby, Radiohead, Beck,
Lauryn Hill, Grandaddy, PJ Harvey, Meshell
Ndegeocello and -- yes
-- Morissette are going to continue to
enrich us in similar ways.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago Sun Times: U2 reject denying PJ Harvey use of Sound System (5-18-2001)
Condensed from The Chicago Sun Times:
In Monday's Sun-Times, a review of the U2 concert Saturday at the
United Center implied that the band denied opening act P.J. Harvey
access to its sound system. A representative for
U2 said Harvey actually
had full use of all of the band's equipment.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunspot: Bee Gees borrow from U2 (5-18-2001)
Condensed from Sunspot:
Bee Gees
This Is Where I Came In (Universal)
Listening to "This Is Where I Came In,"
the latest from the brothers
Gibb, it's easy to understand why they're
held in high esteem within
the music industry. The trio, responsible
for smart pop songs since
the '60s, just cranks out one high-gloss,
carefully harmonized pop
ballad after another.
But where once Barry, Robin and Maurice
would deliberately
underplay the emotions driving the songs,
they've fallen prey to a
certain Celine Dion bombast -- now every
hook must carry a torch.
One verse of the cloying "Wedding Day,"
which borrows its chord
sequence from a U2 anthem, proclaims, "I
was shaken by your
spirit, I was blinded by your light."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Irish Times: SDLP offering U2 tickets on web site (5-18-2001)
Condensed from The Irish Times:
...The SDLP has been beefing up its own electoral and
administrative capability.
Party chairman Mr Alex Attwood, who is contesting
West Belfast, has helped
inject new vibrancy into the
party. Even an idea like Mr
Tommy Gallagher's in
Fermanagh-South Tyrone,
offering U2 tickets for Slane
on his website, shows a new
element of creative
thinking.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jam!: U2 to return to Canada? (5-18-2001)
Condensed from Jam!:
As well, those U2 in Winnipeg rumours just
won't go away. The band is on an eight-day
hiatus from its
Elevation tour, which resumes
next weekend in
Toronto and ends in North
America at the
Meadowlands in New Jersey in
June. The European
leg of the tour runs
through July and
August and will be topped by
a gig at Slane
Castle near Dublin.
But recent
"educated guesses" characterize
the band as being
overwhelmed by the
response it has
received this time out -- so the
Irish quartet may
well be coaxed into some
more North
American dates this fall.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Boston Globe: U2 ticket giveaway (5-18-2001)
Condensed from The Boston Globe:
Adventures in Rock, the Boston-based travel company that sends
music lovers to far-flung lands for
first-rate concerts and rock-scene
sightseeing, hosts an open house on Thursday
at the Boston
Center for Adult Education; that night there
will be a ticket
giveaway for the U2 and Eric Clapton shows at
the Fleet Center.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rockol.it: U2: no problems with bootlegs (5-18-2001)
From Rockol.it:
U2: no problems with bootlegs
The bootleg market and the music diffusion via web isn't worring for U2, if you
read
the article published by Jam. According to the Edge, the band isn't interested
if their
performance are robbed by fans not really honest.
"The bootleg story is something you must accept, when you are a mainstream
artist",
he said "it's entertainment industry. I don't think the people which is involved
in the
making of these products could be rich, there's nothing wrong for me." The
guitarist
told us how he collected more than 200 U2 bootlegs!!
"Like a fans i could buy them easily, unfortunately the audio quality, most of
the time,
is very poor, that's what we consider worring!" he said revealing us a big
surprise....
"we will make a movie from the Elevation Tour, something similar to Rattle and
Hum,
we will not be like pearl jam which published official bootleg for every tour
date".
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
YouTwo.net: Elevation video download (5-18-2001)
Thanks to Pierluigi of U2Backstage.com for the following:
Italia 1 will broadcast the video for "Elevation" on saturday May 19 around
14 (GMT+1) during the music program Super. Also, you can watch the video
at http://www.tombraider.halifax.it/news_popup.htm?C=147.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
YouTwo.net: Turin on sale on May 24 (5-18-2001)
Thanks to Pierluigi of U2Backstage.com for the following:
Tickets for the U2 concert in Turin will go on sale on Thursday, May 24 with
two different prices: about 70.000 Liras for grass and third ring and
100.000 Liras for second ring. A press conference with all the details is
expected next week.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
National Post: U2 mention in free concerts article (5-18-2001)
Condensed from the National Post:
The free concert stunt dates back several decades, and includes such
performances as the Beatles'
rooftop recording session in 1969 and
the U2 concert atop a Los Angeles hotel in 1987, which served
as its video shoot for the song Where
the Streets Have No Name.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AP: Use of 'Pride' unseemly in movie (5-18-2001)
Condensed from The Associated Press:
Christian recites a litany of songs using the word love his rap includes "Silly
Love Songs,"
"All You Need Is Love," "Up Where We Belong," "Don't Leave Me This Way"
and the
ubiquitous "Heroes" to Satine as a come-on. When he arrives at "In the
Name of Love,"
which U2 dedicated to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., it's
unseemly. Yet the scene
goes by so fast that there's nothing to savor. Mr. Luhrmann shovels in
so much so often
that he never gives the movie a moment to exhale.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Best Music Poll: U2 win 4 awards (5-17-2001)
Thanks to Stephen for the following from the
Boston Phoenix Best Music Awards:
BEST NATIONAL ACT
BEST NATIONAL MALE VOCALIST (BONO)
BEST ALBUM (ALL THAT YOU CAN'T LEAVE BEHIND)
BEST SONG ("BEAUTIFUL DAY")
U2
State of grace
If you believe MTV, which can't be good for your health, Joey Ramone
died while All That You Can't Leave Behind's "In a Little While" played
on the stereo. Which is not the reason this U2 album is my favorite of
all time. But Joey had pretty good taste, and I'm betting he heard the
same things in "In a Little While" that I did, and maybe you did too. I
think it comes down to a compassion that is free of self-interest or
piety: a profound empathy informed by an even more profound modesty.
(And where the hell did that come from?) "I'm just trying to find a
decent melody/a song that I can sing in my own company," Bono sings on
"Caught in a Moment," and the "I" could be either himself - a singer
coming to terms with his own limitations - or any of us tooling through
the radio dial. You find a frequent conflation of the "you" and "I" on
All That You Can't Leave Behind (Interscope): horror of horrors, Bono
has finally stepped off the pulpit and joined the congregation. Perhaps
the titanium ego is still intact, but its owner has decided to poke
around in its machinery. Like the finest writers, he has pulled off the
trick of making our destiny and his inextricable; in the guise of
talking about himself, he reveals more of us than he ever has before.
So after all their insufferable good intentions, after all their
patronizing causes, U2 sound like a band who have figured out that rock
and roll can't save the world: but occasionally it can soothe, it can
reassure. If U2 have all too often made music for nations, they have
finally made an album for individual humans. And perhaps, Bono seems to
be saying, this is all pop music has any right to attempt: some small
good, a chance melody to make a lousy day a bit more bearable, a balm
for the rash desperation of ordinary souls. I love that line on
"Beautiful Day": "I know I'm not a hopeless case." More than anything
else, Bono figured out, this is what his listeners yearn to be told,
perhaps because they haven't yet figured out how to say it to themselves
- something to affirm their own compromised dignity, to hint that bad
times can be followed by better times, that love is not necessarily in
vain. The advice Bono gives on the rest of the album gently reinforces
these points, like the comfortable, well-worn advice a kindly old
college professor might dust off for a troubled charge: "What you don't
have, you don't need it now," and "What you got, they can't steal it,"
and even - if it wasn't the corniest thing I heard all year it was
certainly the most welcome - "I believe in you."
U2 couldn't have begun to pull off such broad gestures - brave ones,
given their past ironies and our own abiding cynicism - without some of
the finest songs of their career, not all of which are redolent of old
U2. "Beautiful Day," sure. "Wild Honey," though, is their best Rolling
Stones homage yet. They've never had a soul song as godlike as "In a
Little While," and "New York" is the futuristic vision they were looking
for on the last three albums. But yes, the music, too, is an affirmation
of limitations, a willingness to be oneself, which in turn resolves into
a commitment to become one's best self, a conduit to the grace that,
like the lady whose praises Bono sings on the album's final track,
"makes beauty out of ugly things."
- Carly Carioli
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Boston Phoenix: Leading indicators - Part 2 (5-17-2001)
2001 isn't 1992 for a lot of reasons, but there are some interesting parallels
to be
drawn between the two years. The one I have in mind has to do
with the vacuum
that Nirvana clearly filled with Nevermind. Looking back,
there was certainly
plenty of good music out there in the late '80s and early
'90s, but Nirvana's
breakout success - and that of an entire genre of underground
music (grunge,
punk, alternative, whatever) - would seem to suggest that lack
of supply had
created an overwhelming demand for something " new " and "
exciting " in '91-'92.
And those are near-perfect conditions for a band like U2,
especially when you
consider that without sacrificing much in the way of anthemic
power, Achtung
Baby!, with its industrial accents, was rather cutting-edge at
the time. That's not
to say that music fans today are as starved for drama as they
might have been in
1992, or that All That You Can't Leave Behind is as
adventurous as Achtung
Baby! (it's not), but it certainly feels as though U2 have
filled a certain void in
2001.
Looking over some of the other winners on the mainstream
rock/pop side of the
tracks - specifically, A Perfect Circle in Best National
Breakthrough Act and
Eminem in Best National Rap/Hip-Hop Act (which I include here
because rap is
mainstream pop, and nobody proves that better than Eminem) -
makes me
wonder whether perhaps there aren't a lot of people out there
suffering from aggro
fatigue right now. The post-alternative trend in modern-rock
radio has been toward
meaner, nastier, heavier acts like A Perfect Circle. And
Eminem may be
cartoonish enough to make people laugh, but anyone who feels
all warm and
fuzzy after sitting through " Stan " should probably seek
professional help. Even
the girls in Destiny's Child, who won Best National R&B/Soul,
are as comfortable
slinging nasty disses as they are whispering sweet nothings.
Everybody in heavy
rotation except Bono seems to be having a bad day. And maybe
U2 have
regained their feel-good footing just in time to capitalize on
our subconscious
desire for a rock titan who not only feels our pain but can
transcend it and, with
none of the vicious irony that colors Lou Reed's " Perfect
Day, " earnestly
proclaim something as simple as " It's a beautiful day. "
Unless you're surprised by U2's dominance (and I really
wasn't), there aren't any
major surprises in this year's poll. I could bring up the
tired PC complaint that
somebody with white skin always seems to win the Rap/Hip-Hop
category in
reader polls like these, but that would mean ignoring the fact
that track for track
The Marshall Mathers LP (Interscope) is simply catchier and
more, well,
convincing than OutKast's Stankonia (La Face), even if OutKast
are pushing a
more appealing envelope than Eminem. Besides, as Em himself
said at the
Grammys, he owes it all to a Dr. named Dre. It's also worth
noting that while the
Beastie Boys have had their share of wins in this category,
past winners have
included Public Enemy, the Wu-Tang Clan, Arrested Development,
and, last
year, Dre himself. And at this point I'd rather see anyone
other than perennial
Best National Blues winner B.B. King take that category,
regardless of race, if
only for the sake of variety.
Not sure what to say about Dido's win in the Best National
Female Vocalist
category, except that if waiting around for Eminem and Dr. Dre
to sample your
song is what it takes, I definitely wouldn't want to be a
woman in rock trying to
move units right now. Hard to believe that only a few years
ago Sarah McLachlan
was scoring a marketing coup with the Lilith Fair, and Rolling
Stone was devoting
an entire issue to " women in rock. " Where have all the women
gone? Well, R&B
radio, of course, where it's all about Destiny's Child. But
even that didn't help
Beyonce Knowles get anything resembling props in the Best
National Female
Vocalist category. She finished sixth, behind Gwen Stefani,
Bjork, Madonna, and
Polly Jean Harvey. And that's something even Bono wouldn't
feel too good about.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Boston Phoenix: Leading indicators - Part 1 (5-17-2001)
From Boston Phoenix:
Leading indicators
U2 have a beautiful day on the Best Music
Poll national ballot
BY MATT ASHARE
Watching U2 humbly accept their first
award of the night at the Grammys this
year was, at first, almost amusing.
Bono always used to make a show of
out-humbling all but the very humblest
of God's creatures, and by the early
'90s even he knew the shtick was
running out of steam. So he created a
narcissistic bug-eyed alter-ego for his
humble persona to parade around in,
and we all reveled in the postmodern
irony of Father Teresa partying like it
was 1999. Before long, though, it
actually was 1999 and U2 were stuck
in a momentary lapse of musical
judgment that they couldn't seem to
find their way out of. The party was
over; the Popmart was out of business
... or so it seemed.
So watching U2 at the Grammys really was kind of funny at
first in a " Here he
goes with that shtick again " sort of way. I even caught a
whiff of that the first
time I heard the new All That You Can't Leave Behind
(Interscope). I mean, " It's a
beautiful day " ? For whom? I, for one, was having a pretty
crappy day. And I'd
been under the impression that sometime around '91, even Bono
had accepted
Lewis Black's notion that despite (or perhaps as a result of)
our best intentions,
the world is indeed a cruel, ugly, and ultimately absurd
place. Maybe I was just
projecting.
But then there was a moment, about halfway through Bono's
brief words of
acceptance at the Grammys, when he really seemed to be every
bit as surprised
as Steely Dan apparently were to have won. The humility wasn't
an act. It was
genuine. And why shouldn't it be? Here he was, the briefly
fallen king of stadium
rock, being welcomed back, two-decades-plus into his career.
Acceptance feels
twice as good the second time around, when you've been
introduced to the
bittersweet taste of rejection.
Again, I may be projecting, but on some level that's what
being a music fan is all
about. I mean, we all want to be able to feel the singer's
pain, joy,
embarrassment, anger, shame, whatever, right? And Bono's got
the Clinton
magic when it comes to that. Even Eddie Vedder can't compete.
And who even
knows what Thom Yorke is singing about anymore? I don't. After
sitting through
the Radiohead movie Meeting People Is Easy, I'm not sure I
even want to know.
That, I think, accounts in large part for U2's domination of
this year's Best Music
Poll. Yes, Radiohead came in a close (very close, actually)
second in the Best
National Act category, and Kid A (Capitol) gave All That You
Can't Leave Behind
a decent run for its money in Best National Album. But when I
looked at the vote
tallies for Best National Male Vocalist, Bono was a slam-dunk
all the way: he got
almost twice as many votes as third-placer Yorke; and
runner-up Maynard James
Keenan (of Tool and A Perfect Circle) didn't do much better
than that.
What does that say about the state of rock in 2001? That
probably depends on
whose rock you're talking about. The last time U2 were on top
of the world in
Best Music Poll terms was almost 10 years ago, in 1992, when
Bono got Best
National Male Vocalist, U2 got Best National Act, and Achtung
Baby! (Island) got
Best National Album. Technically speaking, that was
pre-grunge, because - even
though Nevermind (DGC) had already been released, " Smells
like Teen Spirit "
was already a hit, and Seattle was already every major-label
A&R scout's favorite
vacation spot - Nirvana were Best New Artist material that
year and the alternative
nation was only beginning to assert its commercial clout. By
the time U2 were
delving into pomo electronica on the not-so-pop Pop, no one
was even sure what
" alternative " meant anymore: one person's rock was another
person's roll, and
everybody seemed to have a little hip-hop in their 'hood.
(Continued)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U2Tomorrow.de: Unconfirmed Elevation Single (5-17-2001)
This the unconfirmed tracklisting for the Elevation CDs:
CD1
Elevation Tomb Raider Mix
Elevation John Carter Mix
Elevation Quincy & Sonance Mix
Elevation Paul van Dyk Mix
CD2 ("Fanbase Version" with double-sided poster; might be limited
and therefore numbered)
Elevation Tomb Raider Mix
Elevation Live-Version
Discotheque Underworld Mix
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zap2it: CNN Goes Backstage At The Tomb Raider Music Video And U2 Concert
(5-17-2001)
From Zap2it:
CNN Goes Backstage
At The Tomb Raider
Music Video And U2
Concert (5/19/01)
Wed, May 16, 2001 01:28 PM PDT
CNN's World Beat will provide
viewers with a backstage pass to
one of the year's hottest rock tours
as host Brooke Alexander talks with
members of the mega-hit band U2.
Viewers will go behind the scenes
of U2's 2001 Elevation Tour and the
making of the new Tomb Raider
music video as Alexander interviews
show producer Willie Williams and
longtime U2 manager Paul
McGuiness as well as others involved with putting together
one of the biggest rock tours of the year.
The half-hour World Beat is the world's first international
music news program, offering in-depth profiles and interviews
with artists from around the world. It airs on Saturday, May
19, at 12 a.m. and again on Sunday, May 20, at 3:30 p.m.
Focusing on the basics, the Irish quartet says this tour
centers on the music and the fans. "We're playing a more
intimate kind of venue, the 15-to-20,000 seaters," lead
guitarist The Edge told World Beat. "Last time we were in
football stadiums ... As weird as it might sound, the indoor
arenas do feel like spaces that we feel comfortable in. The
football stadiums are a bit of a challenge for us. They are
very
big, and it's hard to feel the people at the back of the
venues."
Additionally, World Beat will air exclusive behind-the-scenes
footage of the band making the "Elevation" video. The single
off the next U2 album is included on the soundtrack of the
new Tomb Raider movie. The band took a short break from
touring for a two-day shoot in Los Angeles to make the video
for the movie based on the hugely successful Tomb Raider
video game.
In the video, the band faces off with an evil version of
itself
and a kidnapped The Edge is rescued by the film's heroine,
Lara Croft, who is played by Angelina Jolie.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
All Ireland Music: U2 to continue Elevation tour after second Slane date
(5-17-2001)
From All Ireland Music:
U2 to continue Elevation tour after second Slane date
Mega Dublin superstars U2 are set to further their already
arduous Elevation world tour agenda by at least an extra 25
US dates, which will be added after their supposed
concluding show in Slane Castle on August 25th. Their
American Elevation escapade was allegedly to end on June
22nd, but there is a great desire for the supergroup to play
in less likely regions such as St. Louis and Nashville. There
is also speculation of future appearances in Japan and
South America (including Brazil) in October. The majority of
the initial 90-date tour of the globe is being held in the US,
where fans are paying excessively high prices for tickets on
the black market --most asking rates towering the $100
mark. U2's hectic schedule has not yet taken its toll on
them as they dish out decades of hits at their sold-out
shows continually wowing fans.All members are currently
residing in plush pads in L.A., however, Bono and his wife Ali
are expected to return to Ireland for the birth of their
fourth child next month.
Their forthcoming single, 'Elevation' can be heard in the
form of five different mixes, from today onwards via their
official site, U2.com -- one of which features on the
soundtrack to the movie blockbuster, Tomb Raider. Bono
and his mate, singer Gavin Friday, are soon to release
their rendition of original T-Rex hit, 'Children of The Revolution'.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRNewswire: Universal Music Group Selects iNEXT Web Solution .. (5-17-2001)
Condensed from PRNewswire:
Universal Music Group Selects iNEXT Web Solution to
Manage Music Video Programming
Thursday May 17 7:59am
Enterprise Web Solution Will Provide Real-Time Management of
Customizable Broadband Video Program: The Viewing Lounge
LEXINGTON, Mass., May 17 /PRNewswire/ -- iKNOWLEDGE, Inc., a pioneer in
content lifecycle automation, today announced that Universal
Music Group
(UMG), the world's largest music company, has selected its
enterprise Web
solution, iNEXT, to provide coding-free, real-time management of
rich, multimedia
content for their broadband music video programming initiative.
"The Viewing
Lounge" (TVL) (www.theviewinglounge.com), which features some of
the world's
biggest artists including U2, Eminem, Sting, Dr. Dre, LL Cool J,
and the
Wallflowers, was launched as part of a pilot program in September
2000 and is
being rolled out commercially this quarter.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago Tribune: Where's the party? (5-17-2001)
Condensed from The Chicago Tribune:
Where's the party? While several of our town's hippest clubs have a
wait-and-see attitude about where U2 will spend its last night in
Chicago after the band's final show on Wednesday at the United
Center, we think we have an idea.
B.J. Murray has planned a post-show party
at Le Passage to raise
money for one of U2's charitable
projects--the "Free Burma"
campaign. The band is trying to raise
awareness about the plight of
Aung San Suu Kyi, the pro-democracy leader
under house arrest by
Burma's military rule.
Wait, there's more: With all the souvenirs
available in our
town--Cubs hats, Sox jerseys, paper Billy
Goat Tavern hats, replicas
of those "Cows on Parade"--what is Bono's
most prized
possession from U2's Chicago visit? It
seems to be the
autographed copy of Bill Zehme's Frank
Sinatra biography, "The
Way You Wear Your Hat." With the rest of
his bandmates
shadowing him during a recent dinner at
Rosebud, Bono was
intently reading the book. Zehme has
promised signed copies for
the rest of the band before they leave town
Thursday.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
YouTwo.net: Chicago Night 4 Setlist (5-17-2001)
Chicago #4 Setlist:
Elevation
The Fly
Even Better Than the Real Thing
Mysterious Ways- Sexual Healing- Rock With You(Michael Jackson)
One- Wake Up Dead Man
Until the End of the World
New Year's Day
Stuck in a Moment
Kite
New York- Sinatra's New York- Joy Division's Transmission
I Will Follow
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Sweetest Thing
Angel of Harlem
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For(acoustic)
All I Want Is You
Where the Streets Have No Name
Pride
Bullet the Blue Sky- Bowie's Young Americans
With or Without You(with extra verse)
Beautiful Day
I Remember You
Walk On
Thanks to "FasterTNG" for the above.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ananova: Youth worked on Vanessa Mae album (5-17-2001)
Condensed from Ananova:
Vanessa Mae plays to London tourists
Vanessa Mae has performed for tourists in Trafalgar
Square to raise money for the RSPCA and promote her
new album.
The
22-year-old violinist played through the rain to delighted
crowds
outside the National Gallery in central London.
She
played two tracks from her new album, Subject to
Change.
She is
hoping that its release this week will reinvent her as
a
fully-fledged pop artist.
From
the back of an open lorry she played Destiny and
Laughing Buddha, accompanied by a bass guitarist,
drummer and two keyboard players.
For
the first time she will sing lead vocals on this album and
has
co-written the music and lyrics.
The
creative producer known as Youth has also worked on
the
album.
He has
had previous successes recording songs with The
Verve,
U2 and Crowded House.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
YouTwo.net: Chicago Night 3 Setlist (5-16-2001)
Chicago Night 3 Setlist:
Elevation
Beautiful Day
Until the End...
Discotheque/Staring
New York- Sinatra's New York and Chicago
Stuck In a Moment...
Kite (new intro)
11 O' Clock Tick Tock
Out of Control
Sunday Bloody Sunday
In a Little While
Desire
Stay
Bad
Where the Streets...
Mysterious Ways- PJ Harvey's Rid of Me
The Fly
Bullet the Blue Sky
With or Without You
Pride
One
Walk On
Thanks to "FasterTNG" for the above.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U2.com: Could this be the start of a trend ? (5-16-2001)
From U2.com:
Could this be the start of a trend ?
A female fan is wearing an 'Edge Girl' slogan on her t-shirt tonight.
A sign from another fan reads, Larry Rocks.
These are not the only firsts in Chicago. Tonight
we have the first
Elevation 2001 outings for both 11 o'clock Tick
Tock and Out of
Control, still thrilling after all these years.
In fact Out of Control is so special that the
band can't recall
playing it live for the best part of two decades.
And as for special
guests, tonight we have an extra special guest,
the son of
Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
Meanwhile, a fan apparently fingered by the
nimble-fingered
vocalist at Saturday's show, is desperately
seeking shades.
'Please can I have my glasses back Bono?' reads
the sign, while
another says 'Bono, did you find what you were
looking for?'.
Doubtless someone else did - their sign reads,
'My first U2
Concert'
Edge is wearing his No. 21 t-shirt tonight, but
in a subtle sartorial
variation, it's a black T, not the customary red.
Beautiful Day
offers a special lyrical nod to the Windy City
('Love this town,
Chicago') which perhaps explains the energy
tonight.
'This is our first single on Island Records,'
explains Bono, as the
band start up '11 o'clock Tick Tock'. Edge's
guitar seems to be
out of tune so they do a double-take. 'This is
our second single on
Island Records.' Same problem, another false
start. 'I'm not sure
my heart could take that twice.' Third time lucky
and the song
goes down a storm.
And to another debut. From 'our first single on
Island Records' to
'our very first single'. This, apparently, is a
surprise to Edge, who
later reveals that he had been expecting the song
to be in the final
Chicago performance - they haven't played it in
20 years. Still
no-one extemporises like Edge.
Soon Bono is introducing Adam and Larry to the
good people of
Chicago, most of whom seem to have extensive
previous
knowledge.
'This is a song that Joey Ramone transformed,'
says the vocalist
as In A Little While is introduced. 'A lovely
song and he turned it
from a song about a hangover into a gospel song,
well that's all
I'm hearing now when I hear this song.'
As Edge sings the last line, the guitarist and
singer clasp hands
and embrace.
'So any punk rock groups or any kind of bands or
DJ's or anyone
stuck on the trail that might take you 20 years
later to a city like
Chicago...' Desire is for all of them.
And then a longer than usual introduction to Stay
from Bono,
recalling a night long ago just after it was time
to dream it all up
again and just before the Baby was born. 'Berlin,
it was very, very
fucking cold there when we wrote this song and a
couple of others
at Hansa Studios by the wall. 'We came into
Berlin when the wall
was coming down and there was a party to
celebrate the
unification of Germany. We were on the last
flight into Berlin, we
had the skies to ourselves and the captain said
over the loud
speaker, 'We're the last flight into Berlin and
we're going to take
you on a tour of the town. 'We flew over Berlin
and we thought this
is a bombs away situation but we were happy. They
were throwing
a party for the celebration but everyone looked
like they were
having a crap time. We realised we came to the
party that was
protesting the pulling down of the wall..'
Stay closes with 'London, Belfast, Chicago'
before Bad opens up
and Mysterious Ways is here with a lyrical nod to
travelling
companion P J Harvey as Bono sings ' Lick my
legs, I'm on fire.'
(Expect fan signs shortly reading, 'Bono, my
tongue is yours' and
'Will lick your legs anytime.')
'What does that sign say ?' asks Bono as The Fly
begins. 'You
want to dance with my wife, I don't dance, I
dance for my life...'
whereupon The Fly tears the United Center apart
and Bono rips his
shirt up, pressing himself against the video
screens and singing
'Goodbye, goodbye' until the end of the song.
'Thanks for coming out and thanks for giving us a
great life,' he
says after Pride (In The Name of Love) and before
One. 'Thanks to
PJ Harvey, thank you for following us down the
Jubilee trail.
There's a lot that 18,000 people can do if they
put their minds to
it.'
There's a lot that just one can do. Walk On is
dedicated to Aung
San Suu Kyi, under house arrest in Burma. Her
son, here tonight,
will doubtless pass on the message.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ABC Chicago: Counterfeit U2 Tickets (5-16-2001)
From ABC Chicago:
Counterfeit U2 Tickets
Some Chicago rock fans buying tickets on street are finding out the tickets
aren't worth the paper they're
printed on.
United Center officials say hundreds of people were turned away from U2 concerts
this weekend because they had counterfeit tickets.
Fans were paying up to $185 for the fake
tickets.
Officials say the ticket counterfeiting was
the most rampant they've seen since
Michael Jordan played for the Bulls.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Virginmega: U2 Continue To Elevate (5-16-2001)
From Virginmega:
U2 Continue To Elevate
"U2 remembers" read one banner in the crowd and, at Chicago's
United Center Saturday (5/12), that could have been the show's
theme. The first of a four-night stand on U2's current "Elevation"
tour, the show was a strict back-to-basics affair, an obvious
reaction to the '90s when irony-inducing stage props like giant
lemons and hanging Volkswagens took over - literally and
figuratively - the music.
This time, the only novelties were two ramps
that curved into the floor,
creating a heart-shaped pit for about 350
fans to cram into and for
Bono and band to walk out on. That simple
device became a show
essential. Larger than life himself, Bono
strode through the crowd
striking poses and playing raging bull to
guitarist The Edge's
bullfighter.
Tasteful theatrical touches - a thin bank of
lights behind the band,
draped scrims, a smattering of strobe lights
- gave an artful affect that
never became overbearing.
Classic anthems were early in the set
including "New Year's Day" and
"Sunday Bloody Sunday," often with house
lights thrown up. "I Will
Follow," recorded when they were still
teens, sounded cranked from a
garage, as each of the foursome - including
bassist Adam Clayton -
huddled around drummer Larry Mullen Jr.
But even as those early songs shaped U2's
past political thought,
political statements were largely tossed
aside, kind of like those Irish
flags that kept landing at Bono's feet from
the crowd. Concentrating
on its new album as well as Joshua Tree
essentials, U2 struck the right
balance (finally) between drama and dignity.
U2 treads on playing the remaining US
"Elevation" tour dates, as
follow:
May 15, Chicago, IL, United Center
May 16, Chicago, IL, United Center
May 24, Toronto, ON, Air Canada Centre
May 25, Toronto, ON, Air Canada Centre
May 27, Montreal, QC, Molson Centre
May 28, Montreal, QC, Molson Centre
May 30, Detroit, MI, The Palace Of Auburn
Hills
May 31, Buffalo, NY, HSBC Arena
Jun 2, Albany, NY, Pepsi Arena
Jun 3, Hartford, CT, Civic Center
Jun 5, Boston, MA, FleetCenter
Jun 6, Boston, MA, FleetCenter
Jun 8, Boston, MA, FleetCenter
Jun 9, Boston, MA, FleetCenter
Jun 11, Philadelphia, PA, First Union Center
Jun 12, Philadelphia, PA, First Union Center
Jun 14, Washington, DC, MCI Center
Jun 15, Washington, DC, MCI Center
Jun 17, New York, NY, Madison Square Garden
Jun 19, New York, NY, Madison Square Garden
Jun 21, East Rutherford, NJ, Continental
Airline Arena
Jun 22, East Rutherford, NJ, Continental
- Mark Guarino
May 15, 2001
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago Sun Times: U2 & Ol' Blue . . . (5-16-2001)
Condensed from The Chicago Sun Times:
U2 & Ol' Blue . . .
Chirp 'em & croon 'em: U2 lead singer Bono might
have hit Chicago for
four shows on the band's Elevation tour, but
Friday night at Rosebud on
Rush, he crooned along with Ol' Blue Eyes.
* To wit: The night before U2 opened at the United
Center, Bono and the
band dined on lobsters at Alex Dana's Rosebud . .
. and then asked for
Frank Sinatra's "Duets" to be played. Dana
dispatched an employee to
buy the CD.
When the music played, Bono rose and crooned "My
Way," to the
accompaniment of screaming fans.
* Background: On the original "Duets" album, Bono
and Sinatra sang a
rendition of Cole Porter's "I've Got You Under My
Skin."
* P.S. Bono, whose fourth child is expected any
minute, not only moved up
his concert schedule to accommodate the impending
birth . . . but is
sticking close to his cell phone.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
YouTwo.net Exclusive: Fall 2001 Tour Details (5-16-2001)
A YouTwo.net Exclusive: Fall 2001 Tour Details
More details have surfaced about the third U.S.
leg, Australian and Japanese legs, and a
South American Leg of the Elevation Tour.
After performing at Slane (whether it be one show
or two shows) U2 will take the month of September
off from touring.
U2 will return to the US for six weeks in October
and November 2001 to perform indoor arena shows.
Three Mexican dates are being considered: Mexico City,
Monterrey and Guadalajara.
The band will then travel to Australia and Japan
in December 2001 before taking a short Christmas
break.
The tour then will continue in South America in
January 2002, where it is expected the tour will
end.
No mention of an outdoor European tour.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
YouTwo.net: Bono and The Edge confirmed for Frock and Roll Festival (5-16-2001)
Thanks to Xavier for the following:
Naomi Campbell gave a press conference yesterday at Barcelona Hotel Arts to
announce and confirm that the Frock and
Roll Festival will be celebrated in Barcelona (Spain) on June 29th and 30th.This
will be a benefit festival for the Children
of Africa.
The event will have two parts: A dinner on the 29th (probably including an Elton
John Performance) , priced 100.000 ptas
(around U$D 500) per person and a concert , held at Palau Sant Jordi on June the
30th . This is the same venue U2 will
visit on August during the European Leg of their Elevation Tour.The concert will
include preformances and a models
catwalk and we will be able to see Bono & The Edge, UB40 , Neneh Cherry, Wycliff
Jean and others to be confirmed
(rumoured Elton John, Mick Jagger) and the models Helena Christiansen, Elle
McPherson, Claudia Schiffer, Kate
Moss and even Naomi Campbell.
Tickets are not available yet but will be around 8.000 pesetas ( about 40 USD).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FilmForce: U2 unhappy with 'Elevation' video (5-16-2001)
Thanks to David for the following.
From FilmForce:
In other Tomb Raider music news, we've been following the story of U2 and their
new music video 'Elevation,' a movie tie-in that was to
incorporate
specially-filmed Lara Croft footage. Reportedly, a final cut of
the video has been
made, but word is that everyone in the U2 camp is disappointed
with the results.
The editing was bad, Angelina Jolie's failure to fit the shoot
into her schedule
hurt, the CG footage they used was poorly done, and so on. Some
of the mess
is blamed on the choice of directors for the video. Perfect or
not, it should still be
an interesting video for U2 and Tomb Raider fans alike. Thanks
to Tyler for the
report!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Excite: 'Moulin Rouge' soundtrack relies too much on film (5-16-2001)
Condensed from Excite News:
Many of the songs are sung by stars Kidman and McGregor. They do remarkably
well,
especially on "Elephant Love Medley," which incorporates numerous classic love
songs,
such as the Beatles' "All You Need is Love" and U2's "In the Name of Love"
into a single
ode to passion. Both have excellent voices, but are too steeped in classic
musical tradition to
be interesting. Kidman's "Sparkling Diamonds" is fun but vapid, as is
McGregor's rendition
of Elton John's "Your Song."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AP: You Too Could Be Swindled For U2 (5-16-2001)
From The Associated Press:
You Too Could Be Swindled For U2
United Center Says It's Some Of Worst Counterfeitng They've
Seen
CHICAGO, 3:11 p.m. EDT May 15, 2001 (AP) -- It may seem too
good to be
true: front row seats for U2 in Chicago.
And it was. Hundreds of fans of the Irish pop band outside the
United Center
have been paying top dollar for tickets, only to be turned away
by security
guards who found they were fake.
United Center officials say that it's some of the worst
counterfeiting they've seen
for one event. If the trend continues Tuesday and Wednesday
night, scalpers will
have sold about 400 fake tickets for U2's four concerts.
Scalpers have been charging between $65 and $185 for the seats.
Or, they
would trade the fakes with people who wanted to upgrade their
real tickets.
United Center officials offered the conned concert goers a shot
at buying tickets
to the band's remaining concerts.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Daily Herald: It's the music - Part 2 (5-16-2001)
When U2 plays four shows at the United Center this week, fans will
participate in an age-old ritual. They'll scream together. They'll
sweat together. They'll squeeze in tight together.
It's all part of rock 'n' roll tradition, right? If so, consider the
consequences: in 2000, there were 24 safety-related deaths
worldwide with 51,082 injuries, according to the concert watchdog
group Crowd Management Strategies. In 1999, there were 70
deaths and 6,582 injuries.
Critics say the culprit is festival seating, which U2 has decided to
use on its current tour. Instead of rows of seats laid out on the main
floor, a few thousand fans will be unleashed to fend for themselves
at standing-room only capacity.
The arrangement is old as rock itself, most associated with a 1970
Cincinnati concert by The Who, where 11 people were crushed to
death. The most recent incident was last year in Denmark, when
nine people were similarly killed at a Pearl Jam concert.
Recent shows at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont such as Metallica,
Limp Bizkit and Eminem had similar festival seating on the floor.
To the diehard music fan, festival seating is a boon. If agile enough,
you could work your way to the foot of the stage and watch the
show right from the band's feet.
But to detractors, festival seating is a formula for a range of
problems - from general discomfort to serious injuries and even
death.
Critics say festival seating encourages life-threatening activities like
moshing and crowd surfing, it crushes fans up against the stage and
isn't conducive to allowing emergency crews to move in and out of
the crowd swiftly.
"It's ridiculous. It becomes a contact sport," said Stanley Kahn, a
lawyer representing Randy Adams, who is now brain dead after a
Metallica concert in outside Indianapolis in 1994. He was struck in
the chest in a lawn mosh pit and left unattended for 10 minutes. His
family is suing Metallica, the venue and promoter.
"Promoters make tons of money off of these kids," Kahn said. "Do
they tell you moshing is dangerous? Do they post signs? Do they
make announcements over the PA? No, they don't."
Part of the problem is, of course, the nature of rock concerts.
Unlike, say a Chicago Symphony Orcheatra concert, fan
participation at a rock show is meant to be in mind and body.
That's why bands prefer festival seating in the first place, says Gary
Bongiovanni, editor in chief of the concert industry magazine
Pollstar.
"If you were a band member trying to feed off the energy off the
audience, it would be harder to do ? when you have reserved
seats when the people tend to be older and less animated," he said.
The benefit for fans, Bongiovanni says, is saving money. The
cheapest ticket on the U2 tour is the festival seating pass at $45,
compared to seats on the side priced to $130.
"There's no doubt U2 could have made more money with reserved
seats (on the floor)," he said.
But just the opposite is true, says Paul Wertheimer of Crowd
Manage-ment Strategies, the group that con-sulted the Danish
promoter on safety issues after the Pearl Jam tragedy.
Safety standards established by the National Fire Protection
Association in 1994 recommend that promoters reduce the floor
capacity, by changing the per-person ratio from about 2 feet per
person to 15 feet. That way, first aid officers could easily wade
through the crowd. It also would lesson the impact in case of a
sudden surge.
But only a few states have legally adopted the measures and the
concert industry has routinely opposed it, which Wertheimer said is
due to "three major objectives: money, money, money.
"If someone gets killed, if someone gets crushed, (promoters) have
insurance, big deal," Wertheimer said. "You might hear platitudes
when a kid dies, but the way it plays out in litigation is that the
defendants have insurance. It's really a form of homicide.
(Promoters) get away literally with murder." Since concert industry
safety stan-dards remain unregulated, promoters have been free to
keep injury reports private. Watchdogs like Wertheimer have had
to rely on police reports, media accounts, litigation, industry news
and eyewitness accounts.
A spokesperson for the National Concert Promoters Association
would not return phone calls.
About 2,000 fans will be on the floor for Chicago's U2 shows,
according to Arthur Fogel, president of touring for the SFX Music
Group, the tour's promoter. That includes 350 fans who will be
allowed into a spe-cial heart-shaped pit, placing them even closer to
band action.
"We have done due diligence with the overall floor plan and staffing
to insure that each patron has both an enjoyable and safe
experience," he said in a statement.
When U2 announced it was planning to use festival seating ("these
shows are going to be very exciting," said band manager Paul
McGuinness), a fan Web site, atU2.com, posted an open letter to
the band asking them to rethink the decision.
The letter remains on the site, but its operators are less cautious.
"There was some concern," said Teresa Doherty, who works on the
site. "But after the first night, security was handling it very well and
it
was less of a concern."
Chicago fan Tony Kuzminski opted to buy seats on the side instead
of floor tickets due to practical reasons: "I didn't feel like having
beer spilled on me. Three hours on your feet is a long time."
But he quickly found he had to pay a different kind of price. To get
an actual seat, Kuzminski had to shell out three times the money.
According to Ticketmaster, the top U2 seat is $140.75, which
includes $14.75 in service fees.
"I have mixed feelings," he said. But supply met demand. "There's
obviously a market."
What will U2 play in Chicago?
Unlike Phish or Bruce Springsteen, U2's setlist from night to night
has been fairly stable, with just a few alterations.
Here's a typical setlist from the band's stop in San Jose, Calif., April
20.
Main Set:
"Elevation"
"Beautiful Day"
"Until the End of the World"v "New Year's Day"
"Kite"
"New York"
"I Will Follow"
"Sunday Bloody Sunday"
"Stuck In a Moment"
"In A Little While"
"Angel of Harlem"
"Stay"
"All I Want Is You"
"Where the Streets Have No Name"
"Mysterious Ways"
Encores:
"Bullet the Blue Sky"
"With or Without You"
"Pride (In the Name of Love)"
"One"
"Walk On"
- Mark Guarino
The scoop
What: U2
Where: United Center, 1901 W. Madison, Chicago
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday
Tickets: $45 to $130; Friday's show sold out
Phone: (312) 559-1212
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Daily Herald: It's the music - Part 1 (5-16-2001)
From Daily Herald:
It's the music
Entering its third decade, U2 con-tinues
to challenge itself
BY MARK GUARINO
Daily Herald Music Critic
With its current "Elevation" tour, U2 has
gone where few bands have gone before:
entering its third decade without a significant shake-up.
Bono, The Edge, Larry Mullen Jr. and Adam Clayton join the
Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band in sheer
longevity, which means high-profile tours geared not just toward the
generation that grew up with the band, but younger tiers of fans that
jumped onboard along the way.
But unlike the Stones or Springsteen, U2 has avoided becoming a
pure nostalgia act, a shaky distinction that comes down to the
music. For better or for worse, U2 have consistently made albums
that have progressively expanded its creative borders. In an
11-album output, the band has flirted with punk, American roots
music, glam, industrial rock and techno - earning the respect of
hip-sters while at the same time ruffling the feathers of the diehards.
It's a tough level to maintain after a band has become a corporate
commodity. Even "All That You Can't Leave Behind" (Island/Def
Jam), the new album that returns U2 to the four-man rock of its
heyday, doesn't sound like it's aping the past.
Compare that to the Stones, a band 25 years past its recording
prime, who have made packaging its glory days high art.
Springsteen's blockbuster reunion tour with the E Street Band was
about looking at the past with new eyes, but it was also about
painting over his creative slowdown in the '90s. What preceded the
Springsteen tour was a greatest hits album and boxed set of rarities.
What came after was a live album, a video and TV special.
U2 is certainly no stranger to merchandising its image in every way
possible. But there is little doubt the effort made to ensure U2's
legacy is in the album bin, not the T-shirt counter.
Here's a breakdown of the band's history, from 1980 up to today.
"Boy" (1980)
The four members of U2 are indeed boys (in their late teens) when
their album-length debut is released. Punk-fueled mini-anthems like
"Out of Control" and "A Day Without Me" immediately defined the
band's strengths: tricky syncopations, chim-ing guitars and Bono's
soaring voice, a ragtag energy the band has yet to recapture so
naturally.
"October" (1981)
The energy of U2's second album comes close to "Boy," but more
consciously so. (Check out that cover shot posing the foursome as
working-class heroes at the boat dock.) The songs are more
sophisticated, ranging from blasting rock ("Rejoice") to ska ("Fire")
and pure atmosphere ("I Threw A Brick Through A Win-dow").
Still playing clubs, the band debuts its first full-fledged romantic
anthem ("Gloria"), indicating the music is begging to burst to bigger
ven-ues.
"War" (1983)
U2's political consciousness gels with songs about strife in Northern
Ireland ("Sunday Bloody Sunday"), nuclear war ("Seconds") and
others pitting human romance against the chaos of revolution ("New
YearÂ1s Day," "Drowning Man"). "Sunday Bloody Sunday" makes
such an impact politically, it remains the band's concert staple.
"Under A Blood Red Sky" (1983)
Up to this point, U2 is considered much more of a live phenomenon
- more popular at the box office than at the record counter. So its
only natural for the band to churn out a live album (their first to date)
to capitalize on its live power. "Red Sky" documents three different
dates on the "War" tour. "The Unforgettable Fire" (1984)
Ambient synthesizer auteur Brian Eno and his protégé Daniel Lanois
shape U2's sound with a more artistic bend, the murky atmosphere
matching the more serious-minded songs the band is writing. Now,
instead of straightforward rock songs, the band eases into mellower
fare including the beatific "Bad" and "A Sort of Homecoming," as
well as Bono's a cappella prayer to Martin Luther King Jr.
("MLK"). Through the marriage of ambience, lyrics and
performance, the band achieves both high art and compelling rock.
"The Joshua Tree" (1987)
Producers Eno and Lanois essentially make the same album as
before, but with more fiery songs. It breaks U2 through to the
masses. Not as elegant as "Fire," it nevertheless cements U2's image
as populist wielders of "important" rock. The ballad "With Or
Without You" becomes the theme of high school proms
everywhere, and U2 gets ushered to the stadiums and never looks
back.
"Rattle and Hum" (1988)
This album leads with a heavy Bono proclamation ("this is a song
Charles Manson stole from The Beatles - we're stealing it back"),
memorable for its parodies mocking it ever since. Part cover album,
part live album and part collection of new songs, "Rattle and Hum"
piggybacks the popularity of "Joshua Tree" via an accompanied film
of the same name. On it, U2 collaborates with B.B. King, the
Memphis Horns and Bob Dylan, dedicates songs to Billie Holiday
and records in the same room Elvis cut his first sides in. All that
Americana may have been touted as a return to roots, but it was
taken as a bloated ego trip.
"Achtung Baby" (1991)
To kick off the '90s, the band relocates to Berlin to reinvent itself.
Before they were highbrow arena rockers. With "Achtung Baby,"
the band goes glam and thinks up "Zoo Station," the launching point
for the infamous "Zoo TV" tour that leveled irony at the looming
wireless world. Eno and Lanois return to reinforce the howling
electronics, making The Edge sound less like he's playing a simple
guitar than he is operating an intergalactic battleship. U2's most
ambitious album to date.
"Zooropa" (1993)
Rushed out in the midst of the "Zoo TV" tour, this low point in U2's
output is originally meant to be just a tour EP. A mixture of futuristic
images and consumer satire, the band's dark vision is a blurry
mishmash. Bono cooing to a "Lemon" in falsetto and The Edge
muttering in monotone are a few of the more comic moments. The
most novel surprise comes at the end when guest Johnny Cash
takes over lead vocals.
"Pop" (1997)
U2 bows to the mirrorball with its first single ("Discotheque") and
casts themselves as Miami playboys. But the grand irony of it all
gets lost in the process. Sounding more like the Chemical Brothers,
fans discover nothing but fluff behind all the hard beats and the
accompanying "Pop Mart" tour fails to sell out most of its dates.
"All That You Can't Leave Behind" (2000)
Like "Achtung Baby," U2 is bent to reinvent itself with a new
decade. Except this time, the dial is turned back to the late '80s.
Abandoning the techno crunch the band spent most of the '90s on,
most of the new songs sound like spilloffs from "Joshua Tree" or
before. Not a perfect album (it falls apart just before the end), it is
the sound of U2 fulfilling the promise of its title and making sure the
basic essentials they started out with (song, lyric, melody) weren't
lost in cargo.
Squeeze play: Is festival seating worth the risk?
(Continued)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NME: Bono mention in Thom Yorke Article (5-16-2001)
Condensed from NME:
Thom [Yorke]'s witnessed the international media conspiracy of "hokey shite" up
close. He saw it in Cologne, as
part of the drop-the-Third-World-debt Jubilee 2000 campaign, delivering several
million signatures on a
petition and being "bullied" by security down the side entrance, making sure
"there would be no front
pages of Bono and his cronies handing it in". That day, in the City Of London,
the Reclaim The Streets
protest ended in violence ("and I don't know why, but we know what the Socialist
Worker Party are like, don't
we?") and Thom watched the coverage, next day, in Britain.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Irish Times: Non-nation state (5-16-2001)
Condensed from The Irish Times:
Non-nation state
But even without the reemergence of ancient historical
forces in France and Germany,
and even allowing their
their agendas remain open and
democratic, there
remains this other mighty
non-nation imperial state in
Brussels. It is growing
almost unchecked because
those who might limit that
growth, the elected politicians
of Europe, are themselves
devotees of the European
Project: who seeks to be an
MEP who wishes to close
down the EU?
And what power will reside
there when its governance
reaches from Anatolia to the
Skaggerack, from Malta to
Malin Head? It worries me.
Yet there remains one
powerful reason for voting
for Nice: the opposition to it
from the Shinners and
Sandals. If Bono's against it too,
then my mind's made up: I'm
voting yes.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ananova: U2 fans fall victim to Chicago ticket scam (5-16-2001)
From Ananova:
U2 fans fall victim to Chicago ticket scam
Hundreds of U2 fans were turned away from a concert in
Chicago because their tickets were forgeries.
Officials at the Unite Centre said hundreds of fake tickets
circulated outside the arena for 45 to 130 pounds.
They
said the counterfeiting was the most rampant they've
seen
since Michael Jordan played basketball for the
Chicago Bulls. A real ticket cost 30 pounds.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MTV: U2 mention in Goo Goo Dolls article (5-16-2001)
Condensed from MTV:
Goo Goo Dolls Remix, Rearrange, Re-Record, Return To Studio
05.15.2001
You might expect Sting or U2 to release a greatest-hits
album titled What I Learned About Ego, Opinion, Art &
Commerce (1987-2000) -- but the Goo Goo Dolls?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Denver Post: U2 mention in Hothouse Flowers article (5-16-2001)
Condensed from The Denver Post:
U2 got the Flowers signed to their record label, and
with their first two CDs, 1988's "People" and 1990's
"Home," they threatened to eclipse Bono
& Co. in
popularity in their homeland.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Releases:
May 21. Australian release of Musique vs. U2 "New Year's Dub"
May 28. Radio release date of "Elevation" single in Europe.
CD1:
Elevation (Tomb Raider mix)
+ 2 new tracks, possibly live tracks
CD2 :
Elevation (album version)
+ 2 new tracks
2-track CD
DVD:
Elevation (video clip)
Foto section
Interview section
There will also be promotional 12" singles featuring remixes of
"Elevation."
June 5. Release of 'Elevation' mix single from Tomb Raider
soundtrack.
Tracklist:
1 -Tomb Raider Mix (3:35)
2-The Biffco Mix (4:18)
3-LP Version (3:46)
June 18. Australian release of "Elevation" single. Tracklist
unconfirmed.
June 25. German release of "Elevation" single. Tracklist
unconfirmed.
July 2. In-store release date of "Elevation" single in Europe.
(See track
information above.)
July 16. UK release of "Elevation" single. Tracklist:
1-Elevation
2-The Sun, the Moon and the Stars
Concerts/Live Events/Appearances:
May 20. Rebroadcast of U2's Making of Video "Elevation" on
MTV at 1:30 AM Eastern.
May 20. Rebroadcast of U2's Making of Video "Elevation" on
MTV at 9:30 AM Eastern.
May 25, MuchMusic/MuchUSA U2 special starting at 7pm ET.
Ends with live 1 hour U2 Interview starting at 12 midnight.
June 29, 30. Bono and The Edge to appear at Frock and Roll
Festival in Barcelona, Spain.
August 25. U2 to perform at Slane. Other tour dates can be
found
at http://www.YouTwo.net/u2concerts.html
--------------
Net Events:
Win U2 Boston Tickets
http://www.virginradio.co.uk/onair/worldtour/
--------------
In Print:
--------------
Fan Club/WIRE/U2 nutzoid meetings:
See U2tours.com for tour-related parties and meetings.
--------------
--------------
U2News: http://www.YouTwo.net
The only DAILY updated U2 News page is brought
to you by the letter U and the number 2.
--
Personal Email: pra...@prarit.com
U2News: http://www.youtwo.net, pra...@youtwo.net
This message is brought to you by the letter U and the number 2.