YouTwo.net: May 2, 2001 (long)
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New Stories:
Youtwo.net: Minneapolis Setlist (5-2-2001)
CNN: Bono video, story, pics, quiz (5-2-2001)
PeopleNews: Bono to save the (Third) World (5-2-2001)
Ananova: Badly Drawn Boy Pokes Fun at Bono (5-2-2001)
TwinCities.com: U2 leaves Target Center topless (5-2-2001)
Star Tribune: U2 and Bono give emotional concert (5-2-2001)
CNNSI: Playing 18 at Augusta (5-2-2001)
SonicNet: Jon Bon Jovi Delivering Commencement Speech In New Jersey (5-2-2001)
Vancouver Province: Cool bands for Tomb Raider soundtrack (5-2-2001)
La Repubblica: U2 decision set for Thursday (5-2-2001)
La Stampa: Italy needs U2 (5-2-2001)
YouTwo.net: Moulin Rouge Tracklisting (5-2-2001)
NY Daily News: The Wedding Singer (5-1-2001)
Star Tribune: A look at Bono in quotes (5-1-2001)
ATL: Bono and Oprah (5-1-2001)
Worldpop: Bon Jovi Up For Honorary Degree (5-1-2001)
Goformusic: Bono puts Jubilee fight further (5-1-2001)
U2.com: U2 On Access Hollywood (NBC) Today (5-1-2001)
U2newyork.com: Musique vs U2 New Year's Day mp3s! (5-1-2001)
La Stampa: 'No' to Dalle Alpi (5-1-2001)
The Mirror: Madonna tix hotter than U2 tix on eBay (5-1-2001)
ShowBiz Ireland: Bono seeks Oprah's help (5-1-2001)
Spin: Bono & Bob Fight World Debt (5-1-2001)
Mademoiselle: U2 mention in Powderfinger article (5-1-2001)
Daily Record: U2 mention in Mandela article (5-1-2001)
BBC: U2 mention in Pavarotti article (5-1-2001)
The Age: U2 mention in Brian Eno story (5-1-2001)
Chart Attack: Nelly Furtado And Delerium On Tomb Raider Soundtrack (5-1-2001)
Hoovers: The U2 guys are doing their bit for Irish tourism (5-1-2001)
Reuters: Rich nations must finish debt relief job-campaign (5-1-2001)
Wall of Sound: Bono and Bob Geldof's Political World Tour (4-30-2001)
Oor: The top 25 bands and trends of 2001 (4-30-2001)
Star Tribune: U2 gets up close and personal again (4-30-2001)
Tacoma News Tribune: U2's 'Mr. Ed' and 'Borneo' visit shop in Tacoma (4-30-2001)
Jam!: Ian McCulloch on Bono (4-30-2001)
LA Times: Salman Rushdie Blends In at Times Festival of Books (4-30-2001)
NME: Drop the Debt - Bono Not Bushed Yet (4-30-2001)
Dotmusic: Bono on Oprah? (4-30-2001)
The Age: U2 mention in Cats article (4-30-2001)
Boston Herald: U2 mention in Gray review (4-30-2001)
Sunday Times: Dave Stewart performs 'One' at Mandela concert (4-30-2001)
Chicago Tribune: Ireland struggles to revive tourism (4-30-2001)
L'ansa: No U2 at Delle Alpi (4-30-2001)
Q: Puff Daddy (4-30-2001)
Irish Independent: Meeting Mr. Gig (4-30-2001)
YouTwo.net: Pop-Up Ads (please read) (4-29-2001)
YouTwo.net: Phoenix Setlist (4-29-2001)
U2NewYork.com: Tomb Raider Elevation remixes! (4-29-2001)
Festadopeao: Rumor of U2 in Brazil False (4-29-2001)
Imola, Italy show cancelled (4-29-2001)
Arizona Republic: U2 raises crowd to new Evelation (4-29-2001)
Muse: Bono for President! (4-29-2001)
OC Register: Letter to the Editor (4-29-2001)
Star News: U2's 'Elevation' tour will land at arena (4-29-2001)
TwinCities.com: Part 2 - Believing in U2 (4-29-2001)
TwinCities.com: Part 1 - Believing in U2 (4-29-2001)
Allstar: Celebrities spotted at LA U2 show (4-29-2001)
Time: Eulogy: Bono Remembers Joey Ramone (4-29-2001)
WENN: Americans Can Still Get Tickets For U2's Irish Date (4-29-2001)
MTV UK: Bono's Debt Plans (4-29-2001)
LA Times: Letter to the Editor (4-29-2001)
Sunday Times: High praise for U2 from Helena Christensen (4-29-2001)
Ananova: Bono continues fight for Third World debt relief (4-29-2001)
Belfast Telegraph: U2 mention in Eno article (4-29-2001)
NZ Herald: U2 mention in Mary Black article (4-29-2001)
Irish Times: A song in his art (4-29-2001)
Live Daily: Kirsty MacColl album review (4-29-2001)
MTV: Bono Says Debt-Relief Campaign's Victories Not Enough (4-29-2001)
The Times: U2 mention in REM article (4-29-2001)
Guardian: Brian Eno and J Peter Schwalm Drawn from Life Review (4-29-2001)
Reuters: Tourist Industry Pleads For Cash (4-29-2001)
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Youtwo.net: Minneapolis Setlist (5-2-2001)
Minneapolis setlist:
1. Elevation
2. Beautiful Day
3. Until The End Of The World
4. New Year's Day
5. Kite
6. New York
7. I Will Follow
8. Sunday Bloody Sunday
9. Stuck In A Moment
10. In A Little While
11. Desire
12. Stay
13. Bad
14. Where The Streets Have No Name
15. Mysterious Ways
16. The Fly
Encore 1
17. Bullet The Blue Sky
18. With Or Without You
19. Pride
Encore 2
20. One
21. Walk On
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CNN: Bono video, story, pics, quiz (5-2-2001)
CNN has a large story on Bono that includes
pictures, video and a quiz at:
http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/people/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PeopleNews: Bono to save the (Third) World (5-2-2001)
From PeopleNews:
Bono to save the (Third) World
Singer teams up with Mandela and Oprah for TV show
Bono is planning to enlist Nelson Mandela for a special edition of the
Oprah Winfrey show beamed globally from Ireland in order to combat
Third World Debt, PeopleNews can reveal. The Irish singer hopes
that a combination of Winfrey, one of the most famous
African-Americans, and Mandela will be enough to rouse the
Americans from their apathy towards the issue. 'It's sad when it
takes pictures of pop stars and the Pope hanging out to get interest
on this,' said the U2 singer, 'We are going to try and get on her show
and speak to Oprah Winfrey, we are going to ask President Mandela
to join us. If American's hear the facts they'll respond to it like they
have in Europe.' He added: 'When I was growing up I remember
reading about the Holocaust and remember thinking "Could that
really have happened? That couldn't have happened, could it?" And
then you realise every day the Holocaust that is happening in Africa
and it's just mind-boggling that we can't get people's attention.'
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Ananova: Badly Drawn Boy Pokes Fun at Bono (5-2-2001)
Condensed from Ananova:
Badly Drawn Boy's tribute to Bruce Springsteen
Badly Drawn Boy has paid a personal tribute to Bruce Springsteen at his
gig in New York.
The Boy, real name Damon Gough, played renditions of three of the Boss's
classic tracks.
He then told the audience Springsteen was the reason he first took up
music.
During the gig Gough also joked about acting like Bono, saying he has
started to address his audiences in a pseudo-American accent.
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TwinCities.com: U2 leaves Target Center topless (5-2-2001)
From TwinCities.com:
U2 leaves Target Center topless
JIM WALSH
POP MUSIC CRITIC
"They blew the roof off the place.''
That is the most commonly heard description of a memorable live concert, but to
my knowledge, it's never actually happened. It's wish, really; a fantasy where
the
energy between band and audience is so special that it transcends the moment's
physical boundaries and seeps out into the world with a virus-like intensity,
infecting/impacting everyone who was and wasn't there, and reverberates its
sweet
damage for years to come.
U2 blew the roof off Target Center Tuesday night.
It started at 8:50 p.m., with all the fanfare of a stroll in the park, as the
band members
(singer/guitarist Bono, guitarist the Edge, bassist Adam Clayton, drummer Larry
Mullen, Jr.) took the stage with the lights up and 20,000 fists pumping to the
opening
chords of ``Elevation.'' As Bono sang, ``You make me feel like I can fly, so
high,'' the
banners in the rafters shuddered.
With a minimal light show and maximum rock 'n' roll, U2 made a case for the
power
of the three-piece rock band as force-of-nature. During the euphoric ``Beautiful
Day,''
Bono raised his voice to the sky, sang about the planet, and kept his eyes on
the
ceiling for a full 60 seconds. When he urged the crowd, ``Don't let it get
awaaaay,''
the ceiling's hinges started to buckle.
During ``New Year's Day,'' Bono waltzed across the heart-shaped stage and
clasped
hands with his ecstatic flock purposefully -- more a rock star of the people
than the
pantheon -- and talked about the band's first appearance 20 years ago this week
at
First Avenue, which was then called Uncle Sam's, which he dedicated ``Kite'' to.
The huge, elegiac ``New York'' and ``I Will Follow'' created an urgency and
timelessness not heard in the Target Center since last year's Bruce Springsteen
shows.
Then came ``Sunday Bloody Sunday,'' during which Bono took an Irish flag from
the
audience, dragged it across the stage like it was a body bag, then gently placed
in at
the side of the stage. When he briefly went into Bob Marley's human rights cry
``Get
Up, Stand Up,'' the collective collected soul was ripping into the building's
concrete
beams with the fury of a giant can-opener.
The poignant, uplifting ``Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of'' was followed
by
``In A Little While,'' the last song Joey Ramone heard before he died last
month: ``Joey
has turned a song about a hangover into a gospel tune,'' said Bono. ``That's how
f- - - in' cool he is.''
Two songs later, the Edge ripped off the familiar riff to ``Where The Streets
Have No
Name,'' Bono rapped about being in the presence of God, the lights came up, the
drums exploded, every pair of hands in the house clapped in unison, Bono blessed
himself and ran two laps around the giant heart, sang about freeing his soul,
and the
sucker popped off like a champagne cork.
The bubbles rose up into the Minnesota night, as the marvelously mixed messages
of ``Mysterious Ways,'' ``With Or Without You,'' ``Bullet The Blue Sky,''
``Pride (In The
Name Of Love),'' ``One,'' and ``Walk On'' made their way out into the world like
homing
pigeons, and like U2 itself: Gracefully, with great promise, and no matter how
far away
they fly, they always come back to those who need them most.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Star Tribune: U2 and Bono give emotional concert (5-2-2001)
From Star Tribune:
U2 and Bono give emotional concert
Jon Bream
Star Tribune
Wednesday, May 2, 2001
Never has an arena seemed so small. So intimate. So personal.
There were Bono and the Edge of U2, the band that extravagantly redefined
stadium
rock in the 1990s, standing at the point of a heart-shaped runway extending from
the
stage at Target Center on Tuesday night. Bono had just dedicated a number to
punk-rock pioneer Joey Ramone, a U2 friend who had died two weeks ago, by
saying,
"Joey has turned a song about a hangover into a gospel tune. That's how cool he
is."
With a weary falsetto, backed only by Edge's guitar, Bono sang about how "in a
little while
the hurt will hurt no more." He was not singing to a rabid sellout crowd. He was
singing from
his heart to that special place we all have -- to our inner self -- like it was
a prayer to his
soul.
For once, Bono, who tends to turn every song -- even ballads -- into anthems,
underplayed
it and played it just right. He and Edge continued, with the lustful "Desire"
set to a Bo Diddley
beat and the pleading "Stay," crooned like Sinatra -- both songs delivered with
undeniable
conviction but as if these stars were in a living room with no audience but
their own Muses.
Then Bono, 40, slipped into his rock-star role, one he has played so well for
the past
two decades. He rallied the faithful for "Bad" and then sprinted around the
heart
runway for "Where the Streets Have No Name," invigorating the faithful like a
politician
giving a fire-and-brimstone speech.
The intimacy and the anthems added
up to a wonderfully satisfying concert, with as
much deep emotional resonance as
you'll ever experience at an arena rock concert --
unless you're seeing Bruce
Springsteen.
The focus of U2's 130-minute concert
was songs from its exceptional 2000 album, "All
That You Can't Leave Behind," which
was more personal and less global. Eschewing
the spectacles of the past few
tours, Bono, Edge, bassist Adam Clayton and drummer
Larry Mullen walked onstage while
the houselights were still on and started
"Elevation," sending the crowd into
an up-close-and-personal rock 'n' roll frenzy.
The ensuing "Beautiful Day," which
just won Grammys for record and song of the year,
showed what sets U2 apart even when
the quartet plays nonpolitical anthems. The
tune energized the crowd in a happy
way, not in the typical rock song as release of
aggression/anger/angst, but in a
celebration of joy.
Although the concert ran the gamut
of human emotions from goodbye, despair and
death, to love, religion and Irish
politics, it felt like an evening full of joy. Those
aforementioned intimate moments
stand out, but the 18,000 fans likely went home
singing such oldies as the urgent "I
Will Follow," the ever-galvanizing "Sunday Bloody
Sunday" and the determined "With or
Without You." Every way you look at it, it was a
beautiful night.
Accompanying photo:
http://youtwo.net/pictures_archive/minneapolis010501_1.jpg
Caption: U2 lead singer Bono, left, and guitarist The Edge during their song
"Until the End of the World" during Tuesday's appearance in theTwin Cities.
(Photo by Jeff Wheeler)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CNNSI: Playing 18 at Augusta (5-2-2001)
Condensed from CNNSI:
Playing 18 at Augusta
Posted: Monday April 30, 2001 4:37 PM
The last time I tried to write about what
it's like to play Augusta National Golf
Club, my bosses at The Milwaukee
Journal wouldn't let me say that standing
on the first tee was "the world's greatest
laxative." (Another time, they rewrote my
lead because I wasn't allowed to use the
word "hell" in consecutive sentences -- I kid
you not.) Anyway, that was sometime in the
early 1980s. A kajillion years later and
feeling more jaded than Aerosmith, I'm
standing on the seventh tee box at Augusta
National Golf Club on the Monday after the
2001 Masters. It is, in the words of U2, a
beautiful day. The morning sun glimmers
through the trees. Not a cloud in the sky.
It's pleasantly warm and the air is fresh
and full of the scent of spring. It's a perfect
day.
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SonicNet: Jon Bon Jovi Delivering Commencement Speech In New Jersey (5-2-2001)
From SonicNet:
Jon Bon Jovi Delivering Commencement Speech In New Jersey
Home-state hero also receiving honorary degree at
grad ceremony on May 16.
Before the members of
Monmouth University's class of 2001
toss up their
mortarboards, they'll be treated to a
commencement speech by
well-coifed rocker Jon Bon Jovi.
Bon Jovi, who worked as
a janitor in his cousin Tony Bongiovi's
Power Station recording
studio after he graduated high school,
will receive an honorary
degree at the Long Branch, New
Jersey, school's private
graduation ceremony on May 16,
according to a
spokesperson for the institution.
The singer grew up in
nearby Sayreville and spent what would
have been his college
years plugging away on the Jersey
Shore with his band.
Bon Jovi won't be the
only frontman delivering slivers of
wisdom to graduating
seniors this year, as Bono of U2 will be
addressing students at
Harvard's annual Class Day celebration
in June.
On Saturday, May 5,
members of Bon Jovi will take part in a
free, informal
question-and-answer session at 3 p.m. at the
Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame and Museum in Cleveland. The
band plays the city's
Gund Arena that evening.
Bon Jovi's first live
album, One Wild Night, is due May 22.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vancouver Province: Cool bands for Tomb Raider soundtrack (5-2-2001)
From Vancouver Province:
Cool bands for Tomb Raider soundtrack
Edna Gundersen The Province
Because so many recording artists turn to video games
to alleviate studio cabin fever, Elektra had no problem
luring cutting-edge stars to the soundtrack for Tomb
Raider, the hotly anticipated live-action film based on the
big-selling (24 million copies worldwide) game featuring
cyber-heroine Lara Croft.
Directed by Simon West (Con Air) and due June 15,
Tomb stars Angelina Jolie, who also appears in U2's
upcoming video for the soundtrack's fresh mix of
"Elevation."
Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor, a longtime video-game
addict, screened several scenes before writing and
performing "Deep," slated for a mid-May release as
the
second single.
Also recorded specifically for the soundtrack, out June 5,
are the Chemical Brothers' "Bounce," Groove Armada's
"Edge Hill," BT's "The Revolution Will Be Televised,"
Outkast's "Speed Ballin'" and Basement Jaxx's
"Where's Your Head @." Fatboy Slim revamped
"Illuminata," featuring Bootsy Collins, and Missy Elliot
radically recast current "Get Ur Freak On" with Victoria's
Nelly Furtado.
"We needed songs that worked thematically and captured
the high-intensity vibe and darkness," says soundtrack
producer John Kirkpatrick.
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La Repubblica: U2 decision set for Thursday (5-2-2001)
Thanks to Pierluigi for the following.
From La Repubblica:
On Thursday the decision for the U2 concert
Chairman Ugo Perone said he's going to meet tomorrow the city's soccer
teams (Juventus and Torino) and technical experts so to know the time needed
for the grass maintenance, but he also added: "I know these works are
rather long and the teams will be in need of the stadium by August 29. It
will be necessary to excavate the ground deep through 30 cm at least: so the
promoters' solution, to cover the grass, is just impossible".
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
La Stampa: Italy needs U2 (5-2-2001)
Thanks to Pierluigi for the following.
From La Stampa (May 1, 2001):
Everybody wants them, but the Delle Alpi could just become a mirage, for U2.
Yes to U2: the chairman Ugo Perone, the candidates to major Sergio
Chiamparino and Roberto Rosso ("U2 must come here, Turin can't lose such a
great gig, from 80.000 to 100.000 people coming") and the major himself
Valentino Castellani (who says: "I don't know much of this story,
admistratively. But I'd be happy, should the concert happen. It's a big
event. I think everything will be done to make it happen"). No to U2:
nobody. But the technical problems concerning the grass maintenance are
real. Promoters have asked technical consultant whether it would be possible
to protect the grass with covering lenghts (as it happen usually all over
the world but usually not in Italy stadiums): "They only have to explain
what they want in details, we are ready to do everything just to have the
Delle Alpi". On thursday there'll be a summit, the final one: to say yes or
not. U2 managers can't wait any longer. Many faxes and e-mails were sent
from U2 fans to the local administration and politicians asking to let U2
play at Delle Alpi stadium (whose architect, Toni Cordero, died some days
ago).
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YouTwo.net: Moulin Rouge Tracklisting (5-2-2001)
Thanks to David for the following information
about the Moulin Rouge Soundtrack:
Track 7 is called "Children of the Revolution", and is credited to Bono,
Gavin Friday and Maurice Seezer.
Track 10 is called "Elephant Love Medley", which includes "All You Need Is
Love", "I Was Made For Lovin You", "One More Night", "Pride (In The Name Of
Love)", "Don't Leave Me This Way", "Up Where We Belong" and more, and is
credited to Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor.
Here is the tracklisting, with respective artists:
1. Nature Boy (David Bowie)
2. Lady Marmalade (Christina Aguilera, Pink, Lil' Kim and Mya)
3. Because We Can (Fatboy Slim)
4. Sparkling Diamonds (Nicole Kidman)
5. Rhythm Of The Night (Valeria)
6. Your Song (Ewan McGregor, Placido Domingo, Allesandro Safina)
7. Children of the Revolution (Bono, Gavin Friday and Maurice Seezer)
8. One Day I'll Fly Away (Nicole Kidman)
9. Diamond Dogs (Beck)
10. Elephant Love Medley (Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor)
11. Come What May (Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor)
12. El Tango De Roxanne (Ewan McGregor, Jose Feliciano and Jacek Koman)
13. Complainte De La Butte (Rufus Wainwright)
14. Hindi Sad Diamonds (Nicole Kidman and Alka Yagnik)
15. Nature Boy (David Bowie and Massive Attack)
There is also a bonus track on the Aussie release:
16. Come What May - Josh G. Abrahams Mix (Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor)
I would also like to point out that Lady Marmalade has already been
released as a single from this soundtrack (at least here in Australia),
and one of the tracks on that single is Elephant Love Medley, which
of course is one of the U2-related tracks.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NY Daily News: The Wedding Singer (5-1-2001)
From NY Daily News:
The Wedding Singer
No one can replace her beloved father, Dwain,
who died three years ago of lung cancer at age 63,
but Christy Turlington has found another guy to
walk her down the aisle when she marries actor Ed
Burns -- U2 rocker Bono.
"I am going to give her away, but the price will not
be cheap," Bono tells "Access Hollywood" tonight.
"She's an extraordinary girl, but [Burns] is giving
her his entire heart. That's what she deserves."
Bono, who has shot down rumors that he and
Turlington were once an item, says he'll also
perform at her wedding -- "I will be singing in her
ear."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Star Tribune: A look at Bono in quotes (5-1-2001)
From Star Tribune:
Here's a look at Bono in quotes
"The best seats in the house can't be taken by people with big bank accounts.
Though we'll also have expensive tickets for rich people. Rich people have
feelings, too, is our position."
-- Spin, April 2001
''God is in the room more than Elvis. It feels like there's a blessing on the
band
right now. ... In the end, music is a kind of sacrament; it's not just about
airplay
and chart position.''
-- Rolling Stone, May 10, 2001
''We would like to tell everyone that Ireland is a perfectly safe place for a
vacation.
All of us in the band live and work there. It's a great place for a vacation
and we
hope you will continue to visit.''
-- Statement in April 2001 because of foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in Ireland
'Rock 'n' roll concerts, there's much more subtle things going on than the
obvious.
People are screaming more for themselves than they are for us because their
lives
are bound up in the songs. Songs have a way of getting under your skin in a way
that movies don't. It certainly affects me that way. We've always had a strong
and
deep-rooted connection with our people.''
-- Star Tribune, Oct. 1997
''A lot of rock 'n' roll is banal; ideas well executed. Whereas I think a lot of
what we
do is really very interesting ideas, badly executed.''
-- ''Into the Heart'' by Niall Stokes, 1996
''The whole idea of U2 using a white flag onstage was to get away from the
green,
white and orange. To get away from the Stars and Stripes. To get away from the
Union Jack. ... I'm frightened of borders and I get scared when people start
saying
that they're prepared to kill, to back up their belief in where a border should
be. I
mean, I'd love to see a united Ireland but I don't believe you can put a gun to
someone's head to make him see your way.''
-- ''Into the Heart'' by Niall Stokes, 1996
''I always thought 'The Fly' was this phone call from hell -- but the guy likes
it there.''
-- ''At the End of the World'' by Bill Flanagan, 1995
''What a city. What a night. What a mistake. What a wanker you have for
president.''
-- On the French president's nuclear policy, MTV Europe Awards in Paris, Nov.
1995
''We spent a lot of the '80s ducking and bobbing and weaving, running from the
ghosts of things that really weren't so scary after all. We were scared the
business
would overtake us; we were scared of the nonsense. I think we held onto the
music
too tightly. But now we've learned to laugh at it all and find fun in
everything,
because there is a ridiculous side to rock 'n' roll, and you just have to learn
to
live with it.''
-- New York Times, March 1992
''Dublin is our anchor, I suppose. The people here don't allow you to act like a
rock
star. It's a reminder of how important our family and friends are, how very much
we
need them to keep us from being swallowed up in the pop world. I want to hold on
to who I am.''
-- Los Angeles Times, April 1987
''We may be the future of rock, but so what? When I go back to Dublin, to my
girlfriend, it's more of a distraction that I'm in a band than any big deal --
and my old
man still shouts at me for not doing the dishes before I go to bed.''
-- Trouser Press, March 1982
''I don't mean to be arrogant, but ...I do feel that we are meant to be one of
the great
groups.''
-- Rolling Stone, 1981
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ATL: Bono and Oprah (5-1-2001)
From Across the Line:
1.5.01 BONO AND OPRAH
Bono wants to further his campaign to help wipe out world debt by going
on the Oprah show with President Nelson Mandela. He wants to influence
American President George Bush, to continue the process of debt relief
that was started by his predecessor, Bill Clinton.
Meanwhile, Bono and U2 guitarist The Edge have provided some music
for a show about writer William Gibson, often hailed as the creator of the
cyberpunk genre. According to the band’s official website (www.u2.com),
the film is called No Maps For These Territories. It was shown at the ICA
in London on Monday.
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Worldpop: Bon Jovi Up For Honorary Degree (5-1-2001)
From Worldpop:
Bon Jovi Up For Honorary Degree
Jon Bon Jovi has been invited to give a talk to students at Monmouth University,
New Jersey later this month at a ceremony during which he will also receive a
special accolade. The singer/songwriter turned actor will be presented with an
honorary degree, an award which has been accepted in the past by artists
including U2's Bono, Paul McCartney and Sting.The 39-year-old rock star, who
was born and still lives in the area, will take a break from Bon Jovi's US tour
to
receive the honour and speak to students on 16 May.Jon's group, who release
a 12-song live album One Wild Night on 22 May, are currently on their North
American tour which wraps up on 27 and 28 July with two sold out homecoming
shows at New Jersey's Giants Stadium.
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Goformusic: Bono puts Jubilee fight further (5-1-2001)
Thanks to Chantal for the following.
From Goformusic:
April 30, 2001
Bono puts Jubilee fight further
U2's Bono is pressing on with his two-year battle for Third World debt relief.
Bono said this during a press conference last week. Currently, Bono is touring
with his band in the United States. The "Drop The Dept" campaign, which is
better known as "Jubilee 2000," is to convince the U.S. and other nations to
forgive some debt from 22 African countries. Nevertheless, the total burden of
debt of the poorest African countries is only reduced one quarter. While 25
million Africans are infected with the AIDS virus, African countries pay more
to their creditors than to medical care yearly.
Bono said he hopes to appear with former South African president Nelson
Mandela on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" to rouse the Americans interest for the
campaign. Bono said he has "an informed feeling" that Bush might make
significant progress toward 100 percent debt relief.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U2.com: U2 On Access Hollywood (NBC) Today (5-1-2001)
From U2.com:
U2 On Access Hollywood (NBC) Today
NBC's Access Hollywood will air new U2 footage, shot last week in
Los Angeles, on today's show.
This clip will be in advance of a longer U2 feature on an Access
Hollywood Weekend Music Special broadcast over the weekend of
the 12th/13th May.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U2newyork.com: Musique vs U2 New Year's Day mp3s! (5-1-2001)
From U2newyork.com:
Mp3s of 'Musique vs U2 New Years Day' can be found
at:
http://www.U2newyork.com/newyearsdub/newyearsdub.txt
http://www.U2newyork.com/newyearsdub/1.mp3
http://www.U2newyork.com/newyearsdub/2.mp3
http://www.U2newyork.com/newyearsdub/3.mp3
http://www.U2newyork.com/newyearsdub/4.mp3
http://www.U2newyork.com/newyearsdub/5.mp3
http://www.U2newyork.com/newyearsdub/6.mp3
http://www.U2newyork.com/newyearsdub/7.mp3
http://www.U2newyork.com/newyearsdub/8.mp3
The tracks are:
01 7" Radio Edit (8 bar breakdown)
02 7" Radio Edit (16 bar breakdown)
03 Original 12" Mix
04 Hybrid Mix
05 Steve Lawler Mix
06 Mauro Picotto Club Mix
07 DJ Elite Remix
08 Skynet Remix
Written by U2/Moussa Clarke/Nick Hanson
Published by Blue Mountain Music Ltd/Sony ATV Music Publishing/Copyright
Control
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
La Stampa: 'No' to Dalle Alpi (5-1-2001)
Thanks to Corinne at U2Abel.com for the following translation.
From La Stampa:
"No" to Dalle Alpi . The city says stop U2's gig!
by Massimo Numa
Imagine a hot July night: U2 at Dalle Alpi . Bono and his latest songs and his
old hits. The videos play on a huge screen. People (and not only teenagers!)
from all around Italy and of course from France have traveled to see U2. What a
stunning vision: the stadium (if only it could be true!) packed for the
unique Italian show by the Irish band, and an amazing show of lights and
laser.
Note: You can only dream about it, because at the moment the
city says "no" to it, and in the next few hours that "no" will probably
turns into a "ny" (no/yes, maybe!).
Ugo Perone, the deputy of culture and sports, explains, "It's worth
telling the story in a chronological and historical way. A week ago,
two U2 promoters came to us and asked for permission to put on a
U2 concert at Dalle Alpi from 16 to 23rd of July. Obviously, they had
approached other venues and were declined. Otherwise, it's
impossible to explain how such an important and complicated
event -- and one that we have been aware of -- could have been
organized so late. They gave us an ultimatum: to accept or refuse
the offer within a few hours. How could anyone decide about such
things in such a short time? Right? What can I say? There are still
some possible venues, but we have to follow the rules."
Deputy! So you mean there's a slight hope? "The fact is that the current
administration is due to be replaced by a new one soon, and I can't
take speak for the new administration. They have planned, even if it hasn't
been officially confirmed, for the grass of the stadium to be replaced. If this
happens, there will be no way any concert will take place at this venue.
In fact, forget about the ultimatum, and let's wait for the elections and the
new administration. The decision will be theirs. To question it now is
pointless, and especially if we want to come to a positive end."
On the other hand, there's pressure coming for a fast answe from the
administration of Turin, which between this year and the coming one,
after Eros Ramazzotti coming, will leave the venue always at Dalle Alpi,
to Vasco Rossi and the other pop and rock bands. Maybe the Italians are
experiencing pressure from U2 promoters who do want to know (before
tomorrow) if it will be a "Yes" or a "No." If it turns out to be "No," then
everybody can go home!
When the Anglo-Saxons fight the slow and lethargic Italian administration,
they normally loose their temper and walk away. Hell to the bureaucracy,
elections and polemics! They think "What's better? Netherlands or Portugal?"
U2's world tour began in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA. The name of the tour
is "Elevation 2001."
The stage directing is rather 60s, with a lot of references to their first
hits -- everything from "Forty," to a few songs from "War," to the other
best hits of the past, such as "Mysterious Ways" or "One", and ending
with the brand new songs of their last release "All That You Can't
Leave Behind".
U2's official tour includes only 80 dates around the world. And only
one for Italy.
First Imola was supposed to be the venue, but it has been cancelled for
some logistical reason -- that's how they got kicked out of Turin and of
Delle Alpi. Because they received a "No" from the city administration.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Mirror: Madonna tix hotter than U2 tix on eBay (5-1-2001)
From The Mirror:
YOU'D HAVE TO BE MAD ON 'ER
NET NEWS
TICKETS for Madonna concerts in the UK this summer are changing
hands on internet auction sites for more than pounds 600 a throw - and
there's nearly three months to go.
More than 130 pairs of tickets were being auctioned on eBay.co.uk
alone yesterday, and they said it was the biggest event auction they've
ever handled.
Spokeswoman Jennie Reed told us last night: "In the past we've had
great demand for U2 tickets, but this blows that away. We reckon final
prices of more than pounds 1,000 are within reach."
She put the ticket frenzy down to fans queuing overnight and buying the
maximum allocation "so they can make a few quid and allow fellow fans
to see their hero". Or to put it another way, cheat their fellow fans of any
chance of tickets before selling them for 20 times face value to the
overprivileged pony owners and corporate freeloaders. And another
section of society is upset at the phenomena of online auctions - the
ticket touts.
Fans with surplus tickets are fast turning to online auctions rather than
taking a chance outside the venue by the "any spares" mob.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ShowBiz Ireland: Bono seeks Oprah's help (5-1-2001)
From ShowBiz Ireland:
Bono seeks Oprah's help
U2 singer Bono is set to go onto the world's biggest TV chat show
with host Oprah Winfrey to ease debt in the third world. The Irish
singer plans to bring the former South African President Nelson
Mandela with him on the show to get the help of the USA who are
owed billions by countries in the third world.
"It's sad when it takes pictures of pop stars and the Pope
hanging out to get interest in this"Bono told the press. "We are
going to try and get on her show and speak to Oprah Winfrey, we
are going to ask President Mandela to join us. If American's hear
the facts they'll respond to it like they have in Europe."
Bono then compared the situation in Africa to that of the
Holocaust. "When I was growing up I remember reading about the
Holocaust and remember thinking could that really have
happened. That couldn't have happened could it? And then you
realise everyday the Holocaust that is happening in Africa and
it's just mind boggling that we can't get people's attention."
Already Bono has managed to get debts dropped for 22 out of 44
targeted countries.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Spin: Bono & Bob Fight World Debt (5-1-2001)
From Spin:
Bono & Bob Fight World Debt
Always a politically active sort, U2 frontman Bono has teamed up
with Live Aid mogul Bob Geldof to continue efforts to relieve the
debt of the world's poorest countries. The two participated
in a
conference call last week with activist Jeff Sachs and
Alabama
congressman Spencer Bachus to express their ongoing support
for
London's Drop The Debt organization, as well as to discuss
issues
regarding the tremendous debt that's been incurred by
African
nations -- and ways to urge creditors to do away with the
bulk of
said debts. Bono also spoke on the current AIDS epidemic in
Africa, and how medical efforts receive virtually no funding
since
most money is funneled straight into the hands of
international
creditors (aka: the International Monetary Fund and the
World
Bank). Then-president Bill Clinton tried to do his part last
year, by
absolving all debts owed to the U.S. by certain extremely
poor
African countries, but even that only accounted for about 25
percent of the debt owed worldwide. In order to
substantially
release the monetary burden on these countries, the IMF and
World Bank would have to absolve an enormous amount as well.
You might recall that Bono has long been outspoken on the
subject of Third World debt, participating heavily in last
year's
successful Jubilee 2000 efforts to raise awareness and
prompt
political action on the matter, and even used his
experiences there
as inspiration for U2's hit single, "Beautiful Day" -- off
the band's
latest album, All That You Can't Leave Behind. But both Bono
and Geldof maintain that we still have miles to go before the
tremendous financial load on the backs of the world's poorest
nations is actually lifted. Last week's conference call was
organized by the grassroots lobbying organization, Results.
For more information on the efforts of folks like Bono and
Geldof, check out the Drop The Debt website.
In related U2 news, the Edge and Bono have contributed some
original music to the soundtrack to a forthcoming film, No Maps
For These Territories -- a movie about the life of science fiction
author William Gibson. The $250,000 film, directed by U.K.
director (and U2 collaborator) Mark Neale, is being screened
this week in London as part of the Onedotzero Festival. The
Edge and Bono both appear in the film as well, reading from
some of Gibson's books. U2 is currently touring the United States
with PJ Harvey as part of its Elevation 2001 world tour.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mademoiselle: U2 mention in Powderfinger article (5-1-2001)
Thanks to Abigail for the following.
From the April 2001 issue of Mademoiselle magazine:
Review of Powderfinger's new album, Odyssey Number Five -
Sick of girl-pop clones and boy bands? Here's Powderfinger, Australia's
biggest rock band. They're Down Under's answer to U2, and this album is
full of acoustic honesty, good-time rock and orchestral climaxes - a pure,
polished sound. Tom Cruise begged them for an M:i-2 soundtrack song ("My
Kinda Scene"). Trust him on this one.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Daily Record: U2 mention in Mandela article (5-1-2001)
Condensed from The Daily Record:
Pop diva Gabrielle has also been pictured with [Nelson Mandela], Princess Diana
was a friend and U2 frontman Bono considers him an ally in his efforts to rid
the
Third World of debt.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BBC: U2 mention in Pavarotti article (5-1-2001)
Condensed from BBC:
Pavarotti is expected to return to Modena on
29 May for a concert to raise money for
Afghan refugees living in Pakistan.
He made his opera debut as Rodolfo in Puccini's
La Boheme in the Italian city of Reggio Emilia in
1961.
The singer's first real break came in 1963 when
he sang for the first time at London's Covent
Garden, again as Rodolfo.
In 1993, he played to more than 500,000 fans
in Central Park, New York, and has sung before
300,000 in Paris and 150,000 in London.
Pavarotti has also collaborated with pop stars
such as Elton John and U2's Bono to raise
money for children's medical and educational
projects around the world.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Age: U2 mention in Brian Eno story (5-1-2001)
Condensed from The Age:
Pretentious? It's a compliment
By CASPAR LLEWELLYN SMITH
Monday 30 April 2001
No one would suggest that the competition is terribly strong, but Brian
Eno can lay claim to being pop culture's great intellectual-in-chief. Aside
from creating the concept of ambient music,
he has produced some key
texts, including albums by David Bowie and
U2, whose singer Bono
famously said, ``A lot of English
rock'n'roll bands went to art school - we
went to Brian''. An artist himself, who has
exhibited widely, Eno has also
made himself into something of a cultural
theorist, wont to expound on
such subjects as the connection between
architecture and doo-wop
music.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chart Attack: Nelly Furtado And Delerium On Tomb Raider Soundtrack (5-1-2001)
From Chart Attack:
Nelly Furtado And Delerium On Tomb Raider Soundtrack
Angelina Jolie's big American lips will be
backed by some big Canadian talent for this
summer's widely anticipated film, Tomb
Raider.
The soundtrack for the film, which is
scheduled for release on June 5 (10 days
before the film opens) features a remix of
Nelly Furtado and Missy Elliott's "Get Ur
Freak On." Other Canuck company includes
Delirium's "Terra Firma."
Jolie's ample bosom will also be heaving to
some songs exclusive to the soundtrack,
inluding the first single, U2's "Elevation." The
second single is also new track by Trent
Reznor/Nine Inch Nails, entitled "Deep," which
is expected to air on radio stations mid-May.
The much-hyped film, which is based on the
popular video game, also features tracks by
some of music's biggest guns, including Moby,
Fatboy Slim (with Bootsy Collins), Outkast,
Chemical Brothers, Basement Jaxx, Leftfield,
Groove Armada and BT.
By Hannah Guy
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hoovers: The U2 guys are doing their bit for Irish tourism (5-1-2001)
From Hoovers:
THE U2 guys are doing their bit for Irish tourism.
The band has been taking some time during its current American tour to
inform fans about its latest social cause - the dropping visitor numbers to
the Emerald Isle.
The reports of foot-and-mouth disease are
frightening tourists, but Bono
has been reading a statement to his crowds, at
the request of the Irish
Government.
It says, 'We would like to tell everyone that
Ireland is a perfectly safe
place for a vacation.'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reuters: Rich nations must finish debt relief job-campaign (5-1-2001)
From Reuters:
Rich nations must finish debt relief job-campaign
By Paul Hughes
WASHINGTON, (Reuters) - Leaders of the world's richest nations should finish
the
work they started on debt relief for poor countries before switching their
focus to
health problems such as AIDS, debt campaigners said Monday.
The normally high-profile issue of debt relief was overshadowed at the
weekend
IMF/World Bank Spring meetings by concerns over the global economy and a new
global health fund to tackle AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.
While welcoming the AIDS initiative, which could eventually result in a
multibillion
dollar war chest to fight the disease and encourage research into drugs to
treat it,
debt campaigners said it would be undermined as long as the countries it
aimed
to help remain burdened by heavy debt payments.
Without adequate infrastructure such as roads, clinics and adequately
trained
medical staff, new treatments for diseases like AIDS simply won't get to the
people that need them, said Adrian Lovett, director of UK-based Drop the
Debt
campaign.
"What debt relief does is support the budgets of these countries...It is
debt relief
first and foremost and most effectively that can put that infrastructure in
place," he
told a news conference.
"If they're focusing on global emergencies such as AIDS, they need also to
finish
the job on debt cancellation in order to ensure that the potential of this
great
movement for debt cancellation is not wasted," he added.
Launched in 1996, the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative was
supposed to bring far-reaching debt relief to the world's 41 poorest
countries,
freeing up cash to spend on health and education.
The effort caught world attention, largely thanks to public backing from
high-profile
personalities like U2's Bono and Pope John Paul, but progress has been
modest,
campaigners say.
DENT PAYMENTS STILL HIGHER THAN HEALTH SPENDING
Only 22 countries have reached the so-called "decision point" where they
start to
receive some relief on debt-servicing payments and only one, Uganda, has had
any of its debt written off.
What's more, many of the countries that benefit from the HIPC scheme will
still end
up spending more on debt than on health.
Debt campaigners lay the blame for this at the doors of the World Bank and
the
IMF. Unlike the wealthy Group of Seven industrial nations, the two global
lenders
have only agreed to cancel around half of HIPC debts rather than 100
percent.
Ministers gathered at the Washington meetings did voice some concern that
the
original goal of the HIPC initiative to lower debt payments of the poorest
nations to
"sustainable levels" was not being realized.
"We are very concerned that the recent IMF and World Bank report on debt
sustainability shows this may not be the case for some countries, and we
must
address this vital issue," Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon
Brown said
in his keynote speech.
World Bank President James Wolfensohn said the levels of debt that HIPC
countries had to pay could be reviewed at a later date to take account for
any
deterioration in their economic situation.
But such comments failed to satisfy the debt campaigners.
"There's an inescapable conclusion that deeper debt cancellation is needed
and
that we think has been implicitly acknowledged," Lovett said.
"What these finance ministers and these decision-makers haven't yet faced is
how
they are going to do it, and when they are going to do it."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wall of Sound: Bono and Bob Geldof's Political World Tour (4-30-2001)
From Wall of Sound:
Bono and Bob Geldof's Political World Tour
Singers Not Satisfied With Plans to Relieve the Debt of Poor Countries
April 30 - U2 singer Bono and Sir Bob Geldof, founder of Live Aid, have ramped
up their efforts in a campaign to encourage creditors of poor nations to cancel
those countries' debts.
The two musicians are acting on behalf of Drop the Debt, a London-based
organization formerly known as Jubilee 2000, which has spearheaded the campaign
for debt forgiveness.
Bono Wants to Bring Story to Oprah
Last year, President Clinton canceled all of the debts owed the United States by
the
world's poorest countries. But while this reduced the amount owed by the poor
nations,
they owe a much larger sum to the World Bank and the International Monetary
Fund.
"It's a scandal. The scale of the response does not match the scale of the
problem,"
Bono said of the measures taken. "You know, we're going to try, we're going to
speak
to Oprah Winfrey, we're going to try and get on her program, we're going to ask
[South
Africa's former] President [Nelson] Mandela to join us. We're going to get to
the
heartland in some way on this, because if Americans hear the facts on this,
they'll
respond to it like they have in Europe."
Bono and Geldof held a conference call with reporters on Friday along with Rep.
Spencer Bachus, R-Ala.
"There is little chance of progress within those nations if they are not allowed
to invest
in their own people," said Geldof, who recently returned from a meeting in South
Africa
with Mandela. "I've been going to Africa for many years now and have seen
endless
catastrophes."
The World Bank says that if it is to forgive the debt of the 41 countries
designated as
"heavily indebted poor countries," it would require contributions from its
shareholders
to finance such a move.
Drop the Debt says it has funded a study by an independent accountant, which
concluded that the lending organizations could fund the debt cancellation.
The Web site for Drop the Debt, www.dropthedebt.org, says that the $200 million
that
Geldof's Live Aid raised for African countries is the same amount those
countries pay
creditors every week.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oor: The top 25 bands and trends of 2001 (4-30-2001)
Thanks to Chantal for the following.
From Oor Magazine:
Issue 8
April 21, 2001
The top 25 bands and trends of 2001.
One of these 25 bands is U2.
During a surprise concert in front of two thousand selected fans and special
guests
in the London Astoria theatre, Bono proclaimed that he, together with his three
other
band mates, came "to apply for the job." "Which job?" someone from the audience
called out, to which Bono replied, "The job of being the best band in the
world." With
Mick Jagger, members of Radiohead and Oasis in the audience, it was -- at the
very
least -- a daring statement.
U2's new world tour is a much more scaled-down operation than the megascene of
the
Zoo TV, Zooropa and Popmart tours of the 90s. On their latest album "All That
You
Can't Leave Behind," the band have turned their backs to their experiments with
electric
dance music and returned to what they do the best: create passionate ballads and
positive rock & roll music.
U2 is making U2 music again and, according to the first reviews of the first
concerts in
Florida in big arenas, with great success. "Great heart" is how Lou Reed once
described his appreciation for U2. Reed's comment is the inspiration behind the
band's
decision to use a heart-shaped podium in the middle of the arena during their
Elevation
Tour 2001 -- so they can be close to their fans. U2 haven chosen a perfect
balance of
visuals and music.
At their opening show in Miami the four musicians took the stage while the house
lights
were still on. They couldn't emphasize more that they were there for a low key
affair.
The four video screens on which you can see video and computer projections, were
a
compromise to the audience at the back.
"Our plan was to have an open and uncomplicated design," The Edge says. "But we
wanted to find an original way of presenting ourselves. The music is the main
thing. As
a live band, we always try to work with the magic, which starts when we play in
front of
people. It's not about going back to the roots, because this wouldn't satisfy
us. It's a
rediscovery of what rock & roll has to do and means".
Bono says, "The songs are private thoughts which are sent out via a gigantic
sound system.
The difference is in our music." The comparison with the moderately successful
Popmart Tour
is very striking. The Edge says, "I believe people in America didn't
understand what we
were doing. That was our mistake. The showbiz element concealed the delicate
part -- the
message of the tour and the meanings of the songs". The "delicate parts" may now
be more
understood, but U2 has another problem. Performing the ballads from "All That
You Can't
Leave Behind" has presented a slight problem to the band on the present tour.
After a
blistering start with "Elevation" and "Beautiful Day," the band must slow down
and perform
their "museum pieces" such as "I Will Follow", "New Year's Day" and "Sunday
Bloody Sunday"
(which includes part of Bob Marley's "Get Up Stand Up") The songs "Stuck In A
Moment" and
"Walk On" are marvelous, inspiring 10.000 to 20.000 people to come together.
With beautiful
ballads, you do get burning lighters, but you don't get the entire crowd in an
uproar.
As a visual extra at the end of the first set, the audience gets a commercial
about the risks of the
possession of fire arms, after which the band returns to the stage for a
marvelous performance
of "Bullet the Blue Sky." During an acoustic version of "Angel Of Harlem," Bono
forgets the
lyrics, but he's been forgiven. An almost unrecognizable version of "The Fly"
prompts the singer
to an old habit: he jumps into the crowd then clambers unharmed on the stage
again. And
during "Mysterious Ways," a female fan is asked on stage to dance with the
40-year-old singer.
U2 are a band that recognizes their loyal supporters. During the Elevation Tour,
U2 is trying to
do something in return. "It's not us that matters," Bono says. "It's all about
the songs and the fans."
The return to the songs, which is the focus of "All That You Can't Leave
Behind", is also the
focus of the present live show, which the band, despite their small-scaled idea,
again succeeds
to prove their super band status.
"So...do we have the job?" Bono asked the audience in London and Miami at the
end. It is a
question everyone must answer himself or herself when they come our way at the
end of July.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Star Tribune: U2 gets up close and personal again (4-30-2001)
From Star Tribune:
Pop musing/Jon Bream: U2 gets up close and personal again
The guys in U2 seem to have found what they've been looking for: Intimacy with
their
U.S. audiences once again.
After spending the late 1980s and most of the '90s performing in gigantic
stadiums, the
Irish rock superstars have retreated to arenas for the current Elevation 2001
Tour, which
arrives tonight at sold-out Target Center in Minneapolis. It was a decision
designed to
showcase the back-to-basics sound of U2's new album, "All That You Can't Leave
Behind."
"For this record and for these songs, it wasn't really an option to take on a
stadium tour,"
U2 bassist Adam Clayton said Sunday. "It was important for us to feel that
connection
with the hard-core U2 audience and to create an environment by having general
admission where people could kind of get off and enjoy rock music in a very raw,
physical
state."
On the European leg of the PopMart Tour in 1997-98, the band discovered an
intimacy
that had been missing on the U.S. segment, where chairs were set up on football
fields.
In the states, it was less fun, Clayton said, because the people in the front
rows "didn't
necessarily want to get involved in the shows." In Europe, fans were free to
roam on the
fields.
So for this tour, U2 has made the seats in front of the stage general admission
-- and the
lowest ticket price ($46.50, whereas on the sides the tickets are $86.50 and
$131.50).
Adding to the intimacy is the fact that the show is devoid of extravagant
production touches
such as the giant lemon, mirrored cars, mammoth video walls and the phone calls
to the
White House that typified U2's stadium tours. Clayton doesn't necessarily prefer
the
stripped-down approach, but it is easier because all he needs to do is
concentrate on
playing.
"This is definitely a more physical show," he said. Because there's no highly
produced
spectacle, "the audience seems to bring something themselves."
On this tour, lead singer Bono, who turns 41 next week, has sometimes
body-surfed atop
the faithful. "I don't think he'll do it if he thinks he's putting his body at
jeopardy," Clayton
said. "It's really a place he likes to get to in a show -- to try and get out
there and rub
shoulders with the people in the audience. It's important to him that he has
that physical
contact."
Ramones connection
Like recent U2 concerts, tonight's probably will feature a tribute to Joey
Ramone, the
punk-rock icon who died of cancer two weeks ago, reportedly while listening to
U2's "In
a Little While." A friend of the band, Ramone visited the Irish rockers when
they performed
on "Saturday Night Live" in December. They had no idea how sick he was, Clayton
said.
A Ramones show in Dublin during the '70s actually inspired the formation of U2.
"We
really had no money," Clayton recalled. "We figured if we hung around outside we
might
know somebody who was working the gig who could let us in. We didn't know anyone
but
we found a back-door kind of fire escape. Bono went in and kind of opened it and
let the
rest of us in. That was how we saw their show.
"It was truly amazing to see guys up there with limited ability but able to
produce fantastic
songs with fantastic energy. Although we had been fooling around at that stage
with a few
chords, it encouraged us to do whatever was necessary and believe that we could,
in our
own time, set up and do it ourselves."
On this tour, the Ramones' "I Remember You" is the only cover song U2 will play,
Clayton
said, although the quartet tends to offer snippets of hits by Marvin Gaye, Bob
Marley, David
Bowie and INXS.
U2 always was a "terrible cover band," the bassist said. "Bono's strength as a
pop singer is
not interpreting words. When he sings a song, he really needs to get inside it
and know
where it's coming from."
Life in U2
Whether it's a song about INXS singer Michael Hutchence's suicide or politics in
Ireland,
Clayton may not be as passionate about the topics as Bono. "There's always a
degree of
separation because there's not a blood, a generational and a national identity,"
said Clayton,
who was born in Africa 41 years ago to British parents and moved to Ireland when
he was 6.
"Certainly that allows me to not be quite as emotional as people who have that
history. I feel
comfortable in Ireland. It's the culture I grew up in. It seems to run very deep
for me anyway."
Clayton has spent more than half his life in U2. He remembers making his Twin
Cities debut
20 years at First Avenue. And he realizes that most of his contemporaries from
that era are
no longer performing.
"I was talking to [R.E.M. singer] Michael Stipe a couple weeks back in Atlanta
and he was
saying, 'There aren't many. There's you guys, R.E.M. and Depeche Mode.'"
For U2's next video -- the song "Elevation" -- the group is doing a tie-in with
the new Angelina
Jolie movie, "Tomb Raider," based on the Lara Croft video game. Jolie never shot
special
footage for the U2 video as planned, Clayton said, so clips from the movie and
special effects
will be used.
The story line features U2 battling its evil twin. "It's a totally new way to
see the band," Clayton
said.
And it's a performance for which every hard-core U2 fan would have loved a
front-row seat --
whether reserved or general admission.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tacoma News Tribune: U2's 'Mr. Ed' and 'Borneo' visit shop in Tacoma (4-30-2001)
Thanks to Michael for the following.
From Tacoma News Tribune:
U2's 'Mr. Ed' and 'Borneo' visit shop in Tacoma
Band members, PJ Harvey unrecognized when they stop in downtown store
Lisa Kremer; The News Tribune
File this in the "Brush with Fame" department. Or maybe the "Get a Clue!"
department.
A couple of weeks ago, PJ Harvey and the members of U2 stopped by Linda
Morrison's downtown Tacoma store, Frona & Zigz. Trouble is, Morrison is known
for her outgoing personality but seems to have flunked cultural literacy. She's
never heard of U2.
The leader of the band, who was trying out old Schwinn and Champion bikes
that Morrison's husband had retrofitted, introduced himself to Morrison.
"I said, 'Borneo?' and he said, 'Yeah, Borneo!'" she recounted with a laugh. "I
told Borneo that he needed to wear a helmet with his bicycle because nobody
would want to take care of him in the nursing home. He was with Mr. Edge or
Mr. Ed or somebody."
Borneo (a k a Bono, one of the world's best-known rock stars, playing at the
Tacoma Dome that night) bought bikes for everyone in the group.
"I told them, 'Because you're from out of town, I'll give you a deal on those
bikes,'"
Morrison said. "They said, 'Oh, no, that's not necessary.' They pulled out these
wads of money, and I said, 'Forget it, you're going to have to pay the $42 for
the
bikes!'"
The crowd left, and Morrison went next door to visit a friend who runs a shoe
shop. The friend asked who that crowd had been.
"I told her, 'That's Borneo, and he's with a group called U2,'" Morrison said.
People keep trying to convince Morrison that U2 is a big group.
"We sort of missed that whole period of music because we were raising Andrew,"
Morrison said, using her 22-year-old son as an excuse. "I keep saying, 'Are they
like, oh, the Rolling Stones?' and they say, 'Yeah, they're that big!'
"I say, 'Are you sure they're doing that well? Because they weren't dressed very
well.' But whenever they're on the radio now my friends say, 'Linda, that's U2!'
"I'm just glad they're getting played on the radio."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jam!: Ian McCulloch on Bono (4-30-2001)
Condensed from Jam!:
Bunnymen's past echoes on new CD
Ian McCulloch assesses the band's
history, takes shots at Limp Bizkit, U2's
Bono
By PAUL CANTIN
On the title track from Echo And The Bunnymen's new
album, "Flowers," Ian McCulloch sings about "perfecting
imperfection," losing "everything I'd won" and adds
"here's to all we could have done."
But speaking via telephone from a hotel in his
hometown of Liverpool, McCulloch says despite the
Bunnymen's on-again, off-again 20-year career, he has
no misgivings about the past.
"...I know that, through experience, things happen in your
life that turn you towards some kind of spirituality,"
McCulloch says, then cuts himself off.
"Spirituality? It sounds like some soddin' yogi perched
in the mountains," he grumbles, then takes aim at his
old nemesis Bono, from U2.
"I feel so unlike a born-again Christian. What is Bono
now? A dead-again Christian? He doesn't seem to
mention it much anymore. He's born-again soddin' John
Wayne."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LA Times: Salman Rushdie Blends In at Times Festival of Books (4-30-2001)
From LA Times:
Salman Rushdie Blends In at Times Festival of Books
By JOE MATHEWS, Times Staff Writer
Is Salman Rushdie going Hollywood?
The Booker Prize-winning author of "The Satanic Verses" and "Midnight's
Children," best known for surviving a death sentence from Iran, made an
unexpected visit to the Times Festival of Books at UCLA on Sunday, where
he dropped hints that love and perhaps literature could keep him in
Southern California.
Before addressing a lunchtime crowd of 900 on the last day of the two-day
festival, Rushdie revealed that he is spending more time in Los Angeles,
where his companion, the Indian actress Padma Lakshmi, lives. Rushdie
had agreed late last week to stand in for E.L. Doctorow on one of the
author's panels.
"I move back and forth between New York and here," he said. "Now that I
spend more time here, I am getting to know it.
"Suddenly, for the first time in my life, I don't feel odd," he added. "Everyone
here is as odd as me in different ways."
The Indian-born author last year announced his relocation from London to
New York City. He said Los Angeles interests him, because migration is
central to the life of the city and to his own work. He also mused extensively
about his interest in film, his experiences as a college actor at Cambridge,
and his recent role as himself in the hit movie "Bridget Jones's Diary," in
which both lead actors ask the author where the bathroom is.
"I did want to be an actor. . . . I grew up in a movie city," he said. "Bombay
makes more movies than Hollywood. . . . I think it was as important to my
education as a writer to go to the cinema as to read books.
"It's a very difficult thing, the Hollywood novel," he mused. 'There are a
number of examples, and they are more or less not very good." He said he
is reluctant to "add to that heap."
In 1989, the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued an edict imposing a death
sentence on him for alleged blasphemies in "The Satanic Verses." For years,
Rushdie had round-the-clock security and moved secretly around Great
Britain and the world.
Iran, eager to improve relations with the West, disavowed the order in 1998.
And the author, an avowed "social animal," has been more visible. He did a
book reading in Los Angeles two years ago, and this year was seen at a U2
concert in Anaheim and a black tie dinner to honor Debbie Reynolds.
On Sunday, he wandered through the book festival without noticeable security,
and shrugged off a question about his safety. "That's an ex-subject," he said.
Rushdie, 53, has completed work on his eighth novel, to be published by
Random House in September.
"It's a very, very contemporary novel about New York; it takes place right now,
mostly on the Upper West Side," said Rushdie, who added that some of the
characters and "back story" are Indian.
Some of the characters will be recognizable. "People always seem to recognize
themselves in my books, especially people I've never met."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NME: Drop the Debt - Bono Not Bushed Yet (4-30-2001)
From NME:
DROP THE DEBT - BONO NOT BUSHED YET
U2 frontman BONO has underlined his ongoing commitment to battle for
third world debt relief and said he hopes to convince the new US
administration of the need to work towards wiping it out.
Speaking in California on Friday (April 27), on anti-poverty
movement Results' platform, Bono said he wanted to appear on the
Oprah Winfrey show alongside former South African president
Nelson Mandela to discuss the ongoing problem. He said easing
debt was essential to help fight the devastating effect of Aids on
Africa's poorest nations.
During the Clinton administration, debt to the West by 22 of the 41
targeted countries was wiped out. However, Bono said he felt efforts
to date still marked something of a failure.
"There is a scandal in that one of the widest movements for any issue like
this since
the anti-Apartheid movement feels let down - they feel after all their
campaigning they
haven't achieved the results they're looking for," he declared.
According to Sonicnet, Bono, who has already met with members of President
George W. Bush's government, said he has "an informed feeling" that Bush
might
make significant progress toward 100 per cent debt relief. In a presidential
debate last
year, Bush said he supported debt forgiveness.
Live Aid figurehead Bob Geldof was also present at Friday's press conference
-
Bono said he and Geldof were working out the best way to reach the American
people. "We're going to get to the heartland in some way on this," Bono
claimed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dotmusic: Bono on Oprah? (4-30-2001)
From Dotmusic:
BONO ON OPRAH?
Bono is set to appear on the Oprah Winfrey show with
Nelson Mandela, as he continues his crusade to
wipe-out Third World debt.
The U2 frontman has upped the ante in his mission to
cut debts owed by the world's poorest nations, as the
Irish rock superstars continue their American tour.
Speaking during a press conference in California, Bono
said he felt the Jubilee 2000 campaign had so far been
a failure.
Despite playing a key role in the axing of debts from 22
out of 41 targeted countries,
he insists there is plenty
more work to do: "We're going
to get to the heartland in
some way on this," he
explained.
"There is a scandal in that
one of the widest movements
for any issue like this since
the anti-Apartheid movement
feels let down they feel after
all their campaigning they
haven't achieved the results
they're looking for."
During the conference, Bono
said he had a "feeling" that
new US President George W.
Bush would be supportive of
the campaign.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Age: U2 mention in Cats article (4-30-2001)
Condensed from The Age:
Cats succumb to the power of Port
By EMMA QUAYLE
Monday 30 April 2001
For almost three quarters of an hour
yesterday, the match between Geelong and
Port Adelaide looked likely to follow a fairly
predictable path.
That said, the half-time scoreboard screening of a Graham profile
was not half as inappropriate for Cats fans as U2's song, Beautiful
Day, which came blurting from the speakers
at three-quarter-time,
even if the words did inspire the Cats to a
promising, seven-goal last
term.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Boston Herald: U2 mention in Gray review (4-30-2001)
Condensed from The Boston Herald:
Gray thrills Orpheum crowd despite slight pacing problems
Music Review: by Sarah Rodman
Monday, April 30, 2001
During his lengthy encore Saturday night at the Orpheum Theatre,
singer-songwriter David Gray expressed his gratitude to his fans,
especially the few who discovered him before
his 1999-2000
breakthrough album ``White Ladder.''
``Real Love'' featured a lovely chiming keyboard and hypnotic
undercurrent. ``Be Mine'' began with a hissing
like the air being let of
tires before equalizing into bouncy rocker
reminiscent of U2, and a
psychedelic piano ballad encore led into a
stomping bit of Led
Zeppelin's ``Black Dog.''
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday Times: Dave Stewart performs 'One' at Mandela concert (4-30-2001)
Condensed from The Sunday Times:
Of course, no concert of this sort would be complete without an
appearance by Dave Stewart, this time ploughing his way through
a pedestrian version of U2's One with a singer called Gary
"Mudbone"Cooper reading the words from a prompt sheet.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chicago Tribune: Ireland struggles to revive tourism (4-30-2001)
Condensed from The Chicago Tribune:
Ireland struggles to revive tourism
By Tom McCann
Tribune staff reporter
April 29, 2001
With its tourism industry still reeling from Britain's foot-and-mouth
disease scare, the Irish government is fighting to win back
American vacationers, launching a countrywide blitz that includes
the band U2, actor Martin Sheen and plans for a May St. Patrick's
Day.
During a visit to Los Angeles, McDaid persuaded the Irish rock
band U2 to make an impassioned sales pitch for the country at
each of its U.S. concerts. The group is on
tour here and is
scheduled for three shows in Chicago next
month.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
L'ansa: No U2 at Delle Alpi (4-30-2001)
Thanks to Pierluigi for the following.
From L'ANSA:
Ugo Perone, Culture chairman in Turin, says: ''That's all very simple; to
give permission for the stadium Delle Alpi will not be possible those days
because the grass (after all the criticism for his damaged state) has to be
rebuilt. I see that's a pity , but it would be more harmful not to play
soccer matches than just a music concert. Anyway we would like to find other
solutions, though, instead, the promoter is really stand and firm in his
positions".
Promoters Frank Tomasi and Roberto Meglioli say: "Turin is one the ideal
places for this concert-event and we are confident in the work that the
administration has done and is doing to host it; unfortunately time is
really restricted and if we don't have any assurance shortly we will have to
take into consideration other solutions".
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: Puff Daddy (4-30-2001)
From Q:
PUFF DADDY
Bono jogs his way to full concert fitness
There was a rare sighting of Bono's bare legs last month as the U2 frontman was
spotted
out running in between the early stages of the band's latest world tour. He was
spotted
trotting through the streets of Miami shortly after the initial dates, a fitness
regime
that's paid off in shows that rely more on his crowd-pleasing antics than the
usual array
of big screens, giant lemons and other theatrical add-ons.
Bono darted in and out of the 20,000-strong audience during the opening night in
the
Florida city, with his energy getting the better of him at one point when he
fell
backwards off a five-foot high walkway in the middle of Until The End Of The
World.
Meanwhile, there was further excitement when U2 were reported to be considering
a pair of
outdoor dates in Scotland later this summer. Loch Lomond and Edinburgh or
Stirling castles
are thought to be the most likely venues.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Irish Independent: Meeting Mr. Gig (4-30-2001)
Condensed from The Irish Independent:
Not long ago, most big music acts turned right at London and ignored Ireland; as
a venue
it ranked up there with Ulan Bator. Then along came Jim Aiken, Denis Desmond,
Harry
Crosbie and Lord Henry Mountcharles. Things would never be the same again,
writes
JOHN DALY.
MEETING MR. GIG
Not everybody will be sitting on the fence this summer. With many of the
nation's standard
outlets for cheoil agus craic rendered nul and void, a few people, 80,000 to be
exact, are
looking forward to "one of the biggest events in 20 years". On a hot August
night at Slane
Castle the timeless U2 aim to celebrate the place where it all began. And with a
second
concert pencilled in at the same venue for September 1, it's clear that not even
the bug
that has shut down Europe can halt the biggest rock act on the planet.
"The huge demand for tickets didn't really come as a surprise to me", says Denis
Desmond
of MCD. "U2 are the biggest band in the world, no question about it, but
sometimes we tend
to forget that".
America is currently witnessing a ticket frenzy as dramatic as anything seen
here. "The
sheer speed of demand did catch us off guard, there was never a question that it
would be
a sell out, but we didn't reckon on how fast it would happen. In Sweden, for
instance,
thousands queued in the snow all night for tickets. In most places second and
third shows
are being added all the time...".
This is the part of the article that refers to U2. The article is much longer
and it
refers to many other artists. In short, it talks about the venues and the
promoters of the
shows (mentioned above - Jim Aiken, Denis Desmond, etc.).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
YouTwo.net: Pop-Up Ads (please read) (4-29-2001)
As of May 1, 2001, YouTwo.net will be putting in a pop-up
ad on the main web page. The reason is simple: to help pay
for the site.
The ads will only be on the front page of the site. There will
not be repeating ads throughout the website.
The service YouTwo.net will be using guarantees a few things:
1. No offensive ads
2. A guaranteed rate of per VIEW, not per CLICK!
Any monies made above the monthly website bill will
be donated to the following charities:
1. Amnesty International
2. Chernobyl Children's Project (http://www.adiccp.org/)
If you have any concerns or comments about this,
please feel free to email Prarit at pra...@youtwo.net
and Cindy at ci...@youtwo.net.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
YouTwo.net: Phoenix Setlist (4-29-2001)
Phoenix Setlist
1. Elevation (few lines from In God's Country)
2. Beautiful Day
3. Until The End Of The World
4. New Year's Day
5. Kite
6. New York
7. I Will Follow
8. Sunday Bloody Sunday
9. Stuck In A Moment
10. In A Little While
11. Stay
12. Bad
13. Where The Streets Have No Name
14. Mysterious Ways
15. The Fly
Encore 1:
16. Bullet The Blue Sky
17. With Or Without You
18. Pride
Encore 2:
19. One
20. I Remeber You
21. Walk On
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U2NewYork.com: Tomb Raider Elevation remixes! (4-29-2001)
The Tomb Raider remixes of Elevation can be found at:
Tomb Raider Mix 3:35
http://www.U2newyork.com/ElevationTombRaiderMix.mp3
The Biffco Mix 4:18
href="http://www.U2newyork.com/ElevationBiffcoMix.mp3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Festadopeao: Rumor of U2 in Brazil False (4-29-2001)
Thanks to Joao for pointing this out:
Festadopeao.com.br says that U2 will play
the Barretos Party in Brazil sometime during
August 17 to 26th of this year. However, those
dates have them touring in Europe and more
notably, playing Ireland's Slane Castle.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Imola, Italy show cancelled (4-29-2001)
Thanks to Pierluigi for the following:
Last week U2 promoters asked permission to play the Italian concert of the
Elevation Tour (July 21) at Delle Alpi's Stadium in Turin (because of
several problems with the Imola choice). La Stampa newspaper reports U2
asked to use the stadium from July 16 to 23 and the promoters are expecting
an answer from Turin administration tomorrow. But it seems quite unlikely
the answer could be "yes": time was and is too restricted to take this kind
of decision - elections coming in some days also for the Turin
administration - above all, the grass of the stadium (like at Milan's
stadium, by the way...) could be under work in July. Anyway Turin
administration would like to try and find another place for the concert -
stadium capability is about 80000; other places with similar capability in
Turin are unknown. So it is still unknown where U2 will play but now it is
also unknown whether they'll play. Other options should be some stadiums in
the south of Italy (but it seems just impossible U2 will play in the south,
unfortunately) or in the centre. And there is the Holy grass of Tor Vergata
in Rome (where the Pope celebrated May Day and Youth Jubilee in 2000), but
being no gates around it would be a free concert/ no money, so that's
impossible too I guess...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Arizona Republic: U2 raises crowd to new Evelation (4-29-2001)
From Arizona Republic:
U2 raises crowd to new Elevation
Stars within fans' reach as tour leaves spectacle behind
Kerry Lengel
The Arizona Republic
U2 is billing its current "Elevation" tour as a stripped-down, back-to-basics,
all-about-the-
music return to the good old days before the stadium extravaganzas of "Zoo TV"
and
"PopMart."
But don't let the absence of supersize cartoons and giant lemon mirror balls
fool you: The
Irish superstars' concert Saturday night at America West Arena was a
painstakingly planned
tour de force of arena-rock showmanship.
After an energetic (if coolly received) opening set by post-punk diva PJ Harvey,
the four lads
from Dublin hit the stage in laid-back style. Casually dressed under undimmed
lights, they
launched with no fanfare into the soaring, soulful Elevation, from their current
hit album, All
That You Can't Leave Behind.
Bono started working the crowd almost immediately. Singing easily and striding
along the runway
that looped onto the floor, he stretched out his hand to his adoring fans. It
was a gesture he would
repeat all night, now teasing them by waving his fingers inches from theirs, now
grasping hands
firmly like a Pope offering his blessing.
Is this guy a rock star or what?
At first the staging was low-key. Four video screens offered close-ups of each
band member in
understated black and white, and after the house lights went down, the band was
illuminated by
simple spotlights during such serious-minded anthems as New Year's Day. But
before long it
was time to serve up a little spectacle in return for the top dollar fans had
spent on tickets.
During New York, giant scrims were lowered so Bono's undulating shadow could be
enlarged to
mythic proportion. For other songs, there were dazzling light patterns dancing
across the faces
in the packed arena, or colorful animation on a series of video screens that
rose and then
disappeared behind the stage.
As for the music, well, these guys are pros. While Bono plied his rock-god
shtick, the Edge
pounded out those ringing guitar riffs that define U2's sound. As always, Larry
Mullen Jr.'s
eloquent drumming laid the rhythmic foundation, with a little help from bassist
Adam Clayton.
Whether playing the fierce and pounding Sunday Bloody Sunday, the grandly
hypnotic Bad
or the angular, serrated The Fly, they recaptured the energy that has made them
legendary
live performers.
The sheer breadth of the band's two-decade repertoire made for some odd clashes
in tone. One
minute, Bono was crossing himself and praising God during Where the Streets Have
No Name,
and the next he was shaking his pelvis at the technicolor silhouette of a
video-screen dancing girl
during Mysterious Ways.
The band performed these transitions with practiced ease, but what held it all
together was the
deafeningly devoted crowd, which sang along as readily to new tunes such as
Beautiful Day as
it did to already immortal anthems like Pride (In the Name of Love) -- the
concert's heart-swelling
climax.
After that, a return-to-casual encore of One and Walk On was just the proverbial
icing.
SET LIST:
Elevation
Beautiful Day
Until the End of the World
New Year's Day
Kite
New York
I Will Follow
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of
In a Little While
Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
Bad
Where the Streets Have No Name
Mysterious Ways
The Fly
Bullet the Blue Sky
With Or Without You
Pride (In the Name of Love)
ENCORE:
One
Walk On
http://youtwo.net/pictures_archive/phoenix010428_1.jpg
Caption: U2's lead singer, Bono, sings "Until the End of the World" at
America West Arena. (Deirdre Hamill/The Arizona Republic)
http://youtwo.net/pictures_archive/phoenix010428_2.jpg
Caption: U2's lead singer, Bono (left), and guitarist "The Edge" jam to
"Until the End of the World" (Deirdre Hamill/The Arizona Republic)
http://youtwo.net/pictures_archive/phoenix010428_3.jpg
Caption: Bono, sings "Until the End of the World" to a sold out crowd.
(Deirdre Hamill/The Arizona Republic)
http://youtwo.net/pictures_archive/phoenix010428_4.jpg
Caption: Bono (left) sings "It's a Beautiful Day" as guitarist "The Edge"
looks on, during Saturday's performance. (Deirdre Hamill/The Arizona
Republic)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Muse: Bono for President! (4-29-2001)
From Muse:
Bono for President!
U2 have become ambassadors for Ireland's threatened tourist
industry. At a Los Angeles gig on Monday 23 April, Bono read a
short statement that played down the dangers of the Foot and
Mouth disease. He said: "we would like to tell everyone that
Ireland is a perfectly safe place for a vacation. All of us in the
band live and work there. It's a great place for a vacation and we
hope you will continue to visit."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OC Register: Letter to the Editor (4-29-2001)
From OC Register:
Letter to the Editor
Hey, Ben, U2 fans' opinions count more than yours
April 29, 2001
The U2 review of April 24 states that "the band simply seems bored with the
routine, and
Bono is becoming the definition of lethargic," and "Yet it fell short of
restoring U2 to its past
glory." Actually, (Register pop music critic Ben) Wener falls terribly short in
his review of a
monumental band at its artistic peak, and it certainly appeared that all 17,500
agreed that the
four ageless Dublin rockers unleashed a towering performance that none of us
will soon
forget.
Creating the ultimate celebration of intimacy by allowing the fans to stand
around and inside
the massive, heart-shaped stage also allowed Bono to walk across outstretched
hands into the
audience, which added to the sense of electricity throughout the entire arena.
It also allowed
members of the band to join together deep into the (audience) while standing on
the ramp and
perform their driving anthems as well as ballads, like the dedication for Joey
Ramone.
We think that U2 came close to perfection on each of the five San Diego, San
Jose and
Orange County shows we have attended on this tour, but it is a slap in the face
to the raving
throngs for Wener to write that U2 was good but not great.
Let's make a deal, Ben: Next time you think you are writing a great review,
check with us (the
fans) first. Vow to trust our instincts and you will follow; after reading an
accurate account,
we the readers can decide "All that We Should Leave Behind" or if "Elevation
2001" is for us
to spend our hard-earned money. You already know the answer to this question,
Ben. If U2
and Bono will lead, we will follow. But we can leave your review behind.
Glenn Fox
La Mirada
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Star News: U2's 'Elevation' tour will land at arena (4-29-2001)
From Indianapolis Star News:
U2's 'Elevation' tour will land at arena
By David Lindquist
April 29, 2001
While May marks the traditional beginning of the outdoor concert season, the
month's most
anticipated show will be presented at Conseco Fieldhouse.
U2, the massively popular rock band from Ireland, will play the arena May 10. It
will be the
band's first Indianapolis performance since Nov. 1, 1987, at the RCA Dome.
During that visit, the band surprised an audience of 38,000 by playing a few
country songs as
the costumed "Dalton Brothers" between opening acts the BoDeans and Los Lobos.
U2's current "Elevation" tour began March 24 in Miami. The San Francisco
Chronicle described
a recent performance as "painfully earnest and authentically inspirational."
Tickets remain available for the Conseco Fieldhouse event.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TwinCities.com: Part 2 - Believing in U2 (4-29-2001)
I believe in being lifted up. I believe U2 embodies what Thomas Jefferson said
in 1816, which
still haunts true today: "I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of
our monied
corporations which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of
strength, and bid
defiance to the laws of our country."
I believe our corporate government is not acting in our best interest, and that
all the hollow
entertainment it sponsors is no mistake. I believe the powers that be want us
driven to distraction,
to quarrel among ourselves, so they can do their bidding in peace and cloak of
darkness. I believe
that U2 is not about to let them get away with it.
I believe that the Irish musicians could help save us from ourselves, if we just
listen to their
dreams of a better world, born as they are of their homeland's eternal strife:
Sinead O'Connor,
Van Morrison, Mary Coughlan, Mike Scott and all the others who have firsthand
experience in
overcoming a culture of bureaucratic repression through magic.
I believe America has a hole in its soul. I believe U2, the fighting Irish, can
help fill it. I believe
them to be a bunch of tough bastards. I do not believe in false idols, like the
Smashing Pumpkins'
Billy Corgan, who upon the breakup of his band said, "Fighting the Britneys of
the world just
got too hard," or some nonsense.
I do not believe in giving up. I believe in fighting for what's right, and good,
and dangerous, and
dirty, and true. I believe in going to war. I do not believe that U2 believes
that rock 'n' roll is
dead, or that it is a genre, or nostalgia. I believe that if rock 'n' roll will
one day join the dinosaurs
as a cultural signpost and as a viable spiritual path, then U2 is not going down
without a fight.
I believe it to be less lofty than all that. I believe Bono when he sings, "I'm
not afraid of anything
in this world/There's nothing you can throw at me that I haven't already
heard/I'm just trying to
find a decent melody/A song that I can sing in my own company."
I believe that something like the Holy Spirit flows through people like Bono,
who I believe
believes he has a job to do, which he has exhibited countless times through his
music, his good
nature, his trips to Bosnia and beyond, his induction speech of Bruce
Springsteen into the Rock
& Roll Hall of Fame and through what he wrote in Q magazine last year: "I was
thinking about
Bob Dylan the other day, trying to define what it was about him that I respect
so much, and what
came to me was a line by the poet Brendan Keneally from the 'Book of Judas,' a
line which I
used for guidance on the Zoo TV tour but which I realized applies to Bob Dylan
throughout his
whole career. The line is: The best way to serve the age is to betray it.
"That is the essence of Bob Dylan: not just as simple as being on whatever the
other side is,
because that's just being a crank, and cranks at the end of the day aren't very
interesting, because
you always know their position. Dylan was at one point in time the very epitome
of what was
modern, and yet was always a unique critique of modernity. Because in fact Dylan
comes from
an ancient place, almost medieval."
I believe U2 to be cut from the same cloth. I do not believe their bigness gets
in the way of their
realness. I do not believe that rebellion or shocking the next generation is the
sole function of
rock 'n' roll, and I believe that those who seek to do so through obvious means
have missed the
point entirely and are trying too hard. I believe in melody and mini-anthems and
maxi-anthems
and goosebumps and confusion and rage and rapture and ballads and bashers and
buzzing amps
and bum notes.
I believe in zoot suits and Beatle boots and Louis Armstrong and the Stones'
tongue and "London
Calling" and Chuck Berry and neighborhood record stores and all-ages nightclubs
and no cover
and that new Fatboy Slim video with Christopher Walken dancing on the ceiling.
I believe in the ex-Dairy Queen worker who told me he always gave free ice cream
to anyone
wearing a Rev 105 T-shirt. I believe in looking out for the other guy. I believe
everyone should
stop saying, "That rocks," about things that absolutely do not rock.
I believe if you care, you rock. I believe if you care about where this world is
going, where all of
us are going, not just you, then you rock.
Which is to say that I believe in rock 'n' roll. Which is to say that I believe
in you, and vice versa.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TwinCities.com: Part 1 - Believing in U2 (4-29-2001)
Thanks to Jan for the following.
From TwinCities.com:
Believing in U2
U2 brings to the Target Center something rare and wonderful: authentic passion
in the age of plastic
JIM WALSH
POP MUSIC CRITIC
I believe in believing in something, so what I have come to believe in most
after all these
years is rock 'n' roll.
I believe there are those who will believe me to be ancient and almost medieval
for making
such a statement, but I believe rock 'n' roll to be not a genre of music but an
all-encompassing
force that simultaneously forsakes and embraces all that came before it and all
that has come
since.
I believe it to be the sound of freedom, liberation, the human spirit
unshackled. I believe in the
Kingdom Come and then all the colors will bleed into one.
I believe in electric guitars ringing, chiming, screaming. I believe in last
call, drinks all around
and the first cup of coffee in the morning after a hard day's night. I believe
in torn jeans,
T-shirts, leather, tattoos, punk-rock girls, trouble boys, drummers who look
like cats clawing
out of a corner and lighted cigarettes propped up on the end of guitar necks
like incense sticks.
I believe U2's Bono when he sings, "I believe in you."
I believe in sock hops and raves. I believe in lyrics that don't make sense,
songs that get better
after 10 plays in a row, hip-hop beats that curl toes and tongues. I believe in
suburban teens
finding homilies in Napster, suburban parents finding miracles in home stereos,
city slickers
finding gold in headphones and all of them connecting to the same giant antenna
in the heavens.
I believe rock 'n' roll saves lives.
I believe in fire in the belly, passion in the back seat, snare drums that sound
like cannon shots
coming over a ship's bow and singers, writers and poets who spill their guts,
open their veins,
make us laugh, show us the way. I do not believe in "post-rock" or music that
makes me feel
numb or dumb.
"I believe I am starving for a rock band to blow the roof off an arena, the way
I believe U2 will
blow the roof off the Target Center on Tuesday night.
I believe I am not alone. I believe we the people have had it with Fake. I
believe that more and
more of us are rising up and saying what John Lennon sang many years ago: "Gimme
some truth."
I believe U2's Bono to be one of the fed-up folks. I believe he is on the great
explore, and that
he will be until the day he dies. I believe his is one of those lives that was
saved by rock 'n' roll
and that he believes he has a debt to repay. Which I believe he has done
already, if only with "I
Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For." Which I believe people, including its
makers, will
sing, listen to and glean guidance and comfort from many years after all of us
have shaken, rattled,
and hummed off our mortal coils.
I believe U2 believes in roots, the kind that on Tuesday will invisibly extend
from the Target
Center stage across the street to First Avenue, where U2 played its first Twin
Cities concert in
1981. I believe Bono has a good memory. I believe that is why he called Joey
Ramone on Good
Friday, and why two nights later, a few hours after Joey died, U2 encored in
Portland with the
Ramones' "I Remember You."
I believe bands like U2 inspire faith. I believe it is no coincidence that Joey
Ramone passed into
the great beyond while U2's "In a Little While" played in his hospital room. I
believe that many
people who believe in U2 are of many faiths -- some devout, some fallen away,
some returning
to the scenes of their crimes.
I believe "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of," which was inspired by the
suicide of
INXS singer Michael Hutchence, helps the forlorn to remember that This Too Shall
Pass.
I believe the most enlightening lyric I heard on the radio this winter also came
from U2, one I
would wish upon anyone who periodically wrestles with various funks, depressions
and
blues-to-be: "You're on the road but you've got no destination/You're in the
mud, in the maze
of her imagination/You love this town even if it doesn't ring true/You've been
all over it, and it's
been all over you/It's a beautiful day/Don't let it get away/It's a beautiful
day/Don't let it get
away."
I do not believe in nitpicking when it comes to matters of the heart, which is
what the U2 stage
is shaped like for this tour. I believe people who pay almost $100 to stand in a
basketball arena
with 20,000 other ordinary/flawed/uninspired souls who have been yearning to
sing along to a
verse such as, "What you don't have you don't need it now/What you don't know
you can
feel it somehow," are getting a bargain.
I believe that Tuesday night, Bono will be proved correct in his assertion in
SPIN magazine that
the reason many of the "Elevation 2001 Tour" tickets are general admission is
because, "In the
U.S., the experience of seeing U2 was never a physical one the way it was in
Europe. There,
the whole floor would lift up. It was intoxicating."
(Continued)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Allstar: Celebrities spotted at LA U2 show (4-29-2001)
From Allstar:
Miss Truth for April 24, 2001
U2's Monday night show in Los Angeles brought out the celebrities,
though admittedly not as impressive a collection as the group used to
attract back in its Naomi Campbell/Christy Turlington/Zooropa heyday.
Among the stars spotted at the Arrowhead Pond show: The Offspring's
Dexter Holland; uber-producer Daniel Lanois; ex-Nine Inch Nails (and
current Guns N' Roses) member Robin Finck; Maile and Ivette (no last
names, please) from Eden's Crush/Pop
Stars; and all the
members of No Doubt, including an
unhappy-looking (and
typically unaffectionate) Gwen Stefani,
who was there with
beau Gavin Rossdale. Whether Stefani
was unhappy because of
an article in the current issue of the
New Yorker, which alleged
Rossdale visited a brothel in Nevada
(just to sit at the bar, they
swear), no one was saying.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Time: Eulogy: Bono Remembers Joey Ramone (4-29-2001)
From Time:
Eulogy: Bono Remembers Joey Ramone
U2's main man pays tribute to one of his seminal influences
BY BONO
When we first formed the band, Adam and I were 16, Edge was 15,
and Larry was 14, and we were fans of the Ramones.
They kind of
stopped the world long enough for bands like U2 and
others to get
on. It was suddenly the end of Progressive Rock and
virtuosity
over melody and the end of interminable guitar solos
and the
rock-band-as-music-school. These were all the things
that
prevented you from getting on the train when you were
a kid if you
hadn't been to music college.
At one of our rehearsals, we were visited by a
big-shot TV director
who was going to give us a break on the national
airwaves. We'd
been fighting in our garage about how our own songs
should end, or
start or even what middles they should have when this
TV director
was coming to see us, so we played him two Ramones
songs when
he arrived and told him they were ours, and he
thought this was
amazing. And then when we went on the TV show, we
played them
two of our own songs, and they didn't notice. So
that's our first
debt.
This was the best Punk Rock band ever, because they
actually
invented something. There were great bands like the
Stooges and
the MC5, but I think that they were still blues
bands. The
Ramones were actually the beginning of something new.
They
stood for the idea of making your limitations work
for you. In film
jargon, they would be "a pure situation." They talked
like they
walked like they sounded onstage. Everything added
up. That
takes an extraordinary intelligence to figure out.
When I was standing in the State Cinema in Dublin in
1977
listening to Joey sing and realizing that there was
nothing else
[that] mattered to him, pretty soon nothing else
mattered to me. If
they remind me of anything now, it's that singular
idea. It travels
further and deeper than the baggage of possibilities
you pick up
along the way.
This was a really important moment in the last 25
years, because
suddenly imagination was the only obstacle to
overcome. Anyone
could play those four chords. That's why hip-hop has
taken off,
because you don't have to be a virtuoso, you just
have to have
great taste. You have to be able to hear it more than
you have to
be able to play it. Suddenly, the grasp becomes more
important
than the reach. Suddenly, a bunch of kids from the
north side of
Dublin who would never have had a chance to get on
the musical
merry-go-round watched it stop for just long enough
to jump on.
We were a band before we could play. We formed our
band around
an idea of friendship and shared spirit. That was a
preposterous
notion before the Ramones.
I spoke to Joey a couple of days before he died. He
wasn't able to
say much, but I just told him that we were thinking
about him. He
was indomitable to the last minute. A doctor wanted
to put a tube
down his throat to help with his breathing, and Joey
wasn't having
any of it because he didn't want his voice affected,
because he had
some solo gigs coming up. He was fighting it off and
fearless. A
great spirit.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WENN: Americans Can Still Get Tickets For U2's Irish Date (4-29-2001)
Thanks to Elizabeth for the following.
From WENN:
Americans Can Still Get Tickets For U2's Irish Date
Apr 27, 2001 (WENN via COMTEX) -- Tickets for U2's sold-out Slane
Castle concert this summer (AUG01) - which are like gold dust in
Ireland - are widely available to American fans.
As disappointed Irish devotees scramble for tickets, the band's
official tour operator has reported there is no shortage of flight
packages for the gig from America.
People in the US can buy trips from Boston, New York, Chicago or
Los Angeles.
The trips, including tickets and four nights in a Dublin hotel,
are priced at $2,720 (GBP1,700) each. But the concert tickets are
not for sale without the package.
Steve Howard, of U2's touring company SFX, says, "We sell
operators a limited number of tickets, and the home gig is
obviously a place that people want to go. Across the tour,
operators account for less than two per cent of the tickets."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MTV UK: Bono's Debt Plans (4-29-2001)
From MTV UK:
BONO'S DEBT PLANS
U2 frontman Bono revealed plans to take his fight to clear third world debt
to the White House, as he spoke to
Californian press on a day off from
U2's Elevation tour on Friday, April
27. Speaking at a press conference with
Live Aid founder Bob Geldof, Bono
admitted his efforts to have the world's
richest countries forgive foreign
debt had largely failed, but said he now
hoped to take his plans to the
people of middle America. "We're going to
get to the heartland in some way on
this," he explained. "There is a
scandal in that one of the widest
movements for any issue like this since
the anti-Apartheid movement feels
let down. They feel after all their
campaigning they haven't achieved
the results they're looking for," Bono
said.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LA Times: Letter to the Editor (4-29-2001)
From The Los Angeles Times:
U2's 'Message': Music
We have read Robert Hilburn's reviews for years and have usually
agreed with his views. His review of U2 was favorable ("All That U2
Can't Leave Behind," April 25), but does everything have to have a
message before he likes it?
He did not once mention the simple fact that these four guys
absolutely rocked the place. Forget the lyrics and messages for a change
and listen to the music. The music is what makes concerts memorable,
not the lyrics. These guys are better now as a unit than they ever were.
There isn't a group that touches them.
MATT BUTLER
JEFF BUTLER
Redondo Beach
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday Times: High praise for U2 from Helena Christensen (4-29-2001)
Condensed from The Sunday Times:
But with the greatest respect, Helena Christensen supermodel,
shouldn't you leave this to politicians? "I'm sorry, but U2 have
done so much more than any political person with their Third
World debt thing, and I know how much work they have put into
it. And you see an actor hosting something for charity, and you
really see the effect, you know, so maybe it's not such a bad
idea if we do get Arnold Schwarzenegger for president." With
Bono president of the Federal Reserve, perhaps.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ananova: Bono continues fight for Third World debt relief (4-29-2001)
From Ananova:
Bono continues fight for Third World debt relief
Bono is pushing ahead with his fight to have the world's
richest countries cancel debt owed by the poorest nations.
The
U2 frontman has been battling for Third World debt
relief for two years.
He
wants to convince the White House and Americans to
join
the crusade, reports Sonicnet.
His
comments came during a press conference in
California yesterday, sponsored by anti-poverty
organisation Results. He is currently in the US for U2's
Elevation Tour.
Bono
said he hopes to appear with Nelson Mandela on The
Oprah
Winfrey Show to discuss the cause, which he
describes as essential to easing the devastating impact of
AIDS
on Africa's poorest nations.
The
campaign, originally known as Jubilee 2000, has so far
succeeded in convincing some nations to write off some
debt
from 22 out of 41 targeted countries.
However Bono said he feels his efforts have so far been a
failure: "There is a scandal in that one of the widest
movements for any issue like this since the anti-apartheid
movement feels let down - they feel after all their
campaigning they haven't achieved the results they're
looking for."
Bono
has met members of President George W Bush's
administration and says he has "an informed feeling" that
Bush
might make significant progress toward 100 percent
debt
relief. In a presidential debate last year Bush said he
supported debt relief.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Belfast Telegraph: U2 mention in Eno article (4-29-2001)
Condensed from The Belfast Telegraph:
Pretentious? It's a compliment
If there is such a thing as a pop-culture intellectual,
then composer and artist Brian Eno is it. He talks to
Caspar Llewellyn Smith about music, theoretical
physics and women's
bottoms
NO one would suggest
that the competition is terribly strong, but
Brian Eno can lay
claim to being pop culture's great
intellectual-in-chief. Aside from creating the concept of ambient
music, he has
produced some key texts, including albums by David
Bowie and U2, whose
singer Bono famously said, "A lot of English
rock'n'roll bands
went to art school - we went to Brian". An artist
himself, who has
exhibited widely, Eno has also made himself into
something of a
cultural theorist, wont to expound on such subjects as
the connection
between architecture and doo-wop music.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NZ Herald: U2 mention in Mary Black article (4-29-2001)
Condensed from The New Zealand Herald:
[Mary] Black is one of many Irish performers who have won over
millions of fans to Irish song and dance. But she
suspects the country's cultural renaissance is
running
out of steam.
"The Irish, we've had a great run for our money.
Between
Riverdance and even in pop music, The Corrs and
U2, for
such a small country it's amazing, like. But ...
that'll dry
up a bit and that general feeling that all
things Irish are
cool will go. Everybody has to take their turn.
You can
have overkill, you know?"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Irish Times: A song in his art (4-29-2001)
From The Irish Times:
A song in his art
David Egan left Ireland for Australia in the late 1980s. Now he's bringing his
art back to Dublin, writes Conor Lally
POP ART: David Egan is on the brink of something special. When his plane touches
down in Dublin tonight, it will
mark the start of what promises to be a breakthrough year for the Sydney-based
Irish artist.
Last year U2 said that Egan (36) could reproduce their lyrics in his unique
pop-art paintings. By August, he will have
finished Music To Your Eyes, a 50-strong collection inspired by 50 of the band's
songs. They will then be shown in
Dublin in his first exhibition on home soil. Next, he will take the show to
London, Paris, San Francisco and New York.
Egan is very successful in Australia, and has a rapidly growing international
reputation, but the U2 collection looks set
to usher his talent onto the world stage. He brims with excitement, but says he
is ready. Egan insists he is happy with
what he has made of his talents since leaving Ireland in 1988 in search of
excitement. "I feel my work is at a New York
standard," he says in his quiet, assured manner.
Reflecting on a rainy Saturday morning on the twists and turns his life has
taken in the past decade, he concludes he is
typical of 30-something Irish emigrants in Australia and around the world. Like
so many others, he thinks he has become
successful abroad because of what he left behind.
"For the majority of [emigrants], leaving Ireland to be in another country means
they've left a place they love," he says.
"They want to make that sacrifice amount to something, so they work at whatever
they do once they leave. There's also
a sense that when the time comes to go home, you don't want just to have had a
job during your time away, and go home
with nothing to show for it. You almost feel you have to earn your way home.
I've certainly always wanted to be a success."
After studying art at Letterkenny RTC for a year, he went to the National
College of Art and Design in Dublin. He was
soon disillusioned by what he considered poor teaching, however, and dropped out
in his first year. He left for London,
where he lasted a few weeks before moving to Sydney for a year. That was 13
years ago.
In his mid-30s, Egan had a successful career as an art director in design houses
around his adopted city. But nine years ago,
he succumbed to the pull of paint and canvas, turned his back on the advertising
industry and immersed himself in his first
love, becoming a full-time artist.
He is now artist in residence in The Rocks, Sydney's cultural quarter. He has a
gallery in the area, reproduces his work on a
line of customised clothing that he sells in his own shop, and says he cannot
find enough hours in the day to keep up with
demand from international collectors.
Before last year's Olympics, the city commissioned him to do a series of murals.
Egan was also invited to be a goodwill
ambassador during the Games.
He says bringing his work home for the first time will be very symbolic. He
returns to Ireland regularly, to see his family in
Goatstown, Co Dublin, but this time it will be different. He will be bringing
his paintings to exhibit.
"It's important, because most of my relatives back in Ireland haven't got a clue
what I do," he says, slightly bemused.
Measuring up to six feet by four feet, the 12 finished works in the Music To
Your Eyes series are explosions of colour.
Although inspired by the U2 spirit, they are dominated by the cheeky pop-art
figures that characterise all of Egan's work.
They are what you would expect from a man who is addicted to U2 and counts the
pop artists Keith Haring and
Jean-Michel Basquiat among his influences.
"U2's songs are all big songs, they're anthems, so I felt these [paintings] had
to be very big and very colourful. There's no
doubt about it: when you see these paintings, they're in your life," he says,
surveying a half-finished work amid the clutter
of his Sydney studio.
Although he wants to keep the growing collection together for the world tour, he
has already sold four of them, "to people
just walking in off the street".
"Because we didn't want to sell them at this point, we put the prices up when
people became interested. But still they have
sold," he says.
At 20,000 Australian dollars (about £8,800) each, they are hardly a
conventional impulse purchase. Each has been sold on
condition that it is temporarily returned to the artist, so he can bring the
entire collection to Ireland.
This week's trip to Dublin will see him pick a venue for the exhibition. Perhaps
more importantly, Egan will also meet U2's
management to formalise his relationship with the band.
"It all started last year when I heard U2's song Beautiful Day. I thought it was
incredible. I had to paint it. When I got that
one done, I was really pleased with it. I'd used some of the lyrics from the
song in the painting, so we decided we should let
U2 know we were doing this".
Once Egan's manager, Patrick Foret, contacted U2's management, he e-mailed
examples of the artist's work to Dublin. The
Irishman was given the thumbs up to do as he pleased with any of the band's
lyrics, an increasingly rare occurrence in the
copyright-crazed music industry.
"We even had an e-mail from them saying that Bono likes the stuff, which is
great, because I really admire where they are as
artists. They've always just gone for it," says Egan.
He has yet to meet the band, but does not rule out Bono, the Edge, Larry and
Adam playing "some kind of role" in his
exhibition "at some point" on its odyssey.
"I have heard of other artists contacting bands to use their lyrics in
paintings, and they have either been just told, `no', or they
have been told, `yes, as long as you give us $1 million or $5 million'. But U2
have just said: go and do it. When we email them
one day, we have a reply the next," says Foret.
Having grown up "in a family of artists", Foret studied art management in his
native France before managing galleries in Japan
in the early 1990s. Then he moved to Sydney. Six years ago, he saw some small
works on a stall in a Sydney market and, he
says, was blown away. He discovered the artist was Egan, and the two have been
in partnership ever since. While he manages
the business, Egan paints six days a week in his 185-year-old studio.
Under Foret's guidance, Egan's business fortunes have mirrored the direction of
his creative star. His Sydney gallery and shop
are flourishing and his work is bought by international collectors.
But Foret is also set to tap into his experience of the Japanese market in the
next 12 months, opening a gallery in Tokyo for
Egan's work. "I have never met someone like David before," he says. "Always
painting, with so much energy, so many ideas.
For me, in promoting David it is about the art, the passion."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Live Daily: Kirsty MacColl album review (4-29-2001)
From Live Daily:
Kirsty MacColl
"Tropical Brainstorm " (Instinct)
With her baby-doll voice and take-no-prisoners wit, Kirsty MacColl left a
rich, if compact, pop
legacy when she passed away just before last Christmas. But don't
misconstrue the following
praise. "Tropical Brainstorm" is not a great album simply because we hear
it in the wake of
her untimely passing; it's just plain great. Drawing richly from MacColl's
travels to Cuba, the
album not only employs Latin instrumentation, but also showcases the
inventive sampling of
gyrating, sensuous Cuban songs. Lyrically, she was never stronger than on
this album. To
hear her riff on the subject of high-heel shoes, while a trumpet croons
high above, is to hear
her at her most commanding. The wry snipes at broken love may be swipes at
her
ex-husband, producer Steve Lillywhite (U2, XTC), but he'll probably be
more humbled by the
masterful production, from a soaring bit of Portishead-style trip-hop
("Autumngirlsoup") to the
bubblegum "Celestine" to the Kurt Weill-flavored "England 2, Colombia 0."
--Marc
Weidenbaum, citysearch.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MTV: Bono Says Debt-Relief Campaign's Victories Not Enough (4-29-2001)
From MTV:
Bono Says Debt-Relief Campaign's Victories Not Enough
U2's Bono is pressing on with his two-year-long battle for
Third World debt relief, and he hopes to convince the White
House and the American people to join the crusade, he
said Friday.
During a press conference sponsored by the anti-poverty
organization Results, Bono said he hopes to appear with
former South African president Nelson Mandela on "The Oprah
Winfrey Show" to discuss the cause, which he described as
essential to easing the devastating impact of AIDS on
Africa's poorest nations.
The campaign to convince the world's richest countries to forgive
all of the debt owed them by some of the world's poorest
countries -- originally known as Jubilee 2000 -- has so far
succeeded in convincing the U.S. and other nations to forgive
some debt from 22 out of 41 targeted countries.
U.S. Congressman
Spencer Bachus, a Republican from Alabama
who supports debt
relief, credited Bono's extensive lobbying for
much of the
movement's success.
"Bono really breathed
life into this whole movement. I can
literally say, and
I'm convinced, that had he not been involved
there would be
millions of children that would be dead in those
countries today,"
Bachus said at the press conference. "As a
result of debt relief
there are millions of children that are
attending schools
today, there are millions of children that
receive
vaccinations."
But Bono said he
feels his efforts -- which have included a
meeting with the
Pope), lobbying sessions with
members of Congress
and a speech to United Nations
representatives —
have so far been a failure.
"There is a scandal
in that one of the widest movements for any
issue like this since
the anti-Apartheid movement feels let down
— they feel after
all their campaigning they haven't achieved
the results they're
looking for," he said.
Bono, who has met
with members of President George W.
Bush's
administration, said he has "an informed feeling" that
Bush might make
significant progress toward 100 percent debt
relief. In a
presidential debate last year, Bush said he
supported debt
forgiveness.
Meanwhile, Bono said,
he and Live Aid founder Bob Geldof --
who also participated
in the conference -- will ponder how to
best reach out to the
American people. "We're going to get to
the heartland in some
way on this," Bono said.
The rocker spoke
Friday from California during a day off from
his band's Elevation
2001 Tour, which hits Phoenix on Saturday.
--Brian Hiatt
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Times: U2 mention in REM article (4-29-2001)
Condensed from The Times:
Back on the campaign trail (and they feel fine)
BY NEVILLE KITSON
With a new album on the blocks and Sunday's South Africa
concert -- oh, and Peter Buck's court gig -- R.E.M. are
back in the spotlight
"We are applying for our old job back," Bono said recently when
U2 returned to the live stage. He
was laying claim, of course, to
the title of the greatest rock 'n'
roll band in the world. Now
R.E.M., the only other serious
contenders for the job in the past
15 years, are also back.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Guardian: Brian Eno and J Peter Schwalm Drawn from Life Review (4-29-2001)
From The Guardian:
Brian Eno and J Peter Schwalm Drawn from Life
(Virgin Venture) ***
14.99
These are busy times for Brian Eno, on one hand settling
commercial scores with production duties for U2 and James, on
the
other hooking up with yet another musical partner to hitch a
ride further into the ambient hinterland. J Peter Schwalm is a
conservatory-trained German percussionist, but there is little
percussion (and even that is played by Heiko Himmighoffen) on
this gentle, sometimes sterile album. Eno prefers to utilise
Schwalm's talents as a co-composer and mixer. The pair bring a
serenity to Nell Catchpole's vigorous strings on Persis and
subtly leaven Laurie Anderson's booming voice on Like Pictures
Part £2, while children's voices bring welcome humanity to
Bloom. Towards the end, some childish jiggery-pokery involving
two
lengthy silences rather undermines the pair's thoughtful
approach, but for the most part Drawn from Life is beguiling. (JA)
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Reuters: Tourist Industry Pleads For Cash (4-29-2001)
Condensed from Reuters:
Tourist Industry Pleads For Cash
Dawe said the BTA had asked the government for 22.5 million
pounds in extra money for a marketing extravaganza to help
counteract the devastating effect on the local and even national
economy involving big names like Sean Connery and Hugh
Grant.
Irish band U2 has already joined the fray, putting a message on
its Web site extolling the beauty and safety of rural Ireland.
Apart from Britain, foot-and-mouth has hit Ireland, France and
The Netherlands, although there are many fewer cases.
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Releases:
May 8. Moulin Rouge Soundtrack release,
features two new U2 songs.
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)
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 5. Bono is profiled on "People in the News" on CNN at
11:30 a.m. EDT.
May 6. Re-broadcast of "People in the News" on CNN at 8:30
p.m. EDT.
August 25. U2 to perform at Slane. Other tour dates can be
found
at http://www.YouTwo.net/u2concerts.html
--------------
Net Events:
May 3. U2 Marathon on WBWC 88.3 FM. Broadcast in
RealAudio.
For information, visit http://www.listen.to/beautifulday.
--------------
In Print:
Rolling Stone, Issue 86, March 29, Tour Preview by Anthony
DeCurtis
Spin, April 2001, Bono on Cover
--------------
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.
m.p
i am glad. and i am glad Bono is moving on, walking on,
with or without whoever. I'd love see Bush join the walk
but if he does not, or cannot, that should not stop
anyone. There is a genocide in Sudan . the Holocaust
museum in Washington, ( elie wiesel ) has that on its
agenda about ' issues of conscience' i am glad
humanity might take its chance on saving many souls in
Africa.
Of course no need to tell anyone of the gnostics'
philosophy that all healing is one.
Shalom aleinu (= Peace on Earth )
M.P.
>
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