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Dec 7, 2000, 3:00:00 AM12/7/00

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New Stories:

YouTwo.net Exclusive: What's going to happen on SNL (12-7-2000)
Rolling Stone: U2 Remembers the Ramones in New York (12-7-2000)
Telegraph: Louis Walsh mentions U2's hard work (12-7-2000)
From Sky News: Something Old, Something New From U2 (12-7-2000)
Q: U2 Wow Big Apple (12-7-2000)
BBC: U2's newest #56 in Critics Top 100 (12-7-2000)
Allstar: U2 Feels Right At Home At N.Y. Club Show (12-7-2000)
Bono speaks about Smashing Pumpkins (12-7-2000)
Yahoo: Clinton to Give Awards to Myanmar's Suu Kyi, Others (12-7-2000)
Yahoo: Clinton to Award Myanmar's Suu Kyi U.S. Medal (12-7-2000)
Yahoo: Clinton Issues Medal of Freedom (12-7-2000)
SonicNet: Bono speaks about Ravi Shankar (12-6-2000)
Music365: Anniversary of #1 for Achtung Baby (12-6-2000)
Dotmusic: U2 Rock New York (12-6-2000)
The Times: U2 is the blockbuster this Xmas (12-6-2000)
The Times: U2 is the blockbuster this Xmas (12-6-2000)
Billboard: Review of NYC show (12-6-2000)
Billboard: U2 Brings Down The House In New York (12-6-2000)
MTV: Bono Stars In Short Internet Film (12-6-2000)
Chart Attack: U2 mention in Guess Who article (12-6-2000)
Globe and Mail: Vintage synthesizers give U2 old new sound (12-6-2000)
BBC: Beating the Debt Deadline (12-6-2000)
Newsday: U2 mention in RATM review (12-6-2000)
YouTwo.net Exclusive: Eyewitness report of NYC concert (12-6-2000)
WENN: BONO PRAISED FOR HUMAN RIGHTS WORK (12-6-2000)
The Australian: Million dollar flophouse part II (12-6-2000)
The Australian: Million dollar flophouse part I (12-6-2000)
Daily Trojan: Bono has to get crowd into song at My VH1 Awards (12-6-2000)
The Jerusalem Post: How Manson differs from Bono (12-6-2000)
WENN: NME email causes panic (12-6-2000)
Newcastle Herald: Bono picks Radiohead in poll (12-6-2000)
KCRW: Interview with The Edge and Bono (12-6-2000)
Jam!: Picture from NYC gig (12-6-2000)
New York Post: U2 Radio Daze (12-6-2000)
Yahoo: Clinton Issues Medal of Freedom (12-6-2000)
Yahoo: Clinton Issues Medal of Freedom (12-6-2000)
Yahoo: Clinton Issues Medal of Freedom (12-6-2000)
Yahoo: Clinton Issues Medal of Freedom (12-6-2000)
Yahoo: Clinton Issues Medal of Freedom (12-6-2000)
Yahoo: Clinton Issues Medal of Freedom (12-6-2000)
Yahoo: Clinton Issues Medal of Freedom (12-6-2000)
Yahoo: Clinton Issues Medal of Freedom (12-6-2000)
Yahoo: Clinton Issues Medal of Freedom (12-6-2000)
Setlist from NYC Club Gig (12-5-2000)
'Beautiful Day' Remix on Free CD (12-5-2000)
Q: Review of ATYCLB (12-5-2000)
NME: Star-Studded Guest List for NYC Gig (12-5-2000)
YouTwo.net: Report of Soundcheck at NYC gig (12-5-2000)
SonicNet: Bono Stars In Short Internet Film (12-5-2000)
LA Radio Station to Air Interview with The Edge & Bono (12-5-2000)
Inside.com: Former U2 Publicist May Face Further Criminal Charges (12-5-2000)
HITS: Former U2 Publicist Defrauded Investors (12-5-2000)
Hobomusic.com: U2 See Chemicals Ahead Of New York Gig (12-5-2000)
Hot Press Excerpts (12-5-2000)
YouTwo.net Exclusive!: Stuck In A Moment tracklistings (12-5-2000)
Hot Press: Part 2 - French Connection U2 (12-5-2000)
Hot Press: Part 1 - French Connection U2 (12-5-2000)
Miss Truth: Bono Attends Chemical Brothers' Show (12-5-2000)
AllStar: Jason Wade of Lifehouse picks two U2 songs in Top Ten (12-5-2000)
MTV: Chemical Brothers Experiment With Dancefloor Formulas (12-5-2000)
Boston Globe: U2 mention in ESPN article (12-5-2000)
Jam!: U2 Score Double Platinum in Canada (12-4-2000)
U2 Fans to Join Demonstration in Rome (12-4-2000)
Press Release: Jagger and U2 - No Business Links (12-4-2000)
Music3w.com: Bono and Mick's Hot Property (12-4-2000)
Juice.net: Part 2 - Back 2 Basics (12-4-2000)
Juice.net: Part 1 - Back 2 Basics (12-4-2000)
Dark Horizons: MDH Review (12-4-2000)
ATYCLB Double Platinum in EUR (12-4-2000)
99X Atlanta to Webcast U2 Irving Plaza Concert (12-4-2000)
Virgin.net: Stars Hanker for Irish Calm (12-4-2000)
Virgin.net: Bono Boxers Mystery (12-4-2000)
Eil.com: Win Entire U2 Back Catalogue on CD (12-4-2000)
Bono's Foreword to Q Magazine's Bob Dylan Issue (12-4-2000)
Financial Times: Asean Flu Due to U2 (12-4-2000)
Parts of songs used during Soundcheck at VH1 Awards (12-4-2000)
YouTwo.net: Please support Burma's Pro-Democracy Movement (12-4-2000)
Chicago Tribune: Rock's Top Picks Extend to the Margins (12-4-2000)
Mail on Sunday: U2 and Jagger form offshore investment company (12-4-2000)
Office.com: U2 perform at VH1 Awards (12-4-2000)
SonicNet: Chemical Brothers To Spin For U2 in NYC (12-4-2000)
All Ireland Music: Sightings of Bono movie trailer coming Wednesday (12-4-2000)
Yahoo Auctions: Final U2 tix bid (12-4-2000)
Farmclub: U2 show to re-air on December 8/9 (12-3-2000)
VH1: Pictures of U2 at VH1 Awards (12-3-2000)
Sunday Times: How Craig outbid The Edge (12-3-2000)
Boston Globe: Students using laptops more and more on campus (12-3-2000)
This is Money: U2 and Stones form Investment Trust (12-3-2000)
Music365: One year ago it was almost over (12-3-2000)
Live Daily: U2 to perform live in NYC (12-3-2000)
The Star: But how has agitrock changed? (12-3-2000)
Belfast Telegraph: Clarence Hotel has a special on (12-3-2000)
ITN: Special Report on Debt Reduction (12-3-2000)
Dotmusic: U2 perform at VH1 Awards (12-3-2000)
The Star: Tragically Hip as big as U2 in Toronto (12-3-2000)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
YouTwo.net Exclusive: What's going to happen on SNL (12-7-2000)
The following is from a person who works on SNL:

- U2 will perform either "Beautiful Day" or
"Elevation" their first time on stage. The
second time on stage, they will perform a
"classic" song, either "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss
Me, Kill Me" or "Where The Streets Have No
Name". The song they are currently leaning toward
is "Hold Me, Thrill Me..." because Val Kilmer
is hosting SNL that evening.

- Two big video screens have been installed for
U2's performance. A quote from my source: "This
isn't going to be the average musical
performance."

- Three sketches have been written for the band,
and only one will be performed on the show. The
writers on the show are HUGE U2 fans.

The first deals with President Clinton meeting
Bono and being inetrrupted by former interns
stopping in to say goodbye.

The second has Chris Kattan impersonating Bono
while Bono gives him tips on how to improve
the act.

The third features the whole band at MTV's TRL --
if this one is chosen, the entire band will be
involved in the sketch.

- They are expecting a huge VIP turnout for the
show. Expect sketches involving either Christy
Turlington or Naomi Campbell.

Thanks to my source for the above -- it was
definately appreciated!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rolling Stone: U2 Remembers the Ramones in New York (12-7-2000)
From Rolling Stone:

U2 Remembers the Ramones in New
York
U2 toasts Ramones, Who, Rage,
Pumpkins in club
gig

"It's like landing a 747 onto
your
front lawn," quipped Bono Tuesday
night from the stage of New York's
1,000 capacity Irving Plaza. "Feels
like starting again. That's a nice
feeling."

Bono never broke out the white flag
of yore during U2's one-off, seventy
minute club performance (which
was broadcast live over the radio), but the band did
dig deep enough into their twenty year history to
dust off the rare nugget "11 O'Clock Tick Tock" and
a give loving nod to the punk band that inspired
them.

"We got started on the poetry
and punk rock of New
York City," Bono continued over the hoots of the
enthusiastic whoops and whistles of the crowd,
comprised entirely of contest winners and invited
guests. "The music of Patti Smith, Television -- but
more than anybody, the band that got us started
when we were fifteen, sixteen -- Larry was fourteen, still is -- was the music
of the Ramones."

He then dedicated a gently strummed version of "I
Remember You" to Joey Ramone, before the band
segued into "New York," one of four songs
spotlighted from their latest album, All That You
Can't Leave Behind.

Although he wasn't in attendance, Joey Ramone
said he was thrilled to hear about the tribute the
following morning. "It's great to get a little bit of
credit here and there," he said. "I think it's a nice
payback. There aren't many people that kind of give
back to artists that were their inspiration. Most
people think they're . . . they're very self bloated."

Ramone, who said he wanted to catch U2's Irving
Plaza show but "thought it would be too much
hassle to get in," is well aware of the band's
Ramones roots. In addition to having been invited to
open for U2 on a couple of different occasions in the
U.K. and Spain, he recalls the time Bono and Co.
fessed up to pilfering a pair of Ramones tunes to
land their first TV gig. "In Ireland, in the earliest
days, they did like a national TV show, and when
they auditioned for the show they did two Ramones
songs and they told the producer they were their
own songs, and that's how they got on the show,"
Ramone said. "Once on the
show, they did their
own songs, and that's how they got their foot in the
door."

The Ramones
weren't the only artists acknowledged
by U2 Tuesday
night. Bono introduced "Stuck in a
Moment You
Can't Get Out Of" as a "a song about
friendship,
for our good friend Michael Hutchence."
Author Salman
Rushdie was saluted with "The
Ground Beneath
Her Feet," a song he co-wrote with
the band that
was featured on the soundtrack to The
Million Dollar
Hotel. Midway through the

twelve-song/two-encore set, before introducing
Adam Clayton,
Larry Mullen and the Edge, Bono
compared being
in a band to being in the priesthood
or the mob.
"It's an organization that you won't get
out of while
you're alive. Being in a band is a
wonderful
thing, but it's hard -- ask Zack de la
Rocha, he's
here somewhere, ask him about Rage
Against the
Machine. Billy Corgan's around here
somewhere, ask
him about the Smashing
Pumpkins. Two
great bands soon not to be with us,
and I feel
very, very bad in my soul about that -- and
I hope you do
too." "Elevation" featured teasing
guitar quotes
from Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen
Spirit,"
Radiohead's "Creep" and the Monkees' "I'm
Not Your
Stepping Stone." "Mysterious Ways" gave
the nod to
Marvin Gaye with a "Sexual Healing"
coda, and the
Stones received their customary
tribute in
"Bad." They went out with a straight-up
cover of the
Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again" (with
Bono
reportedly referring to a cheat-sheet for the
lyrics).

U2 is will
perform on Saturday Night Live this
weekend.
Although there are no plans for further
club dates, a
full tour is scheduled to kick off next
summer.

Set list:

Beautiful Day
Elevation
Stuck in a
Moment You Can't Get Out Of
I Remember You
New York
I Will Follow
Desire
The Ground
Beneath Her Feet
Mysterious
Ways
One
All I Want is
You
Bad

Encores
11 O'Clock
Tick Tock
Won't Get
Fooled Again

RICHARD SKANSE
(December 7,
2000)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Telegraph: Louis Walsh mentions U2's hard work (12-7-2000)
Condensed from the Telegraph:

Louis Walsh posits that Ireland's musical heritage offers a well of genuine
talent to draw from.
"There's some very good singers," he says.
"You've just got to
get them groomed and make sure that they
understand it's a
business and that they've got to work.

"Irish bands like Boyzone, the Corrs and U2 have had a lot of
success all over the
world and they all work very hard. It's in their
own interests. I'll
always be in the game - but when an act comes
along, they've got x
amount of years to make the most of it. I'm very
honest with them
about it. You've got to work."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From Sky News: Something Old, Something New From U2 (12-7-2000)
From Sky News:

SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW FROM U2

Following in Madonna's footsteps, U2 have been the latest pop megastars to
perform in an intimate venue to promote their
new material.

The Irish legends delighted an audience of
just 1,000 fans at New York's Irving Plaza,
at a concert organised by local radio station
WXRT and syndicated across North
America.

The first songs in the one-hour performance
were all lifted from their recently-released
album 'All That You Can't Leave Behind',
kicking off with number one single 'Beautiful
Day'.

But Bono and co surprised the faithful with a
trip down memory lane, playing 'I Will
Follow' and '11 O'Clock Tick Tock' - both
almost two decades old, along with tracks
from 'Achtung Baby' and 'Rattle And Hum'.

Classic

And for their finale, they saluted the old
generation - with a cover version of the Who's
70s classic, 'Won't Get Fooled Again'.

Among the celebrities in the audience were
fellow Irish rockers The Corrs, Billy Corgan
of Smashing Pumpkins, and supermodel Christy
Turlington - who hit the headlines this
week when, within days of backing an
anti-smoking campaign, it was revealed that she
is suffering from early-stage emphysema.

The Internet is buzzing with rumours of a
full-scale U2 tour next summer, with current
speculation putting the band in Britain and
Europe in July or August.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: U2 Wow Big Apple (12-7-2000)
From Q:

U2 wow Big Apple
[Dec 6 2000 12:22PM]
U2 performed a triumphant "club
date" at
New York's Irving Plaza last
night (5
December), playing to 1000 lucky
fans
who had won tickets for the
intimate gig
from local station K-Rock.

VIP guests cramming the tiny
venue
included The Smashing Pumpkins?
Billy Corgan, actor Tom Cruise,
supermodel Cindy Crawford,
Beastie
Boy Ad-Rock and fellow Irish band
The
Corrs.

The 13-song set kicked off with
four
tracks from their new album All
That
You Can?t Leave Behind, as the
quartet delivered versions of
their last
Number One, Beautiful Day,
Elevation,
Stuck In A Moment You Can?t Get
Out
Of and New York. Bono also paid
tribute
to U2's punk roots by dashing off
a cover
of The Ramones' I Remember You.

Supported by The Chemical
Brothers,
the band delved deep into their
20-year
back catalogue to perform
favourites such
as I Will Follow, Desire, All I
Want Is
You, One and a medley of
Mysterious
Ways and Marvin Gaye?s Sexual
Healing.

The set climaxed with an encore
that
began with a version of Bad from
the
Unforgettable Fire album,
featuring
snatches of The Rolling Stones?
Ruby
Tuesday. Bono then led the band
in a
rousing rendition of their 1980
UK debut
single 11 O?Clock Tick Tock,
before
tacking the Who classic, Won?t
Get
Fooled Again.

The band are planning an
extensive tour
of indoor arenas next Spring and
will be
given the "Outstanding
Contribution To
Music" award at the BRITS on 26
February.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BBC: U2's newest #56 in Critics Top 100 (12-7-2000)
Condensed from BBC:

The critics' top 100, as compiled by
internet retailer Amazon.co.uk.
56. U2 - All That You Can't Leave Behind
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Allstar: U2 Feels Right At Home At N.Y. Club Show (12-7-2000)
From Allstar:

U2 Feels Right At Home At N.Y. Club
Show

Dec 6, 2000, 3:00 pm PT

It hasn't happened in a long time. In fact,

not since the early Ronald Reagan days.

But on Tuesday (Dec. 5) in New York, U2

-- looking a bit out of place at first sight

-- took the stage of Irving Plaza, a

1,000-seat club in Union Square.

As they strode out, looking anything like

skinny punks with spiky hair, the members

of U2 were clearly men revisiting their

boozy adolescent days -- but this was no
greatest-hits revival gig. The veterans
of the Irish quartet, taut
and very relaxed, were out to prove
that they can rock with the
best of them without any massive
lemons, satellite dishes, TVs,
or pop art shtick. Just four guys
bringing the house down.

After greeting the roaring crowns with
a peace signs, the band
launched into a very loud and uplifting
"Beautiful Day." The song
soared in its rawness, bouncing off
walls, and bringing memories
(for those of us who were old enough)
of what it must have
been like to see U2 during its Boy
tour. Next, "Elevation" kept the
mood raucous before the band slid into
a dreamy, yet bouncy
version of "Stuck in a Moment," which
Bono dedicated to late
INXS singer Michael Hutchence. Then
things got down and gritty.
"We were influenced by a lot of punk
bands," Bono announced,
"but none more than the Ramones. This
is for Joey Ramone."

Feeling like they must have been at
CBGB circa '77, the band
launched into the Ramones' "I Remember
You" with Bono
frequently laughing and smirking at The
Edge like a school kid
cutting class. By now, the crowd was
moving like an ocean and
was ready to explode. After weaving
their way through the jazzy
"New York" ("I just got a place in New
York, baby"), the opening
chords of "I Will Follow" sent the club
into a frenzy. Edge's guitar
hammered the audience, while Bono
wailed "Walk Away/Walk
Away/ I Will Follow" while gazing up at
the balcony smiling at his
wife of 18 years, Ali.

"We've never done this before," Bono
said next. "But I want to
introduce the band to y'all. We've been
in this band longer than
we haven't and keeping a band together
is tough. Just ask Zack
De La Rocha and Billy Corgan. They're
here somewhere." After
introducing his mates, Bono dedicated
the next song to Salman
Rushdie and sang as soulful and
delicately as you'll ever hear him
on "The Ground Beneath Her Feet," off
the Million Dollar Hotel
soundtrack.

As they entered the heart of the show,
with "Mysterious Ways,"
"One," "All I Want Is You," and a
"Bad"/"Ruby Tuesday" medley, it
became quite clear that U2 is, no
matter what's been done in the
last 15 years to destroy this, the best
bar band in the world. It
became clear: U2 never left the clubs
behind. They've only
brought them with them on their
journey. They left the stage,
almost sheepishly, with the same peace
signs they entered with.

Immediately, the crowd began chanting
"How long / To sing this
song" from "40" before the band
reappeared and Bono quipped,
"We haven't played this song since most
of you have been alive."
"11 O'Clock Tic Tock" appeared to
almost transfer these
40-year-old men into teens, as they
shut the world out and
wailed their instruments like that's
all that mattered. Bono's
voice, rough and bit raspy wrapped
around those lyrics of
teenage angst like he was a kid from
Iowa playing in his buddy's
backyard. They were, clearly, lost in a
moment -- and so was
the audience.

But the band knew that this night had
to be taken past the clubs
and bars and all the way to the garage.
A cover of the Who's
"Won't Get Fooled Again" closed the
show. The little Irish band
who has sold over 50 million records,
toured the world's biggest
stadiums a half-dozen times, met with
world leaders, played with
Johnny Cash, Frank Sinatra, Pavarotti,
and Bob Dylan, were right
back in the garage kicking up the dust
and screaming at the
world. Proof that U2 can play in any
room in the world where an
amp can be plugged in. Three chords and
the truth, baby. Damn,
right.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bono speaks about Smashing Pumpkins (12-7-2000)
Thanks to Martin for the following from a
Smashing Pumpkins list:

At the U2 club gig in NYC tonight (Dec. 5th), Bono said:

"It's a strange thing, being in a band. You won't get out of it while
you're alive. Being in a band is a wonderful thing, but it's hard . . .
Ask Billy Corgan, he's here somewhere, ask him about Smashing
Pumpkins. A great band, not to be with us anymore. And I feel very, very
bad in my soul about that. And I hope you do too."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yahoo: Clinton to Give Awards to Myanmar's Suu Kyi, Others (12-7-2000)
From Yahoo:

Clinton to Give Awards to Myanmar's
Suu Kyi, Others

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Clinton (news - web sites)
will
award the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom on Wednesday to
Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, honoring the Nobel
Peace Prize winner for promoting democracy through dialogue.

Suu Kyi's son Alexander Aris will accept the medal, America's
highest civilian honor, at a White House ceremony because his
mother remains in Myanmar under de facto house arrest imposed
by the country's military rulers.

``The president wants to recognize and support Aung San Suu
Kyi's
courageous quest for democracy through peaceful dialogue,''
said
White House spokesman Jake Siewert.

Myanmar's ruling generals have confined Suu Kyi, the 1991
Nobel
Peace Prize winner, to her residence with all diplomatic
access
barred and her telephone line cut for more than two months.

Separately, the White House said Clinton would give the
Eleanor
Roosevelt human rights award to five people:

-- Tillie Black Bear of Missouri, South Dakota, who set up the
first
shelter for battered women on an Indian reservation;

-- Frederick Charles Cuny of Austin, Texas, who will receive
the
award posthumously for his work to aid civilian victims of
conflict in
more than 50 countries;

-- Norman Dorsen of New York, who played a key role defending
civil liberties during the McCarthy hearings that led to the
downfall of
former U.S. Sen. Joseph McCarthy, a Wisconsin Republican who
led a witch-hunt for suspected communists in the U.S.
government
during the 1950s;

-- Elaine Jones, a long-time lawyer with the NAACP (National
Association for the Advancement of Colored People) Legal
Defense and Education Fund who helped pass landmark civil
rights
legislation;

-- and Archbishop Theodore Edgar McCarrick, who was named the
new archbishop of Washington, D.C., last month and who has
worked to help the poor, promote religious freedom and provide
debt relief to developing nations.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yahoo: Clinton to Award Myanmar's Suu Kyi U.S. Medal (12-7-2000)
From Yahoo:

Clinton to Award Myanmar's Suu Kyi
U.S. Medal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Clinton (news - web sites)
will award the U.S. Presidential
Medal of Freedom to Myanmar opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi
on Wednesday, honoring the
Nobel Peace Prize winner for promoting democracy through
dialogue.

Suu Kyi's son Alexander Aris will accept the medal, America's
highest civilian honor, at a White
House ceremony because his mother remains in Myanmar under de
facto house arrest imposed
by the country's military rulers.

``The president wants to recognize and support Aung San Suu
Kyi's courageous quest for
democracy through peaceful dialogue,'' said White House
spokesman Jake Siewert.

Myanmar's ruling generals have confined Suu Kyi, the 1991
Nobel Peace Prize winner, to her
residence with all diplomatic access barred and her telephone
line cut for more than two months.

Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) won Myanmar's
last general election in 1990 by
a landslide but has never been allowed to govern. Myanmar's
ruling generals say the country is
not ready for democracy.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yahoo: Clinton Issues Medal of Freedom (12-7-2000)
From Yahoo:

Clinton Issues Medal of Freedom

By JESSE J. HOLLAND, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - The United States gave its highest civilian
honor Wednesday to a
pro-democracy leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner from Myanmar
unable to accept the award
because she is under house arrest.

``The person we honor cannot be with us,'' President Clinton
(news - web sites) said before
presenting the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Aung San Suu
Kyi's son, Alexander Aris.

``In fact, she doesn't even know we're here today, thinking of
her and her struggle in her country.
She sits confined as we speak here in her home in Rangoon
unable to speak to the people of the
world, but her struggle continues and her spirit still
inspires us.''

The recognition for Suu Kyi, leader of opposition National
League for Democracy, came as
Clinton commemorated Human Rights Day, which is on Sunday.

She has been under house arrest by the military regime in
Myanmar - also known as Burma -
since September because of her struggle for democracy. Suu Kyi
has been held virtually
incommunicado and allowed visits only by close relatives.

Clinton also gave the Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Human Rights
to five Americans:

-Tillie Black Bear of South Dakota, who established one of the
first shelters for battered women
on an Indian reservation.

-Frederick Charles Cuny of Texas, who spent almost 30 years
working to help civilian victims of
conflict and died in Chechnya during one of his mercy
missions.

-Norman Dorsen of New York, who dedicated 50 years of his life
to promoting civil rights.

-Elaine R. Jones of New York, who spent 25 years in the NAACP
Defense and Education Fund.

-Archbishop Theodore E. McCarrick, who was recently named
leader of the 510,000 Roman
Catholics who live in the District of Columbia and
southeastern Maryland.

``These five Americans have made our nation and the world a
better place,'' Clinton said. ``May
they continue to inspire and guide us all for years to come.''

Eleanor Roosevelt was the driving force behind the United
Nations (news - web sites)' adoption of
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, said Clinton, who
has given the awards since 1998.

The Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award, was
established by President Truman
as a wartime honor. President Kennedy reintroduced it as way
to honor civilian service.

Clinton said Suu Kyi is deserving of the award because of the
example she has set while trying to
bring democracy to her country.

``She has seen her supporters beaten, tortured and killed, yet
she has never responded to hatred
and violence in kind,'' he said. ``She has been treated
without mercy, yet she has preached
forgiveness, promising that in a democratic Burma there will
be no retribution and nothing by
honor and respect for the military.''

Her latest dispute with the military government began Aug. 24,
when Suu Kyi tried to drive out of
Yangon, also called Rangoon. Stopped by authorities, she spent
nine days camping on the
roadside, then was forcibly brought back to the capital. Her
ordeal brought worldwide sympathy
and harsh Western criticism of the military junta.

Suu Kyi won the Nobel Prize in 1991 for her peaceful struggle
for democracy against the military
regime in Myanmar. The military had overturned her party's
resounding victory in general
elections.

Clinton also mentioned the still-unresolved U.S. presidential
election when he recognized Rep.
John Lewis, D-Ga., a past recipient of the human rights award.
Clinton said he has a picture of
Lewis being beaten in Selma, Ala., in 1965 when white law
enforcement officers used tear gas
and nightsticks against blacks in a voting rights march.

Ravi Shankar Looks To
Posterity At 80

Plans move from California to New Delhi
where Ravi Shankar Center nears
completion.

Copley News Service

ENCINITAS, California ? When it comes to singing the
praises of Ravi Shankar, even some of the world's most
acclaimed artists tend to sound humbled, even
awe-struck.

U2 singer Bono dropped his voice to a reverent hush
when assessing India's most famous instrumentalist and
composer.

"He's one of the true legends," said Bono, citing
Shankar
as a favorite of his band. "We listened a lot to his
albums."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Music365: Anniversary of #1 for Achtung Baby (12-6-2000)
From Music365 This Day in History for December 7:

1991, U2 are at Number 1 on the US album charts with 'Achtung Baby', featuring
the
tracks 'One', Zoo Station', 'The Fly' and 'Even Better Than The
Real Thing'.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dotmusic: U2 Rock New York (12-6-2000)
U2 ROCK NEW YORK

U2 played a show to just 1,000 fans in New
York last night, and the band paid tribute to
deceased INXS rocker Michael Hutchence,
dotmusic can exclusively reveal.

Our roving reporter was at the event at Irving
Plaza and rubbed shoulders with a superhuman
guest list, including Tom Cruise, Billy Corgan,
The Corrs, Christy Turlington, Cindy
Crawford and Zack De La Rocha.

The band played a seventy minute set, totalling
13-songs, and featuring tracks from throughout
their career and a number of covers, including
The Who's 'Won't Get Fooled Again', which
they finished with.

Tracks played from the band's latest record 'All
That You Can't Leave Behind' included
'Beautiful Day', 'Elevation' and 'Stuck in a
Moment You Can't Get Out Of', which was
dedicated by Bono to Hutchence, a close
friend of the U2 singer before his death in
November 1997.

U2's trick for segueing into covers from their
own tracks was also in evidence, as they
incorporated versions of the likes of 'Sexual
Healing' and 'Ruby Tuesday' into the set,
alongside ancient U2 tracks such as 'I Will
Follow' and '11 O'Clock Tick Tock'.

During the show, Bono, as usual, covered
himself in glory with a number of speeches from
the stage, announcing that the band's show
was "like landing a 747 on a front lawn"

Tickets to the gig were only available to
competition winners, although the show was
broadcast across America on radio.

The full set list was as follows:

'Beautiful Day'
'Elevation'
'Stuck in a Moment That You Can't Get Out Of'
'I Remember You'
'New York'
'I Will Follow'
'Desire'
'The Ground Beneath Her Feet'
'Mysterious Ways/'Sexual Healing'
'One'/'Walk On'
'All I Want is You'
'Bad'/'Ruby Tuesday'
'11 O'Clock Tick Tock'
'Won't Get Fooled Again'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Times: U2 is the blockbuster this Xmas (12-6-2000)
Condensed from The Times:

As usual at this time of year, there are no shortage of blockbuster
albums by big, bankable names with a history that
virtually
guarantees their music will be parent-friendly, and few
people will
be unaware of new albums by Madonna (Music, Maverick) and
U2 (All That You Can?t Leave Behind, Island), both of
which
will bring the lapsed fan up to date.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Times: U2 is the blockbuster this Xmas (12-6-2000)
Condensed from The Times:

As usual at this time of year, there are no shortage of blockbuster
albums by big, bankable names with a history that
virtually
guarantees their music will be parent-friendly, and few
people will
be unaware of new albums by Madonna (Music, Maverick) and
U2 (All That You Can?t Leave Behind, Island), both of
which
will bring the lapsed fan up to date.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Billboard: Review of NYC show (12-6-2000)
From Billboard:

Dec. 5, 2000
New York (Irving Plaza)

Following in the recent steps
of fellow superstars
Madonna and Ricky Martin,
U2 played a rare club gig
Tuesday (Dec. 5) night in
New York. The group
performed an hour-long set of new songs and classics
for an audience of 1,000 contest winners, music
industry insiders, and celebrities at the city's Irving
Plaza.

Sponsored by New York's K-Rock (WXRK) and
broadcast on radio stations nationally, the show was
undeniably the hottest ticket in town. For every Billy
Corgan and Zack De La Rocha (to whom Bono
lamented the recent end of their respective bands from
the stage) sighting inside the venue, there were also
rumors of notable figures -- MTV News mainstay Kurt
Loder and actor Matt Damon among them -- who
were cut from the list, which was strictly held to 1,000
by local fire officials.

The novelty of the night was the opportunity to see a
band of U2's stature -- whose spectacular multi-media
tours routinely sell-out arenas and stadiums worldwide
-- performing in an intimate live environment it has been
far removed from for many years. The situation seemed
to fit well with guitarist the Edge, bassist Adam
Clayton, and drummer Larry Mullen Jr., all of whom
looked relaxed and content throughout the set. The
same cannot be said for frontman Bono, who appeared
uncomfortable and confined, as if the small stage didn't
offer enough room for him to prowl and preen before
his adoring audience.

The band kicked off with what are arguably two of the
strongest tracks on its latest album, "All That You Can't
Leave Behind" (Interscope) -- "Beautiful Day," and
"Elevation." The former served to explosively announce
the band's return, as it was delivered with a ferocity
that placed it squarely among the band's substantial
arsenal of anthems. Throughout the song, a manic Bono
teased the audience, crouching, lunging, and stretching
his hand just out of reach of the fans squashed against
the security barrier in front of the stage.

Another new album song, "Stuck In A Moment You
Can't Get Out Of," which Bono dedicated to late
INXS singer Michael Hutchence, followed, offering the
Edge a welcome chance to deliver a falsetto verse.
After explaining the influence the music of the city had
u2 as a young band, Bono dedicated "New York," the
last new song of the evening, to Joey Ramone.

From there on out, the band ran through a litany of
some of its biggest songs -- including "I Will Follow,"
"Desire," "One," and "All I Want Is You." Save for a
few jumbled lyrics, and the unnecessary inclusion of
refrains of the Rolling Stones' "Ruby Tuesday" (during
"Bad") and Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing" (during
"Mysterious Ways"), each was memorably and
excitingly delivered, pushing the crowd into a near
frenzy.

Dressed in a leather blazer and pants, Bono's sweaty,
rock star posturing was in stark contrast to that of his
comfortable, t-shirted bandmates. The inherent
pretension we've come to expect from this man -- who
compared being in the band to the Mafia, saying, "you
don't get out of it while you're alive" -- seemed to melt
away only sporadically during the set. Remarkably, one
of these moments came during his heartfelt and
humorous introduction of the band that was laughingly
interrupted by an audience member seeking three
seconds of fame by yelling, "Yankee baseball!" during a
quiet passage, to which the singer reacted with an "only
in New York" grin.

Another vulnerable moment came during "Mysterious
Ways," as Bono perched himself on the security wall,
leaning on a barrage of outstretched arms to support
him. While at first it looked as if he was looking for the
other 15,000-to-70,000 people usually in front of him
during a performance, the human connection briefly
accomplished the goal of bringing Bono and U2 back
to the emotion of the music that made the night such a
unique and special experience.

What was an event most will speak of with reverence
for years to come ended on a sour note, as the band
followed a stellar encore performance of the rarely
performed "11 O'Clock Tick Tock" with what now
seems to be a rock concert requisite Who cover. The
band ran through a sloppy rendition "Won't Get Fooled
Again" that saw Bono obviously reading the lyrics from
the stage floor. With a history of so many great songs,
the forced inclusion of the homage to Townshend and
company was indeed a poor decision.

The show was opened by an hour-plus DJ set by the
Chemical Brothers, who were warmly received, but
found their considerable talents reduced to that of a
jukebox. The duo received far more response for
slipping in a snippet of the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's
Lonely Hearts Club Band" and an unembellished full
version of the Clash's "Train In Vain" near the end of
their set than for several passages of innovative mixes
and rafter-shaking beats.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Billboard: U2 Brings Down The House In New York (12-6-2000)
From Billboard:

U2 Brings Down The House In New York

U2 gave 1,000 lucky fans
more than they bargained for
at New York's Irving Plaza
Tuesday night (Dec. 5), with
a 13-song, hour-plus set that
spanned the Irish rock
quartet's 20-year career. Although the set opened with
four straight songs from the band's new Interscope
album "All That You Can't Leave Behind," it went on
to feature past classics such as "One," "I Will Follow,"
and a show-closing cover of the Who's "Won't Get
Fooled Again."

The main portion of the setlist was: "Beautiful Day,"
"Elevation," "Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out
Of," "New York," "I Will Follow," "Desire," "The
Ground Beneath Her Feet," "Mysterious Ways,"
"One," "All I Want Is You," and "Bad." Encores
included the decades-old b-side "11 O'Clock Tick
Tock" and the aforementioned Who cover.

Tickets to the performance were limited to radio station
contest winners and VIPs. The concert was broadcast
by New York station K-Rock (WXRK, 92.3FM),
which sponsored the event. U.K. electronic duo the
Chemical Brothers opened the evening with an
hour-long DJ set.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MTV: Bono Stars In Short Internet Film (12-6-2000)
From MTV:

Bono Stars In Short Internet Film

Bono's "The Million Dollar Hotel" movie
won't open
in the United States until February,
but fans soon
will be able to see the U2 singer
taking a starring
turn in a cinematic short, "Sightings
of Bono,"
online at an Irish music Web site.

The seven-minute "Sightings of Bono"
was filmed
on location in U2's hometown of Dublin,
Ireland, in
September 1999, as the band worked on
its
just-released All That You Can't Leave
Behind LP,
according to the band's U.S. reps at
Interscope.

Writer/director Kathy Gilfillan shot
"Sightings of
Bono" exclusively for
AllIrelandMusic.com, which
will make a trailer for the film
available online
beginning Wednesday.

AllIrelandMusic.com has yet to announce
when it
plans to post "Sightings of Bono" in
its entirety ?
on its registration page for those
seeking more
information, the site says "the film
will premiere
exclusively on AllIrelandMusic.com
shortly."

"Sightings of Bono" also stars Marcella
Plunkett as
Ellen, a woman who believes she sees
Bono
everywhere she turns, and finally gets
an
opportunity to meet the singer face to
face when he
stops by the shop where she works.

Bono, who wrote and made a cameo
appearance in
"The Million Dollar Hotel," was
unavailable for
comment on the project, as he and his
U2
bandmates were preparing for their
special club
performance Tuesday (December 5) at New
York's
Irving Plaza.

The Chemical Brothers will open the
gig, which will
be U2's only full-length performance in
the United
States this year.

-- David
Basham
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chart Attack: U2 mention in Guess Who article (12-6-2000)
It's the El Mocambo Tavern, the previous site of such momentous
musical events as the Rolling Stones, Elvis Costello, U2 and
the
debut of Washboard Burland (I and II), betcha missed that
last one,
eh?!! The place was packed with a diverse age mix, everyone
from
the oldest "grey-haired" baby-boomers to fans who were
neither
alive nor a glint in their parents eyes when Burton Cummings
called
it quits in 1975.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Globe and Mail: Vintage synthesizers give U2 old new sound (12-6-2000)
Good, good, good, good vibrations
Vintage synthesizers from the sixties and seventies are
suddenly hip again, reports music critic ROBERT
EVERETT-GREEN

ROBERT EVERETT-GREEN

Tuesday, December 5, 2000

TORONTO -- Popular music develops in cycles, as styles and
practices thought to be long dead regularly rise up,
Lazarus-like, for
another turn around the floor. But no resurrection in
recent times has
been more miraculous than the mass revival of old,
apparently
obsolete synthesizers.

"Vintage" synthesizers, from the sixties or seventies or
even earlier,
have become the coolest instruments in pop music. Moogs,
Mellotrons and other curiosities from the predigital era
are pulsing
forth again, on albums by musicians as diverse as
Radiohead, Erykah
Badu, Aimee Mann and Oasis.

"Vintage circuits give a very warm, rich, lush sound that
can't be
duplicated using digital circuitry," said Dean Batute, a
Toronto builder
of electronic instruments whose custom-built,
vintage-style filters
helped create the luxurious sounds on U2's new album All
That You
Can't Leave Behind. "They introduce a kind of distortion
that adds
character, that makes the sound more pleasing to the ear."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BBC: Beating the Debt Deadline (12-6-2000)
Beating the Debt
deadline

Dozens of the world's poorest nations have
been told they don't have to pay back Ł1bn
to the UK. So has the Jubilee 2000 debt
relief campaign really forced a millennial
change?

With just days of 2000 remaining, has the UK
Government thrown a life line to campaigners
determined to see the burden of debt lifted
from the Third World in the millennium year?

Chancellor Gordon
Brown told a Jubilee
2000 rally the debt
payments of 41 poor
nations would be
cancelled entirely or
placed in trust funds,
earmarked for an
eventual return once
the debtors meet
certain conditions.

Bob Geldof, the rock
musician behind Live
Aid and a supporter of
Jubilee 2000, warmly welcomed the
announcement.

"No longer will the
fourth richest country
on the planet be a
nation of spivs, debt
collectors, bailiffs and
meter men."

The chancellor is now urging other northern
governments to follow his example and draw a
line under their bilateral debts - money lent by
one country to another, rather than loans
though a third party such as the World Bank.

Capitol project

The Washington Post says Jubilee 2000
lobbying has had a profound impact on debt
cancellation debates in the US congress, and
holds up the umbrella group as a model for
other non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

Dr Hakan Seckinelgin, an expert on NGOs from
the London School of Economics, says the
debt relief campaign has been tactically adept.

"They created huge
pressure on Northern
governments. They
didn't need the people
in the South to
endorse the campaign.
It was as if they were
saying, 'This is our
problem'."

Thus the debate
around debt was
fundamentally
changed. It was no longer solely a question of
"helping" the poor, but instead a moral dilemma
for the people of the developed nations.

"It was presented as a moral issue, saying that
not only is it not feasible for debtors to repay
this money, but that is unjust for us to
demand repayment."

Jubilee 2000's decision to tie its aims to the
millennium year added extra urgency to the
issue, says Dr Seckinelgin. "It was like saying,
'This has to be done this year'."

Media friendly

This tight timetable proved attractive to the
media, with coverage further assured by the
involvement of a host of celebrities, from
Muhammad Ali to U2 singer Bono.

Against the backdrop of the anti-globalisation
demos in Seattle and Prague, Dr Seckinelgin
says Jubilee 2000's "reasonable and realistic"
director, Ann Pettifor, helped win the group a
sympathetic official hearing.

He is quick to point out that the fortunes of
any NGO are dependent on the "right political
context".

"There's an election in
the air and the British
public seem particularly
interested in
development issues."

But the campaign has
not been without its
critics. Karl Ziegler of
the Centre for
Accountability and
Debt Relief, says the
political will to
"write-off" bilateral
debt has been present for some time in UK
Government circles.

"Thanks to the way that the UK accounts for
these debts, they have long since been
forgiven. John Major started that process
when he was Conservative chancellor 10 or 11
years ago."

Mr Ziegler says any notion that Jubilee 2000
has scored a success is "absurd". Reforming
the economies of debtor nations and rooting
out corruption is more important than debt
relief he says.

Poor effort

"There isn't anything that Gordon Brown has
announced to make these countries behave.
So even if all the debt were written off there's
no guarantee it will go to help the poor."

The chancellor's debt promise is conditional,
with only 20 of the 41 nations having met the
requirements necessary to have their debts to
the UK fully suspended.

Professor Stephanie
Griffith-Jones, from the
Institute of
Development Studies,
says such conditions
are, if anything, too
onerous.

"Leaders in these
countries feel
overwhelmed by the
conditionality of debt
relief. They have their
countries to run and
don't have time to jump whenever the IMF
calls."

She says Chancellor Brown is coming to realise
these conditions should be "stream-lined".

Mark Farmaner of charity Christian Aid says
many of the economic conditions, such as the
privatisation of state businesses, actually harm
the poor citizens debt relief was supposed to
assist.

Banking on change

He says without a timetable for the return of
debt payments from those nations unable to
meet the UK's conditions, the "trust fund"
promised by the chancellor is just another bank
account.

Mr Farmaner says the latest government
announcement is not a breakthrough.

"There have been 1,000 different ways of
calculating debt relief, but none based on the
needs of the poor people."

Jubilee 2000's Ann
Pettifor herself
admitted the sums of
money bandied around
by the chancellor were
"small beer" compared
to Ł268bn owed by 52
debtor countries.

So what is Jubilee
2000's next move? Dr
Seckinelgin expects a
name change and
continued lobbying
effort.

In honour of an upcoming summit of the
leading industrialised nations, the so-called G7,
Jubilee 2000 is already toying with the idea of
becoming "Genoa 2001".
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsday: U2 mention in RATM review (12-6-2000)
Condensed from Newsday:

12/05/2000 - Tuesday - Page B 2

'Renegades' Is All the Rage
Rage Against the Machine finally gets it right

by Glenn Gamboa
Staff Writer

CD REVIEW RAGE AGAINST the Machine could have ruled the
world.

The epics just keep on coming, even though some choices on
"Renegades" lean
toward the obvious with the Rolling Stones' "Street
Fighting Man" and
Springsteen's "The Ghost of Tom Joad." That song is the
album's only misstep - its
echo-heavy, overly dramatic reading sounds a bit too much
like a U2 "Rattle and
Hum"-era parody.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
YouTwo.net Exclusive: Eyewitness report of NYC concert (12-6-2000)
Many, many, many thanks to Steve for the following report
from the NYC Irving Plaza concert:

After sitting in traffic in the lincoln tunnel for 30 minutes, we finally
arrived at Irving Plaza around 7:30. Security everywhere was tight.
After I dumped my jacket, We made our way up to where the stage was.
After walking around to scout out a good spot, and my arch nemises Chuck
Anderson who was also suppose to be there, I hit the bar. This place was
so small, I mean I couldn't believe they were going to play someplace this
small! Anyway at about 8:30 the Chemical Brothers started their thing.
The room was already starting to fill up. They weren't bad, but I really
wanted it to be 10 already. Well the time came, at this point it was
packed people were flooding out into the hall.. Anyway about 10:10 Matt
Pinfield and Will Pindarves came on and did their introduction.
The band came out and blasted into Beautiful Day..The song sounded great!
The whole room was jumping and singing along every verse.
The went into Elevation right after which also sounded great..The new
songs were really coming into their own.. Everyone was singing along with
this one..
I couldn't get a good spot to take pictures, but at this point I found my
guest and she had gained access to the VIP lounge using some smooth
talking! The view wasn't much better up there, but I finally got into a
posistion where I could see the whole band just in time for Stuck in A
Moment.
Bono dedicated it to Michael Hutchence and the band played a great version
of this song..Right after they played a short version of I remember You by
the Ramones
Then they kicked into New York. This is my favorite on the album and
naturally it was a highlight of the show as well
After the new stuff was done they dusted off some oldies
They blasted into I Will Follow and played the full song not the butchered
version they used for Popmart.. Everybody sang along..The whole room
shook.After the song Bono said a bit about each band member.. His comments
on Larry were hilarious.."He gave us our first and only job and he never
lets us forget it" then he said he's also too handsome to sing.
Desire was the next one.. They played a great half acoustic half full band
version..Toward the end i guess the roadie forgot to hand Bono his
harmonica..It was funny to see the guy drop the guitar he was tuneing and
run and give Bono the harmonica..The song sounded great!
Next They did the Ground Beneath Her Feet.. The song sounded quiet and
subdued next to their other songs, but was great
Mysterious Ways one of favorites was next. The song kicked ass! The new
intro sounded great and the whole audience sung along.. The song sounded
so great!
One, my all time favorite was next and equally kicked ass..Bono ditched
his regular acoutic guitar that he uses and played with an electric..The
song was perfect. he even inserted snippits of Walk On toward the end of
the song..
The band went into All I Want is You then a powerful version of Bad..
They left the stage for a short while..The house went black and everybody
in unison started singing "how long to sing this song" for the next few
minutes..
The band came back and gave us a huge surprise
"We haven't played this song for most of you lives"
They rocked into 11 O Clock Tick Tock which was a highlight of the show..
I couldn't believe they played this song live..They hadn't played it in
years and it sounded so fresh and just filled the room with energy.
They closed the show with Won't Get Fooled Again by the Who.. The song was
full of energy and ended the show on a high note..

Personally I feel lucky and honored to attend an even such as this.. It
will be a night I'll never forget. I'll never have the oppertunity to see
U2 in an environment such as this..I can't wait for the tour!
What a night, what a show!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
WENN: BONO PRAISED FOR HUMAN RIGHTS WORK (12-6-2000)
BONO PRAISED FOR HUMAN RIGHTS WORK
COMTEX CustomWire

(DEC. 3) WENN - THIRD - INTERNATIONAL MUSIC NEWS - BONO PRAISED FOR HUMAN
RIGHTS WORK U2 rocker, BONO, has been praised for his role in opposing
Burma's oppressive military regime.

The BEAUTIFUL DAY hitmaker's new album has been banned there because one
song, WALK ON, is dedicated to imprisoned pro-democracy leader, AUNG SAN SUU
KYI.
She and her colleagues in the NATIONAL LEAGUE FOR DEMOCRACY are all being
kept under house arrest, and anyone caught trying to bring U2's ALL THAT YOU
CAN'T LEAVE BEHIND album into Burma faces up to 20 years behind bars.
JOHN O'SHEA, of the Third World agency GOAL says, "I think Bono is brave to
make this stand. In Ireland there is a tendency to knock anybody who puts
their head above the parapet, so I am full of praise for him. It takes
people like him to get the international community to wake up."

As part of their campaign to highlight conditions in Burma, U2 have also
included a fact file on the country on their website. (RXT/INW/RGS)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Australian: Million dollar flophouse part II (12-6-2000)
The singer freely acknowledges that his participation -- as rock star turned
writer -- leaves himself and the project wide open to criticism: ``Yeah,
there's this element of comeuppance about it -- `Back in your box, son.' And
I'd be the same, to be honest. I'm prepared to take a bit of a kicking for
this.
``But,'' he adds, smiling, ``I'll also kick back -- and I've got big
boots.''
For Bono, the film is merely another manifestation of one of his obsessions:
``I've always been fascinated by America, it's true. And albums like The
Joshua Tree and Rattle and Hum -- and Pop, in a different way -- have
reflected that. I love it and I love being there, but I've also had a very
quarrelsome relationship with it, as I think any reasonable person has to
have. And this film reflects that.

``It's set at a very particular period of [Ronald] Reagan's presidency, when
he was cutting back social security and welfare, and a lot of mental
patients found themselves out on the streets or boarded [out] in hotels. And
it's a love story, at heart, albeit of a very dysfunctional kind.''

For the record, Wenders professes to be delighted with the result:
``Absolutely. For me, it ranks among my best work ever. And I'm not just
saying it because it's my [latest] film. I mean it. I never had a more
amazing cast ... I had a great script, a fantastic score, and couldn't be
happier, altogether, with the outcome.''

Critics, however, have tended to side with Gibson's assessment. The film
received a special jury prize at the Berlin film festival earlier this year,
but reviews -- at least from the English-language press -- have been
lukewarm at best: ``Aimless ... a feast of over-acting,'' writes veteran
critic Philip French. ``It's fair to say Wim Wenders has been involved in
some insanely pretentious movies in his time,'' writes Andrew Pulver, ``but
there's really no excuse for The Million Dollar Hotel.''

``You've got to hand it to that Wim Wenders,'' said one Guardian journalist
after the press screening. ``It's only February and he's already made the
worst film of the century.''

Wenders says he doesn't care; the opinions of critics, he says, are
meaningless to him. He's at work on his next project, a script co-written
with Sam Shepard, with whom he worked on the classic Paris, Texas more than
15 years ago. Describing it as ``an American family saga disguised as a road
movie'', it looks set to continue his recurring themes of movement and
difficult love.

Bono is more pragmatic: ``The thing is, I like the feeling of being out of
my depth. It's the same as with U2's music; we keep changing things around
just because we want to maintain that feeling of not knowing where we're
going. The results can be haphazard, sure. That's always the risk. For this,
I had some terrific people to work with -- a great co-writer, a great
director. But do I think we achieved everything we set out to? Probably not.
And you know, that's all right.

``See, to me, the whole definition of being an artist ... is sticking your
head up over the parapet and maybe getting it shot off. Playing it cool
rarely creates anything lasting or significant. And maybe I should learn how
to do that, maybe that would be easier. But, for the moment, I'm proud to
have made this movie. And I know Wim is, too.''

The Million Dollar Hotel is screening nationally.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Australian: Million dollar flophouse part I (12-6-2000)
Million dollar flophouse
The Australian: Dec 5
By: Shane Danielsen

One of your own stars has panned your latest film and the critics aren't too
impressed either. But is Wim Wenders worried? Shane Danielsen finds out
THERE is a certain ritual accompanying the release of a film, a sequence of
related events. There are press screenings and publicity campaigns,
interviews and junkets at which various interested parties -- the actors,
the director, occasionally the writer or producer -- take turns to say good
things about the product they're promoting. The tone is up-beat and
unfailingly positive; listening, you would think every film was a joy to
make and an unqualified pleasure to watch.

George Clooney is surprisingly candid about the process: ``It's not just a
case of being polite or trying to stay on the good side of the studios; you
have a contractual obligation to go out there and promote that movie,'' he
says. ``It's part of the deal. So you go out there and you do it ... even
when you don't strictly believe in it.''

It must be tough sometimes. ``Well, yes. But we're actors. And you think of
things to say. Like: `God, wasn't the music great?' Or: `How about those
effects?' You put a spin on it. Anything so you don't have to give an actual
opinion on the movie.'' He laughs. ``I did Batman Forever, remember. I
know.''
All well and good -- but what happens when someone fails to observe this
etiquette? In Sydney last month to promote his new film, the romantic comedy
What Women Want, Mel Gibson took a public swing at another of his projects
-- Wim Wenders's latest feature, The Million Dollar Hotel, which Gibson's
production company, Icon, helped finance.

A kind of dreamlike detective story, populated by beautiful prostitutes and
childlike naifs, Indian chiefs and demented Scousers, it bears frustratingly
little relation to any sort of empirical reality. Wenders describes it as a
``tender story of unconditional love, with no grain of cynicism in it and no
violence, so it is really up against a current trend. It is funny and sad at
the same time. I call it a screwball tragedy.''

Gibson, however, was more succinct; it was, he said, ``as boring as a dog's
arse'' and ``a flop'' -- comments he subsequently (and unconvincingly)
retracted, claiming that the humour behind his statements had been
misinterpreted.

Speaking from his office in Berlin, Wenders, 55, agrees to be interviewed
only by email -- presumably so there will be no danger of being misquoted.
Gibson's remarks clearly stung him, despite his own attempt to put a
positive spin on the story.

``How did I feel?'' he writes. ``Bad, at first. But after my initial anger I
had to laugh about the whole thing. Hey, I know Mel a bit since we made this
movie together. One thing I can tell you therefore is that he cannot resist
any chance for a joke or a pun, no matter how good or bad it is. This one
about the dog's arse wasn't one of the better ones, in my book -- but I
don't think it was more than a spontaneous (and honest) reaction, said
jokingly, [and] not meant to reverberate as much as it did. I guess we have
different tastes. I bet I'd find some of the films pretty boring myself that
Mel and his dog might enjoy.''
Wenders emphasises that there was no tension during the shoot (``Mel was on
the set strictly as an actor, never in any other capacity. He was totally
cool that way.'') or any significant creative differences in
post-production. Still, it's not the first time he has clashed with his
backers. A stalwart of contemporary European cinema, the film-maker has had
some conspicuously bad experiences working with American producers; his
clashes with Francis Ford Coppola, for example, during the making of Hammett
in 1982 have passed into Hollywood legend.
``Well, that was a very different story. Hammett was a studio picture and
Francis at the time was trying to reinvent the Good Old Days of the studio
system, with himself as movie mogul. It didn't work, either for Hammett or
for any of the other pictures Zoetrope did. Mainly because Hollywood didn't
want to see him succeed. Francis and [I] worked out our problems, and
[despite] our differences, kept a mutual respect for each other and finished
the film together. But Million Dollar Hotel was an independent production,
and final cut was clearly and undisputedly with the creative force behind
it, and that was Bono, Nicholas Klein and myself.''

The Million Dollar Hotel also drew fire for another reason, marking as it
does the screenwriting debut of U2's Bono, a long-time friend and
collaborator of the director, who conceived the initial story and wrote the
script with the help of Klein.
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Daily Trojan: Bono has to get crowd into song at My VH1 Awards (12-6-2000)
USC reporter gives lowdown on being seat-filler at 'My VH1' awards Energy

LOS ANGELES, Dec 04, 2000 (Daily Trojan, U-WIRE via COMTEX) -- With its
star-studded lineup of presenters and its emphasis on viewer sovereignty,
"seat filling" for the first annual "My VH1 Video Awards" Thursday should
have been the fantasy of any star-struck fan.

Bono, lead singer of U2, kicked off the event by having the cameras follow
him into the Shrine as he sang the group's newest single, "Beautiful Day."
Yet during Bono's passionate outbursts and classic U2 guitar riffs, the
audience was left unmoved. Frustrated at the lack of excitement, he had to
constantly cajole the crowd into cheering.
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The Jerusalem Post: How Manson differs from Bono (12-6-2000)
Manson on the eve of destruction
The Jerusalem Post
Publication Date: 20001205
By: DAVID BRINN

MARILYN MANSON Holywood (Helicon) THE BEATLES 1 (NMC) RICKY MARTIN Sound
Loaded (NMC) VARIOUS ARTISTS Badlands: A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen's
Nebraska (Hed Artzi)

Manson's music galvanizes a generation of disenfranchised youth who think
they see through the plastic veneer of the generation in charge. While
basically negative in its message "I'm not a slave to a world that doesn't
give a s**t," Holywood's main appeal is in its spreading the word to those
kids that they're not alone.

One of rock's main functions through the years has been as a source of
community, giving a sense of belonging to those who felt there was nobody
out there who felt lonely or isolated like them. But unlike a Springsteen or
a Bono who offers hope and faith at the end of the tunnel, Manson strips
away the facade and exposes humanity's raw nerves, lecturing to his legions
that the world may be a slimepit but that doesn't mean that you have to take
it.
Protest music has never been this brutal and scary. Parents may have been
taken aback when The Who stuttered through "My Generation," but it's nothing
compared to the terror Manson depicts. And to paraphrase another rabble
rouser at the end of The Sex Pistols diatribe "God Save The Queen" - he
means it, man.
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WENN: NME email causes panic (12-6-2000)
BONO FANS DELUGE WEBSITE
COMTEX CustomWire:

(DEC. 5) WENN - FOURTH - INTERNATIONAL MUSIC NEWS - BONO FANS DELUGE WEBSITE
Fans of U2 singer BONO have been frantically e-mailing the website of
British music magazine NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS, after a crazed message arrived
on the site.
The e-mail sent to the site said that MARK CHAPMAN, who killed JOHN LENNON
20 years ago (1980), would be let out of jail "so that he could shoot Bono".
E-mails of support for the BEAUTIFUL DAY singer have been flooding into the
site ever since from concerned fans. (RXT/EH/RGS)
(c) 2000 The World Entertainment News Network.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newcastle Herald: Bono picks Radiohead in poll (12-6-2000)
Condensed from the Newcastle Herald:

Ziggy's stardust shining in their eyes
Newcastle Herald (Australia): Dec 6
By: By Anthony Barnes

CHAMELEON of rock David Bowie ¤ a chart staple for three decades ¤ has been
named by the current generation of music stars as its biggest influence.
The 53-year-old legend, who became a father again this year, headed the list
in a year-long survey carried out by music paper New Musical Express.

Radiohead was runner-up in the survey and the band, with a chart record of
just eight years, was chosen as an influence by U2's Bono whose career
stretches back two decades.

Bono said: `I saw the new Radiohead show and it was beautiful, so beautiful,
perfect sound, beautiful songs, and when he sings it breaks my heart.'
Acts like Suede, Placebo and Manic Street Preachers were asked for their
influences.

Radiohead's Ed O'Brien and shock rocker Marilyn Manson both chose Bowie.
O'Brien said: `He was on a mission. His albums were hit and miss sometimes,
but he was brilliant because of that.'
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
KCRW: Interview with The Edge and Bono (12-6-2000)
Thanks to Elizabeth for the following:

Local radio
station KCRW just announced that this week's edition
of "Ground Zero" will feature an interview w the Edge
& Bono. The show is hosted by the very capable and
knowledgeable Chris Doritas, so it should be a quality
Q&A session. Locally the show can be heard on
Saturday from noon to 2PM (PST) and on Sunday from
10AM to noon on 89.9FM. KCRW streams, so the rest of
you can catch the broadcast at those sames times at

www.kcrwmusic.com.
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Jam!: Picture from NYC gig (12-6-2000)
Thanks to John for the following:

http://www.youtwo.net/pictures_archive/051200.jpg
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New York Post: U2 Radio Daze (12-6-2000)
From New York Post:

U2 RADIO DAZE
Wednesday,December 6,2000

By DAN AQUILANTE

A PUBLICIST named Terri called The Post yesterday,
apologizing to an answering machine and saying that
all
New York newspapers would be barred from last night's
U2 concert at Irving Plaza. Terri, brave girl,
squarely put
the blame on the Irish quartet and its management.

What was the problem? Had guitarist The Edge gone
dull?
Had Bono become a bonehead? Had the band's
unforgettable fire been extinguished since its
disastrous
Popmart tour?

Apparently so, or at least that's what the band was
afraid
would be written.

Rather than miss the concert, The Post listened on the
radio
like the rest of New York. What was clear through the
mighty 3-inch speaker of a Deluxe clock radio with
digital
lighted numbers was that a big band was slumming.

After three songs from the band's new album, Bono
bragged with rock-god hubris that U2 playing Irving
Plaza
was like "landing a 747 on a front lawn." I guess we
New
Yorkers should feel good that the group picked our
lawn to
land on.

Just prior to the encore selection of "11 O'Clock Tick
Tock," Bono pulled a Leona Helmsley, declaring to the
crowd: "You all look so much smaller in real life."
Nice turn
of phrase for the little people, Bonehead.

Of the old material that U2 dusted off, "One" was the
highlight, although it did sound tinny as a penny
whistle, but
that may have been due to the not-so-superior sound of
my
mighty Deluxe. The best of the new material was "Stuck
in
a Moment You Can't Get Out Of," which was dedicated to
the late Michael Hutchence, lead singer of INXS.
"Elevation" was also performed with attention to the
details
the band honed in the studio.

Besides not being able to see U2 and having to listen
on an
audio speaker smaller than a clenched fist, the real
problem
during the 70-minute concert was that the group seemed
as
unspontaneous as every teen vocal pop band on the
circuit.

Hey, Bono, stop trying to make music history by being
a
big fish in a puddle - and start concentrating on the
arena
music that is the essence of your band.
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Yahoo: Clinton Issues Medal of Freedom (12-6-2000)
From Yahoo: