:: Edge´s blog by Regina O´Numb ::

:: 1.31.2005 ::

"Sometimes You Can´t Make It On Your Own" - Radio 1 in Dublin - U2 performed five songs for Radio 1 from their Dublin studio tonight. Performing to a very select audience, including three competition winners from Radio 1, the band had rigged up speakers on the street outside the studio so that hundreds of other U2 fans, who had heard they were around, could also hear the new songs. Vertigo was followed by All Because of You before Bono introduced Miracle Drug, a song, he explained, inspired by the life of the poet Christopher Nolan, who attended the same school as the band....Bono then introduced Sometimes You Can't Make
It On Your Own, a song inspired his opera-singing father....november 16, 2004.

The Edge has a new 'thing'
Niall Stokes of Hot Press reviews U2's BBC1 gig on the Hot Press website and quotes Bono telling Radio 1 DJ Jo Whiley: 'We f---ed it up a couple of times, but I think we got away with it.' Stokes also mentions a conversation with The Edge in which the guitarist explains to him he has as a new trick up his sleeve: 'Across the other side of the room, Edge is beaming - clearly satisfied that a good night's work has been done. I compliment him on his slide playing. 'We've had to invent a new thing,' he tells me, 'so I can switch from normal chords to playing slide in the middle of a song. It's tiny, and fits on the tip of the finger. I'll show you...' Unfortunately, Stokes does not elaborate on Edge's thingie.


foto captured from CD:UK jan 30, 2005 - tkx enajh2
:: Regina O'Numb 1/31/2005 06:23:57 PM [+] ::
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...I must say...really the fans are in the middle of a battle to get the tickets...my friends, still now, didn´t get only one, or in US or in Europe. I understand the feelings of the fans. And in the other hand, we have U2, really, the best band, with the best songs, and to me this album How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, is their best album; well, when U2 go to the road, the world transforms in a crazy roar, which to me is great...what other band could have this "paint"? No one, only U2!!!! I hope, I´m praying, and I´m with my crossfingers for all this situation could be solve...the fans getting their tickets, and U2 more comfortable with the fans´ gladness. I´m sure U2´s members are looking for this with care! I won´t see U2 live, cause they won´t visit my country, but I´m very very happy with the new tour, with the future fans´ smiles following the band...this year will be the best one, too!
A ZILLIONS OF HUGS, UNDER A POSITIVE ATMOSPHERE, WHICH IS POSSIBLE SEE FROM THIS OTHER SIDE OF THE OCEAN! BRAVE HEART! SWEET SMILE! A BRILLANT FUTURE! GOD BLESS OF YOU!
from Regina O'Numb.
:: Regina O'Numb 1/31/2005 06:10:43 PM [+] ::
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THIS DAY - U2´S HISTORY: twice for "40" / last show in Brazil / WFE 2002-NYC.

"October" tour - january 31, 1981 - U2 perform in St. Albans, England at the City Hall.

"The Unforgettable Fire" tour - january 31, 1985 - U2 perform in Cologne, Germany at the Musensaal. Bono yells at the people in the balconies to stop throwing and tossing sparklers into the crowd below. During "Pride(In The Name of Love)" a girl jumps on stage and hugs Bono. After trying, unsuccessfully, to shake her off, Bono picks her up, carries her over to the edge of the stage, and puts her back into the crowd. The band return twice for "40". Support is "Belfegore".

"POPMart" tour - january 31, 1998 - São Paulo - Brazil - Morumbi Stadium. Since it was so hot the security gave out small cups of water to keep the audience from passing out of dehydration. The empty cups was quickly solved be some creative fans who stacked hundreds of them together in twenty foot towers and hoisted them into the air. During these days in Brazil, U2 gave to the fans comdons (50.000 to each concert in Brazil). As 9:30 approached The Verve's "Bitter Sweet Symphony" started. During "I Will Follow" everyone was jumping up and down in unison, it made the cameras shake, and the images on the screen shake! Tonight's show was broadcast by MTV Brazil. Before starts "Sunday Bloody Sunday" Edge says that fact occurred in 1972 changed the history of his country and he dedicates the song to the people who work to peace in Northern Ireland. By the end of Streets Bono sings ****Ah eu to maluco****, which means ****Ah I´m crazy****Bono wishes Brazilian Soccer star Romario a Happy Birthday, at the start of "Staring At The Sun". Hearing the audience sing along during With or Without You was incredible, even during the break between choruses they kept singing "Oh, oh, oh, oh!" 40 blew me away, and left me in tears. Bono seemed to forget the lyrics again, and Edge extended the song by continuing to play the guitar as they walked off stage and down the ramp.




Bono attends World Economic Forum - january 31, 2002. Bono attends the annual World Economic Forum, held this year in New York City. Today, the first day of the Forum, finds Bono as a panelist during the opening discussion of world leaders. He sits on a panel with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Weisel, Queen Rania of Jordan, as well as leaders and diplomats from Afghanistan, the Phillippines, and others. Bono also surprises some delegates by announcing he will tour Africa in March with U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill. Bono, also says, he is a fan of Brazilian program to aid HIVPOSITIVE/AIDS.
:: Regina O'Numb 1/31/2005 05:12:29 PM [+] ::
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TRADE/ SELL Tickets RULLS
read whole article on: U2.com
:: Regina O'Numb 1/31/2005 04:50:20 PM [+] ::
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Another date to U2 in Dublin
...25-Jun-05 (presale 31-jan-05 10AM) - (public 04-Feb-05)...
read whole article on: onsale.ticketmastereurope.com/U2/
:: Regina O'Numb 1/31/2005 04:33:29 PM [+] ::
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Geldof: 'I'm sick of my charity image'
Bob Geldof has said he is sick of being "Mr Bloody Africa", saying he wants to be remembered for his "real job" as a musician. And Geldof - who got an honorary knighthood for his charity work on Band Aid and Live Aid - has hit out at his Brother Teresa image. He said he finds visiting the continent profoundly boring because change there is so slow. He lamented the fact he and U2 star Bono are given more airtime as spokesmen for Africa than African leaders. But he said: "Who's interested if the leader of Niger goes on Newsnight? It's `Get Geldof'. I'm `Mr Bloody Africa'. Bizarrely in our society, there's confusion between politicians and celebrities. Bono and I are under no illusions. "We have an ability to articulate the great wound of the 21st century, and have access to politicians. But would Bono prefer to do this or be in U2? Hello?" The former Boomtown Rats star said he would rather be remembered for his "real job" as a musician than for his charity work. The band's six albums are being reissued on CD next week, and he will be honoured with an award for lifetime achievement at the Brit Awards. And he said: "It's fantastic. Contrary to public perception, all I am interested in is my music. You'd be deluded to think you'd have heard of Bob Geldof if there hadn't been a co-operative called the Boomtown Rats."
read whole article on: channel4
:: Regina O'Numb 1/31/2005 04:27:27 PM [+] ::
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KINGS SUFFER FROM 'VERTIGO' SHOCK
KINGS OF LEON have revealed that "can't believe" that they will be supporting U2 on the rock giants - upcoming world tour. The band will open on the North American leg of the 'Vertigo' jaunt, which will see the band move from playing 600-seat venues on their own tour of the US to 14,000 seat arenas, such as the San Diego Sports Arena. Drummer Nathan Followill said: "We did a TV show called 'CD:UK' in London, and U2 were on the show too. We played, and then they played, and then we were getting ready to leave and their publicist said 'Hey, Bono wants you guys to stay. He wants to meet you guys'." He added: "So we had some drinks, and he was pretty cool and complimentary of our record, but just like a normal, down-to earth guy. Like a month later, our manager called us and was like, 'We just got the U2 offer'." "I still can't believe we're going to be opening for U2. They're the biggest band in the world. Since the news first came out, we've had calls and e-mails from about 300 of our friends and family asking us for tickets."
However, Kings Of Leon remain unfazed by the prospect. "Growing up, we weren't allowed to listen to U2, so an album like 'The Joshua Tree', we just discovered that like two years ago. If we were a band that had grown up listening to U2, we'd be a hell of a lot more scared than we are," Followill told MTV News. "But what we do take from U2 is the realisation of how great it would be to be a band for 20 years. We can only fathom how great we could potentially become as long as we keep our heads on straight and don't get married and divorced two or three times." Kings Of Leon head to Japan on February 3 to play three dates, kicking off at Tokyo¿s The Liquid Room, before returning Stateside to embark on their own tour, starting at Nashville's Exit In on February 17. U2's world tour will kick off at San Diego's Sports Arena on March 28.
read on: nme
:: Regina O'Numb 1/31/2005 03:48:29 PM [+] ::
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BONO WANTS PATROL
BONO wants Snow Patrol to support U2 on their Vertigo tour. The Irish singer is said to be pushing for the Glasgow-based group to join them on their European dates, including the Hampden gig in June. Snow Patrol may even be invited to join the American leg of the tour, insiders say.
read whole article on: dailyrecord
:: Regina O'Numb 1/31/2005 12:54:20 PM [+] ::
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In the papers 31 January
...Several papers report on an online promotion that went wrong for rock group U2. Fans had paid a EUR31 fee to be able to access priority booking facilities on the group's website for world tour tickets, but were unable to secure them, although ticket touts managed to grab seats that they later advertised on eBay at inflated prices. The band is trying to make amends by allowing "priority" fans to buy up to four tickets each online on Monday, using a PIN number that is invalid after a single use....
read whole article on: yahoo
:: Regina O'Numb 1/31/2005 12:50:41 PM [+] ::
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£ 11M N TICKETS BLACK MARKET
BLACK MARKET tickets for pop gigs and sport events are worth £11million a year in Britain, it was revealed yesterday. Security company Group 4 Securicor predict 2.23 million tickets will be bought from 'unauthorised sources' such as touts over the next year. Many will turn up on the internet auction site eBay, which had tickets for June's U2 gig at Hampden on offer at inflated prices even before the public sale began on Friday. They are believed to have come from the pre-sale of tickets to fans registered with the band's official website, many of whom had trouble getting through to Ticketmaster's website because of huge demand. Group 4 Securicor said more than 347,000 tickets to British events would be sold on eBay alone in the next 12 months. And they estimate ticket touts will earn about £3.6million over the period. The firm's research found more than 11million British adults had bought tickets from unauthorised sources. Marketing director Douglas Greenwell said: 'Event organisers cannot afford to ignore the problems associated with the unauthorised resale of tickets for public events. 'Employing specific security solutions to combat the problem of black market tickets can help event organisers protect against touts and ultimately protect their revenue. 'This can help protect the public from illegal ticket touts who often operate by intimidating people into buying and selling tickets.' The research suggested that more than 390,000 tickets would be sold over the next year via work emails. But Scots were the least likely to use an unauthorised source to buy a ticket. Only 16 per cent said they would do so. Only20per cent of people in the south-east and East Anglia admitted they would buy illegal tickets. Those living in the Midlands were most likely to do so (29 per cent),closely followed by the north-east, Yorkshire and Humberside with 28 per cent.
read ondailyrecord
:: Regina O'Numb 1/31/2005 12:46:26 PM [+] ::
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"I love Bono's theories about the idea that it came from North Africa. Bob Quinn had similar theories about where art and music came from to get to this country. It's a very compelling argument but it's still a mystery. Black music is a bit easier to trace because the journey is pretty well documented. Like it or not, we're playing black music. Rock & roll is black music and sometimes I feel we're not that good at it."
Edge - The Muse - dec 1, 1998


Edge during Press conference - Rio de Janeiro - jan 27, 1998.
:: Regina O'Numb 1/30/2005 08:09:50 PM [+] ::
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Bono´s voice in a cartoon
THE WHO'S TOMMY TO BECOME MOST EXPENSIVE ANIMATION - THE WHO's celebrated rock-opera TOMMY is to become the most expensive animated movie of all time. GREASE producer ROBERT STIGWOOD plans to turn the 1975 PETE TOWNSHEND movie into a $400 million (GBP210 million) cartoon, which is tipped to feature the voices of singers ROBBIE WILLIAMS and BONO. Stigwood, 70, says, "Pete Townshend is right behind this. "It will feature the biggest names in the music industry. The original movie costs $3-4 million but this will cost $300-400 million. "If you are going to do it, you've got to do it right."
read whole article on: contactmusic
:: Regina O'Numb 1/30/2005 07:52:08 PM [+] ::
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UPDATE: DATA
White House announces FY06 Budget request for Global AIDS
read whole article on: data
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Bono joins world leaders at the World Economic Forum to discuss Africa
read whole article on: data
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Bush to pledge $3,2B to Combat AIDS abroad
read whole article on: data
:: Regina O'Numb 1/30/2005 05:53:21 PM [+] ::
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THIS DAY - U2´S HISTORY: Bloody Sunday / TV Gaga / Stoppt den Hass! / U2´s first show in São Paulo.

"Bloody Sunday" - january 30, 1972. British paratroopers shoot 13 Catholic demonstrators dead at a civil rights march in Derry, Northern Ireland.

U2 on TV Gaga - january 30, 1986. U2 appear on an Irish TV program called TV Gaga, performing a song called "Womanfish" for the first and only time. They also perform a very early version of "Trip Through Your Wires," which would appear on The Joshua Tree album more than a year later. Larry and Bono give the band's first major interview in several months to RTE's TV Gaga.

Bono and Edge at Festival Against Racism - january 30, 1993. Bono and Edge participate in the two-day Festival Against Racism in Hamburg, Germany which begins on this day. Bono is one of a few artists invited to speak, and his 5-minute-plus comments include: "We started the century with so many competing ideas as to how we should live together. We ended with so few." On the second day, Bono and Edge perform "One" with Jo Shankar on violin and a drummer from a local German band.

"POPMart" tour - january 30, 1998 - São Paulo, Brazil - Morumbi Stadium. The PopMart Tour moves on to Sao Paulo, Brazil. Introducing "Sunday, Bloody Sunday," Edge mentions that it is the 26th anniversary of the 1972 Bloody Sunday attack in Derry. Bono thanked the Brazilian fans (in Portuguese) for waiting for so long and said that they also have beeing waiting the opportunity of playing there. During "Bullet the Blue Sky" he add the words "Brazilians, don't run!" (To the arms of America) as an encouragement to the Brazilian Youth that lives at the present time a huge lack of opportunities and jobs in a country that had been careless to the needs of College Education. As a curiosity only, is fair to say that not even one bad incident ocurred before, during or after this show, actually this is a trademark of U2 fans, we are worldwide unique and special just like our favorite Rock and Roll Band!



:: Regina O'Numb 1/30/2005 05:24:16 PM [+] ::
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U2 apologizes for site´s ticket sale debacle
Complaints about U2's bungled pre-sale for its 2005 world tour continued to pour in Friday, with ticket brokers and scalpers offering tickets to the shows --including the Chicago dates -- for more than 20 times face value. The band Friday apologized to fans who paid $40 to U2's official Web site, U2.com, for pre-sale privileges beginning Tuesday only to be left without coveted $49.50 general-admission floor tickets nearest the stage, or no tickets at all. Dozens of prime U2 tickets ended up in the hands of third-party profiteers. By Friday, tickets to U2 shows around the country, including the ones May 7 and May 9 at the United Center with top-end prices of $95 to $165, were being sold on eBay for more than $1,000 each. Tickets to the general public for the 13-city North American tour go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday through Ticketmaster, the same agency that handled the pre-sale. The band already has announced it will schedule additional North American tour dates in the fall. Speculation also grew this week that the band would book additional Chicago shows in May once the two United Center dates sell out because its next show isn't until May 14 in Philadelphia. Though thousands of tickets reportedly remain for both Chicago shows, they are expected to sell out within minutes because of the heavy interest. Usually, tickets for added shows are not available for fan club presale. Band blames technology - On U2.com, the band blamed "new technology" for sabotaging its first Internet pre-sale, saying the system failed because "everyone tries to do the same thing at once." U2 acknowledged only that "demand exceeded supply" for certain shows, but didn't present any plan for compensating subscribers. It also vowed to address ticket scalpers who were already profiting from the band's tour, but didn't say how. "We are currently looking into the possibility of identifying these people and withdrawing their tickets," U2.com said....
read whole article on: chicagotribune
:: Regina O'Numb 1/30/2005 04:15:30 PM [+] ::
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U2 ticket touts purged by eBay as fans lose out
TOUTS selling U2 concert tickets on the eBay auction website are being chased off the web this weekend after action by lawyers acting for U2.com. Legal advisers for the band's website contacted eBay after thousands of tickets appeared on the auction site a few hours after a special advance sale for fans. Almost 3,000 listings for tickets for U2 concerts in America and Britain have been offered on eBay for up to $425 (E325) each, several times their face value. One seller offering two floor tickets to a Boston show for $495 boasts: 'I have tickets to U2's entire North American leg of the tour.'...
read whole article on: timesonline
:: Regina O'Numb 1/30/2005 01:49:43 PM [+] ::
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Hottest tickets in music
The organisers of U2's concert in Croke Park this summer...The concert, which takes place on June 24, is U2's first gig in Ireland for four years, and concert promoter MCD is expecting tickets to sell out in a matter of minutes...
read whole article on: sbpost
:: Regina O'Numb 1/30/2005 01:43:19 PM [+] ::
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We should share in 'Saint' Bob's Brit award, complain former Rats
...Cott, now 52, said the Brits award is intended to recognise artistic merit and that Geldof's best work cannot be divorced from the Rats. 'When it was given to Queen or U2 you didn't see just one member on the stage. It's more of an indictment of Bob than anything else. I think the rest of the band feel it's sad and rather pathetic. It seems like being members of the Politburo when Stalin was in charge, when in those old photographs he airbrushed certain individuals out of existence.'...
read whole article on: guardian
:: Regina O'Numb 1/30/2005 12:36:18 PM [+] ::
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Yasmin Yusuf - she has dressed U2´s Bono and The Edge...
How Disco* women set pace for fashion trends - That's Discerning, Increasing years, Stylish and Comfortably Off - She is 45, a single mother and has a style habit that demands a healthy bank balance. In many ways Yasmin Yusuf, one of the most powerful people in British fashion, personifies the woman the youth-obsessed style industry must learn to love. In her first interview since leaving struggling M&S, she identifies a breed of women which the high street ignores very much at its peril. By next year, she says, half the women in this country will be aged 40-plus. It is these women, and those coming up just behind them, whose influence will be unprecedented, because it is they who will make the buying decisions for themselves and for their households....Her inspirations are wide-ranging, from supermarkets to old Hollywood movies. She has literally dressed the rich and famous, handing U2's Bono and The Edge their trousers backstage at concerts and selecting clothes for Elton John when she worked at the now defunct designer emporium Jones Quincy. But she has also bought white shirts for middle England....
read whole article on: guardian
:: Regina O'Numb 1/30/2005 12:26:54 PM [+] ::
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BF: Most of your albums capture a moment. The Unforgettable Fire is the only one that stands completely outside of time.

Edge: It's interesting that you say that. We've had discussions about that very point. There is a quality to great work that is timeless. You've got to balance being relevant and commenting on what's happening today with trying to attain that timelessness. Unforgettable Fire is probably less fixed to any time, more a work that will mean the same in 10 years as it meant when it was released. On Unforgettable Fire probably more than our other records, the music has such a strong voice that Bono's vocals are almost like another musical element. We got criticized that it a sort of copout, that we weren't writing songs anymore, that this was ill-disciplined work. I could see where the reviews were coming from, based on probably a weekend listening to it, but I knew there was far more to it than just that. It was not U2 going arty, there was actually something there that was really valuable and enduring. I still listen to that record."
Edge, during Bill Flanagan´s interview to Musician magazine
march 1, 1992


:: Regina O'Numb 1/29/2005 07:22:12 PM [+] ::
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THIS DAY - U2´S HISTORY: Bad to some girls / U2 play soccer in Brazil / U2 fight for HQ.

"October" tour - january 29, 1981 - U2 perform in Northampton, England at the Iron Horse. A few songs into the set, someone comes onstage with an announcement for the audience: "Could you go back a little bit, we´ve got a very weak stage!"

"The Unforgettable Fire" tour - january 29, 1985 - U2 perform in Offenbach, Germany at the Stadthalle. Bono sings part of "wooden Heart" during "Electric Co." and again dedicates the song "Bad" to the girls he had met on January 27, 1985

U2´s members play soccer in Rio de Janeiro - january 29, 1998. During their time in Rio de Janeiro, they played at home of Bebeto (former soccer-player of Brazil´s team) having also Romario and Edmundo. I haven´t any photo from this event.

U2 fights plans to demolish its recording studio - january 29, 2002. U2 offers formal objections to a plan to demolish its Hanover Quay recording studio at a hearing of Dublin's planning commission, An Bord Pleanala. The band's lawyer called the studio a "landmark" during the hearing and argued that the studio where it has recorded four albums and has started recording new material this year should not be demolished. The Dublin Docks Development Authority (DDDA) has issued a compulsory purchase order on the building as part of a development plan in this area of the city.
:: Regina O'Numb 1/29/2005 06:48:51 PM [+] ::
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"This is supposed to be a talking shop but instead something very real has come out of it."Brown in 100% debt relief pledge - Mr Brown hopes for a commitment from all G7 nations. The world's seven richest countries - the G7 - should offer poor countries 100% debt relief, UK Chancellor Gordon Brown has said....Anti-poverty campaigners like rock star Bono and former president of Ireland Mary Robinson, now president of Oxfam International, praised the UK and French finance ministers, but warned that they would hold them to account at the end of the year....Bono, speaking at Davos, described Mr Brown's plan as a turning point in the campaign to tackle world poverty. "There are moments in these campaigns when you feel the game change. Today I knew the game had changed. "This is supposed to be a talking shop but instead something very real has come out of it."
read whole article on: bbc
:: Regina O'Numb 1/29/2005 06:31:55 PM [+] ::
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Ali is set to take on the fashion industry by launching a socially conscious clothing range called the Edin collection...Ali accepts that being known as Bono's wife has raised her profile to speak out for good causes. As a wealthy person in the spotlight she regards it as a responsibility to do what she can to raise awareness on human rights issues. Ali told London's Mirror that while money has huge advantages, it also brings huge responsibilities with it. One of her ongoing human rights roles is her patronage of the Chernobyl Children's project. Also she is a mother caring for her 4 children with Bono, her husband of 22 years. Bono openly supports his wife's new fashion line and recently told the Times that 'It may be one of the biggest brands in the next few years, so watch out'.
read whole article on: epochtimes
:: Regina O'Numb 1/29/2005 03:24:54 PM [+] ::
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Ticketmaster...over 2 million hits within a very short period of time...
U2 Fans Left out in the cold - U2's new tour is called Vertigo, but it might well be rechristened Hysteria in the wake of frenzied reports from fans frustrated by this week's presale of tickets through the group's Web site. Several days after Tuesday's Internet sale of tickets to fans who paid $40 each in recent months to join U2.com on the promise of priority access to "some of the best seats available" for the upcoming tour, throngs are wailing that they still haven't found what they're looking for...."I spoke to the Ticketmaster people on Tuesday and they reported over 2 million hits within a very short period of time," said Arthur Fogel, president of Clear Channel Entertainment's TNA Productions division, which is promoting the Vertigo tour. "Obviously this caught everybody off guard, and everything possible is being done to make sure people are satisfied. We're looking at a whole range of options in terms of freeing up more inventory and addressing the technical side of the process." Fogel said U2.com members will be contacted early next week with information on what measures will be taken to mollify disgruntled fans...."The large number of tickets on eBay," Sobol said, "suggests that somehow scalpers had access to the system in advance of club members."...
read whole article on: nynewsday
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U2 SELL OUT
U2´s UK tour has completely sold out. Tickets for the dates went on sale to the general public at 9am today. 260,000 were sold almost immediately, and led to the addition of a second show in London. The band's European tour promoter, John Giddings, said; "I am staggered by the response. The demand is unprecedented." Tickets for the dates went on pre-sale via the U2.com website earlier this week, leading to complaints about the service. Ticketmaster eventually apologised, blaming "an incredibly high level of demand". The band kick off their Vertigo 2005 world tour in San Diego on March 28 and, following 13 North American shows, begin the European leg of their tour in Brussels on June 10....
read whole article on: nme
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U-ge ticket demand
TICKETS for the British leg of U2's Vertigo world tour sold out in less than an HOUR yesterday. The scramble for the 260,000 tickets up for grabs was so great that the Ticketmaster website crashed when as many as three million fans logged on.
read on: thesun
:: Regina O'Numb 1/29/2005 03:15:36 PM [+] ::
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...the demand is unprecedent...They are making good music...
How to dismantle a U2 fan in the cold - TICKETS for the latest tour by rock band U2, including a performance at the Millennium Stadium, are expected to sell out today. Almost all the 260,000 tickets were snapped up yesterday, proving that a band formed by four Dublin schoolboys in 1977 remains a potent force. U2's European Tour Promoter, John Giddings said, "I am staggered by the response. The demand is unprecedented." How does a band formed 28 years ago still command such loyalty? "They are making good music," A spokeswoman said. Subscribers to U2.com were able to buy tickets in advance. Demand was so great the system suffered meltdown when three million "hits" were made. A further rush is expected on February 4 when tickets go on sale for a homecoming performance at Dublin's Croke Park. At the front of the queue as fans began gathering outside the Ticketline office in Cardiff at 7am yesterday to get tickets for the June 29 gig, was Gary Pedersen, from Cardiff. He said, "I'm a massive fan and have seen them twice already. When I heard they were coming to the Millennium Stadium I had to get tickets." Student Paul Barrett, 22, who said he had come to know the group's music from their recent Greatest Hits compilations, said, "I think it'll just be a great show." Tickets for the show were not cheap, ranging from £44.75 to £94. A band spokeswoman said ticket prices for the Rolling Stones and Madonna reached £150. David Williams, of Cardiff, was queuing with his wife, Tracey. Asked how he would react if he bumped into lead singer Bono, David said he would choose his words carefully. "I wouldn't shower him with praise. I bet he gets fed up with that."
read whole article on: icwales
:: Regina O'Numb 1/29/2005 03:00:48 PM [+] ::
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A new breed of rock star: quietly Christian
It was easy to believe the devil had the best music when Britain's only Christian pop star churned out such songs as Mistletoe and Wine. But unlike Sir Cliff, a new generation of Christian artists taking over the charts is blessed with youth, beauty and critical acclaim. Just don't ask them to talk about their faith....The NME editor, Conor McNicholas, believes there is a simple reason why rock stars don't talk about their faith: "The problem with religion is it's never cool. At the heart of all religions, there's a notion of control, and that's the opposite of rock'n'roll. "It ends up being the least rock'n'roll thing you can think of. What people want from music is inspiration and escapism. Religion offers that in a very different way. Most people are looking to escape from that, it turns them off."...You gotta have faith, faith, faith - U2 - When they rose to fame in the 80s, U2 were happy to discuss their beliefs. But a division between the three members who were committed Christians (Bono, the Edge and Larry Mullen Jr) and Adam Clayton, who wasn't, almost split them up...
read whole article on: guardian
:: Regina O'Numb 1/29/2005 02:55:22 PM [+] ::
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Musical legacies
SIR - Musicians and artists have a paramount interest in their recordings even when the copyright term expires in Europe after 50 years ("Not-so-golden oldies", January 8th). They create the work and give expression to the dreams, aspirations and realities of a generation, both for those listening today and those who will listen in a hundred years' time. They should be entitled to retain their copyright for at least as long as they live, and to pass it to their heirs, just like any other asset that they own. Currently in Europe, recording artists, unlike other artists, may typically lose the rights to their creation within their lifetimes and with those rights will be lost all control over how that creation is altered, packaged and sold.
Paul McGuinness
Manager, U2
Dublin
read whole article on: economist
:: Regina O'Numb 1/29/2005 01:06:30 PM [+] ::
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"I worked on a lot of different sounds and ideas before I found
something that seemed to suit my style. Now a lot of people seem
to be copying that, the famous Edge guitar style, which misses the
point altogether. I never wanted to create a new standard, we wanted
to do something new."
Edge - The Joshua Tree - era
U2 Touch The Flame/Geoff Parkyn


:: Regina O'Numb 1/28/2005 08:37:37 PM [+] ::
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THIS DAY - U2´S HISTORY: "Bad" to the girls from red-lights district of Hamburg / U2 play at the first time in Brazil.

"October" tour - january 28, 1981 - U2 perform in Norwich, England at the University of East Anglia.

"The Unforgettable Fire" tour - january 28, 1985 - U2 perform in Hamburg, Germany at the Congress Centre. Bono mentions his walk through the red-light district of Reeperbahn the night before. Bono dedicates "Bad" to "some people I feel in love with last night, some girls...some very nice and very pretty girls. This song is for them...this is called 'Bad'". Bono also referes to the Rockpalast concert at which the "Under A Blood Red Sky" version of "40" was recorded: "This is a song that sort of belongs to you people -- you put it ont he record...it's your voices..." Support is "Belfegore".

"POPMart" tour - january 28, 1998 - U2 play in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The usual 30 minute ride to the stadium takes 3 hours due to a massive traffic jam; almost a tragedy, the organization of Rio´s concert was very very bad, but the band haven´t guilt (fans are still arriving as U2 start the encore). Edge and Bono take their guitars to play "Desire," when the guys of Salgueiro (sambas´club) join them at the stage. In an interview to MTV after the show, Edge explained: "We had only one first contact with the the guys of Salgueiro and we did not have time to the rehearsal. The guys arrived only one hour before the show, and we decided play with them." The band wear yellow shirt #10 (Brazilian soccer team).


:: Regina O'Numb 1/28/2005 08:04:18 PM [+] ::
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City Of Blinding Lights" owes plenty to "Neon Heart"...
Bob Geldof: Lord of the Rats - ...While Geldof's claims for his former band might seem grandiose, the Rats are ripe for reappraisal. Recent times have seen The Strokes acknowledge them as an influence, while Geldof's pal Bono has said that the U2 newie "City of Blinding Lights" owes plenty to "Neon Heart", a track from the Rats' eponymous debut album. It was his grippingly frank, 2001 solo album, Sex, Age & Death, Geldof says, that first had critics thinking, "Jeez, maybe he wasn't a cunt after all". But it wasn't until a Boomtown Rats "best of", tentatively issued by Phonogram charted last year, that the re-release of the group's back catalogue was given a green light. It was on Hallowe'en in 1975 that the Rats played their first gig. Geldof says that they predated Stiff Little Fingers, The Undertones and U2 by two years, but in truth, The Undertones formed in 1975, too. What is clear is that, while the aforementioned bands were partly inspired by the English punk movement of 1976-1977, the Rats' early music owed more to gutsy R&B....At that, Geldof's PR calls time, and I close by asking him whether rumours that he'll duet with Bono at the Brits are true. "Duet on what, exactly?" he laughs. "He'd sing me out of the f---ing hall."
read whole article on: independent
:: Regina O'Numb 1/28/2005 06:11:34 PM [+] ::
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BONO IS THE TRUE GREAT LEADER, THE TRUE GREAT MAN...AND IS SO NICE AND GENEROUS! - Bono said that Lula changed the Davos´s diary. The president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is up with the leader of Irish band U2, Bono, campaign activist who´s in World Economic Forum. Bono said, this friday that Lula is a great leader who changed the diary of the economic forum. "He´s a great leader, a great man and changed the diary of Davos", said Bono, during interview to TV Globo. While was going out off the hotel to the first meetings of the day, Lula was asked about Bono´s declaration and reacted with surprise, but didn´t want to talk with the journalists....
read (Brazilian Portuguese language) whole article on: oglobo

:: Regina O'Numb 1/28/2005 02:09:00 PM [+] ::
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Presale: More Information, More Shows
Thanks to everyone who took part in our first U2.Com ticket presale for the European and North American 'Vertigo Tour'. We know that subscribers experienced difficulties buying their tickets and we're pleased that those problems are now being ironed out. Most of you have now be able to book tickets for these shows and we appreciate your messages of thanks and support. Sorry that demand exceeded supply for Madison Square Garden NY and Wachovia Centre, Philadelphia shows. We went way over the original allocation. We really appreciate your patience as this is the first time we've attempted an online presale. New technology ­ including U2.Com - helps us stay in touch with you but also reveals its drawbacks when everyone tries to do the same thing at once. Don't forget, if you have a subscriber code it will still be honoured when the band plays more dates. There will be more tickets for U2.Com subscribers. We are very aware that some people seem to have abused the system to scalp on Ebay or similar sites. We are currently looking into the possibility of identifying these people and withdrawing their tickets. Any help you can give us on this would be gratefully received. Remember that your subscription to U2.Com gives you much more than access to the presale - not least the fact that you can watch on demand every video the band have made and listen to every track on every album, every b-side on every single! Right now you can check the band taking you through 'How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb' track-by-track, watch he 'Making Of Vertigo' documentary, read the new Jacknife Lee profile and catch Phil Joanou's 'All Because of You' video ... there's lots more on the way.
read whole article on: U2.com
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U2 Fans Riled Up Over Fan Club Pre-Sale - The huge demand and system glitches that marked Tuesday's (Jan. 25) pre-sale for U2's Vertigo tour left hundreds of fans with less than desirable seats or no seats at all, but tour organizers say their goal is to satisfy all fan club members, or at least as many as possible....
read whole article on:billboard
:: Regina O'Numb 1/28/2005 01:08:11 PM [+] ::
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U2's UK tour dates are a sell out
U2's UK tour has been completely sold out, after tickets went on sale at 9am this morning. All 260,000 tickets were snapped up for stadium shows in Manchester, London, Twickenham, Glasgow and Cardiff. The Vertigo tour kicks off in San Diego on 28 March and continues with over 50 shows throughout North America and Europe. The band will play Croke Park on the 24 June and tickets will go on sale on 04 February.
read on: rte
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rumor????U2 add UK date...
U2 have announced a second UK concert date at Twickenham Stadium after tickets for their appearance on Saturday June 18th sold out in a matter of minutes this morning (January 28th). The band will now play a second show at the venue on Sunday June 19th. U2 are already playing previously announced dates in Manchester, Glasgow, Dublin and Cardiff. Due to phenomenal ticket demand, the band have confirmed that they will be adding more shows to the North American leg of the "Vertigo 2005 Tour". The band's management have also apologised to subscribers of U2.com who missed out on pre-sale tickets earlier this week....
read whole article on: launch
:: Regina O'Numb 1/28/2005 12:53:38 PM [+] ::
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With Bill And Tony For Africa
Bono joined UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and Bill Gates of Microsoft at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland this morning. 'I suppose my job as a rock star and activist is to bring applause when people get it right and make their lives a misery when they don¹t,' Bono said. 'I have some use here to try to encourage people to take some unpopular decisions at home and do the right thing on the global stage. 'These are expensive choices people have to make if they want to do the right thing for Africa.' Catch video of the session here, from Friday morning. More on the World Economic Forum here....More on the campaign to fight poverty in Africa.
read whole article on: U2.com
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"We will be remembered for three things right now: the Internet, the war against terror, and what we did or didn't do about this glorious continent of Africa and its travails."-...Bono made his own pledge. "People want to be a part of something bigger than themselves," the singer said. "What else are we going to be remembered for, our generation? ... We will be remembered for three things right now: the Internet, the war against terror, and what we did or didn't do about this glorious continent of Africa and its travails." "I think we can be the generation that ends extreme poverty, I really do, and I think I will spend the rest of my life pledged to that commitment," he said....
read whole article on: chron
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Music stars ready to bottonhole leaders over poverty
read whole article on: yahoo
:: Regina O'Numb 1/28/2005 12:46:54 PM [+] ::
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Bono said his generation wanted to be remembered for something other than the "war on terror" and the internet. "We want to remembered as the generation that ended stupid poverty." - Blair urges 'quantum leap' on aid to Africa as debate about finance rages. The world's richest countries need to make a "quantum leap forward" in helping Africa in 2005, Tony Blair said as he announced that Britain would spend £45m on mosquito nets to prevent malaria....In his first visit to Davos in five years, Mr Blair was upstaged by Bono, the U2 frontman and a leading campaigner on behalf of Africa."I'm worried about the tone of the debate here," he told the assembled politicians and business leaders. "I meet people and they ask, 'How is your Africa cause going?' "I don't think of 6,000 African children dying every day of Aids is a cause; it's an emergency. People dying from mosquito bites is not a cause, it's an emergency." On the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, Bono said those who had watched Jews being sent to their deaths had not asked where they were going. "This time we know where Africans are going, and we, this time, are going to lie in front of the train." At an earlier press conference with Mr Blair and the founder of Microsoft, Bill Gates, Bono said his generation wanted to be remembered for something other than the "war on terror" and the internet. "We want to remembered as the generation that ended stupid poverty." ...
read whole article on: guardian
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SHARON AND ANGELINA CHAMPION CAUSES AT DAVOS....U2 frontman Bono was also at the summit. Sharing a platform with British prime minister Tony Blair and Microsoft tycoon Bill Gates, he appealed to governments to make poverty a thing of the past. "My job as a rock star and activist is to loudly applaud when politicians get it right and to make their lives a misery when they do not," declared the singer. "This generation wants to be remembered for something beyond the war on terrorism and the internet." The Irish star argued that Britain had an "historic opportunity" after recently taking over as president of the G8 group of wealthy nations. And it appears Mr Blair is heeding his call, because he pledged to make the fight against poverty his number one priority....
read whole article on: hellomagazine
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White Man´s Burden.
read whole article on: anorak
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Tony Tops Bill and Bono
read whole article on: mirror
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WHAT´S ON YOUR MIND, MR BLAIR?
read whole article on: mirror
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SUMMIT WRONG IN SCOTLAND TONY?
read whole article on: dailyrecord
:: Regina O'Numb 1/28/2005 12:00:49 PM [+] ::
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