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Brad Pitt thanks Bono for humanitarian advice

Declan O' Reilly — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 16:51:19 +0000

Pitt thanks Bono for humanitarian advice

Friday, January 27, 2012, 19:17

Pitt thanks Bono for humanitarian advice Washington: Brad Pitt has credited Bono for helping him become the man he is today with his humanitarian advice. The movie star admitted to a leading daily that he “sought out” the U2 singer after a visit to Morocco made him realise just how severe poverty was in certain areas of Africa.

The life-changing trip forced Pitt to “get off the couch” and join Bono and the other celebrities who attempt to make a difference in the world. “I sat down with him a few times and got involved in some of the stuff he was doing,” a website has quoted him as saying.

And Pitt reveals it was shortly after that he met his current partner Angelina Jolie on the set of ‘Mr ‘n’ Mrs Smith’. “That may have been one of the things that brought us together. Certainly, I’ve met very few people more dedicated than she is. She is always studying issues, daily. She has such compassion for the people she works with,” he revealed.

Then Pitt knew exactly what to do when Hurricane Katrina swept through his adopted New Orleans, Louisiana in 2005. “There was a responsibility to make it right, which was not being answered wholly, so I decided to make that a focal point and help families return home, and in the process we started discovering the inadequacies of low-income housing,” he stated.

Later the actor co-created the Make It Right Foundation in 2007 and began designing and building cost-effective housing for those left homeless by the storms.

ANI

http://zeenews.india.com

U2 & Pavarotti – Miss Sarajevo

Declan O' Reilly — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 18:39:15 +0000

Your favourite U2 moment of 2011?

Declan O' Reilly — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 18:28:53 +0000

With only a few hours left to go in 2011 here in Ireland, we ask you about your favourite U2 moment of the past year.

Really love to hear some positives on the band to see out the year.

It’s over to you guys.

U2 – Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

Declan O' Reilly — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 20:26:00 +0000

Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) was written by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich along with Phil Spector and was made famous by Darlene Love. This version by U2 was recorded in July 1987 during a sound check at a stop during their Joshua Tree Tour in Glasgow, Scotland.

Yep, you heard right. A Christmas song in July. Very U2. Here it is for your enjoyment.

‘Gentlemen… Let It Out’

Declan O' Reilly — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 20:09:11 +0000

‘Gentlemen… Let It Out’

Metallica

Larry, Adam, Edge and Bono have paid a moving tribute to Metallica as they mark their thirtieth ‘metalliversary’.

‘Do you think they’re really tough? Or are they just putting it on?’

Here’s the clip.

www.u2.com

U2-led music scheme expands its horizons

Declan O' Reilly — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:44:06 +0000

U2-led music scheme expands its horizons

By Katherine Donnelly

Tuesday December 13 2011

MUSIC Generation, the U2-backed programme providing affordable music education for children, is spreading to three more counties.

Children in Cork city, Laois and Wicklow will soon be tuning up thanks to the innovative programme.

Under the scheme, tuition is provided free, or at low cost, to help develop young musical talent whose families might otherwise not be able to afford it.

It is already successfully under way in Louth, Mayo and Sligo and the plan is to support 12 local Music Education Partnerships nationwide by by 2015.

The three counties that were added to the programme yesterday will share €1.7m in funding over the next three years.

In the largest ever philanthropic gift to music education in Ireland, U2 donated €5m to kick-start the scheme, and an additional €2m is being provided by the international charitable network, The Ireland Fund.

The programme is a boon to music teachers, with a jobs bonanza expected in the counties that are involved in the scheme.

U2′s The Edge said access to music for young people was something that was very close to the band’s hearts.

- Katherine Donnelly

www.independent.ie

U2′s Bono and The Edge play favorites with music and movies

Declan O' Reilly — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 11:32:03 +0000

U2′s Bono and The Edge play favorites with music and movies
November 25, 2011 by: Peter Howell

Rick Madonik, Toronto Star
Bono works the crowd outside Roy Thomson Hall during TIFF 2011

U2 singer Bono and guitarist The Edge were supposed to be part of our Friday feature asking about movies they’d recommend to aspiring young talent.

But, like Frank Sinatra, who Bono once sang a duet with, they did things their own way. They didn’t exactly answer our question — What one movie would you recommend an aspiring young actor or director see, and why? – but they spoke with conviction about two favorite albums (Torches and Horses) and one movie (It Might Get Loud).

Bono and The Edge were talking to TIFF’s Thom Powers during the festival last September. It was an on-stage interview to promote Davis Guggenheim’s opening gala film From the Sky Down, a documentary on the difficult creation of U2′s 1991 album, Achtung Baby.

The Star question was posed to them via Twitter. It might have been our fault for confusing them, because we expanded the query slightly to include both albums and films.

But even though their responses didn’t make our feature Friday, we thought you’d like to know what the two albums and one movie are that the U2 gents say rock their world.

Their responses can also be seen and heard in a TIFF video, which is available here, beginning about the 12-minute mark:

Bono, album: “For me, a seminal album for us would have been Patti Smith’s Horses. You talk about brutal honesty: that opening line, ‘Jesus died for somebody’s sins, but not mine.’ When I was 16, I was like, “I do not know what this woman is on about, but I’d better find out.”

Bono, film: “It Might Get Loud. It’s a documentary Davis (Guggenheim) has made on folk music.” (Bono was being both diplomatic — Guggenheim was sitting next to him — and maybe a bit playful. It Might Get Loud isn’t about folk music, as the title hints.)

The Edge (album only, no film mentioned): “I think Torches by Foster the People is a very interesting new album. Very 21st century pop, but it’s beautifully made and thrilling. You see, we’re always interested in the new thing …. As a guitar player, particularly, it seems to me that the guy who has just picked it up for the first time and is learning the instrument might stumble upon some new angle. I’m always fascinated to see where it’s about to go.”

Peter Howell

http://www.toronto.com/

‘Blowing Up U2′

Declan O' Reilly — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:27:28 +0000

‘Blowing Up U2′

‘These two scruff-bags with hoodies and a beard walk through the door, and it’s Bono and Adam, in disguise. They said, ‘We want to blow up the old U2, and go to Berlin to make a new record. Are you interested?’

Flood – otherwise known as Mark Ellis – has worked in the studio with U2 for many years, first, as a sound engineer, and latterly, as producer. (He shared a Grammy for his work on the ‘Album of the Year’ in 2006 How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb.) With the release of the 20th anniversary edition of Achtung Baby, Brian Draper tracked him down for U2.com and asked him to recollect those early days, in particular the role he played in the Hansa and Dublin sessions on Achtung Baby.

U2.com: You first got the call to work with U2 on the Joshua Tree, didn’t you?
Yes. It was nearly April 1st, and I’d been receiving messages that someone in Ireland wanted to contact me. The phone went in the studio, and I was told, “It’s Bono, for you.” So I picked up and said, “OK, who’s winding me up?” But it was him. Whoops.

U2.com: What did he say?
The chaps are doing an album, and would I like to come over and have a try-out, to see if we get along? He liked a couple of things I’d done. And the thing I liked, when I got there, was that he swore a lot. I had assumed Bono wouldn’t swear. So I did a two week trial. They were working on the early stages of the album, demos.

U2.com: Not a bad moment to join, then?
Unbelievable. To come to Ireland and work with the biggest band in the world – or very close to it, then – was like: Oh my God! I’m only 26, but let’s go for it…

U2.com: How was it, working alongside Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois?
I’d been conventionally trained as a recording engineer, but I realised how unconventional their approach to everything was. Everything. I had to tear up the rule book I’d been using for six years and start again. It was like I’d woken up in another place, a good place, a happy place.

U2.com: And U2 wanted you back. You got the call for Achtung Baby!
Yes, though I didn’t actually get ‘the call’. Depeche Mode were playing Giants Stadium (after we’d recorded Violator together) and I was sitting on my high throne in the press box, getting absolutely mullered, thinking, ‘How good does this get?’, when Anton Corbjin says, ‘Flood, I have a couple of people to see you.’
These two scruff-bags with hoodies and a beard walk through the door, and it’s Bono and Adam, in disguise. So we were all there, having a few jars, and they said, ‘We want to blow up the old U2, and go to Berlin to make a new record. Are you interested?’

U2.com: How much can you plan for something as profound as ‘blowing up U2’ ahead of time? Or do you just show up with some dynamite?
Well, it is a big deal, but it’s strange: there’s such a level of respect amongst those musicians and the producers that everyone’s on the same wavelength.
The band couldn’t go back to where they were – that was the overriding philosophy. They were saying to me, ‘Be as free as you want to be. Try everything!’ I’d been working with Depeche and Nine Inch Nails, so they were looking for some of that ‘industrial’ input.
But every day, they’d say, ‘It’s too much like the old thing.’ I remember hearing Trying to Throw Your Arms Around the World – it sounded like a campfire version, to start with. I was saying, ‘Oh, that sounds good,’ and they were saying, ‘NO! It can’t be like this!’
Everybody knew what they didn’t want.

U2.com: So how do you find what they do want?
Bono puts it perfectly: ‘You have the material, and then you circle it.’
A good example is One. That was pretty much the only backing track that was done in Berlin. It took about an afternoon, once things fell into place; they did the melody, the chords, all in about three takes. Everyone’s going, ‘It’s amazing, it’s a classic song, it’s brilliant, it’s U2!’ and there was a great sense of relief from the band.
But Eno and I were saying, ‘It’s a brilliant song, but boy.. is it a pedestrian, boring arrangement?’ So we spent six months trying every which way with it. It doesn’t seem very different, but many tiny things went in to shifting it away from the traditional sound.

U2.com: Like what?
The drums, for a start. For ages, we were experimenting with big heavy drums. But Danny had an idea for Larry to play with a delay effect on the whole kit. It gives it that sort of tumbling feel – it’s not obvious in the finished mix, but it’s there – and it gave Larry a different way of attacking the song, too.
I also started to work out that drums in mono could be just as powerful, without having to be as loud. That’s one of the major subtleties on Achtung Baby: most of the drums are in mono, which is very, very unusual.’

(In Part 2 of our conversation with Flood he recalls the tension in the studio during recording, coming up with the voice for The Fly and finally ‘standing on top of Everest’ when the record was finished.)

http://www.u2.com

U2 head back to Hanover Quay studio to work on new album

Declan O' Reilly — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 15:28:19 +0000

Good news on the album front. And U2 one too. As reported in the article by the Irish Independent U2 headed back to the studio to work presumably on their next album. Details are still rather sketchy as the article picks up mostly on Bono being there. We have no idea if all the band were there photograph wise, however the article does states that U2 were there, so we’ll take that as a full band attendance. As soon as we get more information we’ll update this post. Meanwhile, we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief. The very fact Bono was seen at U2′s Hanover Quay studio and spent time chatting to fans there is such good news in itself.

Stay tuned.

Super Channel picks up Guggenheim’s U2 doc

Declan O' Reilly — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 21:49:11 +0000

Super Channel picks up Guggenheim’s U2 doc

by Adam Benzine

Canadian network Super Channel has picked up From the Sky Down (pictured), Davis Guggenheim’s documentary on Irish band U2, which earlier this year became the first doc to ever open the Toronto International Film Festival.

The deal was brokered by Sandra Murphy, director of program sales for BBC Worldwide Canada, which picked up the TV rights for the doc in September. The network will premiere the doc on November 19, at 9.pm. EST.

The film celebrates the 20th anniversary of U2’s 1991 album Achtung Baby!, the creation of which marked a major turning point for the band musically.

Earlier this year, U2 returned to Hansa Studios in Berlin, the site where they first recorded the album, with Oscar-winning director Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth, Waiting for “Superman”) in tow, to make the doc.

Hilary Read, BBCWW Canada’s COO, said: “Long-time U2 devotees and new fans alike will be drawn to this up-close, intimate portrait that Davis Guggenheim has created of one of the world’s most talented and influential musical acts.

“The film was incredibly well-received at the Toronto International Film Festival this year. It’s great to be partnering with Super Channel to give From the Sky Down its TV debut in Canada.”

Following the film’s September 8 premiere at TIFF, Guggenheim and U2 band members Bono and The Edge held a press conference to discuss the making of the film and highlight their favorite rock documentaries, paying praise to filmmakers including Jonathan Demme, DA Pennebaker and Martin Scorsese, as previously reported.

http://realscreen.com

‘Bono was very mannerly and the Edge would listen to every word you said’

Declan O' Reilly — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 12:41:18 +0000

‘Bono was very mannerly and the Edge would listen to every word you said’

By Peter McCluskey

Saturday November 12 2011

Novelist Peter McCluskey recalls his band supporting U2 in 1979

This photo really takes me back. It was taken in the dressing room of the Dublin venue McGonagles around Christmas 1979. That’s me with the glasses and blue windcheater, with Bono and Ali Hewson behind me. Ali is fluffing up Bono’s hair as he’s just about to go on stage.

The guy with his head down is Denis Rusk, the lead guitarist in my band The Strougers. I played rhythm guitar.

That year was one of the most exciting times in our lives.

I spent my youth on the Navan Road, hanging out with friends, but I was never any good at basketball or soccer.

Then punk rock came along and anyone could be in a band. Suddenly, all our friends were coming to see us play. By chance, we ended up doing a few gigs with U2 in places such as Howth Community Centre, and the Dandelion Market, as they were just starting out too.

You wouldn’t believe how many other Dublin bands hated U2 back then. They hated them because they thought they were loaded rich kids, or seemed arrogant.

Playing with them, I never found U2 like that. I suppose I was one of their first fans.

Bono was always very mannerly if we were chatting to him before a gig. I remember distinctly that if you spoke to Edge, he gave you his complete attention. He wouldn’t be messing, or getting distracted; he would listen to every word you said.

Then U2 would plug in and play. I can’t possibly explain how good U2 sounded playing to 20 people.

For a start, Larry Mullen had come out of the Artane Boys Band so he was a proper drummer. He could make this unbelievable racket. Edge had this very futuristic-looking Gibson Explorer guitar but he could really play it, and Adam completed the sound.

Towards the end of 1979, we ended up playing McGonagles the same night that U2 were doing the late show.

A friend took this picture on my Olympus camera, which I’d just bought. I remember taking lots of shots that night and Bono getting thrown by the flash constantly going off, but he never complained.

If you’re wondering why I’m wearing a blue windcheater if I was a punk back then, all I’ll say is it was a wet December night in Dublin and I wasn’t going to get drowned coming in from the Navan Road, new wave or no new wave.

Not long after this picture, things changed radically for U2. We stopped playing with them and they moved into a different league, releasing an album and touring America.

A couple of years later, myself and Strougers’ bass player Shay Hiney went to see U2 playing a huge gig at the RDS. We bumped into their manager Paul McGuinness and, remembering us, he gave us tickets to the aftershow.

We walked straight into Bono, who was now a big star. I remember Shay telling Bono that his girlfriend was on the way to the party, and that she was a huge U2 fan.

For a laugh, Bono starting asking Shay all these questions about ‘Jenny’, then disappeared.

We thought that was the last we’d see of him. But, later in the evening, he was back and straight over to Shay and his girlfriend. ‘You must be Jenny, Shay’s girlfriend,’ Bono said, and he started listing off all these things he knew about her.

Jenny couldn’t believe it because she was a massive U2 fan and Bono knew everything about her. We laughed and laughed.

People say to me, ‘Your band and U2 were playing around Dublin at the same time, yet they became global superstars and you didn’t’.

They expect me to be envious, but I’m not all. I was delighted U2 made it, because the night this picture was taken in McGonagles, I had already picked U2 out as a band with a future.

I think I got that one right.

Peter McCluskey’s latest book is called ‘My Little Lighthouse’

Interview by Ken Sweeney

- Peter McCluskey

http://www.independent.ie

‘All Three Show Openers…’

Declan O' Reilly — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 11:38:07 +0000

‘All Three Show Openers…’

Band members aside, few know U2360° as well as Show Director Willie Williams.

But forced to choose only 22 songs in selecting the tracks for ‘U22′... what would he choose?

Here’s Willie’s thinking and, below, his tracklisting. Jump into the comments with what you think of what he’s included… and what he’s left out.

‘This was a difficult choice mostly because, through complete force of
habit, I kept thinking of it as a set list. It became considerably
easier once I’d abandoned the notion of this list ever being performed
live so I could start with all three openings of the show - first the
2010 opening (‘Stingray’), moving on to the 2011 opening (‘Real Thing’) then
popping back for the 2009 opening (Breathe).

There was temptation to
abandon all the hits in favour of the rarities but given that this is in
some way supposed to represent the tour there were a few reinvented
classics which it would have been rude to leave out – the ‘Arab Spring’
remake of Sunday Bloody Sunday, the intense 360 immersive version of
‘Still Haven’t Found’ and, most of all, Beautiful Day as a ‘duet’, with
Commander Mark Kelly performing on the International Space Station.

The pillars of the 360 show have to be there of course: City of Blinding
Lights, ‘I’ll Go Crazy’, Moment of Surrender, ‘Boots’. It is also a great
opportunity to immortalise some of the songs that only appeared briefly
on the 360 tour, particularly Your Blue Room and the spontaneous medley
of All I Want is You / Love Rescue Me. It seems only right to give
space to the songs that we may not hear performed again for some time
(Scarlet, Unforgettable Fire) and then there are my personal favourites
to cram in (Ultraviolet, Zooropa, No Line).

Given enough space I would
have probably included all 46 songs (plus the unreleased ones and a few
more that never made it beyond soundcheck) as they all played their part
in building the character of the tour. However, the rules said 22 only
so, for better or worse, this is how I’ll remember U2360° – a remarkable
collection of U2 songs that references every one of their albums… if
you count the 16 bars of ‘Discotheque’ mashed into ‘I’ll Go Crazy’.

The Return of the Stingray Guitar
Even Better Than the Real Thing
Breathe
Get on Your Boots
I Still Haven’t Found
One Tree Hill
No Line on the Horizon
The Unforgettable Fire
All I Want is You / Love Rescue Me
Beautiful Day (with Mark Kelly)
Your Blue Room
Unknown Caller
Zooropa
City of Blinding Lights
I’ll Go Crazy
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Scarlet
Bad
Hold Me Thrill Me
Ultraviolet
Moment of Surrender
Out of Control

The standout track? Has to be Ultraviolet. Listen carefully enough and you can almost hear the mirror ball…‘

(If you already subscribe to U2.com don’t forget to cast your vote and
if you don’t, here’s everything you need to know about ‘U22′.)

http://www.u2.com

U2 & Willie Nelson singing “Slow Dancing”

Declan O' Reilly — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 22:03:44 +0000

Unforgettable fire flickering out as U2 ponder end of the road

Declan O' Reilly — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 11:02:18 +0000

Unforgettable fire flickering out as U2 ponder end of the road

Now Bono’s pal Guggi stirs the debate on the band’s future

Bono in his pomp on stage in London in 1984

By Mark O’Regan

Saturday November 05 2011

LEGENDARY rockers U2 are thinking “very seriously” about breaking up, one of their closest friends believes.

Artist Derek ‘Guggi’ Rowan, a childhood friend of U2 frontman Bono, says the band are weighing up their options, and a split remains very much on the cards.

Bono fuelled frenetic speculation about the future of the band, who have been together for 35 years. He has been questioning the band’s relevance, despite recently completing the highest grossing music tour in history.

Guggi said yesterday: “I get the impression that they’re thinking, and thinking very seriously about it (breaking up).”

But he also said there has been no confirmation one way or the other from Bono as regards the group’s future intentions.

“I was walking through Easons and the break-up story was on the front cover of a tabloid newspaper. I was with Bono days before I read it and he didn’t say anything to me about it,” he said.

Asked whether he believes now is the time for such a landmark decision, he stressed the band will know when the time is right to call it a day.

“I love hanging out with them when they’re on the road. What I would like them to do is whatever is best for them as artists — that has got to be the number one priority,” he stressed.

Guggi’s comments at Inclusion Ireland’s 50th Anniversary Competition at the Art Fair in the RDS will spark fresh fears that the end is nigh for the Irish rockers.

The four U2 members have been playing together since they were teens, and under the careful management of Paul McGuinness, have become one of the most successful rock groups of all time, raking up multi-million euro fortunes in the process.

Last month, ‘Rolling Stone’ magazine interviewed Bono, when he first began hinting that the U2 juggernaut may have finally run its course. He expressed fears that the band may have lost its momentum and perhaps the time had come for himself, Larry Mullen Jnr, The Edge and Adam Clayton to part company sometime in 2012.

“I’m not so sure the future hasn’t dried up,” said the 51-year-old. “It’s quite likely you might hear from us next year but it’s equally possible that you won’t.

“We have so many new songs, some of our best. But I’m putting some time aside to just go and get lost in the music. I want to take my young boys, and my wife, and just disappear with my iPod Nano and some books and an acoustic guitar.”

Frenzied rumours quickly followed, with fans and critics alike posting messages on the internet, lamenting the possible end to one of the greatest music odysseys of recent decades.

But Bono also admitted that he has been getting some stick from bandmates about his ongoing doubts over U2′s future. “The band are like, ‘Will you shut up about being irrelevant?’”

The group recently re-released their 1991 classic album ‘Achtung Baby’, but Bono has expressed worry about whether the band holds the same clout it once did.

But he said re-releasing the classic album has proved something of a cathartic experience and may pave the way for a new direction for U2.

“Being forced to look back at this period reminds me of how we might re-emerge for the next phase,” he says. “And that doesn’t mean that you have to wear some mad welder’s goggles or dress up in women’s clothing. Reinvention is much deeper than that.”

Over more than three decades in the business, U2 have released 12 studio albums and have sold more than 150 million records worldwide.

- Mark O’Regan

U2 impress with new material

Declan O' Reilly — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 10:49:12 +0000

U2 impress with new material

added: 5 Nov 2011 // by: newsdesk

U2 have recorded some ‘amazing’ tracks with RedOne.

The Irish rockers have no plans to put out a new record in the near future. They have been working on songs though and have laid down tracks for three albums.

They are keen to go in a new direction, so have enlisted the help of producer RedOne. The producer has previously worked with Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull.

‘We have yes. We’ve done some amazing work with RedOne. it’s shocking. I just played the tracks to Michael Stipe. He was like, ‘What?!’ It doesn’t sound like U2,’ Bono enthused.

Bassist Adam Clayton is also excited about the songs. He explained the band initially thought their new work would be like 2009′s No Line on the Horizon but they’ve now gone in another direction.

‘At first we went into this record with a bit of a sketchpad mentality,’ he explained to Q magazine. ‘We thought there was more material left over from No Line. We now feel a long way from that material. We don’t want to go back there. we experimented on working with redone ‘ and some very good pop songs and club-y things came out of that.’

Billboard Touring Awards: U2, Bon Jovi, Take That Are Top Finalists

Declan O' Reilly — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 15:30:34 +0000

Billboard Touring Awards: U2, Bon Jovi, Take That Are Top Finalists

by Billboard Staff | November 04, 2011 10:50 EDT

Don Arnold/WireImage

U2, Bon Jovi, Take That, Kenny Chesney, Taylor Swift, and Usher are among the finalists for the set for Nov. 10 at the Roosevelt Hotel ballroom in New York City. The awards are primarily based on box office numbers reported to Billboard Boxscore from Oct. 1, 2010, through Sept. 30, 2011.

“To a large degree, the touring industry rebounded this year, and the tours, venues, companies and events that are finalists for the 2011 Billboard Touring Awards are examples of the types of shows that worked,” says Billboard’s Ray Waddell. “The wide range of success shown by the finalists proves superstars are still superstars, artist development is still happening, and fans still love the live concert experience.”
Don’t miss the 8th Annual Billboard Touring Conference & Awards, taking place November 9-10 at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York. Now in its 8th year, the conference features unique programming that informs, educates and provides a forum for promoters, agents, managers, venues, sponsors, merchandisers, ticketing companies and all touring-related businesses about the industry’s latest opportunities, current challenges and biggest successes.

The finalists for the Top Tour, based on Boxscore gross, and Top Draw, based on Boxscore attendance, are the same three acts: U2 for their record-setting 360 tour; Bon Jovi with their massively successful Circle tour; and Take That’s European/U.K. tour, which shattered box office records as the reunited group went out again with breakout superstar Robbie Williams.

Finalists for the Top Package award, which goes to the top-grossing tour with three or more artists on the bill, include six-time winner Kenny Chesney for his Goin’ Coastal tour; http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/touring/kenny-chesney-on-verge-of-touring-milestone-1005296162.story Usher’s OMG tour, and Taylor Swift’s Speak Now tour.

The finalists for Top Boxscore, which recognizes the highest-grossing single engagement for the time period, are Take That for their stands at Wembley Stadium, and City of Manchester Stadium, and U2′s mega-show at Estádio do Morumbi, São Paulo, Brazil. Finalists for the Breakthrough Award, which honors an artist in their first decade of headlining who cracked the top 25 tours for the first time, are Katy Perry, Jason Aldean, and Rihanna.

The Billboard Touring Awards culminates the two-day Billboard Touring Conference, presented by ShowClix, taking place at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City on November 9-10. The conference unites today’s top touring professionals to discuss the current state of the industry. This unique event includes provocative panels, productive roundtables and networking opportunities with touring industry power players and decision makers.

The complete list of finalists for the 2011 Billboard Touring Awards:

TOP TOUR
Bon Jovi, The Circle
Take That, Progress Live
U2, 360

TOP DRAW
Bon Jovi
Take That
U2

TOP PACKAGE
-Kenny Chesney’s Goin’ Coastal tour, with Zac Brown Band, Uncle Kracker, Billy Currington
-Taylor Swift’s Speak Now tour, with Needtobreathe, Danny Gokey, Frankie Ballard, others
-Usher’s OMG tour, with Miguel, Trey Songz, others

BREAKTHROUGH
Jason Aldean
Katy Perry
Rihanna

TOP COMEDY TOUR
Jeff Dunham
Peter Kay
Robin Williams

TOP BOXSCORE
Take That, Wembley Stadium, London – June 30-July 9
Take That – City of Manchester (U.K.) Stadium – June 3-12
U2 – Estádio do Morumbi, São Paulo, Brazil – April 9-13

TOP PROMOTER
AEG Live
Live Nation Entertainment
SJM

TOP INDEPENDENT PROMOTER (U.S.)
Beaver Productions, New Orleans
C3 Presents, Austin, Texas
Jam Productions, Chicago

TOP INDEPENDENT PROMOTER (International)
Michael Coppel Presents, Australia
SJM, London
T4F, Sao Paulo, Brazil

TOP MANAGER
Bon Jovi Management
Front Line Management Group
Principle Management

TOP AGENCY
Artists Group International
Creative Artists Agency
William Morris Endeavor Entertainment

TOP FESTIVAL
Austin City Limits Music Festival, Austin, Texas
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Indio, Calif.
Lollapalooza, Chicago

TOP AMPHITHEATER
Comcast Center, Mansfield, Mass.
The Gorge, George, Wash.
Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, Calif.

TOP ARENA
Allphones Arena, Sydney
O2 Arena, London
Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne

TOP VENUE – UNDER 10,000 SEATS
Auditorio Nacional, Mexico City
Radio City Music Hall, New York
The Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York

TOP VENUE – UNDER 5,000 SEATS
Beacon Theatre, New York
The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas
Fox Theatre, Atlanta

TOP CLUB (based on attendance)
9:30 Club, Washington, D.C.
House Of Blues, Chicago
House Of Blues, Orlando

CONCERT MARKETING & PROMOTION AWARD
-Weezer Memories Tour, Driven by State Farm
-Dave Matthews Band Caravan/Brita FilterForGood
-AT&T/Samsung Present the Keith Urban Get Closer Tour
-Zac Brown Band Eat and Greets Sponsored By Kingsford Charcoal
-Natasha Bedingfield Less Is More Tour Presented By Freschetta
-Taylor Swift Speak Now World Tour 2011 Sponsored by COVERGIRL
-Foo Fighters Garage Tour Presented by BlackBerry

Eventful Fans’ Choice Award
(TBA)

The Apple Award
Perry Farrell

Humanitarian Award
Coran Capshaw

Legend Of Live
Journey

U2 singer Bono praises philanthropy of Apple’s Steve Jobs

Declan O' Reilly — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 21:39:37 +0000

U2 singer Bono praises philanthropy of Apple’s Steve Jobs

By Katie Marsal
Published: 09:18 AM EST (06:18 AM PST)

Bono, the frontman for the band U2, spoke out this week in praise of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, lauding his numerous contributions to AIDS research.

Bono’s statement came in a letter to The New York Times, and was written in response to a column from the paper’s own Andrew Ross Sorkin, entitled “The Mystery of Steve Jobs’s Public Giving.” In that column, Sorkin questioned why there is “no public record” of Jobs donating his money to charity.

Coming to the defense of Jobs in a letter to the editor, Bono noted that Apple’s contribution to fight against AIDS in Africa has been “invaluable.” Bono is the founder of (Product)RED, a charity aimed at battling AIDS that Apple has supported with special red iPod models since 2006.

Bono said that Apple has been the largest contributor to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, revealing that the company has given tens of millions of dollars toward H.I.V. testing, treatment and counseling.

“This is serious and significant,” Bono wrote. “And Apple’s involvement has encouraged other companies to step up.”

Quoting Jobs specifically, Bono revealed that he spoke with the Apple co-founder himself when pitching the (Product)RED collaboration. “There is nothing better than the chance to save lives,” he quoted Jobs as saying.

Writing from his home of Dublin, Ireland, Bono referred to Jobs as a “poetic fellow, an artist and a businessman.” He said he is “proud” to know Jobs.

U2 lead singer Bono in 2009, via Wikipedia.

“Just because he’s been extremely busy, that doesn’t mean that he and his wife, Laurene, have not been thinking about these things,” he wrote. “You don’t have to be a friend of his to know what a private person he is or that he doesn’t do things by halves.”

U2 and Apple have been close for years, and in 2004 the company even released a U2 Special Edition iPod. Songs by the band have appeared in a number of Apple commercials, and even the “Artists” tab in the iOS iPod application features a silhouette of Bono himself.

http://www.appleinsider.com

U2, Gaelic Football, And The Price Of Fame In Ireland

Declan O' Reilly — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 21:10:54 +0000

U2, Gaelic Football, And The Price Of Fame In Ireland

Before attending my first Gaelic football match, I had absolutely no idea how the game worked. All I knew was that it incorporated elements of soccer, rugby and Australian football, and that, according to a cheerful Dublin pubgoer I met, it was incumbent upon any self-respecting Irishman to root for Donegal.

After watching the aforementioned footballers fall to Dublin the next day at hallowed Croke Park, I can’t say that I now have a much firmer grasp on the rules that govern what is arguably Ireland’s most popular spectator sport (Not that anybody else seems to, either—when I asked one fan what constitutes an illegal tackle, he said: “Unclear.”) But I did learn something even more puzzling than the intricacies of squares, soloing and hand-passing: all Gaelic football stars play for free.

Gaelic football, it turns out, is still classified as an amateur sport. This designation comes despite the fact that many of the athletes play well into their 20s and sometimes 30s, their feats responsible for frequent sellouts of stadiums like the 82,000-seat Croke Park. For appearing in advertisements, Gaelic footballers receive scant payment, if any.

“It depends,” explained a middle-aged Dublin supporter at the match, helping herself to a fistful of my popcorn. “Maybe 200 Euros, maybe 500.”

By contrast, stars of similar stature in the U.S. often receive multimillion-dollar endorsement contracts—sometimes more lucrative than the deals they sign with their teams. When LeBron James signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers as the top pick in the 2003 NBA draft, his standard rookie contract was dwarfed by his $90 million pact with Nike.

Gaelic football players have no such agreements; they don’t benefit from the sales of their jerseys, either. Most work day jobs while the proceeds of ticket sales and the like accrue to the Gaelic Athletic Association, which in turn doles out cash to individual clubs to cover expenses, or to help build and maintain stadiums like Croke Park.

Meanwhile the footballers’ countrymen in the band U2 have been selling out 80,000-seat stadiums–including Croke Park for three nights in a row in 2009–on a nightly basis for the past few years. The band recently completed the most lucrative tour of all time, grossing over $700 million in total ticket sales. The band does six figure per night on gross merchandise alone, likely not far from the amount generated by the Dublin-Donegal match, and the individual rockers reap a good chunk of the benefits.

Why, then, do Gaelic football players ply their trade for free? According to my popcorn-mooching compatriot, it’s something nobler: pride. Because all players must play for their home counties, the games are one of the few concrete ways of exerting regional bragging rights. If the GAA were to open up the game to free agency, that would be lost, and wealthier counties would have a decided advantage.

There are other benefits to having a relatively un-commercialized national pastime, perhaps best articulated to me by an elderly Dublin supporter in a plaid beret.

“I was at an American football game, and it was a bloody disgrace,” he said. “American football is for old pensioners. They play for two minutes and then stop for a tea break. The television takes over.”

For someone such as myself, who makes a living by studying and chronicling the monetization of success and fame, it’s hard not to find fascination in a cursory examination of Gaelic football. In many ways, the state of the sport resembles the early days of American athletics, when most players were paid so little they had to work in the offseason.

It seems quite possible, for better or worse, that Ireland’s pastime will eventually become a fully compensated professional sport. Indeed, it is a topic of frequent debate on the Emerald Isle, and laws of supply and demand suggest that barring a change, top athletes will drop the game in favor of rugby or soccer, which are paid.

But perhaps a fundamental miscalculation lies in the assumption that all cultures value fame as America does—something that could and should be monetized. Though it may seem naïve to assume, perhaps glory really is worth more to some than to others, and can keep alive the current state of affairs in Gaelic football.

Player salaries and commercial breaks aside, the most bizarre part of my experience at Croke Park had nothing to do with money. As I walked back to my seat after grabbing a pint of Carlsberg, I was scolded by an usher—no alcohol allowed inside. Good thing there were plenty of pubs nearby to wash off the sting of a Donegal defeat.

For more on the intersection of sports, music and money, check out my business-focused Jay-Z biography, Empire State of Mind. You can also follow me on Twitter.

http://www.forbes.com

U2 dedicate ‘Stuck In A Moment’ to Amy Winehouse – video

Declan O' Reilly — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 20:26:01 +0000

U2 dedicate ‘Stuck In A Moment’ to Amy Winehouse – video

Band honour late singer during Minneapolis gig

Photo: PA

U2 dedicated their 2001 single ‘Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of’ to Amy Winehouse during their show at Minneapolis’s TCF Stadium on Saturday (July 23).

The band originally wrote the song for former INXS singer Michael Hutchence, who committed suicide in 1997 and was a close friend of members of the band. On Saturday though, they played the song in tribute to Winehouse, who had been found dead hours earlier in her house in Camden, London.

Before playing the song, Bono said from the stage: “We wrote this next song for Michael Hutchence, but you will understand tonight if we play it for Amy Winehouse.”

http://www.nme.com

How To: Survive the U2 General Admission Line

Declan O' Reilly — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 18:44:46 +0000

How To: Survive the U2 General Admission Line

Allison | Jul 16, 2011

How close will you be to the awesomeness?

No, I’m sorry, U2 general admission ticket holders – you cannot waltz into St. Louis’ Busch Stadium at 7 p.m. this Sunday and expect to find a great spot on the floor. What’s that? You had no idea that you’d have to fight 10,000 people for a decent spot? Fine, fine. I, as a veteran of about 20 U2 shows and a generally lovely person, will give you pointers to help you survive your GA experience without wanting to throw Bono’s doppleganger into the Mississippi.

Get familiar with Busch Stadium’s rules. There’s a special U2 page on the St. Louis Cardinals’ website about what you can and cannot bring to the line and to the stadium. Read and understand all of this thoroughly. Don’t be the jerk holding up the line, arguing with security when they try to confiscate your giant camera lens.

Get the lay of the land. Or the lay of the “claw.” Look at Busch Stadium maps for gate numbers, restrooms and concessions. Check out info about U2?s stages and the “claw” structure and figure out where the setup is in relation to the Busch Stadium stuff you’ve already reviewed. Find maps of downtown St. Louis so you know where Metrolink stops, parking garages, grocery and convenience stores and public restrooms are. And if you want to be uber-prepared, read my review of last week’s Chicago show. Knowledge is power, and if you’re familiar with this stuff in advance, you can made good decisions about places to stand once you’re inside the stadium.

If you nab a decent spot on the floor, these guys might fling sweat on you. Lucky!

The GA line forms at 7 a.m. at Gate 5 on Clark Street. Fans were allowed to camp out at some venues on previous U2 tours, but this year, most venues are nixing that. If you want a spot in the inner circle or a primo position on the center rail of the outer circle, get there no later than 10 a.m. A local news station reported Saturday morning that some fans were already at the stadium giving out numbered line tickets, presumably so people would have their places in line held while they went off and did whatever before the show on Sunday. But fan-written tickets mean nothing, and I’ve confirmed with Busch Stadium officials by phone and in person that those with fan-provided numbers will have no greater chance at a spot at the front of the GA line than those who do not. The only way to get to the front of the line is to be there early.

Decide to park or ride Metro immediately. Both have pros and cons. With parking, you’ll pay out the wazoo but will have a place to stash fold-up chairs and coolers; then again, you may have to hoof it several blocks, depending on which garages and lots are available. With Metro (bus or light rail), you’ll wait in line with a huge crowd of drunk, sweaty people at a platform or bus stop after the show, but you can travel lightly and avoid parking costs and traffic. Personally, I prefer public transit and am gearing my suggestions in this post to carrying as little as possible. Your mileage may vary, of course.

Make peace with disposables for one day. I know it’s not very green, but you won’t want to hold a heavy bag of junk when you’re jumping around and cheering for The Edge. Instead, plan on throwing a ton of stuff away. In a paper or plastic grocery bag, bring the following things for a bit of comfort: a towel from the dollar store (to protect your bum on the hard sidewalk); magazines, catalogues and junk mail (to read); cheap playing cards (to prevent boredom and crown you as GA party royalty); and inexpensive flip-flops (to wear only in line instead of the sweaty sneakers you should bring for the actual show- apply sunblock to your feet!). Throw all of this stuff away when security begins shoring up the line in the late afternoon (usually around 3 or 4 p.m.).

Don’t dress for the fashion runway. Seriously, light sandals or fancy clothes will make you miserable after 15 hours in line and at the show. Remember that you’ll be sitting on dirt or concrete and then jumping around on aluminum floor thingy. Wear good sneakers and lightweight, loose clothing that can breathe and that you won’t mind getting sweaty and dirty. And ladies, leave the giant purses or tiny clutches at home. You’ll want to be able to wave your hands like you just don’t care, so get a light, tiny messenger bag for the essentials: ID, credit card, cash, lipbalm with sunscreen and tickets. You’ll likely even have room for a shirt from the merch table if you fold it properly.

Be a technophobe. Leave the MP3 players, tablets and handheld video games at home. They’re cumbersome and will weigh you down, and they might break or be stolen.

Bring a camera and batteries. This is an exception to the no-electronics advice I just gave you. You likely will use much of your cellphone juice to prevent boredom in line, so you might not have enough power to take photos or tweet during both Interpol’s and U2?s sets with your phone. Bring a light pocket camera with extra batteries with you for the show, or make sure you have a spare cellphone battery.

Beware of the sun. Busch Stadium doesn’t have many shady areas around it, so be prepared to bake. Before you leave your house, apply a quality sunscreen and let it soak into your skin for about 10 minutes; tote that half-empty bottle of sunscreen with you to apply later in line and then toss the bottle. Bring a verrrrrry cheap umbrella or parasol with you to help block the rays until you can pitch it as you head into the stadium. Wear a lightweight hat with a wide brim (Bust out those Derby hats, ladies!).

Don’t go hungry. Eat a hearty breakfast before leaving home. Bring small yet filling snacks with you to nibble throughout the day, such as energy/protein/meal bars, granola bars and nuts. You can grab concession-stand food for dinner once you’re inside the stadium (More on that later.). Bring water with you, but know that 1) your water eventually will get warm without a cooler, 2) you will have to decide to throw away your cooler or take it to your car before the show (See info above about parking), and 3) you may have to pee.

Consider your bladder. Other venues like Chicago’s Soldier Field had in-garage restrooms and porta-potties available to the GA line, but there’s no guarantee that Busch Stadium will do the same. Determine how strong your bladder is, or scope out restroom opportunities around the city (CityGarden has porta-potties available; bring toilet paper and hand sanitizer.).

Make friends. Most U2 fans are used to the GA experience and love taking new concertgoers under their wings. Don’t be afraid to strike up conversations with those around you. Simply asking someone about their favorite U2 song, how many shows they’ve attended or what else they’re checking out in St. Louis will help forge a connection and make them more likely that they’ll hold your spot if you leave the line to use the restroom or to your car. People travel from around the world to see U2 shows, so remember that you’ll meet interesting people who may offer you a friend or a place to stay for a future show.

Don’t abuse privileges. Even though U2 fans are friendly, they’re also people who generally abide by a common code of decency. If someone kindly offers to hold your spot while you fetch food, be a nice person and ask if they would like anything. Make sure you return to the line within an hour. And even if you happen to be in line at 7 a.m., it’s not cool to let your friends jump into line with you at 4 p.m. as you’re preparing to head into the stadium. Most people are ok if you welcome your friends to the line up to an hour after you arrive, but don’t push it. Don’t be that jerk – it’s rude, and you’ll be booed and possibly thrown out.

Listen to the security guys. They’ve been really helpful at most of my other shows. They’ll make a number of important announcements about procedures and restrooms, especially around the beginning of your time in line, around noon, and leading up to herding everyone inside the stadium, which often happens between 3 and 5 p.m.

Know the entrance procedure. It varies from venue to venue, but it usually goes something like this: Get rid of your belongings around 3 p.m.. Tighten up the line around 4 p.m. Enter about 100 people at a time at 5 p.m. Get a general floor wristband. Get an inner circle wristband (if you’re among the first 700-1000 in line, usually). Walk through the bowels of the stadium. Walk onto the field and claim your spot.

Don’t give into temptation. You’ll want to pee, eat, buy stuff and generally relax, but don’t do it! Ignore that first merch table and nachos stand! Go get your spot first! Lots of exclamation points on this one, because the good spots will fill up quickly! Once you claim your piece of turf, have your friend (or, if you came alone, a new U2 line buddy) hold your spot by “being big,” as I like to say – they should spread their legs out and stand with their hands on their hips cheerleader-style, or plop right down on the floor and stretch out their legs to save enough room for you. Quickly use the restroom, buy your commemorative t-shirt (that proves you were there, that you heard of them first*), get your chicken fingers and head back down to the field so that you can save your buddy’s spot as he or she heads out to do the same.

Choose concessions wisely. I’ve learned from experience that downing a cheese pizza while sitting on hot aluminum and then jumping around in 100-degree heat isn’t the best idea. I know you’ll probably be starving, but try to find something that won’t be heavy in your tummy – lightly salted fries or *gulp* a salad honestly will do you well. And remember that although it’s necessary to stay hydrated, your bladder will yell at you. Remember our rule about determining how much liquid you can handle? I personally don’t move from my spot from the time I fetch food to the time Bono blows kisses to the audience, but I’ve got a bladder of steel.

Know what the inner circle is. You’ll learn from your research that U2 uses a main stage, an outer circle runway and moving bridges from the main stage to the runway. In front of the main stage is the inner circle, where the first 700-1000 fans (give or take, depending on venue) with special wristbands get the choice to enter. Like anything, there are pros and cons to being in the inner circle. Pros include having more space to jump and dance, being able to leave and return through a special entrance (facilitating restroom and food breaks) and being close to the main stage. Cons include needing to get into line very early, seeing band members’ backs as they prance the runway (which happens quite often), splitting time between watching whomever is on the runway and whomever is left on the stage, and not being able to take in the entire spectacle in one swoop. Decide before you enter the stadium if the inner circle is something you want.

Have fun! Unless someone is forcing you to see U2, you obviously want to be there. Enjoy the weird spectacle that is the 360 tour, and look up from your phone periodically to savor the experience.

http://www.reviewstl.com