March 30, 2008
Bono & The Edge Drinking in Dalkey
The Edge, Bono, Simon Carmody - Dalkey, Bondi Beach Club, Santry Shankill Skerries Stepaside Stillorgan, Dublin - EXCLUSIVE ALLROUND: U2 members Bono and The Edge spotted having pints of Guinness on a Sunday afternoon outside 'The Queens Pub' in Dalkey Village with friends including Simon Carmody. Photos were taken by a member of the public who turned into a paparazzo when he spotted iconic rock stars having a drink. Good Man! Dublin, Ireland - 30.03.08. source: vipireland

Bono & Thee Edge Papped by Punter...
Some days we break-our-balls searching for celebs to snap, other days, the photos just fall into our lap. Thanks to the keen eye of an avid reader of ShowBiz Ireland; a punter turned paparazzo when he spotted Bono having a Guinness with The Edge last Sunday...


... showbizireland

March 29, 2008:

'U23D' Opens in More Countries

'U23D' opens in Argentina and Hungary this weekend, with the Phillippines, Portugal and Poland set to host the film from next week.


If you're in Argentina we hear the film is set to open at the IMAX in Buenos Aires, check local listings. And if you're in Hungary, Budapest is the city to head for - more details online in country. We'll bring you more as we get it.

source: U2.com

Daniel Lanois lets his life's work show through
The notable producer and guitarist reveals his approach to music with a new film and album. Both are titled 'Here Is What Is.'
By John Payne, Special to The Times
March 29, 2008
Artful and highly informative views of a life behind and inside the music, Daniel Lanois' new film "Here Is What Is" and self-released album of the same title had their Los Angeles premieres with a screening and live performance at the Vista Theatre on Thursday.

A roving travelogue of the producer-engineer-guitarist's experiences recording in five locations, the film encapsulates the musical philosophies and detailed particulars of Lanois' approach to a new sound for contemporary music, as told by himself and his cast of high-profile collaborators, including U2, Brian Eno and Sinéad O'Connor.

The Quebec-born Lanois, 56, got his initial career boost through collaborations with Eno on several albums in the early '70s that emphasized simplicity, subtle aural resonance and a nonintellectualized attention paid to process. The pair's work as producers for U2 led to Lanois' subsequent production jobs for artists such as Bob Dylan, O'Connor, Peter Gabriel and Robbie Robertson; the hallmark of Lanois' sound was a gift for heightened atmosphere via emphasis on feel over technical perfection, as well as his respect for analog recording equipment and vintage instruments.

The new record was culled from material Lanois had in the can and reimagined for the CD and film; both are available through his Red Floor Records, www.redfloorrecords.com.

"It's about half and half," he said this week in the sunny breakfast nook of his home in Silver Lake. "Some of the compositions on there are brand-new and some are a little further back. There's a repeat of a steel guitar instrumental called 'JJ Leaves L.A.,' which we put in there because it's in the film.

"There's a very nice performance of 'JJ' in the film; we shot it here in the mezzanine. At night it blackens pretty good, and if you shine a spotlight on the floor, you get a red circle. And so we put the steel guitar there, and in the film you get the sensation almost like I'm on a moving saucer. We shot from above with a slow zoom, and then the editor gave it a little spin in the computer, so it's almost like this twirling disc; when it stops twirling, we come to a close shot of my hands on a steel guitar. It's very beautiful."

In his glowing report of how the filmmaker created that shot, Lanois betrayed his typically folksy, genuine excitement about the creative process. That partly explains the characteristically warm, inviting sound of his music and production work for others.

At the Vista, Lanois was joined for a few selections from the album by longtime drummer Brian Blade, backup singers-keyboardists Daryl Johnson and Aaron Embry, and in one piece by Blade's father, a preacher in Shreveport, La., who provided the gospel on a fiery "This May Be My Last Time," as he does in a scene from the film. Lanois' rough-hewn, intuitive guitar work loped gracefully through the brief set, which also included a bracing soliloquy by Billy Bob Thornton from his "Sling Blade" film, which Lanois scored in 1996.

Lanois is now off to Ireland to finish production on the new U2 album, which he promises is going to be something special. ("We're quite excited about it. Bono's singing like a bird.") In addition, he's working on new material with O'Connor and building a new studio and performance space in Toronto, a home base for recording and performing before a live audience.

He's a busy guy, which his laid-back, friendly vibe would seem to belie. He says that's due in part to his trusty lap-steel guitar, his source of solace and wonder.

"It's such a reliable friend," he said, smiling. "As the world keeps on turning in a mad way, I can go to that friend and say, 'OK, let's just slow things down here and enjoy the fundamentals of our relationship' -- which happens to be my paying attention to all of the details of varied mechanical musical instruments. But no matter how high-speed everything gets, that part of it doesn't speed up at all.

"There's no rushing with this instrument, with this friend. It'll always be there the same way it's always been, and it'll never be anything different than what it is.

"There's music that lives outside of confinements, and that's where harmonic interplay lives. And you have to take the time to hear it. So I like to go there, and that's what my steel guitar has to offer. I call it my church in a suitcase."
LATimes

March 28, 2008:

On Public Enemy

Zane Lowe's Radio 1 'Masterpiece' series this Tuesday features Public Enemy - and a chat with Bono on the landmark release of 'It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back'.


'It's not just one of the finest RAP records ever but one of the finest records ever PERIOD. It was released way back in 1988 but it's politically charged lyrics and innovative use of sampling paved the way for a musical shift in both rap AND rock. We want to remind you just how incredibly powerful and explosive this album is.'

Catch the BBC R1 show online and find out more here

source: U2.com

Bono talks for just under four minutes, his part starts about 18-19 minutes in, when the audio player is at 19:19 or so. He called in from Kenya, where he said he was on a beach on the East Coast of Africa. On the BBC - Public Enemy thing, Bono has some interesting things to say, including recounting a "contretemps" he had with Chuck D in a recording studio hallway, discussing black separatism. Apparently Chuck D won Bono over during this conversation.

audio of Bono on BBC radio special about Public Enemy

Programme 1 (at the bottom) for some of BP Fallon's Zoo Tv audio with Public Enemy and U2

March 27, 2008

Edge of Reason

Irish Independent, March 27, 2008

The Edge has spoken of how his great friendship with fellow bandmates has contributed to the longevity of U2.

The U2 guitarist credits their three decades of music success to the comradeship that has bonded them together.

In an intimate interview with RTE presenter John Kelly, to be broadcast next week, the Edge reveals how it's the music that keeps him sane.

"There's something about performing our songs in front of a large crowd which works and it's to do with the fact, I think, that a lot of those people at those shows are there to celebrate not just their favourite band, or a favourite band of theirs, but part of their history," he said.

The guitarist, known for giving U2 its distinctive sound, has stepped out from the shadow of front man Bono to speak about the legendary band.

FOUNDATIONS

He thinks their foundations of friendship are what have made them so stable compared to other rock groups.

"Maybe it's because we were friends before we were a band," he said.

"So in a sense the friendships were solid, so when it came to those moments of conflicts or difficulty, we kind of were able to skirt around the big conflicts and diffuse the situation and so we're operating in pretty much the same way now as we always did," he added.

As friendships go, it's been very successful for all the four members of the group: Bono, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen and the Edge, who have sold a total of 170 million albums worldwide.

Little did they expect when they formed in 1976 that they would make their fortune through their solid punk sound, catchy lyrics and Bono's belting voice.

The Edge is very aware that fame and success come with a lot of responsibility. He takes this burden very seriously.

"I think it's something that you always are aware of and it's something that I would remind myself of often," he said.

The man, who grew up in Malahide and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with U2 in 2005, knows that he has been fortunate with the way his life has panned out.

"Here we are and with our friends. We are some of the luckiest people that have ever lived and once you bear that in mind, then first of all, I think you've a responsibility to enjoy your life.

CHARITY

"I also think you've a responsibility to take advantage of your situation, to make things better and to spread it out a bit."

The Edge has taken a quieter role in charity work compared to bandmate Bono but he has been actively involved with Greenpeace, Live 8 and Make Poverty History.

The full interview with the Edge will be broadcast on Monday night at 11.30pm on RTE1television.

independent.ie

Bono wrote Sachs' profile to Time magazine - Sachs appeal - From The Economist print edition - IF GILBERT AND SULLIVAN were looking for the very model of a modern intellectual, they would surely pick Jeffrey Sachs. He is so “right on” that when Time magazine featured him in its global list of people who influence the world, his profile was written by Bono, a rock singer. His job titles—director of the Earth Institute and special adviser to the United Nations Secretary-General on the Millennium Development Goals—seem almost tailor-made to get up the noses of conservatives. ... The Economist

Edge and Adam 'dropped' in this video about REM new album (30 seconds in): mtv

March 26, 2008:

John Legend performs Pride (In The Name Of Love) - John Legend recorded to the "King" documentary about Martin Luther King by "History Channel" - April 6, 2008

John Legend performs PRIDE (In The Name of Love)
Colocado por ElectricArtists

youtube

U2's Fab Four tribute named best cover song
U2 have topped a poll by American rock bible 'Rolling Stone' to find the best cover of a Beatles' song.


The magazine asked readers to vote after complaints about some disastrous covers of classic Lennon/McCartney songs over two weeks on the talent show America Idol.

The Dublin band's version of 'Helter Skelter' -- originally on The Fab Four's 'White Album' -- narrowly edged out Oasis's version of 'I Am The Walrus' for supremacy.

It also beat out some stiff competition from Joe Cocker, 'With A Little Help From My Friends' and Fiona Apple's 'Across The Universe'.

The song is the opening track on U2's live album 'Rattle & Hum', released in 1988.
independente.ie

EXCLUSIVE: Jim Sturgess Talks 'Spider-Man 4' and Spider-Man: The Musical!
Just got back from the Sony offices here in New York, where Cinematical managed to sit down with Jim Sturgess (star of 21), as well as Ben Mezrich (author of Bringing Down the House, the book 21 is based on) and Jeff Ma (who Sturgess' character is based on). I have to say we all had a pretty damn cool conversation, which we'll post on the site at some point before the weekend, but in the meantime check out what Sturgess had to say about Spidey.

Now, remember back when we told you how Across the Universe director Julie Taymor was directing a Spider-Man: The Musical, with music and lyrics from U2's Bono and the Edge? Well, at the time, Taymor said she was interested in Sturgess playing Spider-Man, with Evan Rachel Wood playing Mary Jane. Not only is that true, but apparently Sturgess and Wood have already performed the roles. He says, "We actually have done a workshop for it, which is how this all kind of started. [Taymor] asked me and Evan to come down and do this workshop that she was doing, so it was a chance to work with Julie again and Evan again and, yeah, at that point I didn't know much more about it. We just did two weeks, and we kind of hung out with Bono and the Edge and sung songs about Spider-Man. As a young actor and musician, it was an incredible experience to be involved in that."

He continued, "We then sort of did a rough performance of the play -- like a read through where we sang through the songs and stuff. As ridiculous as it sounds, it's going to be an incredible piece of work." Cinematical asked Sturgess whether that meant he would be starring in the musical, to which he replied: "Um, I don't know. I haven't spoken to Julie since, and I don't know when she plans to do it. It's a timing thing, I guess. I don't know how long it's going to be before it comes to the surface."

More Spidey after the jump ...


Of course, since he's already sort of played Spider-Man, we wondered whether Sturgess was interested in replacing Tobey Maguire in Spider-Man 4. When we asked, he sort of laughed it off with "Oh, I don't know -- I don't think I would do it." Fine, no Spidey, but is he interested in donning some sort of superhero costume down the line (and trust me folks, this guy definitely looks like he could play a comic character)? Sturgess says, "No, I've never seen myself as an actor who might pass off as a superhero ... and I'm amazed that I'm even being considered for the Spider-Man role. Maybe it's my long legs ... I dunno."

Well we beg to differ. Would you be interested in seeing Sturgess replace Tobey? And who else is curious about a Spider-Man musical with music and lyrics from Bono and the Edge?

21, in case you were wondering, hits theaters this weekend.
cinematical

See you around: Frames go in circles for spring - March 20, 2008
Harry Potter was ahead. of his time: Round eyeglasses, the distinctive kind worn by the young wizard, are shaping up to be the next big thing in eyewear. During the past decade, myopic hipsters have favored rectangular frames. Now, design houses such as Paul Smith, Balenciaga, Lunor Eyewear, Anne et Valentin and Theo Eyewear are returning to classic round and semiround frames. "There's definitely a move to more conservative eyewear and vintage shapes," said Filipa Fino, senior accessories editor at Vogue. "For a while, everything has been oversized. It was all about overpowering the face. Now, the trend in fashion is to go back to the classics." Classic with a modern twist, that is. Paul Smith's new Boys Only collection of sleek, round frames comes in bold colors -- orange, royal blue and translucent gray. Balenciaga, which is rolling out its first line of sunglasses through manufacturer Safilo USA, is showing large, round frames reminiscent of the 1970s. Robert Marc, a New York designer, has introduced two modified round frames (a cross between round and square), called style 195 and 196 as well as a rounded sunglass frame. The frames are available in five colors including smoke gray and chestnut brown. The country's serious mood translates to a more conservative image, Marc said. "People are really thinking about things: the economy, the elections, the war, the 'green' movement." In fashion, that has translated into more retro looks. "Look at Harry Potter and Ugly Betty. We are celebrating the nerd." Celebrities are embracing the bookish look. Bono, the eyewear bellwether, was spied recently in France sporting a pair of round frames. Round eyeglasses have never been officially off the market. The Anglo American Optical Co. in Illinois and London has been making round frames since 1882. But Allan Caliman, the company's co-owner, concedes that round shapes can be a tough sell. "Round faces can't wear round glasses," he said. "You need to have a long, slim face." For spring, Anglo American has round styles in colors from red to yellow to light brown. "I think it's all a question of getting used to it," Fino said. "In fashion, there are often things we think we'd never wear again . . . and then they pop up on the runway and look new." columbusdispatch

Fanfire has U2 3D the t-shirt
'U23D' T-Shirt - Marking the release of the 3D concert film, this black, 100% cotton pocket T-shirt features exclusive 'U23D' logo on front left breast and four silhouette images of band members and instruments on back. (U2T42792) - fanfire