Beyonce Dazzles & U2 Scorches at Berlin Edition of MTV Europe Music Awards
Thu Nov 5, 2009 5:45pm EST
BERLIN, Nov. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Beyonce was the major winner of the evening at
the 2009 MTV Europe Music Awards (EMAs) in Berlin. The versatile singer,
writer and producer took home a total of three EMA trophies - Best Female,
Best Song and Best Video - from the glittering music celebration, held at the
O2 World on 5 November 2009. The MTV Europe Music Awards were sponsored by
Sony Ericsson, MTV Games / Harmonix's The Beatles(TM): Rock Band(TM) and Dell.
Eminem won the coveted Best Male category at the Awards, which honours and
celebrates Europe's contemporary music stars, while Jay-Z triumphed in the
Best Urban category. U2 clinched a well-deserved Best Live Act - scoring
their third EMA award win since the MTV Europe Music Awards debuted in 1994.
Creative powerhouse Lady Gaga was honoured in the Best New Act category while
Green Day scored a victory over the Best Rock contenders. Best Group went to
German rockers Tokio Hotel, who also wowed the 9,000-strong crowd with a
stunning rendition of their hit The World Behind My Wall, culminating in an
explosive pyrotechnical display and the band's instruments consumed by flames.
Placebo captured the Best Alternative prize while Turkey's maNga carried off
the crown for Best European Act. Best World Stage Performance was won by
Linkin Park while Pixie Lott was pronounced the first ever MTV Push Artist -
both categories were added to this year's EMAs for the first time in
recognition of the artists who have been championed by MTV on their global
music franchises.
Held in Berlin to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the
Berlin Wall, the 2009 EMAs featured electrifying live performances from
Beyonce, Jay-Z, Green Day, Leona Lewis, Tokio Hotel, Foo Fighters, Shakira and
U2 - broadcasting to more than 500 million households around the world.
The EMAs burst into thrilling life with an electrifying opening number by
Green Day, followed by Katy Perry's irreverent mash-up of the five Best Song
contenders that included Beyonce's monster hit Halo and Kings of Leon'sUse
Somebody.
Effervescent host Katy Perry brought her trademark energy and quirky humour to
the awards, appearing in a dazzling array of costumes and looks inspired by
burlesque and Liza Minnelli's Oscar-winning appearance in Cabaret, the novel
which lifted the lid on decadent 1930's Berlin. The stunning hostess
fulfilled her role with signature relish and flair, equally at home in a
stylish bowler hat covered in thousands of crystals, or reclining in a giant
cocktail glass, or soaring high above the audience on a glittering half-moon
shaped swing.
Rock icons U2 brought Berlin to a standstill with an awe-inspiring performance
beamed into the show from the city's historic Brandenburg Gate, a symbol of
peace and reconciliation to people around the world and site of the first ever
MTV Europe Music Awards. In front of 10,000 music fans, the music legends
performed a short set comprising some of their best loved songs including a
powerful rendition of Sunday, Bloody Sunday and an uplifting medley of
Magnificent and One - the haunting anthem inspired by the fall of the Berlin
Wall in 1989.
Among the many show highlights was a strikingly sexy performance of Happy by
Leona Lewis, an upbeat version of Sweet Dreams by Beyonce and a high octane
rock medley of Wheels and All My Life by the Foo Fighters. Colombian siren
Shakira sent temperatures rising with a steamy performance of Did It Again,
performed with dancers dressed only in skimpy towels.
Guest presenters at the EMAs included actor, musician and international
celebrity David The Hoff Hasselhoff, hip hop star Lil' Kim, World heavyweight
boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko, actor Jesse Metcalfe, pop/rock phenomena
Jonas Brothers, Backstreet Boys, Juliette Lewis, Jean Reno, Miranda Cosgrove,
Asia Argento, Bar Refaeli, Brody Jenner, David Guetta and Batista. Soul
singer Joss Stone hosted digital show 2009 EMA: Red Carpet Show while Fall Out
Boy's Pete Wentz hosted digital show 2009 EMA: All Access. Guests at the show
included Inglourious Basterds actor Daniel Bruhl, supermodel Franziska Knuppe,
German soccer legend Lothar Matthaus, David Guetta, Pixie Lott, Tara Reid and
Daniel Merriweather.
The winners of the 2009 MTV Europe Music Awards are:
Best Male: Eminem
Best Female: Beyonce
Best Urban: Jay-Z
Best Group: Tokio Hotel
Best Video: Beyonce - Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)
Best Song: Beyonce - Halo
Best Rock: Green Day
Best New Act: Lady Gaga
Best Live Act: U2
Best Alternative: Placebo
MTV Push Artist: Pixie Lott
Best World Stage Performer: Linkin Park
Best European Act: maNga
The MTV Europe Music Awards is one of the world's most prestigious live music
events. The Awards was broadcast to 532 million MTV homes around the world.
In 2008, the EMAs generated more than 4 million unique visitors to
www.mtvema.com and over 100 million online votes.
Antonio Campo Dall'Orto is EVP, Music Brands, MTV Networks International and
Executive Producer for the MTV Europe Music Awards. Co-executive Producer &
SVP, Talent & Music, MTV Networks International is Bruce Gillmer. Executive
Producer is Richard Godfrey. Co-executive Producer is Jane Fraser. Chloe Mason
is Producer and Hamish Hamilton is Director. Raffaele Sangiovanni is Executive
in charge of Production.
For more information on the 2009 MTV Europe Music Awards please go to:
www.mtvema.com
Note to Editors
About the MTV Europe Music Awards
The 2009 MTV Europe Music Awards will be broadcast live in the following
countries : Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France,
Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco,
Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovak
Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United
Kingdom.
About MTV Networks International
MTV Networks International includes the premier multimedia entertainment
brands MTV: Music Television, VH1, Nickelodeon, MTVNHD, TMF (The Music
Factory), VIVA, Flux, Paramount Comedy, Comedy Central, Game One, Neopets,
GameTrailers, Shockwave, Addicting Games, Atom Films and Xfire. MTV Networks'
brands are seen globally in 578 million households, in 162 countries and 33
languages via 168 locally programmed and operated TV channels and more than
400 digital media properties. The company's diverse holdings also include
interests in television syndication, digital media, publishing, home video,
radio, recorded music, licensing & merchandising and two feature film
divisions, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies. MTV Networks is a unit of Viacom
Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).
About Sony Ericsson
Sony Ericsson is a 50:50 joint venture by Sony and Ericsson established in
October 2001, with global corporate functions located in London and operations
in all major markets. Our vision is to become the industry leader in
Communication Entertainment; where new styles of communicating through the
internet and social media, become entertainment. Sony Ericsson offers
exciting consumer experiences through phones, accessories, content and
applications. For more information please visit: www.sonyericsson.com.
About The Beatles: Rock Band
The Beatles: Rock Band marks the first time that Apple Corps, along with EMI
Music, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Harrisongs Ltd and Startling Music Ltd has
presented The Beatles music in an interactive video game format. The Beatles:
Rock Band is published by MTV Games and developed by Harmonix, the world's
premier music video game company and creators of the best-selling Rock Band,
and available on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from
Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Wii(TM) console
from Nintendo.
About MTV Games
MTV Games is dedicated to creating, marketing and publishing high-quality,
innovative interactive products that are relevant to the MTV audience and
complement the core values of the MTV Networks brands.
About Harmonix Music Systems, Inc.
Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., based in Cambridge, MA, and established in 1995,
is the leading developer of ground-breaking music-oriented videogames.
Harmonix was founded by Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy, who formed the company
to invent new ways for non-musicians to experience the unique joy that comes
from making music and have pioneered music and rhythm gaming in the US. For
more information please visit: www.harmonixmusic.com.
About Dell
People worldwide can buy Dell online, by phone and through more than 43,000
stores.
SOURCE MTV Networks International
For further press information and for biographies and artwork please contact:
Polly Stevens, Director, Communications, MTV Europe Music Awards, +44 207 478
6328/+44 7768 773386, Polly.stevens@mtvne.com, or go to:
www.ema.mtv.co.uk/press
reuters
6.11.09
5.11.09
30.10.09
U2 wraps up tour with spectacular Vancouver show
The energy was high and an emotional Bono was in fine voice, writes Marsha Lederman
Marsha Lederman
Published on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009 5:29AM EDT
Last updated on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009 11:33AM EDT
.U2
•At BC Place in Vancouver on Wednesday
In front of an audience that included Bill Gates and “Mrs. Edge,” U2 wrapped up its North American 360 tour with a stunning performance at Vancouver's BC Place Wednesday night.
Dressed all in black and wearing his trademark sunglasses, Bono thrilled the crowd with his showmanship, his still-strong voice and his shout-outs to Vancouver.
“Where are we going on the SkyTrain? Millennium Line. Expo Line. Canada Line.”
The reference to Vancouver's public transit system sent the crowd into a frenzy and was one of the very few surprises of the night for anyone who has been following the band's much-publicized tour – in particular, Sunday night's live web cast of their Los Angeles concert which featured an identical set list and some of the same word-for-word on-stage banter from Bono.
Still, it's quite something to see the spectacle in person.
The band kicked things off with three tracks from their latest release, No Line on the Horizon – building energy through Breathe, Get on Your Boots and Magnificent.
But things really took off when Bono launched into Mysterious Ways, strutting across the enormous catwalk – and the crowd was on its feet.
Throughout the two-hour-and-15-minute show, it was unquestionably the older material that resonated with the multi-generational crowd. The crowd knew every word to I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, Beautiful Day and Where the Streets Have No Name.
The sound was inconsistent, not surprising for this venue. But if anyone can sound good at BC Place, it's U2.
Photo gallery
U2 performs at BC Place in Vancouver
.
Sunday Bloody Sunday was a show-stopper. Bono has long since lost the white flag that made his performance of the anti-war anthem so legendary way back in the ‘80s, but he doesn't appear to have lost the passion. Performing the song on a stage bathed in green, the youthful anger was replaced by an older, wiser man's concern. (The song followed a plea for democracy to Iran.) There was also a tribute to Burmese political prisoner Aung San Suu Kyi, for whom Bono wrote the song Walk On.
The show was spectacular in the true sense of the word – the much-written-about mega stage, the enormous video screen, the intricate light show – but all that technology seems to pose a problem too. With a show so complex, spontaneity seems to be difficult if not impossible.
Even a City of Blinding Lights stroll around the catwalk with a young girl (to whom he sang “oh you look so beautiful tonight” – which actually felt kind of odd rather than cute) was clearly planned; not the spontaneous dance-with-a-fan of the U2 of old.
The evening was a star-studded affair off-stage as well as on, with Liam Neeson and football great Warren Moon in attendance, guitarist The Edge's mother (“our very first crew member,” said Bono) and Bill and Melinda Gates. Bono led the crowd in a rendition of Happy Birthday for Mr. Gates, who celebrated his 54th birthday at the concert.
If the Vancouver show was anti-climactic after Sunday's Rose Bowl event (with 95,000 people in attendance plus millions more streaming online), the band didn't let on. The energy was high and Bono was in fine voice (for the most part). If anything, the show had an added element as the band wrapped up the tour – thanking the “best crew we've ever worked with” (at which point Bono's microphone went all crackly – a joke, surely), congratulating the tour's designer and singling out his band mates with praise and hugs.
“It's getting very emotional around here,” Bono said toward the end of the show.
It was, indeed.
theglobeandmail
The energy was high and an emotional Bono was in fine voice, writes Marsha Lederman
Marsha Lederman
Published on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009 5:29AM EDT
Last updated on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009 11:33AM EDT
.U2
•At BC Place in Vancouver on Wednesday
In front of an audience that included Bill Gates and “Mrs. Edge,” U2 wrapped up its North American 360 tour with a stunning performance at Vancouver's BC Place Wednesday night.
Dressed all in black and wearing his trademark sunglasses, Bono thrilled the crowd with his showmanship, his still-strong voice and his shout-outs to Vancouver.
“Where are we going on the SkyTrain? Millennium Line. Expo Line. Canada Line.”
The reference to Vancouver's public transit system sent the crowd into a frenzy and was one of the very few surprises of the night for anyone who has been following the band's much-publicized tour – in particular, Sunday night's live web cast of their Los Angeles concert which featured an identical set list and some of the same word-for-word on-stage banter from Bono.
Still, it's quite something to see the spectacle in person.
The band kicked things off with three tracks from their latest release, No Line on the Horizon – building energy through Breathe, Get on Your Boots and Magnificent.
But things really took off when Bono launched into Mysterious Ways, strutting across the enormous catwalk – and the crowd was on its feet.
Throughout the two-hour-and-15-minute show, it was unquestionably the older material that resonated with the multi-generational crowd. The crowd knew every word to I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, Beautiful Day and Where the Streets Have No Name.
The sound was inconsistent, not surprising for this venue. But if anyone can sound good at BC Place, it's U2.
Photo gallery
U2 performs at BC Place in Vancouver
.
Sunday Bloody Sunday was a show-stopper. Bono has long since lost the white flag that made his performance of the anti-war anthem so legendary way back in the ‘80s, but he doesn't appear to have lost the passion. Performing the song on a stage bathed in green, the youthful anger was replaced by an older, wiser man's concern. (The song followed a plea for democracy to Iran.) There was also a tribute to Burmese political prisoner Aung San Suu Kyi, for whom Bono wrote the song Walk On.
The show was spectacular in the true sense of the word – the much-written-about mega stage, the enormous video screen, the intricate light show – but all that technology seems to pose a problem too. With a show so complex, spontaneity seems to be difficult if not impossible.
Even a City of Blinding Lights stroll around the catwalk with a young girl (to whom he sang “oh you look so beautiful tonight” – which actually felt kind of odd rather than cute) was clearly planned; not the spontaneous dance-with-a-fan of the U2 of old.
The evening was a star-studded affair off-stage as well as on, with Liam Neeson and football great Warren Moon in attendance, guitarist The Edge's mother (“our very first crew member,” said Bono) and Bill and Melinda Gates. Bono led the crowd in a rendition of Happy Birthday for Mr. Gates, who celebrated his 54th birthday at the concert.
If the Vancouver show was anti-climactic after Sunday's Rose Bowl event (with 95,000 people in attendance plus millions more streaming online), the band didn't let on. The energy was high and Bono was in fine voice (for the most part). If anything, the show had an added element as the band wrapped up the tour – thanking the “best crew we've ever worked with” (at which point Bono's microphone went all crackly – a joke, surely), congratulating the tour's designer and singling out his band mates with praise and hugs.
“It's getting very emotional around here,” Bono said toward the end of the show.
It was, indeed.
theglobeandmail
Postcard from the road: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame concerts
October 30, 2009
Bruce Springsteen and Tom Morello perform during Thursday's gala at Madison Square Garden.
By Jerry Shriver, USA TODAY
The event: Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Stevie Wonder, Simon & Garfunkel, Crosby, Stills & Nash and numerous guests kicked off a two-night celebration, playing both their own songs and the music that inspired them.
TIMELINE: A quarter-century of rock royalty
VIDEO: Check out the performances
Envious insider: "I'm a fan — I don't know what to say to half these guys," said Tom Hanks backstage before the show. His production company is working with HBO, which is filming the concerts to air Nov. 29 as a four-hour special. "I grew up with the hi-fi on in the front room, the (Beatles') White Album on — everything that's going on tonight is the soundtrack of our lives."
Banner night: The acts performed under a wood-framed arch adorned with images of Fats Domino, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Little Richard, the Everly Brothers, Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis.
Sizzling warm-up: As lights dimmed, video clips played on a curved screen above the stage, showing Rock Hall induction speeches and all-star jams of dozens of stars.
Killer opening: Following a short welcoming speech by Hanks ("When we were down, rock 'n' roll lifted us"), the man some consider rock's true king, Jerry Lee Lewis, lit into Whole Lotta Shaking Going On at a white baby grand. Though his manner was subdued, with none of the trademark hellfire menace, his voice was strong and the fingers pounded the keys adroitly.
Double triple whammy: CSN honored the hall's 25th and Woodstock's 40th with an electrifying version of the festival's theme song. Stephen Stills still has the guitar chops, even when not prodded by rival and sometimes bandmate (and double inductee) Neil Young, who didn't appear. Graham Nash showed off his gorgeous tenor on Marrakech Express while David Crosby let his freak flag (now long and white) fly on Almost Cut My Hair, which tripped and soared for five-plus minutes.
Just dropped in: Bonnie Raitt, the first of the night's stream of guests, got strong vocal support from Crosby and Nash as she and her guitar took the lead on an aching Love Has No Pride. The Allman Brothers got a nice shout-out as the four sang a funk-blues version of Midnight Rider.
A dream-team theme: Raitt was followed by Jackson Browne (The Pretender) and James Taylor (Mexico and Love the One You're With). After a CSN nod to Buffalo Springfield via Stills' Rock & Roll Woman, the whole folkie crew reassembled for a Garden-wide singalong on Teach Your Children.
Hometown heroes: Paul Simon — first by himself, then with Dion (DiMucci), then with Nash and Crosby on a magical Here Comes the Sun, and finally with Little Anthony and the Imperials — was just a sweet tease for the outpouring of love that greeted Art Garfunkel's appearance. The duo ran off a string of hits, including a mesmerizing Sounds of Silence. After trading verses on Bridge Over Troubled Water, they mingled their voices rapturously on the bridge before bringing it home alone on a high note.
Wonder of Motown: Stevie Wonder, celebrating the 20th anniversary of his induction, encountered early microphone problems and switched his planned opener from You Haven't Done Nothin' to a Blowin' In the Wind singalong. Then he launched into an unplanned Uptight (Everything's Alright) to get everyone dancing, followed by an unplanned and joyous I Was Made to Love Her/For Once in My Life. The crowd, unaware of the changes, lapped up whatever he and his turn-on-a-dime band offered.
Teachers and students: After dropping to his knees briefly for a harmonica solo on Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours), Wonder returned to his electric piano and welcomed mentor Smokey Robinson for a smoldering Tracks of My Tears, then disciple John Legend for the sensuous and consciousness-raising Marvin Gaye classic Mercy Mercy Me. Blues great B.B. King, the oldest announced performer at 84, strolled out slowly in a vivid smoking jacket, strapped on his guitar Lucille, then spun a spell with The Thrill Is Gone.
Missing Michael: The late King of Pop got his props from Legend and Stevie, who broke down briefly during Jackson's The Way You Make Me Feel, then recovered to lead the clap-a-thon.
Trading off: Sting walked onstage playing bass guitar during Higher Ground, then traded helium-voiced lead vocals with Stevie on Roxanne, with the two sounding surprisingly alike. 2009 inductee Jeff Beck made a surprise appearance on Superstition and dropped in a scintillating heavy-metal guitar solo to close the powerhouse set.
Parting waves: E Streeter Steve Van Zant wandered through the crowd during Simon's and Wonder's sets.
Hometown heroes II: New York seldom gets wound this tight — Simon & Garfunkel and Bruce at the Garden, and the Yankees winning a World Series game. Springsteen and company kept the stars aligned with a long, raucous and righteous set to close the first night.
Back in black: The E Streeters, all clad in New York black, launched into the N.Y. anthem Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out. Bruce Springsteen bent back until his head almost touched the stage, then leapt up to direct the revival. Saxophonist Clarence Clemons, wearing a black fedora and draped with a gold scarf, commanded his side of the stage with honks and shouts. Not wasting time, he brought out Sam Moore of Sam & Dave for Hold On I'm Comin', prefaced with a glorious a capella intro. Sweaty and furious, it blew up the house.
The Bruce blend: Moore took a powerful lead on Soul Man as Bruce and band did giddy soul moves behind, in a perfect melding of forces and influences and circumstances.
Enraged: Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello joined in for The Ghost of Tom Joad, spitting torrents of guitar licks abetted by Nils Lofgren and Van Zandt. For his own songs, Springsteen stuck mostly to material from his classic Born to Run album, which he has been performing in its entirety at a few recent shows.
Next up: John Fogerty, called by Springsteen "the Hank Williams of our time" for Fortunate Son, a '60s protest song Springsteen has sometimes performed. Creedence Clearwater Revival's Proud Mary was done proud with a faithful stomping version, as the heavenly hootenanny continued. Springsteen honored key influence Roy Orbison ("Me and John will take a stab") with a lovely Pretty Woman, punched up with a horn section.
A fine, fine song: Bruce kept the soul vibe alive by bringing out Darlene Love for A Fine, Fine Boy, a Phil Spector-produced '60s classic. Springsteen grinned from ear to ear as Love, Patti Scialfa and Clemons pounded out Da Doo Ron Ron.
Going 180: Having reached back to country, soul and girl-group pop, Bruce spun forward to offspring punk by bringing out Morello for The Clash's London Calling.
The New Yorkers: "Is there anybody alive in New York City?" Bruce implored before Badlands' end with Morello. Heck, yeah, the wrung-out crowd replied, pleading successfully for an encore. He completed the regional trifecta by bringing out Long Island favorite son Billy Joel to take over the piano for You May Be Right. Joel stayed on for his saucy Only the Good Die Young, as Springsteen's voice began to strain a bit. Joel's New York State of Mind was the obvious next choice, and he and Springsteen gave it their saloon crooner best. Who knew Bruce had that in him?
Funneling the fun: The concerts raised money for a permanent endowment of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation and Museum, co-established in 1984 by Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun. Tickets went for $80-$2,500, with VIP packages priced as high as $100,000.
Behind the scenes: Big guns from the entertainment and publishing worlds helped put the show together, including Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner, screenwriter Cameron Crowe and guitarist Robbie Robertson, formerly of The Band.
The end: Before anyone had to run for buses and subways, the band rolled out a post-1 a.m. Born to Run, with Joel taking a turn on the sacred text. Springsteen walked to the lip of the stage, let fans pound his guitar, then sent 19,500 tramps like him out into the New York night. Almost. All his guests came back on for a loving (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher tribute to Jackie Wilson. Wave after wave of pure soul joy, carried out for countless choruses, carried it home.
Next stop: Tonight, when U2, Aretha Franklin, Jeff Beck and Metallica will headline.
usatoday
October 30, 2009
Bruce Springsteen and Tom Morello perform during Thursday's gala at Madison Square Garden.
By Jerry Shriver, USA TODAY
The event: Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Stevie Wonder, Simon & Garfunkel, Crosby, Stills & Nash and numerous guests kicked off a two-night celebration, playing both their own songs and the music that inspired them.
TIMELINE: A quarter-century of rock royalty
VIDEO: Check out the performances
Envious insider: "I'm a fan — I don't know what to say to half these guys," said Tom Hanks backstage before the show. His production company is working with HBO, which is filming the concerts to air Nov. 29 as a four-hour special. "I grew up with the hi-fi on in the front room, the (Beatles') White Album on — everything that's going on tonight is the soundtrack of our lives."
Banner night: The acts performed under a wood-framed arch adorned with images of Fats Domino, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Little Richard, the Everly Brothers, Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis.
Sizzling warm-up: As lights dimmed, video clips played on a curved screen above the stage, showing Rock Hall induction speeches and all-star jams of dozens of stars.
Killer opening: Following a short welcoming speech by Hanks ("When we were down, rock 'n' roll lifted us"), the man some consider rock's true king, Jerry Lee Lewis, lit into Whole Lotta Shaking Going On at a white baby grand. Though his manner was subdued, with none of the trademark hellfire menace, his voice was strong and the fingers pounded the keys adroitly.
Double triple whammy: CSN honored the hall's 25th and Woodstock's 40th with an electrifying version of the festival's theme song. Stephen Stills still has the guitar chops, even when not prodded by rival and sometimes bandmate (and double inductee) Neil Young, who didn't appear. Graham Nash showed off his gorgeous tenor on Marrakech Express while David Crosby let his freak flag (now long and white) fly on Almost Cut My Hair, which tripped and soared for five-plus minutes.
Just dropped in: Bonnie Raitt, the first of the night's stream of guests, got strong vocal support from Crosby and Nash as she and her guitar took the lead on an aching Love Has No Pride. The Allman Brothers got a nice shout-out as the four sang a funk-blues version of Midnight Rider.
A dream-team theme: Raitt was followed by Jackson Browne (The Pretender) and James Taylor (Mexico and Love the One You're With). After a CSN nod to Buffalo Springfield via Stills' Rock & Roll Woman, the whole folkie crew reassembled for a Garden-wide singalong on Teach Your Children.
Hometown heroes: Paul Simon — first by himself, then with Dion (DiMucci), then with Nash and Crosby on a magical Here Comes the Sun, and finally with Little Anthony and the Imperials — was just a sweet tease for the outpouring of love that greeted Art Garfunkel's appearance. The duo ran off a string of hits, including a mesmerizing Sounds of Silence. After trading verses on Bridge Over Troubled Water, they mingled their voices rapturously on the bridge before bringing it home alone on a high note.
Wonder of Motown: Stevie Wonder, celebrating the 20th anniversary of his induction, encountered early microphone problems and switched his planned opener from You Haven't Done Nothin' to a Blowin' In the Wind singalong. Then he launched into an unplanned Uptight (Everything's Alright) to get everyone dancing, followed by an unplanned and joyous I Was Made to Love Her/For Once in My Life. The crowd, unaware of the changes, lapped up whatever he and his turn-on-a-dime band offered.
Teachers and students: After dropping to his knees briefly for a harmonica solo on Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours), Wonder returned to his electric piano and welcomed mentor Smokey Robinson for a smoldering Tracks of My Tears, then disciple John Legend for the sensuous and consciousness-raising Marvin Gaye classic Mercy Mercy Me. Blues great B.B. King, the oldest announced performer at 84, strolled out slowly in a vivid smoking jacket, strapped on his guitar Lucille, then spun a spell with The Thrill Is Gone.
Missing Michael: The late King of Pop got his props from Legend and Stevie, who broke down briefly during Jackson's The Way You Make Me Feel, then recovered to lead the clap-a-thon.
Trading off: Sting walked onstage playing bass guitar during Higher Ground, then traded helium-voiced lead vocals with Stevie on Roxanne, with the two sounding surprisingly alike. 2009 inductee Jeff Beck made a surprise appearance on Superstition and dropped in a scintillating heavy-metal guitar solo to close the powerhouse set.
Parting waves: E Streeter Steve Van Zant wandered through the crowd during Simon's and Wonder's sets.
Hometown heroes II: New York seldom gets wound this tight — Simon & Garfunkel and Bruce at the Garden, and the Yankees winning a World Series game. Springsteen and company kept the stars aligned with a long, raucous and righteous set to close the first night.
Back in black: The E Streeters, all clad in New York black, launched into the N.Y. anthem Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out. Bruce Springsteen bent back until his head almost touched the stage, then leapt up to direct the revival. Saxophonist Clarence Clemons, wearing a black fedora and draped with a gold scarf, commanded his side of the stage with honks and shouts. Not wasting time, he brought out Sam Moore of Sam & Dave for Hold On I'm Comin', prefaced with a glorious a capella intro. Sweaty and furious, it blew up the house.
The Bruce blend: Moore took a powerful lead on Soul Man as Bruce and band did giddy soul moves behind, in a perfect melding of forces and influences and circumstances.
Enraged: Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello joined in for The Ghost of Tom Joad, spitting torrents of guitar licks abetted by Nils Lofgren and Van Zandt. For his own songs, Springsteen stuck mostly to material from his classic Born to Run album, which he has been performing in its entirety at a few recent shows.
Next up: John Fogerty, called by Springsteen "the Hank Williams of our time" for Fortunate Son, a '60s protest song Springsteen has sometimes performed. Creedence Clearwater Revival's Proud Mary was done proud with a faithful stomping version, as the heavenly hootenanny continued. Springsteen honored key influence Roy Orbison ("Me and John will take a stab") with a lovely Pretty Woman, punched up with a horn section.
A fine, fine song: Bruce kept the soul vibe alive by bringing out Darlene Love for A Fine, Fine Boy, a Phil Spector-produced '60s classic. Springsteen grinned from ear to ear as Love, Patti Scialfa and Clemons pounded out Da Doo Ron Ron.
Going 180: Having reached back to country, soul and girl-group pop, Bruce spun forward to offspring punk by bringing out Morello for The Clash's London Calling.
The New Yorkers: "Is there anybody alive in New York City?" Bruce implored before Badlands' end with Morello. Heck, yeah, the wrung-out crowd replied, pleading successfully for an encore. He completed the regional trifecta by bringing out Long Island favorite son Billy Joel to take over the piano for You May Be Right. Joel stayed on for his saucy Only the Good Die Young, as Springsteen's voice began to strain a bit. Joel's New York State of Mind was the obvious next choice, and he and Springsteen gave it their saloon crooner best. Who knew Bruce had that in him?
Funneling the fun: The concerts raised money for a permanent endowment of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation and Museum, co-established in 1984 by Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun. Tickets went for $80-$2,500, with VIP packages priced as high as $100,000.
Behind the scenes: Big guns from the entertainment and publishing worlds helped put the show together, including Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner, screenwriter Cameron Crowe and guitarist Robbie Robertson, formerly of The Band.
The end: Before anyone had to run for buses and subways, the band rolled out a post-1 a.m. Born to Run, with Joel taking a turn on the sacred text. Springsteen walked to the lip of the stage, let fans pound his guitar, then sent 19,500 tramps like him out into the New York night. Almost. All his guests came back on for a loving (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher tribute to Jackie Wilson. Wave after wave of pure soul joy, carried out for countless choruses, carried it home.
Next stop: Tonight, when U2, Aretha Franklin, Jeff Beck and Metallica will headline.
usatoday
Rock royalty tips its cap to the 1960s at Hall of Fame concert in New York
Springsteen, Sting, Paul Simon and other icons perform at Madison Square Garden in the shadow of Woodstock's 40th anniversary.
By Geoff Boucher
October 31, 2009
Sting performs - October 29, 2009
Reporting from New York - The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame sits on the shore of Lake Erie in Cleveland, but if you wanted to see the music legends it celebrates, the best place to be this week was Seventh Avenue in rainy Manhattan. Even in this era of nonstop all-star benefits and award shows, it was a bit stunning to see the rock royalty that walked on stage at Madison Square Garden for two concerts honoring the silver anniversary of the museum in the distant Midwest.
The rhythm of the event went something like this: An iconic music act would step to the microphone and bring the crowd to its feet with a single line from its signature songbooks.
"Hello darkness my old friend . . . "
"The rangers had a homecoming in Harlem late last night . . . "
"Very superstitious, writings on the wall . . ."
On Night 1, in a show that stretched 4 1/2 hours, it was Simon & Garfunkel, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Stevie Wonder, Jackson Browne, Crosby, Stills & Nash, John Fogerty, Sting, Smokey Robinson, Jerry Lee Lewis, B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor, Dion, Little Anthony & the Imperials, Tom Morello and John Legend.
As this article was written, the Friday night schedule included: U2, Metallica, Aretha Franklin, Lou Reed, the Jeff Beck Band, Ray Davies, Ozzy Osbourne, Annie Lennox, Buddy Guy, Lenny Kravitz and a several notable surprise guests.
The performers came on stage beneath two arches that were adorned with portraits of the founding voices -- Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, Little Richard and Buddy Holly among them. The 74-year-old Lewis was the only person who appeared in both the paintings and in the spotlight; the man who gave the world "Great Balls of Fire" was among the Hall's first class of inductees in January 1986, which is why, undoubtedly, he was the only performer scheduled to play both nights and was given the honor of the opening number.
The real tilt for most of the first evening, though, was the 1960s, an emphasis made clear by the act who followed Lewis into the spotlight: Crosby, Stills & Nash opened with their familiar harmonies on Joni Mitchell's " Woodstock" as an image of Yasgur's farm filled the screen behind them. "This is Woodstock," Stephen Stills yelped waving at the arena and audience around him.
That festival celebrated its 40th anniversary this past summer and it has become such a relentless revisited generational signpost that younger music fans might wonder with a wink if their elders might better be called the Woodstuck Generation.
But an anniversary show for a museum is precisely the right place to look backward and many of the artists took the chance to share their own life-shaping memories of rock heroes and peers. For instance, Simon, (who performed a solo set of his 1970s and 1980s hits before old frienemy Garfunkel joined him in the spotlight) waxed on about Alan Freed, the Cleveland disc jockey who popularized the term "rock 'n' roll" (and earned Ohio the home-field advantage for the museum) and channeled Holly on "Not Fade Away."
He also dedicated a gentle version of "Here Comes the Sun" to the late George Harrison.
The night's bumpiest performance was from Wonder, who changed his set order on the fly to deal with some nasty sound problems. It was interesting that he treated the show as a concert, not a television taping -- it will air Nov. 29 on HBO. instead of halting the set and starting over, he pressed on, which was admirable and likely preserved the perceived momentum of the night for the arena audience.
Wonder also performed a spirited version of the 1987 Michael Jackson hit "The Way You Make Me Feel" but turned away from the microphone for a moment; viewed from a distance it wasn't clear if it was because of the emotion of singing his late friend's endearing hit or frustration with the balky sound issues. Wonder also led the audience in a call-and-response chant of Jackson's name.
There was even more crackling energy in the venue late Thursday as the crowd waited for the show-closer, a band of note from New Jersey. Much of the night had been about gentle harmonies with songs such as "The Boxer" and "Teach Your Children," and the audience was clearly ready for some roadhouse evangelism.
A TiVo-sabotaging announcement was made in the arena that the Yankees had just defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 2 of the World Series and then Springsteen walked out on stage and belted out "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out"; needless to say, these two back-to-back moments had a significant effect on the heart rate of middle-aged East Coast men in the audience.
Springsteen didn't disappoint anyone. He was joined by Sam Moore of Sam & Dave fame for sinewy versions of "Hold On, I'm Coming" and "Soul Man" and then Fogerty for "Fortunate Son," which roared like a sawmill. Springsteen, making the night's lone comments about contemporary issues, spoke a bit about the battle for "decent healthcare" and was then joined by gifted guitarist Morello of Rage Against the Machine for a glass-shard rendition of "The Ghost of Tom Joad."
The great mystery of the two-night affair in New York is how exactly the producers of the show will turn it into the planned four-hour broadcast for HBO. The show's producers, Jann S. Wenner and Playtone partners Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman, loaded the stage with historic talent and they also brought in Robbie Robertson, T Bone Burnett and others to curate the moments and film segments that played between sets.
Those film segments, though, certainly will force director Joel Gallen and his team to leave a number of startling stage moments on the cutting-room floor -- although a future DVD document of the night seems a certainty.
geoff.boucher@latimes.com
latimes
Springsteen, Sting, Paul Simon and other icons perform at Madison Square Garden in the shadow of Woodstock's 40th anniversary.
By Geoff Boucher
October 31, 2009
Sting performs - October 29, 2009
Reporting from New York - The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame sits on the shore of Lake Erie in Cleveland, but if you wanted to see the music legends it celebrates, the best place to be this week was Seventh Avenue in rainy Manhattan. Even in this era of nonstop all-star benefits and award shows, it was a bit stunning to see the rock royalty that walked on stage at Madison Square Garden for two concerts honoring the silver anniversary of the museum in the distant Midwest.
The rhythm of the event went something like this: An iconic music act would step to the microphone and bring the crowd to its feet with a single line from its signature songbooks.
"Hello darkness my old friend . . . "
"The rangers had a homecoming in Harlem late last night . . . "
"Very superstitious, writings on the wall . . ."
On Night 1, in a show that stretched 4 1/2 hours, it was Simon & Garfunkel, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Stevie Wonder, Jackson Browne, Crosby, Stills & Nash, John Fogerty, Sting, Smokey Robinson, Jerry Lee Lewis, B.B. King, Bonnie Raitt, James Taylor, Dion, Little Anthony & the Imperials, Tom Morello and John Legend.
As this article was written, the Friday night schedule included: U2, Metallica, Aretha Franklin, Lou Reed, the Jeff Beck Band, Ray Davies, Ozzy Osbourne, Annie Lennox, Buddy Guy, Lenny Kravitz and a several notable surprise guests.
The performers came on stage beneath two arches that were adorned with portraits of the founding voices -- Elvis Presley, Ray Charles, Little Richard and Buddy Holly among them. The 74-year-old Lewis was the only person who appeared in both the paintings and in the spotlight; the man who gave the world "Great Balls of Fire" was among the Hall's first class of inductees in January 1986, which is why, undoubtedly, he was the only performer scheduled to play both nights and was given the honor of the opening number.
The real tilt for most of the first evening, though, was the 1960s, an emphasis made clear by the act who followed Lewis into the spotlight: Crosby, Stills & Nash opened with their familiar harmonies on Joni Mitchell's " Woodstock" as an image of Yasgur's farm filled the screen behind them. "This is Woodstock," Stephen Stills yelped waving at the arena and audience around him.
That festival celebrated its 40th anniversary this past summer and it has become such a relentless revisited generational signpost that younger music fans might wonder with a wink if their elders might better be called the Woodstuck Generation.
But an anniversary show for a museum is precisely the right place to look backward and many of the artists took the chance to share their own life-shaping memories of rock heroes and peers. For instance, Simon, (who performed a solo set of his 1970s and 1980s hits before old frienemy Garfunkel joined him in the spotlight) waxed on about Alan Freed, the Cleveland disc jockey who popularized the term "rock 'n' roll" (and earned Ohio the home-field advantage for the museum) and channeled Holly on "Not Fade Away."
He also dedicated a gentle version of "Here Comes the Sun" to the late George Harrison.
The night's bumpiest performance was from Wonder, who changed his set order on the fly to deal with some nasty sound problems. It was interesting that he treated the show as a concert, not a television taping -- it will air Nov. 29 on HBO. instead of halting the set and starting over, he pressed on, which was admirable and likely preserved the perceived momentum of the night for the arena audience.
Wonder also performed a spirited version of the 1987 Michael Jackson hit "The Way You Make Me Feel" but turned away from the microphone for a moment; viewed from a distance it wasn't clear if it was because of the emotion of singing his late friend's endearing hit or frustration with the balky sound issues. Wonder also led the audience in a call-and-response chant of Jackson's name.
There was even more crackling energy in the venue late Thursday as the crowd waited for the show-closer, a band of note from New Jersey. Much of the night had been about gentle harmonies with songs such as "The Boxer" and "Teach Your Children," and the audience was clearly ready for some roadhouse evangelism.
A TiVo-sabotaging announcement was made in the arena that the Yankees had just defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 2 of the World Series and then Springsteen walked out on stage and belted out "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out"; needless to say, these two back-to-back moments had a significant effect on the heart rate of middle-aged East Coast men in the audience.
Springsteen didn't disappoint anyone. He was joined by Sam Moore of Sam & Dave fame for sinewy versions of "Hold On, I'm Coming" and "Soul Man" and then Fogerty for "Fortunate Son," which roared like a sawmill. Springsteen, making the night's lone comments about contemporary issues, spoke a bit about the battle for "decent healthcare" and was then joined by gifted guitarist Morello of Rage Against the Machine for a glass-shard rendition of "The Ghost of Tom Joad."
The great mystery of the two-night affair in New York is how exactly the producers of the show will turn it into the planned four-hour broadcast for HBO. The show's producers, Jann S. Wenner and Playtone partners Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman, loaded the stage with historic talent and they also brought in Robbie Robertson, T Bone Burnett and others to curate the moments and film segments that played between sets.
Those film segments, though, certainly will force director Joel Gallen and his team to leave a number of startling stage moments on the cutting-room floor -- although a future DVD document of the night seems a certainty.
geoff.boucher@latimes.com
latimes
27.10.09
Live review: U2's 360 Tour at the Rose Bowl
October 26, 2009 | 7:28 am
"Enough of the folk mass!" declared Bono during U2's historic Rose Bowl performance Sunday, leading his band and the nearly 100,000 fans in the stadium out of a singalong and into a dance party. The 49-year-old singer/activist/life of the party has been making such quick metaphorical turns for much of his life, fronting a band known for transcendence but hardly immune to sensual pleasure.
Usually, Bono and his band mates travel from prayers to come-ons on the force of charisma and a sound that's ascendant and sleekly funky, structured around the Edge's stretchy guitar parts and Bono's dirty-faced choirboy cries. But for this tour, U2 has adopted another mode of transport: the four-legged circular stage rig known as the Claw, or the Space Station. This contraption is an extravagance with a big carbon footprint and an even bigger price tag. But in Pasadena, it proved worth every Euro, allowing this most ambitious rock band to genuinely reconfigure live pop performance.
Plenty of artists have played in the round, built multi-tiered sets and spent time roaming through the crowd on ramps or trapezes. But the Space Station (Bono's preferred term these days) changes the architecture of the live concert. It not only puts the stadium audience closer to the band, it cuts holes in the fourth wall between star and fan, creating a feeling of immersion and communal connection that's startling in such a huge venue, and that translated differently in person than it could have on YouTube, where the concert was streamed live.
Ringed by a ramp that the band members usually reached via moving bridges, enclosing a good chunk of the crowd within a welcome pen, the Space Station truly conjoined U2 and its audience. The Rose Bowl's relatively low walls enhanced the illusion that mere footsteps (and sometimes less than that) stood between the men unstack and their elated devotees. When Bono crouched at the ramp's edge or the Edge strode across it, churning out a riff, they seemed as touchable as superstars could be.
The Space Station's fragmented and shifting ground dismantled the conventions of the rock concert. "I was born to lift you up," Bono sang in "Magnificent," one of the many songs performed from the band's latest album, "No Line on the Horizon." But at times this music seemed to do the opposite -- it pushed the crowd under a wave of echo and distortion, or formed a passageway between the fans and the band.
Those joyfully shouted group choruses, to older songs like "One" and "With or Without You" but also to newer ones like "Magnificent" and "Unknown Caller" (the latter aided by lyrics splayed across the Space Station's screen), offered the clearest route to union. But it also happened when the Edge and billowing guitar phrases bathed the space in harmonics during "Until the End of the World," or when the rhythm section of Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. (the latter playing a strapped-on conga) moved every body in the house with a Latin-cum-rave take on "I'll Go Crazy if I Don't Go Crazy Tonight."
U2's time-honored approach to spiritual enlightenment worked its magic too, when Bono prefaced the old favorite "Where the Streets Have No Name" with some verses of "Amazing Grace," or when he interjected phrases from crowd-pleasing oldies like "Stand by Me," or simply shouted "Soul! Soul! Soul!" (His funniest interjection, though, was when he compared himself to Dennis Hopper and then did a bit of that actor's heavy breathing from the film "Blue Velvet.")
But after three decades as an important band, U2 is long past simple uplift. Its music is as much about emotional entanglement (as in "Ultraviolet" on Sunday) and disorientation ("Vertigo"). Ultimately, it is a meditation on space: the majestic natural landscapes that the Edge's guitar playing often describes; the crowded dance floors or train platforms Clayton and Mullen's rhythms evoke; the inches between a whispering mouth and a lover's ear, or the infinite journey of a prayer hurled into the air.
The Space Station allows U2 to make those musical and lyrical preoccupations physical in a new way. At the Rose Bowl, it created a new experience even for the most jaded concertgoer. U2 concerts have often included moments in which raised voices build goodwill, or shaking hips stimulate joy. But for the first time, perhaps, this band's noise resulted in a kind of silence and stillness -- not a literal one, but the rapture that comes when nearly 100,000 people relax together, as if held within a gentle, open hand.
"God will put a wind at our back and a rising road ahead, if we work together as one," said Archbishop Desmond Tutu in an on-screen message late in the concert. That vision of nations and individuals opening up to one another is at the core of U2's mission. This extravagant tour gave the band another way to enact it and made for a whole new concert experience in the process.
Opening the show, the Black Eyed Peas went for something more tried and true, but also powerful: a party vibe celebrating the home team. Performing its many hits in an exuberant set, the Peas radiated Southern California pride. Tabu draped himself in Mexican and American flags; will.i.am name-checked neighborhoods and towns from Hollywood to East L.A. to La Crescenta.
The set's spirited climax came when Fergie took Axl Rose's part in a rough and true-blooded cover of the Guns N' Roses classic "Sweet Child o' Mine," with Slash himself on guitar. If U2 aimed for universals, the Black Eyed Peas reminded us that particulars have their uses too. Especially when those particulars are as diverse as the elements that make up the Southland.
-- Ann Powers
latimes
October 26, 2009 | 7:28 am
"Enough of the folk mass!" declared Bono during U2's historic Rose Bowl performance Sunday, leading his band and the nearly 100,000 fans in the stadium out of a singalong and into a dance party. The 49-year-old singer/activist/life of the party has been making such quick metaphorical turns for much of his life, fronting a band known for transcendence but hardly immune to sensual pleasure.
Usually, Bono and his band mates travel from prayers to come-ons on the force of charisma and a sound that's ascendant and sleekly funky, structured around the Edge's stretchy guitar parts and Bono's dirty-faced choirboy cries. But for this tour, U2 has adopted another mode of transport: the four-legged circular stage rig known as the Claw, or the Space Station. This contraption is an extravagance with a big carbon footprint and an even bigger price tag. But in Pasadena, it proved worth every Euro, allowing this most ambitious rock band to genuinely reconfigure live pop performance.
Plenty of artists have played in the round, built multi-tiered sets and spent time roaming through the crowd on ramps or trapezes. But the Space Station (Bono's preferred term these days) changes the architecture of the live concert. It not only puts the stadium audience closer to the band, it cuts holes in the fourth wall between star and fan, creating a feeling of immersion and communal connection that's startling in such a huge venue, and that translated differently in person than it could have on YouTube, where the concert was streamed live.
Ringed by a ramp that the band members usually reached via moving bridges, enclosing a good chunk of the crowd within a welcome pen, the Space Station truly conjoined U2 and its audience. The Rose Bowl's relatively low walls enhanced the illusion that mere footsteps (and sometimes less than that) stood between the men unstack and their elated devotees. When Bono crouched at the ramp's edge or the Edge strode across it, churning out a riff, they seemed as touchable as superstars could be.
The Space Station's fragmented and shifting ground dismantled the conventions of the rock concert. "I was born to lift you up," Bono sang in "Magnificent," one of the many songs performed from the band's latest album, "No Line on the Horizon." But at times this music seemed to do the opposite -- it pushed the crowd under a wave of echo and distortion, or formed a passageway between the fans and the band.
Those joyfully shouted group choruses, to older songs like "One" and "With or Without You" but also to newer ones like "Magnificent" and "Unknown Caller" (the latter aided by lyrics splayed across the Space Station's screen), offered the clearest route to union. But it also happened when the Edge and billowing guitar phrases bathed the space in harmonics during "Until the End of the World," or when the rhythm section of Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. (the latter playing a strapped-on conga) moved every body in the house with a Latin-cum-rave take on "I'll Go Crazy if I Don't Go Crazy Tonight."
U2's time-honored approach to spiritual enlightenment worked its magic too, when Bono prefaced the old favorite "Where the Streets Have No Name" with some verses of "Amazing Grace," or when he interjected phrases from crowd-pleasing oldies like "Stand by Me," or simply shouted "Soul! Soul! Soul!" (His funniest interjection, though, was when he compared himself to Dennis Hopper and then did a bit of that actor's heavy breathing from the film "Blue Velvet.")
But after three decades as an important band, U2 is long past simple uplift. Its music is as much about emotional entanglement (as in "Ultraviolet" on Sunday) and disorientation ("Vertigo"). Ultimately, it is a meditation on space: the majestic natural landscapes that the Edge's guitar playing often describes; the crowded dance floors or train platforms Clayton and Mullen's rhythms evoke; the inches between a whispering mouth and a lover's ear, or the infinite journey of a prayer hurled into the air.
The Space Station allows U2 to make those musical and lyrical preoccupations physical in a new way. At the Rose Bowl, it created a new experience even for the most jaded concertgoer. U2 concerts have often included moments in which raised voices build goodwill, or shaking hips stimulate joy. But for the first time, perhaps, this band's noise resulted in a kind of silence and stillness -- not a literal one, but the rapture that comes when nearly 100,000 people relax together, as if held within a gentle, open hand.
"God will put a wind at our back and a rising road ahead, if we work together as one," said Archbishop Desmond Tutu in an on-screen message late in the concert. That vision of nations and individuals opening up to one another is at the core of U2's mission. This extravagant tour gave the band another way to enact it and made for a whole new concert experience in the process.
Opening the show, the Black Eyed Peas went for something more tried and true, but also powerful: a party vibe celebrating the home team. Performing its many hits in an exuberant set, the Peas radiated Southern California pride. Tabu draped himself in Mexican and American flags; will.i.am name-checked neighborhoods and towns from Hollywood to East L.A. to La Crescenta.
The set's spirited climax came when Fergie took Axl Rose's part in a rough and true-blooded cover of the Guns N' Roses classic "Sweet Child o' Mine," with Slash himself on guitar. If U2 aimed for universals, the Black Eyed Peas reminded us that particulars have their uses too. Especially when those particulars are as diverse as the elements that make up the Southland.
-- Ann Powers
latimes
U2 gig streamed live on YouTube
(UKPA) – 1 day ago
U2 became the first stadium-packing stars to allow a full live show to be streamed for free on YouTube.
Millions of people around the world could watch the Irish band's show from the Pasadena Rose Bowl in California via the internet at the same time as thousands of fans who packed into the stadium.
The rockers revealed the tie-up with the video-sharing website last week.
U2 manager Paul McGuinness said: "The band has wanted to do something like this for a long time.
"As we're filming the Los Angeles show, it's the perfect opportunity to extend the party beyond the stadium. Fans often travel long distances to come to see U2 - this time U2 can go to them, globally."
The Rose Bowl show was U2's penultimate show this year on the 360 degrees Tour and sold out to the biggest crowd of more than 96,000 fans.
Wearing his trademark sunglasses, lead singer Bono said: "Thank you Los Angeles. Thanks to everyone watching on YouTube all over the world - seven continents."
The band performed classic U2 hits including I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For to rapturous applause.
Michele Flannery, YouTube's music manager, said: "YouTube is thrilled to be able to provide our global audience with a live streaming performance from one of the world's greatest bands.
"We are always looking for new ways to connect fans around the world with their favourite artists, and this is the perfect opportunity to do just that."
google
(UKPA) – 1 day ago
U2 became the first stadium-packing stars to allow a full live show to be streamed for free on YouTube.
Millions of people around the world could watch the Irish band's show from the Pasadena Rose Bowl in California via the internet at the same time as thousands of fans who packed into the stadium.
The rockers revealed the tie-up with the video-sharing website last week.
U2 manager Paul McGuinness said: "The band has wanted to do something like this for a long time.
"As we're filming the Los Angeles show, it's the perfect opportunity to extend the party beyond the stadium. Fans often travel long distances to come to see U2 - this time U2 can go to them, globally."
The Rose Bowl show was U2's penultimate show this year on the 360 degrees Tour and sold out to the biggest crowd of more than 96,000 fans.
Wearing his trademark sunglasses, lead singer Bono said: "Thank you Los Angeles. Thanks to everyone watching on YouTube all over the world - seven continents."
The band performed classic U2 hits including I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For to rapturous applause.
Michele Flannery, YouTube's music manager, said: "YouTube is thrilled to be able to provide our global audience with a live streaming performance from one of the world's greatest bands.
"We are always looking for new ways to connect fans around the world with their favourite artists, and this is the perfect opportunity to do just that."
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