Careful with that microphone, boy
I’m pondering a few things as we head towards U2 kicking off leg 3 of the U2 360 Tour in Turin, Italy on August 6.
1. Have we seen the last of the steering wheel microphone? (Swinging on this or even being tempted to do so doesn’t seem safe for B-Diddy in the aftermath of his back injury. Does it?)
2. If that is gone, or even if it is not, one could assume the band might change up the encore a bit anyway. How different will the whole vibe of the concert’s ending be?
3. Will U2 really be playing new, unreleased material to stadium sized crowds?
4. Will these songs be good? Great? Bad? Bon Jovi?
CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF THIS SUPER EXCITING TOP 10 LIST ON THE ATU2BLOG …
Oh, And Unrelated: What’s a better band name – Snouts At Our Trough or Anonymous Gremlins? I’m undecided.
Staring at the ceiling
New songs(?). New tour dates. New hairdo. Same singer. (YAY) I must admit I was hoping Bono did some bending motions in the video below, but I’ll take his word(s) for it that he’s ready to return.
U2′s Rescheduled North American Tour dates for 2011
For the reading challenged, here are the key visual aids:
Unrelated: Bono on a boat. (This is how he gets that windblown look on his hair, people.)
Listen to The Bono
While we glide through this unprecedented summertime stretch of “No Sightings of The Bono Getting On and Off of Little Tiny Boats” (The Summer without a Bono Claus?), sate yourself with a Bono podcast of Bono saying Bono things you’ve probably heard before.
Absolute Radio Podcast: Bono talks about his memories of Live Aid which was 25 years ago this month. — Recorded: 9 July 2010 — Duration: 6 minutes 27 seconds …
Placeholder:
Related:
Electrical Storm – Barcelona, July 2, 2009, first live performance:
Related to the related:
The making of the Electrical Storm video
Not really related:
Edge has a playlist/podcast on iTunes. Download it. It is free.
In this exclusive iTunes Podcast Playlist, the Edge shares some of his favorite songs from New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, reminding us that much of today’s music originated from a musical culture that we must fight to preserve for future generations. Click here to listen to the free podcast on iTunes, where all 21 songs are available for download.
“How is he doing?”
Matt Bellamy interviewed by monkeys Absolute Radio at the Silver Clef Awards. Very brief U2 mention at the end of this where Matt is asked about Glastonbury and how Bono is doing and all that …
Related: Muse Honored at O2 Silver Clef Awards
U.K. rock act Muse’s fearsome live reputation helped secure them the O2 Silver Clef Award in London today (July 2).
The award was presented to Muse by Roger Taylor and Brian May of Queen. Taylor described the Warner-signed trio as “probably the greatest live act in the world today,” while May said that “this is a magnificent, incredible group.”
Collecting the award, singer and guitarist Matt Bellamy said it was an “amazing privilege and honor” to win, and he told the influential Queen members “we owe you so much.”
Muse also proved to be generous guests at the 35th anniversary of the Silver Clef Awards, successfully bidding tens of thousands during the auction in aid of the Nordoff Robbins music therapy charity.
Band members at their table at the Park Lane Hilton bid £7,000 ($10,600) for a Theo Fennell skull ring, £11,000 ($16,700) for 20-seat box at Wembley Stadium for Manchester Utd vs Chelsea next month, and £20,000 ($30,400) for a lithograph of a portrait of Keith Richards by fellow Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood.
Muse also donated what turned out to be the most expensive item in the auction, a signed custom-made Manson guitar. Bellamy conducted that part of the auction himself, describing how the guitar had only been used once when he rehearsed with U2′s the Edge, who joined the band on stage during their June 26 headline slot at Glastonbury festival. It was sold for £33,000 ($50,100) – to their booking agent Geoff Meall, at the Agency Group in London.
Streets mp3
There is a link to a decent mp3 of Muse and The Edge performing Where The Streets Have No Name at Glastonbury here.
Previously:
Glastonbury: Where The Streets Have No Name (Muse with The Edge – video)
The Edge joined Muse onstage to play Where The Streets Have No Name at Glastonbury on Saturday night.
Nice move, Muse. I’m glad they had The Edge up there playing a U2 song …
Here’s an mp3.
Sidenote: If the highlight of this video comes at 1:22-1:25 for you, your name might be Cara. (Oh, and those dueling Edge-Bellamy vocals at 3:50 – 4:10 and again near the end are sort of taking IT ALL off. And the drum part at 4:15- 4:25 is really always my favorite part of this particular song.) Still, somehow a little bittersweet to watch for me.
Related: BBC video interview with The Edge at Glastonbury.
In which The Edge compares himself to an NFL kicker. And imitates Larry and Bono text messages. And makes it seem like hopefully U2 will start the European leg of the tour on time.
Sidenote
This performance of Sunday Bloody Sunday in Dublin from 1987 breaks off into a brief interview clip at 4:16, where Bono says, “Maybe the song Sunday Bloody Sunday is a failure…” “We’ve alienated the republicans who wanted to use it as a battle cry…” “We’ve alienated the unionists who only see it as a slap in their face…”
Sorry, I know it’s a few days late and many thoughts short, but I was looking for that above clip for some reason after reading Bono’s latest NY Times column …
Bono’s New York Times column from June 18: In Ireland, Tuesday’s Grace
Sidenote to above video:
It’s amazing that Bono’s neck has never exploded.
- peace -
Eventually
I still haven’t gotten around to actually watching the U2 360 At The Rose Bowl DVD. I did acquire one (2-disc version, not super deluxe version) and managed to unwrap it and put it on my counter.
But I’m having a mental block against watching it! There must be something wrong with me.
Later -
