Legendary Dublin studio issues tape appeal

The young U2 made many of their albums in Windmill Lane

Dublin's Windmill Lane where U2 recorded parts of their albums Boy, War and The Joshua Tree are calling on all past artists to claim the tapes which include pre-digital recordings by the likes of AC/DC, The Chieftains, U2 and The Spice Girls.

Over the years these master tapes have begun deteriorating and are taking up valuable space as the studio goes through expansion.

The studio, which was set up in 1978 by engineer Brian Masterson, was originally used by traditional musicians before U2 began working there in 1980. Windmill has since relocated from its small quayside setting to Dublin's Ringsend Road and is now owned by Pulse Recording College. However, the old studio is still a site of pilgrimage for fans visiting the much-graffitied "U2 wall."

"We're appealing to any artists who've worked here using two-inch multitrack tapes to come in and reclaim them because we're in the process of disposing of these tapes," Ian Brady of Pulse told RTÉ Ten.

"There's a lot of stuff here of huge historical interest by the likes of U2, Riverdance, AC/DC and The Chieftains but the tapes can weight tonnes and they occupy valuable space. It they're not reclaimed, they will be disposed of."

Brady adds that the studio is encouraging all enthusiasts and fans to drop in and pay a visit for their last chance ever see the significance of these nostalgic pieces all in one place.

"Disposal will commence on May 7th, and we urge any interested parties who wish to claim their tapes to contact us before that date." he says.


http://www.rte.ie/

Eradicating extreme poverty doesn’t have to be a dream: Bono at TED2013

In 2005, the TED Prize was given to Bono. Eight years later, Chris Anderson asks, has there been any progress? The U2 frontman is here to tell us. But first, some good-natured Anglo-Irish joshing. “Chris Anderson asked me if I could put the last 25 years of of anti-poverty campaigning into 10 minutes. That’s an Englishman asking an Irishman to be succinct?” Bono is incredulous; the audience seems happy to laugh at both nations.

Bono’s passion: countering what Nelson Mandela refers to as “that most awful offense to humanity, extreme poverty.” His weapon of choice? Facts. “Forget the rock opera, forget the bombast, my usual tricks,” he says. “The only thing singing today will be the facts. I have truly embraced my inner nerd. Exit the rock star.” He removes his trademark sunglasses. “Enter the evidence-based activist.” He puts his glasses back on upside down. Bono is now a “factivist.” And he has the infographic-filled slides to prove it.

Here’s the surprise: there’s a lot of good news. Since 2000, eight million AIDS patients have been receiving retroviral drugs; malaria deaths have been cut by 75%; child mortality rate of kids under 5 is down by 2.65 million deaths a year. “Let’s think about that,” he says. “Have you read anything, anywhere in the last week that is as remotely as important as that number? It’s great news, and it drives me nuts most people don’t know this.”

More stats. Bono clearly has good graphic designers on staff. The number of people living in soul-crushing poverty declined from 43% in 1990 to 33% in 2000 to 21% by 2010. The audience approves and yet, he acknowledges, the rate is still too high. “If you live on less than $1.25 a day, this is not just data. This is everything. If you’re a parent who wants the best for your kids, and I am, this rapid transition is a route out of despair and into hope.”

Can the trajectory continue? Bono has tracked it forward. “If the trajectory continues, look at the number of people living on a dollar a day by 2030: zero. That can’t be true, can it?” But it is. The Zero Zone is possible, even for troubled countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Think of the benefits if this actually transpires, Bono challenges. For one thing, he jokes, “you won’t have to listen to an insufferable jumped-up Jesus like myself.” And 2030 is just around the corner. “That’s only three Rolling Stones farewell concerts away.” The audience laughs, even more when the singer adds drily, “I’m hoping. They make us look really young.”

Here’s the rub. We can’t take any of this for granted. “The opportunity is real, but so is the jeopardy. We can’t get this done until we accept that we can get this done. Inertia is how we screw this up. Momentum is how we bend the arc of history down towards zero.” But fighting those who would stand in the way of positive progress is a responsibility for everyone. Fighting corruption is easier by means of transparency and openness, and it’s critical that we all play our part. He cites a report from Uganda, where millennials are reporting and exposing government corruption by means of 2G phones and SMS messages. 

“Once you have these tools, you can’t not use them. You can’t delete this data from your brain,” says Bono. “You can delete the cliché image from your brain of supplicant impoverished people not having control of their own lives. That’s not true.”

So can everyone here at TED also take up the cause, become so-called “factivists”? Bono’s on the hard sell. “We’re here to try and infect you with this virtuous database virus, the one we call factivism. It’s not going to kill you; it could save countless lives. We in the ONE campaign would love you to be contagious, spread it, share it, pass it on. By doing so, you will join us and countless others in what I truly believe is the greatest adventure ever taken. The ever-demanding journey of equality. Could we answer that clarion call of Nelson Mandela with science, reason, facts and dare I say it, emotion?”

In conclusion, Bono quotes Wael Ghonim, the former Googler who used social networking and technology tools with such effect in the Egyptian uprising. “I have his words tattooed on my brain,” says Bono. “We’re going to win because we don’t understand politics. We’re going to win because we don’t play their dirty games. We’re going to win because we don’t have an agenda. We’re going to win because the tears that comes from our eyes actually come from our hearts. We’re going to win because we have dreams. We’re going to win because we are willing to stand up for our dreams.

“He’s right,” Bono reminds us. “We’ll win if we work together as one, the people. The power of the people is so much stronger than the people in power.” And, for the man who earlier confessed that applause was his weakness, a standing ovation.

From "Fever Picture" FB page 

http://blog.ted.com
https://www.facebook.com/FeverPicture
http://www.one.org/international/

Bono at Elton John's Oscar Party

LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 24: Singer Bono and Actress Eve Hewson arrives at the 21st Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation's Oscar Viewing Party on February 24, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

Bono and Eve Hewson participated in The Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Award Party .

The Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Award Party is an annual party held every year in Los Angeles, California since 1993, following the Academy Awards ceremony.  It is hosted by Elton John and the AIDS Foundation, and is one of most high-profile parties in the Hollywood film industry, particularly for people of British origin working in Hollywood films or the entertainment industry.

Ali Suffered Minor Injury in Costa Rica

On Wednesday, the Costa Rican online daily crhoy.com reported that Alison “Ali” Hewson, wife of famed U2 crooner Bono, was treated for a broken leg at an unnamed San José hospital.
Citing two sources “close to the hospital” and one “close to” an air transport company that airlifted Hewson to the hospital, crhoy.com noted that the couple was vacationing somewhere near Cóbano de Puntarenas, on the Pacific coast, when Bono’s wife had an accident on Saturday.
The couple arrived in Costa Rica on Feb. 11, crhoy.com and La Nación reported, citing immigration officials.
The La Nación report incorrectly notes that this is Bono’s first trip to Costa Rica since 1991. Bono and U2 guitarist The Edge were spotted last year swimming with dolphins off the Osa Peninsula, on the band’s private yacht.


http://www.ticotimes.net/


Updated news:

Bono’s wife Ali Hewson has sustained broken ribs in a quad bike accident on a beach in Costa Rica, where the celebrity couple and some of their children are holidaying.

Initial reports claimed Ali had broken a leg when the quad bike toppled over. That was later denied.

The accident made the front page of the Inside Costa Rica newspaper, which said she had been airlifted to the CIMA hospital in Escazu after she took a tumble on the beach. Bono reportedly accompanied her to the hospital.

Merciela Retana, a spokesperson for the hospital, said last night that they could not provide information on the condition of any patients.

According to Costa Rican immigration reports, both Bono, 53, and Ali, 52, arrived at Juan Santamaria Airport on Feb 11 and have been there ever since.

According to local reports, Ali suffered broken ribs after the quad bike sent her flying.

A spokeswoman for U2’s London-based publicist Regine Moylett said: “Ali had an accident while on a family holiday in Costa Rica. She sustained a couple of broken ribs, some cuts and bruises, and is recovering well.”


By Richie Taylor

http://www.irishexaminer.com

Adam Clayton:Music helped save me and U2 bandmates from depression

Clayton told the Irish Independent that he has experienced the 'black dog' creeping in at stages throughout his life, but coped by concentrating on his work and seeking help.

"There's a lot of it in our industry and it's covered up with drugs and alcohol. There's such a high incidence of young musicians who commit suicide or inadvertently die through accidents of some kind," said the 52-year-old.

"I was aware of it as a teenager. When I was 16 or 17 I found it quite difficult to fit in, but then music was the thing that really worked for me.

"Then later on in my career I had issues with alcohol, which again I went to rehab for and it was a breath of fresh air to have people identify with what was going on for me. Thankfully, by putting down the alcohol, I haven't had any issues."

And he admitted: "I think for me, and for the rest of the band, it was music that saved us. Otherwise we'd have gone a bit mad ... or certainly suffer from depression."

The rock legend was speaking at the launch of the Walk in My Shoes campaign at St Patrick's University Hospital in Dublin.

He was joined by rugby pundit Brent Pope, broadcasters Sybil Mulcahy and Lorraine Keane, model Rosanna Davison and snooker star Ken Doherty.

Clayton encouraged those suffering from mental health issues to reach out and stressed the importance of promoting open conversation to tackle Ireland's suicide problem.

"In all the creative fields, I think there's a very slim line between good mental health and bad mental health and somehow the two feed each other and create the work," he said.

"But if you do suffer from a mental health issue, once you start talking to people and realising there's a place you can go where people understand what it is, you can find (solutions)."

Album

Clayton said that, as an international star, he and his band- mates Bono, The Edge and Larry Mullen Jr, hope to reach out to people through their music.

"I'm not sure one can come at it straight on, but I think within the music and lyrics there are hooks people can identify with."

U2 are back in the studio and are currently working on their next album. "We're in the middle of it at the moment. It should be finished by the end of the year," Clayton added.







http://www.independent.ie

Adam Raises Awareness with New "Walk in my Shoes" Campaign

Adam at 98 FM raising awareness for Walk in my Shoes Campaing 

As he did last year, Adam is supporting "Walk in my Shoes Campaign" , the campaign that  suports mental health services for young adults in Ireland. 
He was seen this morning doing a photshoot and in 98FM, raising awareness for this campaing.
This is the information we get from the official site:

The ‘Walk in My Shoes’ 2013 campaign will be officially launched this February.

Take part in Walk in My Shoes day on Friday April 12th and show you care about mental health!

Join U2’s Adam Clayton and a host of well know celebrities and help provide FREE mental health services for young adults across Ireland.

“There is hope for everyone, each and every person can be helped, can be made well again and can resume their ordinary lives.” Service User

Walk in My Shoes is a campaign of the St. Patrick’s Hospital Foundation

Updated: 

http://www.walkinmyshoes.ie// Twitter:  #WIMS2013

U2, Paul McCartney and Coldplay to appear on War Child compilation

War Child have revealed plans to celebrate their 20th anniversary by releasing a compilation album featuring a collection of the tracks recorded for their charity albums over the past two decades. 

The charity will celebrate its 20th anniversary next week and the occasion is being marked with a major exhibition, an intimate Muse show and a new compilation album, 'The Best Of War Child'. The charity are also set to win the Lifetime Achievement Award at this years' BRIT Awards. 

The compilation documents the way War Child has had this integral, credible and proud relationship with the great and good of British music," says War Child’s musical director Ben Knowles. "It's one of the most amazing stories of British music history, the incredible support that came together around War Child back in 1994 and 1995 and has continuedever since."

Released on February 18, 'The Best Of War Child' will feature tracks by Radiohead, Paul McCartney, David Bowie and Coldplay. A live version of Muse's 'Time Is Running Out' can be downloaded for free via the War Child website now. 

'The Best Of War Child' tracklisting is as follows:

Smokin' Mojo Filters (McCartney, Weller, Gallagher) - 'Come Together'
Radiohead - 'Lucky'
Oasis - 'Fade Away'
Portishead - 'Mourning Air'
Massive Attack - 'Fake The Aroma'
Manic Street Preachers - 'Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head'
Suede - 'Shipbuilding'
Passengers (U2 and Pavarotti) - 'Miss Sarajevo'
Muse - 'House Of The Rising Sun'
The Prodigy - 'Ghost Town'
Paul McCartney - 'Calico Skies'
David Bowie - 'Everyone Says Hi (Metro Mix)'
New Order - 'Vietnam'
Coldplay - 'How You See The World No.2'
Gorillaz - 'Hong Kong'
Keane - 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road'
Hot Chip - 'Transmission'
Beck - 'Leopard-Skin-Pill-Box-Hat'
Lily Allen (ft. Mick Jones) - 'Straight To Hell'
Elbow - 'Running To Stand Still'

http://www.nme.com/http://www.warchild.org.uk/

Interview with Neil McCormick

U2 Brasil  (www.u2br.com)has posted their own interview with Neil Mc Cormick, a nice chat with one of the witness of the U2 phenomenon from the start.

German version of "Killing Bono"

1- Your book, "Killing Bono" is going to be released in Portuguese earlier 2013. Did you expect that? It must be really awesome seeing that your work is growing, and reaching different people, with a book, and later a movie...what do you think about that? It was weird seeing you in the movies? 

R: It is a thrill seeing my book translated into other languages. It is already available in Finnish and German, and will soon be in Italian, Polish and now Brazilian Portugese. It feels as if a stone I tossed into the world’s pond is still sending ripples out. I don’t envy the translators though. I’ve had some strange questions thrown at me. How do you explain teenage Bono’s jokey (and very Irish) remark “Up your bum, chum, with a big bass drum” in another language? It just means “Fuck that!” but a literal translation makes it sound both painful and physically impossible. The film is like another translation, another version. Yes it was very strange to see myself … but I know that it’s not me, and the film doesn’t replace my own memories.

 

2 - We've seen the book, we saw the movie, but how about the real life experience? How was growing up with not only the U2 boys, but with the other guys, like Gavin Friday and Guggi? Even today you guys are still in touch with each other?

R: Well, I hope the book tells you what that was like. It has been an adventure but it has also just been normality, these are guys I have known since my teens so it never seems quite as special as it would to someone who only got to discover them through their music. I am still in touch U2, of course, our lives intersect both professionally and personally. My friendship is mainly with Bono and we communicate mainly by text these days, and catch up when we happen to be in the same part of the world. And I see all the others through that friendship. I still run into Gavin and Guggi, both still impressively crazy.

 

3 - Let's talk about Frankie Corpse & the Undertakers. When did you realize that being a rockstar was not going to happen (ok, let me tell, I cheered for you guys, while seeing the movie)? When did the reality "punched" you in the face?

R: It wasn’t so much a sudden punch in the face as a slow knockout from an endless series of blows. The worst moment was when my girlfriend, Gloria, called me a loser. I was turning 30, still trying to get that elusive record deal but I didn’t want to be a loser in her eyes and that made me feel I needed to get my act together, even if it meant giving up music. But actually, even when I stopped chasing stardom, I still believed for years in my secret heart that it would happen one day. I still make music anyway. I’ve got a band who occasionally pop up in London called Groovy Dad … cos we are groovy … and we are dads. Music is for life. And I’m still with Gloria, anyway, so obviously she decided I wasn’t a complete loser.

 

4 - Reading you book, we could see clearly how hard was to deal with U2's success. I guess one of the greatest things about the book, is the fact that we can see ourselves in that story. Of course, we didn't go to school with U2, but we all had the experience of seeing a friend being successful in our own dream, while we stay there, and we have to deal with that. And how was that to you? Correct me if I'm wrong, but you spent almost 5 years without being in contact with Bono (yes, I'm pretty much your stalker too!). What changed in that time? You can say that seeing Bono in such a down to earth experience (the funeral of Bill Graham) made you feel  that "Bono" wasn't the rockstar, but the boy you went to school with?

R: A lot of people do have the experience of being overshadowed by friends or relatives, that is one of the universal emotions that drives the book, although having your friend turn out to be the biggest rock star on the planet makes it a little more unusual. It did become hard for me to take, even though I understood that it was my problem, not his. Although I didn’t see Bono for quite a few years, that was partly because I was busy getting my own life together as a journalist, and a stepfather. Life was different then too, it was pre-text and email, U2 were out travelling the world and I was hustling to make it in London. But actually we were still sort of in touch through occasional phone calls or messages that might be passed on through friends and I did hear from Bono from time to time, often quite unexpectedly.  What I stopped doing was actively keeping contact. There were no more expectations of going backstage if they were playing a concert. I let U2 drop, really, to get them out of my psyche. Meeting them all again at Bill’s funeral was an interesting moment because we all just fell in together, very old friends, gathered to mourn a very old friend. It was, I suppose, a kind of healing experience for me, to see them in  that light again.

 

5- In some recent interviews, Bono said that he is afraid of U2 being "irrelevant",  even with the numbers (The 360º tour became the biggest of all time), and all the success, do you think that U2 is still like "The Hype" and "Feedback"? A band who's always dealing with the pressure of doing the best they can? Maybe their reinvention is the key for the success? Knowing that you can always improve, and you can always be better, by taking chances and "risking themselves"?

R: They are very driven and a lot of that comes from Bono, who has a restlessness and relentlessness about him, which I think (as I make clear in my book, and then we talked about some more when I wrote U2 By U2 for them) comes from the death of his mother at a young age, and the absence he feels in his heart. It’s not really something to be envied. But it does keep him pushing forward. We have had several conversations about U2’s relevance. It’s been a big topic for Bono even during the 360 tour. The last time I saw him was in August in Berlin, and he was still full of enthusiasm and excitement and pride about the music U2 were making but unusually he seemed in no hurry. He knows the world doesn’t really need another U2 record. So he wants to make sure that when they deliver one, it’s the greatest album they can possibly make.

 

6- And can you provide us some sneak peek about U2's new album? We're guessing that maybe the album is going out somewhere in late 2013. Have you heard it? Is that something you could tell us about? We're not going to tell anyone. 

R: I am sworn to secrecy. Which is helped by the fact that I don’t really know anything.

 

7- How do you think is going to be music's future? And not only about U2, but do you think that the physical media like cd's are going to disappear? The future is: downloaded songs, digital albums, amazing mobile apps and this kinda of thing? Personally, I still buy cd's and even vinyls, but do you think that in some years these are going to be nothing but memorablia?

 

R: The future is here. The CD is dying and with it will go the album as a long form experience. Single downloads are the medium of the moment. But, for those special artists who need that long form to really express themselves (and I would count U2 in there), I think they will still find an audience willing to listen.

 

8- Well, I'll not prolong that, so we arrived at the last question, and I can only thank you for the opportunity! I knew you because of the band, but I became a fan of your work, and not only 'Killing Bono' and 'U2 by U2', but I enjoy reading your critics and reviews. But I really can't help: That footages in the end of the movie were just pure blast, and I just have to ask: what was that naked human being playing inside a trash can? It was just...art!

 

R: That was from a video we made one hot summer day about 1982 with our band Yeah!Yeah! – We borrowed a video camera and mimed to a demo we had recorded called Is That You. It was so hot, we took our shirts off. Ah to be young and thin again. I am sure you can find it on the internet somewhere. Everything else is there.

http://www.u2br.com

"Breathe" in South Africa Documentary

Miracle Rising: South Africa (screened  on The History Channel), is a documentary about the legacy of South Africa’s political transformation that culminated in the first free and fair elections in April 1994.

Narrated through personal accounts from world leaders, politicians, celebrities and journalists including Bono,  Richard Branson, Whoopi Goldberg, Desmond Tutu, Cyril Ramaphosa, Embeth Davidtz and Mamphela Ramphele, this thought-provoking show reflects on South Africa’s very own ‘miracle’.

Miracle Rising: South Africa is a moving testament to the choices of people, both ordinary and iconic, where the human capacity to find compassion enabled a nation to avoid civil war and reach forgiveness for the greater good.

From Nelson Mandela’s decision to learn Afrikaans while in prison, to the amnesty hearings of the Truth & Reconciliation Commission, it explores the difficult decisions that were taken enabling enemies to achieve peace.

Bono makes a brief appearance in the 30-second trailer for the documentary and one of the songs included is "Breathe - Alternate Version" by U2. Producer Michelle Sparkes says:

Bono had already rewritten lyrics to Breathe for Nelson Mandela and when we interviewed him he asked if we would like to use the song in our documentary. Of course, we said yes.




http://www.thesouthafrican.com//http://www.atu2.com/

U2's 30 Year War

This month marks the 30th anniversary of one of the 1980s best records and the pivot point for one of the world's greatest bands. February 1983 saw and heard the release of U2's third record, War, a record that heard them break into mainstream radio across the world and into the hearts and minds of audiences around the globe.
Upon its release, Bono said:

More than any other record, War is right for its time. It is a slap in the face against the snap, crackle and pop. Everyone else is getting more and more style-orientated, more and more slick. John Lennon was right about that kind of music; he called it 'wallpaper music.' Very pretty, very well designed, music to eat your breakfast to. Music can be more. Its possibilities are great. Music has changed me. It has the ability to change a generation. Look at what happened with Vietnam. Music changed a whole generation's attitude towards war.

 From its dramatic cover of a young boy (the same boy who appeared on their debut) with a busted lip and angry face, straight away, U2 were not looking to hold anything back. Opening with the battle cry, "Sunday Bloody Sunday," War immediately raged in the listeners face. Produced by Steve Lillywhite and The Refugee, War was the record that would help make U2 a household name before their landmark performance at 1985's Live Aid. It was a record that would create anthems out of protest songs and deliver a message in music at a time when pop was not saying much. Songs like "New Years Day," and "Two Hearts Beat As One," soared on rock radio and heard a band, who only two records and two years prior were singing about holding onto their innocence while leaving Dublin thanks to 1980's Boy and 1981's October. War was a far different record, it was the record that would define the bands sound and style for the rest of the decade and the record U2 had to make in order to mature and advance their sound in their following studio albums, 1984'sUnforgettable Fire, 1987's The Joshua Tree, and even 1991's Achtung Baby. It would hear the band expressing themselves not just in sound but in statements.
It took them three records to evolve into the band they wanted to be, but when the got there, U2 discovered lightning in a bottle. War was that lightning. From the album title to Bono's lyrics, Waris a combative record by a band who was frustrated with the world around them and the world within them. Edge's guitar hooks sound like he is fighting over Larry Mullen and Adam Clayton's chomping rhythm section and Bono's voice. It is a record that had the members of the band looking for their own individual attention but at the same time coming together for the sake of success and song. War is also one of the smartest assembled records, from the driving force of "Like A Song," to the somber "Drowning Man," and the funky "The Refugee," and closing with "40," a song that actually is a Bible verse, it took the listener on an emotional ebb and flow. War would only be the beginning of U2's potential to do such a task for their audience.
War would go on to become U2's biggest breakthrough at that time; it would also spawn a live record, November '83's Under A Blood Red Sky, which was recorded at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado.
Thirty years later, War still storms in speakers and iPods around the world. It has become a classic record that reminds listeners that even in our darkest hour there is a light of hope. It is a record that defined a generation living in oppressed conditions in Europe and across the globe and its statements echo the same sentiments they do today as they did three decades ago.

Salvatore Bono

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/www.u2.com

Dressing very casually,  with sandals and navy blue pants, Adam Clayton, U2's bass player, tried to pass unnoticed in the cabin of Devassa, on Sunday - the first day of parades of the Special Group of Rio.Alongside Brazilian friends,  he did not hesitate to take pictures and sign autographs. He walked around without bodyguards and took his own beer until he was "discovered" by journalists.

He did not give interviews, but stayed until almost 4am in the Sambadrome and soon made friends with fans. He said after watching the dance of the Marquis of  Sapucaí: "I found it very interesting." Adam, who is in Brazil to honor the artist and friend Martin Creed, denied that the band do not want to go on tour. "No, that's not true. And we're recording. "

http://blogs.estadao.com.br/

Out & About part 2: Adam

Adam was  at Rio for the Carnival festivity. According to veja.abril.com.br: " he was with "his wife"(?)   Mariana Texeira  and tried to remain anonymous"

http://veja.abril.com.br

Ireland 2023: The Bono Interview

Bono on his love life: 'I didn't think I could ever love again after Ali ran off with that bollix from Ballymena Liam Neeson'. Photographs: Getty Images/PA.

The Questions and Answers below were written by Bono as part of the Ireland 2023 supplement published in The Irish Times today. The supplement, a project to support Hireland, seeks to envisage how a newspaper might reflect a brighter future for Ireland a decade on.

Irish Times:  Earth calling Bono.Come in.

Over.

Do you read us? (Ha ha).

Bono:  Roger that. Over.

Hello from the first band in space . Over.

Holograms galorama? President Obama just called to wish us well.

IT:  You're a fan?

B:  That's right. I do like President Obama. I think she' s doing a great job. I loved President Clinton too who knew there was an even bigger job than president of the US. Though if Michelle gets a second term the Democrats will be in office for 20 years, probably not good for democracy. Marco Rubio and Chris Christie are both serious Republican candidates and with Chelsea Clinton and Governor Springsteen rumoured to be running against them fun to watch.

What's this interview for, by the way?

IT:  The Irish Times.

B:  Ah yes, for the annual print edition! I've kept them all. I remember around 2020 when you interviewed our President Sir Bob Lord Geldof. You asked him about the improper language he used when promoting his noble causes.

What the fuck is fuckin' improper language?? he replied.

James Joyce didn't know what improper language was either. He and President G both changed the world with the stories they told and the shock of the way they told them. I think that's Very IRISH.

IT:  How proud are you that your friend has become such a success story?

B:  Like all friends' pride followed by annoyance. That, too, is very Irish. To be honest, I've got concerns about the way he expanded his business interests while holding officeBoomTownRat Co taking over Tullow Oil and Providence  I mean, really. Still, he brought tourism back to Dalkey. The renaming of Dalkey Island to The Island of Bob was a small price to pay. I was just gazing down at it this morning and trying to imagine what one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world would have looked like belching smoke and bile.

IT:  Do you regret not going into politics like Sir Bob, or other musicians, for example The Pussy Riot Collective?

B:  They may want to hold high office but they did still show up for our launch into space, drinking our wine and stealing our thunder. Despite their rock star excesses they are deadly serious in their attempt to slow down Tsar Putin's march in to Greater Russia one of Pussy Riot has relatives in the Ukraine who are NOT happy. We love them. They're noisy. Noisy is good. Speaking of which, I don't have much time ' got to get ready for this gig. That's gonna be noisy.

IT:  I thought in space no one can hear you scream.

B:  That's rubbish. Edge has been screaming at me all morning. The scream is an important form of communication. The first thing we do when we are born. Lets the world know we've arrived.

My goodness. You do get high up here, breathing pure oxygen.

Is there anything more worldly, or less, than being out of this world?

First band into space.

IT:  Is this just a shameless publicity stunt?

B:  Yes.

IT:  Why is it still important to you to make a splash? Haven't you achieved everything you wanted?

B:  (pretending to ignore the question) Hey, how about those Rolling Stones? What a 2023 they're having? their last few farewell tours have really been something, but this is the best one yet.

Ok, that's why we had to come up here. To top them. There, I've said it.

Did you know our little space gig is going to be broadcast all over the United States of Africa? First time ever.

IT:  It's certainly the music market to crack bigger than China now.1.5 billion...

B:  Indeed. We saw Kilimanjaro yesterday. I know it was a controversial decision but the fake snow looked great from here. You know, I was in Tanzania for that delegation led by Taoiseach Brian O'Driscoll to thank all the African musicians - Youssou N'Dour, Angelique Kidjo, K'Naan, Kenna - who spearheaded the 'Drop the Debt' campaign for Ireland. We went from there to the inauguration of Ngozi Okonjo Iweala ' first President of the whole of Africa.

He's canny old Brian O'. I got a lot of pressure to vote for Robbie Keane when he ran against him. But that row with European Commissioner, Thierry Henry, did Robbie no favours. Let it go man. Let it go.

IT:  You've known President Iweala for a long time?

B:  She's fantastic? she was on ONE's board for many years. I first met when she was the Nigerian Finance Minister, the Corruption Cop. She was a voice of reason from the get go. People forget how tough things were, but look at the continent now. Polio gone, malaria gone, TB, too sharia law run out of town. Aids about to become a memory when this vaccine happens. Bill and Melinda got a Nobel Prize for that one. and it looks like Bill could get it again for his work on solar solutions in the Sahel. Renewable energy' no wonder all the smart people want to go to Africa. Though the air is thin up here, it's thick with possibility there

IT:  Ten years ago, in 2013, did you ever foresee what a decade this would be? Did you imagine that in only 10 years, fundamentalism?both theistic and atheistic?would be replaced by true tolerance? This telepathic thing that replaced the internet really helped, didn't it? It must have hurt you, though, when Facebook was replaced by MindRead?

B:  Not at all. Some of the same people were involved. Let's not forget in their heyday Facebook could ask a question of its three-and-a-half billion users and get an answer in real time. Impressive stuff. MindRead just cuts out the typing. Wireless' handless

IT:  But didn't you lose most of what you made in the apparel sector?

B:  Lost my shirt?ha ha. Ali made Edun the success it is today then she cut me out. How quickly those girl-next-door types can turn mean. A sphincter-tightening business the fashion business.

IT:  So, the last ten years, let's take it category by category, starting with a subject you seem to enjoy pontificating about. Religion.

B:  Another Irish man once said :We have just enough religion to hate each other but not enough to love each other. But now that's changed.

IT:  Right. Love.

B:  Well I am in love. Me and Pippa have two kids now. Mercedez and Sony fit in very well with their older brothers and sisters. I didn't think I could ever love again after Ali ran off with that bollix from Ballymena Liam Neeson. But hey, I guess the heart has more reasons than reason ever knows. At any rate, people are still falling in love in Ireland. Particularly after midnight. The argument as to whether to take anything said after 3 in the morning seriously rages on. Particularly after 3 in the morning.

IT:  Europe.

B:  Ah that's a big subject these days, and getting much, much bigger. I began to really worry back in 2017, when Britain exited Europe and Tsar Putin took a left turn into the euro zone. I mean, just for example, Putin was utterly wrong when he claimed that the elderly and their drag on health budgets would sink us. As an Irishman it gives me immense pride that the Solas retraining scheme launched in 2015 across Europe, targeting the over-60s, has produced some of the most unexpected tech geniuses ironically in the new and blooming high tech health solutions sector.

But the whole game has changed now with The New Commonwealth under Clinton . With the US, Canada, Australia and India re-joining up with the UK, and The United States of Africa  that's nearly half the world's population. I just heard the old protectorate Hong Kong is in too. That city alone adds another 57 million souls. And President Aung San Suu Kyi is seriously considering it, even though Burma  like Ireland wasn't part of the original gang you can imagine how tricky this is for me at home with the King in my ear every other weekend it's very real this England-Ireland love affair they really want us in.

IT:  So do you think Ireland would be wiser to leave Europe and join the New Commonwealth?

B:  This is existential stuff. as this rock star well knows, size is not  always everything. Europe has begun to change from a thought to a feeling. You remember when all the Portuguese and Spanish turned up at that great Irish Gathering? and when then-Taoiseach ?Endgame? Kenny launched the Buy Europe campaign. As well as the economic benefits, those things educated us about each other. Some argued it kick-started the Irish recovery. In fact, the new Irish Culture Minister Gerard Depardieu is calling for a 10th anniversary of the Gathering to be held in Moscow this year - with a reforming of Pussy Riot to headline as a one-off. He's trying to get U2 there too. Edge says he won't support a bunch of girls but Adam's all for it.

Have you read Depardieu?s bestseller ?The Dingle Archipelago?? I think its just messianic rambling.

IT:  And you're against that? Actually we gave it 5 stars.

B:  It's true, one shouldn't underestimate a good messianic complex they're great entertainment. I mean after all we are called to walk in His way.

IT:  A couple of lighter topics. Cars - I know you're interested in cars.

B:  Heavily into the new electric cars, though the silence in NY is a little unnerving, and the air in LA is beautiful. I still miss a little bit of noise and dirt but I'm old fashioned.

And these self-driving buggies have changed the whole vibe socially. Pubs packed again in rural Ireland and everyone being driven home by computers. Flann O'Brien couldn't have made it up.

IT:  Sport.

B:  Has changed a lot. Golf back in the Olympics and Ireland top of the medal tables. And before you ask, yes of course they should adjust for population.

To have been the winning jockey of the Grand National last year was a real highlight for me personally. 100/1 with Paddy Power. I like those odds.

IT:  Movies.

B:  The mother and the mirror of our dreams. This 3D thing they project into your brain is good, isn't it? And well done to Larry Mullen for winning the Oscar. First man to win for best supporting actress. Genius! What an achievement.

Look I've really got to go... first band in space. they are calling me.

IT:  Ok, thanks for your time? final question. What say you of the next 10 years?

B : It took from the time of Jesus to the time of Leonardo for information to double. Now it doubles every 18 months. So in 10 years, who knows where we'll be doing a gig. I hear Mick and Keith are working on a time travel device. Developing it since the `60s.

Felicidad 2023 tout le monde! The year of Grace. Aren't they all? Over and out.

Bono.

Out & About.. First Part:Bono

Bono has been busy these days:

One: Bono in the presentation of the novel "Beautiful noise" by Helen Seymour 

The launch of Helen Seymour's first book Beautiful Noise was the hottest ticket in town last night as the great and good of Dublin gathered in 37 Dawson Street to celebrate the Howth writer's self-published work.

Chief among them was one Paul Hewson, with Bono giving a funny, touching speech about Beautiful Noise and its author, his friend Helen Seymour.

He began by reading a particularly sombre passage from the novel, the sentiment of which was "death is on call, death does its rounds, checking up, taking notes, taking lives."

He then broke from his reading to quip: "this is a very funny book", eliciting a big laugh from an illustrious audience that included The Works' John Kelly, comedian Barry Murphy, Hot Press editor Niall Stokes and Bill Cullen.

Bono continued: "This is not one of the funniest passages, but it is truly great writing."

He went on to speak highly of his friend and note the struggle she had to finish the book, which deals with Dublin pirate radio in the 1980s.

Bono with author Seymour

"Of course the novel's not really about pirate radio," he noted. "If anything this novel is about the inability of people to communicate with each other even as they're talking to the whole city... The book is a labour of love and the sound her baby made on entry to the world was indeed a beautiful noise."

He concluded, as is his wont, by singing Neil Diamond's 'Beautiful Noise' a capella ("bear with me as I invoke the spirit of de Diamond!") before Seymour herself thanks Bono, her friends, family, and read a passage from her book.

The 44-year-old author had moved in with her mother and started minimum wage work during the six years it took to pen Beautiful Noise. She turned down a substantial HarperCollins deal to maintain creative control.

It seems to have paid off, as Dundalk director John Moore (Behind Enemy Lines, A Good Day To Die Hard) has optioned the book for a big screen adaptation.

Bono became friends with Seymour through his wife, Ali Hewson, who worked with her on the Shut Sellafield Campaign.

http://hotpress.com

Two: Bono Joins Advisory Board of Hurricane Sandy Relief Organization

Bono has become a member of the Honorary Advisory Board for the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund.  New Jersey’s first lady, Mary Pat Christie, announced on Tuesday that the famed rocker and humanitarian, along with NBC newsman Brian Williams, had joined the nonprofit organization’s board.  Celebrities already serving on the charity’s advisory board include Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi.

“It’s an honor to be asked to support the governor [Chris Christie] and first lady in this ongoing effort,” says Bono in a statement.  “New Jersey is always a highlight of any U2 tour.  What’s inspiring about the New Jersey relief effort are not the names on the Board, which I’m humbled to serve with, but the volunteers who have rallied all over the state, in fact all over the tri-state area.”

Mary Pat Christie launched the relief fund just four days after the devastating hurricane struck the northeastern U.S. this fall.  So far, it has raised more than $32 million dollars to help rebuild the damaged area.

“We are thrilled that Bono and Brian have lent their names to assist New Jersey families in rebuilding their lives and overcoming the most destructive storm in our state’s history,” says Mrs. Christie, who is the chair of the fund. “The dollars we have raised will support organizations on the front lines of the recovery effort and address the unmet needs of New Jersey communities.”

To find out more about the charity, visit SandyNJReliefFund.org.

http://www.classichitsandoldies.com

Three: Bono kicks off NY Fashion Week with EDUN 

There's something new on the Edun runway this season: the Y chromosome. The theme for Fall 2013 is youth culture, and the label founded by U2 rocker Bono and his wife, Ali Hewson, decided to showcase men's clothes with equal emphasis.

http://www.edun.com/

Nashville Legend Cowboy Jack Clement Saluted in Star-Studded Tribute

Kris Kristofferson, Michelle Obama, Bono among those toasting Sun Studios producer
ByAdam Gold

"Jack Clement isn't in the Country Music Hall of Fame? What . . . the . . . fuck!" T Bone Burnett exclaimed to rousing applause near the end of an all-star tribute to Cowboy Jack Clement at Nashville's War Memorial Auditorium last night.

Both onstage and in pre-recorded video interludes, A-listers including John Prine, John Hiatt, John C. Reilly, Kris Kristofferson, Michelle Obama, Bill Clinton, Vince Gill, Bono and the Black Keys' Dan Auerbach joined Burnett in honoring Clement, a music legend who carved out his legacy from behind the scenes.

Those horns on "Ring of Fire" – they were his idea. His influence on six decades of popular American music is incalculable, and yet, it's true – he's in neither the Rock and Roll nor the Country Music Hall of Fame. (Yesterday, Governor Bill Haslam did, however, declare Clement an "ambassador of goodwill for the state of Tennessee.") But as American music historian Peter Guralnick said in his opening address last night, "the measure of the man is the audience." And for most of the show, a benefit for Music Health Alliance, Clement himself watched from the crowd as a cross-generational cast of contemporaries and influencees covered classics he either penned or produced.

A rightful rockabilly Renaissance man, as Sam Phillips' house producer and engineer at Sun Studios during its heyday, and later as an RCA Nashville staff producer during Music Row's golden era, Clement was an undeniable architect of both classic country and rock & roll. His credits behind the mixing board include Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis' debut albums, U2's Rattle and Hum and almost every conceivable country, roots and rockabilly name in between. "Without Jack, the whole thing would come unraveled," Emmylou Harris, who dueted with Rodney Crowell on a beaming rendition of the Waylon Jennings weeper "Dreaming My Dreams With You," told Rolling Stone after the event.

"I owe everything that ever happened good to me to Jack," Kris Kristofferson said, recounting Clement as the first friend he made in Nashville and crediting the man for inspiring his decision to leave the military. Kristofferson, genuine twinkle-in-eye and all,  delighted the crowd with a ragged rendition of Cash's "Big River."

For those in the ballroom closest to Clement, stirring performances (like Crowell and Harris's) of somber songs struck a chord. "I love you!" Harris shouted at Clement from the stage. "I love you, too!" a booming voice replied from the darkness. At 81 years old, Clement is getting by with a little help from his friends. A June 2011 house fire at his Nashville home/studio, Cowboy Arms Hotel & Spa, consumed irreplaceable master tapes and mementos documenting his legacy, and now he is battling liver cancer.

Giving Crowell and Harris a run for their money, Dan Auerbach and Nashville neo-country chanteuse Nikki Lane – whose next record the Black Keys frontman just finished producing – were all smiles as they played the parts of Porter Wagoner and Dolly Parton on an uncannily faithful duet of the lost-lovers' AM radio serenade "Just Someone I Used to Know." Auerbach told Rolling Stone he jumped at the suggestion of Clement's longtime studio engineer, David R. "Fergie" Ferguson, that he sing "Someone." "That song is amazing," he said. "I'd love to sing [it]."

Musically, the show was mostly executed in classic Opry style – with the singers, backed by ace axe-slinger Kenny Vaughn and a crack house band, darting on and off stage for minutes-long, drive-by performances. Auerbach and Lane, still grinning ear-to-ear, looked almost stunned, as if the moment went by too quickly for them to take in, before bidding the crowd adieu and disappearing from the stage in the blink of an eye.

"It was mind-blowing," said an elated Auerbach when asked how it felt to share the bill with legends like Kristofferson and Clement. "That show was so amazing. It definitely exceeded every expectation I had."

Auerbach and Lane weren't the only relative whippersnappers to steal an ovation or two. Americana darling Amos Lee sauntered onto the stage with the confidence of a young Brando and, with a resplendent rendition of Jim Reeves' "I Know One," brought the house down like he owned the place. And despite a false start and a drummer's soupy pocket, rail-thin Wallflower Jakob Dylan held his own, crooning Waylon's "Waymore's Blues" in a dark, breathy rasp.

Looking spry in spite of his mom jeans, dad jacket and professorial specs, de facto Duke of Nashville Vince Gill sang Charley Pride's "Does My Ring Hurt Your Finger" at the top of his range, in a rendition he described as "what it would've sounded like had a woman cut it." He totally nailed it with the ease of a sleeper slapping a snooze bar.

With the exception of Clement's closing set, Pride himself was the one guest of the night to have the distinction of singing more than one song. He killed on "Just Between You and Me" and "Kiss an Angel Good Morning."

For veteran Opry alum like Pride and Gill, this format was no first rodeo – a point Del McCoury made with his sparkling rhinestones and silver pompadour, and Dickey Lee made with his bell-clear croon when singing "She Thinks I Still Care," his 1962 hit for George Jones. Perhaps the pin-drop standout of the night, if not the most emotional, was John Prine – himself a weathered troubadour – clad head-to-toe in black, lending his vulnerable rasp and delicate fingerpicking to a mournful, solo-acoustic take on Clement's "Ballad of a Teenage Queen." That moment was, however, rivaled in splendor by Mary Gauthier and Matt Urmy (the tribute's fresh-faced organizer) leading a small gospel choir on an uplifting sing-along on "We Must Believe in Magic."

But ballads and maladies be damned, for most of the night the mood was anything but dire. Clement's quirky songwriting canon boasts rock and country staples like "Let's All Help a Cowboy Sing the Blues" and "Diry Old Egg Suckin' Dog," on which Marshall Chapman and Sam Bush, respectively, playfully led the crowd in call-and-response sing-along.

"What a night!" Clement said as an aid helped him to an onstage stool. "Don't want me to fall off the stool," he joked. But what the night's honoree lacked in moves, he made up in voice and mirth, turning in a five-song set that went from otherworldly, with the piano-ballad "When I Dream," to outright festive on the country-polka-Afro-fusion samba "Brazil."

The tribute also featured speakers such as Deadwood actor Earl Brown, who read a comical passage from Clement's unpublished autobiography, Clement's daughter, poet-author Alison Clement, and Nashville co-creator Callie Khouri. Perhaps most impressive was Nashville star Connie Britton, who read a congratulatory letter from Michelle Obama to Clement: "Throughout your remarkable career, you've helped inspire some of our nation's most treasured musicians, and I know your legacy will live on in Nashville and beyond," the First Lady's statement read in part.

In between performances and speeches, pre-recorded video statements from famed Clement friends and fans such as Bill Clinton, Taylor Swift and Marty Stuart rolled. More hilarious than other clips of Clement chumming it up with Cash and Townes Van Zandt, or an animated William Shakespeare culled from the oddball 2007 documentary Shakespeare Was a Big George Jones Fan, was the congratulatory, albeit very abstruse clip U2's Bono sent in. The singer held up a laptop, talked about the digital age and quoted Clement in an unbelievable Southern accent: "'It's not about math, boy. It's about magic. Do you believe in magic?' he said to me. 'Yes,' I answered, 'I believe in magic.' But tonight! I want to say to you, Jack – if you've ever doubted it – the magic believes in you!"

http://www.rollingstone.com

Jack Clement