Showtime 2011

U2.com is asking U2 fans to say which songs not heard in the previous legs they will like to hear: 


The 360º  tour started way back in June 2009 and now here we are in February 2011. But every time the tour opens up on a new leg, the band, as Edge says, think about 'changing things up'.

Last year, hundreds of you told us of  songs you'd like them to put into the European leg - an unplayed track from 'No Line' or a classic from an earlier album.

But no-one could have guessed that a handful of unreleased tracks - North Star, Return of the Stingray Guitar, Glastonbury etc - would arrive in the show nor that Love Rescue Me, which hadn't been performed for twenty years, would make a reappearance down under.

The year before no-one predicted that Ultraviolet or Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me would become 360 showstoppers.

So what would be a great surprise to hear in the show in 2011? 
Go to www.U2.com to leave your vote.

CAPE TOWN DITCHES PITCH FOR U2

Cape Argus By: Sibusiso Nkomo



Cape Town Stadium's pitch has been removed to make way for one of the largest concert stages in South Africa's history ahead of U2's performance next Friday.

The grass was first cut to sand level and the stadium's operational manager, Louw Visagie, said it would take until today to remove the rest of the grass needed to accommodate the 8 000m2 stage.

"After the pitch is cleared of grass we will hand over the venue to Big Concerts who will start building the stage. The concert organisers will foot the bill for the removal of the grass and for replacing it," he said.

Visage said after the show, on February 18, the ground would be assessed for damage before a new pitch was seeded.

Visagie said the 11 479m2 pitch would be back to normal by May 28.

According to Pieter Cronje, director of communications for the City of Cape Town, the removal of the grass was necessary.

"Spectators will be standing in the pitch area and the protective covering (left) for a long period would have caused the grass to die," Cronje said.

Lesley De Reuck, director of the stadium, said the U2 concert was a chance to establish the venue as the multi-purpose space for which it was built.

"The geographical position of the stadium is unparalleled in the world... The vibe of the restaurants, fan walk and the people shows that we can offer a spectacle and not just an event," De Reuck said.

© Cape Argus, 2011.


http://www.capeargus.co.za/

BONO AND COMPANY PUT THE EDGE ON GOOD HEALTH

Hamilton Spectator

A McMaster University professor is exploring how music by celebrity bands such as U2 plays a role in influencing health and promoting social activism.

"Some celebrities such as Bono are becoming de facto new public intellectuals, among the few people who seem able to effectively deliver messages and challenge large audiences," said Gavin Andrews, chair of the Health, Aging and Society department.

"Attempts to create healing places in and around music have always been part of musical composition and consumption, whether it be music by Mozart or by a rock band such as U2. In this sense, the music does not have to openly mention health, but well-being can result from its consumption."

A study published in the journal Health & Place analyzes how the music and statements of Bono and his band, U2, can help both "personal and population-wide health and well-being."

Researchers decided to base their work on U2 because of its combination of commercial success, dedication to causes, and widespread political and social influence.

Andrews' work is part of a larger study with researchers in British Columbia, South Carolina and New Zealand looking at a wide range of topics including music therapy, specific genres of music such as reggae and punk, and such bands as The Smiths and Oasis.

"The origins of musical concerns for social issues and causes can be traced to gospel music and jazz of the 1930s and 1940s," the study says, noting that these concerns re-emerged in the emotional rallying cries of artists such as Bob Dylan and John Lennon.

Today, the terrain has shifted to more concrete results, such as raising cash or generating public concern for an issue.

"Musicians have become powerful socio-political actors who are able to initiate awareness of health inequalities, exert direct influence through fundraising and forms of boycott, and directly influence the funding for health-related initiatives."

An example is Live Aid, the inaugural concert of hope, organized by activist musician and producer Bob Geldof. It was held simultaneously in London and Philadelphia, and linked to billions by satellite in 1985 to raise funds for the famine in Ethiopia.

The report also says the sharing of physical space at concert venues can promote health.

"The emotional resonance experienced by groups of people in a live performance can initiate a collective sense of healing, particularly if the music engages with significant historical events," the study says, citing concerts held after 9/11 in New York.

© Hamilton Spectator, 2011.

http://www.thespec.com/

Best Seat In The House

Joe O'Herlihy at work

'I've got the best seat in the house,' explains Joe O'Herlihy, the band's veteran sound engineer. 'When the show is over people turn round and walk by front of house and you just see them smiling ear to ear. It's such a brilliant feeling.'

In the second part of the video interview, Joe talks about the 'pillars' of U2's sound, the songs they played thirty years ago and still drop in the set today and the 'uplifting' reaction of the audience.

"My biggest thing is that every single person there (1000 or 100,000) have to be able to understand every single word..."

To watch Joe talking about it all, click here:

U2 ; News ; Best Seat In The House

www.u2.com

U2 to release new album in May

German retail site lists new release date.

U2 will release their new album in May - according to one online retailer.

Although no official release date for the record has been announced, the German version of retailer Amazon, Amazon.de, has listed a new release for the band for May 27.

U2's spokesperson told NME: "As has been widely reported U2 are in the studio working on a new record but no release date has been set."

In October U2's manager, Paul McGuinness, said he expected the album to be out in early 2011. The band are set to start a US tour in May, and are also strongly tipped to headline Glastonbury in June, after pulling out last year.

Frontman Bono said last year that the band had been working on songs for the album with Brian 'Danger Mouse' Burton on production duties. He had also claimed shortly after the release of their last record, 2009's 'No Line On The Horizon', that the group had made another album called 'Songs Of Ascent' during the same recording sessions, but this has yet to see the light of day.

www.nme.com

European president Herman Van Rompuy meets Bono and Georges Soros in Davos

Another clip from Bono`s visit to the World Economic Forum in Davos.

The Claw is coming to South Africa

The first 60 containers of U2 production arrive at the FNB Stadium Johannesburg

Big Concerts, the company that promotes U2 tour in South Africa posted the above picture in their Facebook  page.
The first concert in the country will be on 13th  de February in Johannesburg.