Edge says U2 will play ‘Raised By Wolves’ in Belfast despite bombing controversy

Talking exclusively to Hot Press, Edge has confirmed that ‘Raised By Wolves’ will definitely be in the set-list when U2’s Songs of iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE tour hits Belfast this month.
He was responding to comments made by Ulster Unionist politician and former Lord Mayor of Belfast, Jim Rodgers, who’s troubled by the fact that the track refers to the UVF’s May 1974 bombings of Monaghan and Dublin.

Describing it as "very one-sided", Rodgers proffered: "It's a very bad idea and it's most disappointing because they quite clearly haven't thought this one through. There isn't a hierarchy of victims. Those bombs were absolutely horrendous and at the time I totally and utterly condemned them.

"Families are still in mourning and they are still suffering through losing their loved ones. But you have to remember that so many people in Northern Ireland have lost those close to them over 40 years of continuous violence."

At recent shows, the sounds of explosions have preceded Bono launching into the song’s opening couplets: "Face down on a broken street/ There’s a man in the corner in a pool of misery/ I’m in a white van as a red sea covers the ground/ Metal crash I can’t tell what it is/ But I take a look and now I’m sorry I did/ 5.30 on a Friday night 33 good people cut down."

Asked by Hot Press’ Olaf Tyaransen whether U2 would be performing ‘Raised By Wolves’ in Belfast’s SSE Arena, Edge responded: "I think the answer is that we will, but we will be taking account of sensitivities, for sure, in the way that we stage the show. That is something we do wherever we are. The show is always presented with a sense of the audience we're going to be presenting to. Changes get made if things just don’t seem to be right or if we don’t know how things are going to work or play. People understand that the content varies a lot. We haven’t finalised that, so I don’t want to start saying how it will be different. We’re still working on it."

Edge revealed that U2 had given thought to how ‘Raised By Wolves’ would be presented in Belfast before Jim Rodgers expressed his concerns.

"This is something I started talking to our designers about months ago. This is not in response to comments in the media; we always had this in mind, because we’re aware that sensitivities exist in Belfast. The reason it’s in the show, and will stay in the show, is that ‘Raised By Wolves’, like a lot of the songs on the album, is about personal experience, about an event that we ourselves felt, acutely at the time, the impact of. Larry lost a neighbour in the bombing on Talbot Street. That street is where my bus stop was. We’d have been in town often, trying to get the bus home, and Bono just saying, you know, ‘Literally, right there.’ We’re not drawing from it as simply reflecting a moment in history: it’s part of our personal narrative.

"It’s going to be very interesting, not only playing Belfast, but playing in Dublin because, of course, the album is very personal."

 http://www.hotpress.com/

Rock giants U2 prove they are still going strong after unforgettable show in Glasgow

ROCK giants U2 proved they are still going strong after four decades together and 31 years to the day that they brought their Unforgettable Fire tour to The Barrowlands.

The rock legends arrived in Glasgow for two shows on November 6 and 7, 1984, with a set list that kicked off on both occasions with 11 O’Clock Tick Tock and I Will Follow before closing with New Year’s Day and Pride In The Name Of Love.

This time the frontman Bono, guitarist - or as Bono put it - "on guitars and a whole load of sh** even he doesn't understand" - The Edge, bass player Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen, Jr were bringing their iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE 2015 tour to the SSE Hydro in Glasgow – itself proving hugely popular – just shy of 40 years after forming the legendary Irish group in Dublin.

And having previously played a raft of live dates in the city stretching back to the Boy tour in January, 1981, when they played 14 songs to students at Strathclyde University, and a Glasgow Tiffany’s show for the October tour that October, it was perhaps appropriate that they decided to take fans on a trip down memory lane with a raft of hits spanning their incredible career.

Bono, 55, belted out songs that still sounded as fresh as ever including the opening The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone) followed by The Electric Co from their debut album Boy and a snippet of Saints Are Coming before the blistering Vertigo.

Then came a rousing I Will Follow as the band pulled out all the stops for the gig that was proving a home away from home.

Playing just a few hundred feet from the SECC where they brought the Joshua Tree and Zoo TV tours in 1987 and 1993 respectively, he told the crowd: "Its been a while. Thank you it's quite a welcome. We're so close to home. Thank you for your patience, thank you for sticking with us and giving us a great life. These streets are so familiar to us and they could even be our streets."

The band created a funeral march onstage during Sunday Bloody Sunday and recreated the existing section of the Berlin Wall using a caged screen inside which they performed a batch of songs before escaping for Mysterious Ways.

And one stunning female fan, Jacqueline Chandler, from Fife, got pulled onstage by Bono to dance with him during the song, enjoying a dance with him.

Earlier, launching into Iris (Hold Me Close), dedicated to his late mother and breaking into David Essex's Seventies pop hit Hold Me Close, he added: "I started this journey when my mother died when I was 14 years old. She's left me an artist."

And the thousands packed into the SSE Hydro could but agree.

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/

Elevating Gloria in Glasgow

'High, higher than the sun
You shoot me from a gun
I need you to elevate me here,
At the corner of your lips
As the orbit of your hips
Eclipse, you elevate my soul...'

First of two shows at the SSE Arena in Glasgow… and it was full of memories.

Bono slipped a line of 'The Saints Are Coming' - released nine years ago to the day - into 'I Will Follow'.

'This feels so  close to home,' explained Bono, 'Almost home kinda feeling, thank you for sticking with us...these streets are familiar to sum they could so easily be our streets.'

And the memory of their first streets took us to 'a song that could be for Gwenda, Maureen or Jo... but tonight it's called Iris.'

The good folk at @u2gigs report this was the 72nd performance of 'Song For Someone' - not bad for a song that was only released in September last year. In contrast, the beautifully reinvented 'Zooropa',  made its live debut in this city way back in 1993 at Celtic Park - and was played live for only the 60th time tonight.
'Bullet, Zooropa, Streets,' as @PascalGteD tweeted, 'The ultimate trilogy this tour...'

Another memorable night on #U2ieTour, couldn't put it better  down in the comments:
'GLASGOW.....Fantastic....Brillant....Amazing....Loved it!'






Same city, same days of the month  - November 6th and 7th - but thirty one years on. 

Reminiscing on the band's 1984 Barrowlands shows, tonight, said Bono, was all about 'turning the SSE Hydro into the Barrowlands'.

Anyone notice how many of the 27 songs played tonight were on the set list all those years ago? Gloria, I Will Follow, Sunday Bloody Sunday, October, Pride, Bad and 40.

'Are Jimmy and Charlie coming out to play?' asked Bono, introducing Cedarwood Road. 'Simple Minds right in front of you..' he added in Beautiful Day. 

They were right in front of us back then too too but other things have changed.



http://www.u2.com/

LARRY MULLEN CALLS FOR APPLE & SPOTIFY TO PAY ARTISTS MORE

Tune in to Larry Gogan's 2fm show from 1pm tomorrow (Saturday November 7) for the latest 'Larry meets Larry', as the veteran broadcaster renews his friendship with U2 timekeeper Larry Mullen, Jr. behind the scenes at London's O2 Arena.

This time around, the drummer talks about the difficulties of staging the new show in their home town; the band’s relevance in the ever-changing music scene; his current favourite acts; and what Dublin audiences can expect later this month.

He also pulls no punches when giving his opinion on the current state of the music industry, singling out companies such as Spotify and Apple to highlight how he believes that artists are not being sufficiently compensated for their work by large corporations.

Larry Mullen tells 2fm:

 "I think [the music industry] is broken. A lot of younger artists don’t get paid, and that’s a real problem. We’re kind of out of that scenario, but we would like to see artists get paid.  Companies like Spotify, the new Apple service and all the others are really going to have to pay artists more. It’s only a matter of time. I think a lot of these companies and individuals who are involved in them realise that as well. They know that artists are not getting what they should be getting." 


Update:


Larry Mullen has spoken about the difficulties of the music industry targetting streaming services in particular.

Speaking with Irish radio station RTE 2FM ahead of the Innocence and Experience tour coming to its conclusion in the band's hometown of Dublin, Mullen said:

"I think it [the music industry] is broken. A lot of younger artists don’t get paid, and that’s a real problem. We’re kind of out of that scenario, but we would like to see artists get paid."

"Companies like Spotify, the new Apple service and all the others are really going to have to pay artists more. It’s only a matter of time. I think a lot of these companies and individuals who are involved in them realise that as well. They know that artists are not getting what they should be getting,"



U2 had difficulty adding Dublin and Belfast dates to the end of their current tour, in part because of the sophisticated stage set up, which needed to be adapted to suit the venues.

The band have been outspoken on Europe's acceptance of Syrian refugees during the tour, with Bono talking about the issue on several dates.

In Italy, after Germany announced its extensive plans, Bono said:

We might truly be at a turning point for what Europe wants to be in the 21st century... This week, something incredible happened, and Europe isn't the same as it was seven days ago."

He also said that pictures of German children offering their toys to Syrian refugees "will remain in the history of Europe" and labelled German Chancellor Angela Merkel as "a moral symbol for Europe".

U2 finished the 'mainland' UK leg of their tour in Glasgow last night, and head to Paris next, before wrapping up in Belfast and Dublin.


http://www.nme.com/

Adam Clayton Designs His Own Watch

Adam Clayton collects watches and is now thinking of designing one.

"I have in mind a timeless piece," said Adam Clayton to Bilanz. Our favorite bass player wants to launch his own watch "that can be worn on any occasion" and a series of features like a "metal bracelet."

He wants to throw his watch with the Swiss manufacturer H. Moser & Cie Moser . CEO Edouard Meylan is a friend of Clayton's and is well known for his  passion for watches . 
When he was a child still in the seaside town of Malahide northeast of Dublin, his uncle gave him a "Submariner" Rolex watch.

How many watches does Adam Clayton have now? He's not sure, "10 to 15 watches. A couple of models of Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, Rolex and Omega have just arrived home .

Adam Clayton appreciates "the craftsmanship of classic watches." And he admits he does not wear a watch  on stage when he plays with U2: 

"No, I do not know what time it is.I do not want anyone in the audience thinking that I'm  constantly looking at the time, it would be a bad sign. 

"It is also impractical. "During concerts, I am full of energy and I'm constantly active".

adapted from  https://www.bilanz.de/

U2 perform live with Patti Smith at London gig

U2 were joined by Patti Smith during their concert at London's O2 Arena on Thursday night (October 29).

The Irish band are currently enjoying a six-night residency at the London venue, having kick-started the stint on Monday and performed with Noel Gallagher earlier in the week.

At Thursday's show, Patti Smith was invited onstage to perform U2's 1981 song 'Gloria' as well as Smith's own 'People Have The Power'. 

Noel Gallagher recently described teaming up with U2 at one of their London gigs earlier this week as a "dream come true".

The former Oasis guitarist joined the band onstage during the band's O2 Arena show on October 26, performing their hit 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For' before segueing into a cover of The Beatles' 'All You Need Is Love'.

Speaking to Audioboom, Gallagher said: "It was a dream come true to be asked to get up [on stage] with them and then it was a dream come true to be asked to sing that song ['I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For']."

"They're friends of mine. I've been friends with Bono for about 20 years. It was a great moment. I was stood in the wings and they were introducing me and I was thinking 'This is actually going to happen now, this is amazing'. They are one of my favourite ever, ever bands and that's one of the best songs ever written. It was a blast, a real honour."

Gallagher added: "I thought my catering was pretty good until I was at U2 the other night, which was honestly something else."

 http://www.nme.com

U2 at O2 Arena, London

Six days in London ...

 "The most beautiful sound..."

'I woke up at the moment when the miracle occurred

Heard a song that made some sense out of the world

Everything I ever lost, now has been returned

In the most beautiful sound I’d ever heard...'

'The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)' opening up the first of six nights at the O2 in London. 

 "This is not a Monday night, this is Saturday night.' 

And this 'Saturday' finished up with Noel Gallagher on stage for 'Still Haven't Found' and 'All You Need Is Love'. 

Some great reviews coming in for the arrival of #U2IE in the UK.

'Always exhilarating, occasionally unsettling and overwhelmingly inspiring,' reported John Aizlewood in The Evening Standard. 'U2 convincingly re-stated their case for greatness...'

'This show showed that U2's mojo is back, and perhaps stronger than ever.' said James Hall in The Daily Telegraph.

'Even in minimalist (for them), stripped-down mode,' wrote Ian Gittins in The Guardian, 'U2's defiantly ambitious, meticulously choreographed live productions put virtually every other rock band to shame.

More coming up on night two at the O2 but if you were there, tell us what it was like and post your photos here.

First time tonight or seen the show again and again? What did you see that you never noticed before? As @AllyahsWorld put it on Twitter, '#U2ieTour is so creative and innovative that you can catch it again and again and experience it differently.'

 "People have the power"

It's the track the band arrive on stage to every night and for the third show in London Patti Smith was in the house to take on the vocals.

Here's the NME report - which also quotes Noel Gallagher, reflecting on joining the band onstage on Monday for 'Still Haven't Found: "It was a dream come true..."

And this is Pitchfork.

Couldn't put it better than JoshTheTree it in our comments section, 'After the euphoria of Monday how could U2 top the last show? With New Year's Day, Gloria and Bad and bringing out Patti Smith. How cool was that?! Cool as f*ck. I was transported back to my youth with those songs. Many many thanks .... very happy. See yer tomorrow'

Did we mention Gloria, New Year's Day and Bad? 

"All I want is you..."

You say you want diamonds on a ring of gold

You say you want your story to remain untold.

All the promises we make

From the cradle to the grave

When all I want is you...’

Fourth night in London and first time in Europe for 'All I Want is You’.

As @TheO2 tweeted, ‘What an amazing crowd here for an incredible performance.'

 "Volcano erupts in London"

'Volcano, you don't wanna, you don't wanna know.

Volcano 

Something in you wants to blow

Volcano

You don't wanna, you don't wanna know

You're on a piece of ground above a volcano...

There's something in the air tonight, and it's not just the spectacular mist swirling up from the Thames to envelope the O2 Arena. Inside, the atmosphere is building powerfully, too. Bono's over-brimming with autumn as he takes the stage: London, he says, looked like a Turner painting today - "incredible painted light". And with that, the band launches into their fifth consecutive London show (first time since the Boy tour - thanks, @u2gigs) with hardly a pause for breath.

The Miracle (of Joey Ramone) cascades into Out of Control, and then it's Vertigo. The O2 warns you not to buy a ticket in the gods if you have a fear of heights, but there's no fear in here tonight. I Will Follow has a few lines of London Calling for the locals, and there's even some David Essex, for those old enough to remember, at the end of an emotional version of Iris: "Hold me close don't let me go...".

He's thinking of "Alison Stewart" as well, tonight, before Song for Someone... "I miss her", he admits. Maybe it's because U2 are edging ever closer to home, but there's a relaxed feel within the intensity. Larry's introduced as a drummer and "so much more", by Bono, who pauses to think: "He hits things," he concludes. Edge even gets a quick shoulder massage from the singer during Streets. 

But escapism this is not, and turning to the refugee crisis, Bono asks the audience, "What do you want? A Europe with its heart open, or a Europe with its doors closed to mercy"? 

"Open," he continues, "you're open - and that's what makes Britain great."

The O2 was originallly built to celebrate the millennium, and fittingly tonight, both past and future are powerfully part of U2's present mix. Songs which take us back take us forward. Until the End of the World evokes the heady days of Achtung Baby when the Berlin Wall was falling, but it feels so, so right for now. Of the new songs, Volcano makes only its fourth appearance on this leg of the tour  - "a song about the rage you feel after grief", Bono tells us. 

"That was the most immense arena show I've ever seen" tweeted Neil Storey, a long-time friend of U2 from the Island Records days. "First time I saw them, they played to an audience of 7. Edge broke a string, everyone gathered round as he changed it. Tonight, it was to 17,000 ... but it was just as intimate."

Jimmy Page is in the house, and he's acknowledged during One, while Beautiful Day is for Matthew Freud (it's his birthday). It may now be November, but October seems to capture the spirit perfectly, and before the crowd streams back out into the London mist, Bono returns to his autumn theme. "What a blessing it is to be in your city, on the river, as the leaves change colour. What a blessing it is." 

Kingdoms rise, and kingdoms fall, but U2 go on again tonight.

"Wide awake in London"

'If you twist and turn away

If you tear yourself in two again.

If I could, you know I would 

If I could

I would

Let it go...'

No finer way to close a run of six great nights at the O2 in London than with 'Bad' and '40'.

http://www.u2.com/