Bono helped convince Facebook to pick Dublin for its European HQ

One thing that comes up frequently whenever you talk to people in Ireland is the level of influence that U2 frontman Bono has. Indeed, it turns out that he played a pivotal role in Facebook choosing the country’s capital city as its HQ for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Today at an event organised by IDA Ireland to coincide with the Dublin Web Summit, Facebook’s Director of User Operations for EMEA, Latin America and Asia-Pacific, Sonia Flynn discussed the story behind the company choosing Dublin. Apparently COO Sheryl Sandberg had Switzerland at the top of her list but her friend (and Facebook investor through his Elevation Partners fund between 2010 and 2013), Bono, persuaded her to consider Dublin.

Of course, a generous (and now partially under threat) taxation system helped alongside other factors, but according to Flynn, Facebook would probably have been in Switzerland instead of Dublin if it hadn’t have been for the intervention of the pop star.

http://thenextweb.com

Happy Birthday, Larry Mullen Jr!!!

For many, many beats more!!!

R.I.P. Lou Reed (1942-2013)

"Conspiracy of Hope" Concert, U2 and Lou Reed, 1986

Lou Reed was a massively influential songwriter and guitarist who helped shape nearly fifty years of rock music.

"Every song we've ever written was a rip-off of a Lou Reed song," Bono once announced from the stage, while bringing Reed up to sing on a duet of "Satellite of Love," a staple during U2's Zoo TV tour. What Bono said reconfirmed what many fans think about Reed, who died Sunday: He was a giant among rock stars, and a good deal of the punk and indie bands that followed in his wake were happy to be orbiting objects.

More on Lou Reed and his influence on music.

BONO & THE EDGE SING HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR HARVARD SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH

Bono and The Edge made an appearance via video  during a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Harvard School of Public Health.  Bono delivered a few congratulatory words before he and Edge sang "Happy Birthday" to the audience.


http://www.atu2.com

Larry Mullen Jr on Norwegian TV

Larry went to Oslo to talk about the premiere of the film " A thousand times goodbye", but the interview turned out to be something else. A funny twist to a TV interview!!!

U2: Want a 99?

U2 queues for ice-cream on Bray seafront. Photograph: Jason Forde

Film-producer Jason Forde had no camera, only his iPhone, to hand when he came upon four men (Bono, Edge, Larry and Adam) casually enjoying 99s by the seafront of his hometown this week.

Forde, from Bray, Co Wicklow, saw some activity and a film crew along the shore on Tuesday and realised it was U2. “Nobody was stopping. They did not realise it was U2 as it was very small and low key,” he said.

U2 had been in Bray Head Hotel when they came out and did a song and a shoot along the shore, Forde said.

There were “no photo journalists there it was all under wraps”, said Forde. He got a few shots but “did not want to take too many” or infringe too much.

“They moved from the sea front to the shelters and utilised the backdrop,” he said.“Larry had a snare drum, The Edge and Adam had guitars and there were a few people passing in the background used as extras,” he said.

They had brought in a nice old 1950s ice-cream van in for the shoot. Forde snapped them with his phone enjoying the traditional 99s on a typical overcast grey Irish day and even got in one of the photographs himself. He said Bono even bought some ice-creams for passersby. “For real U2 fans it was a golden opportunity,” he said.

He reflects that having only an iPhone may have been best. “They mightn’t have let big cameras take photos, the way it all happened,” he said.

http://www.irishtimes.com

U2 at Bray: Shooting for their new album?

U2 was seen at Bray, near Dublin. Shooting pics for their new album? 

“U2 spotted shooting their new album cover on Bray seafront today”


@AndrewJDMcNulty