Bono's Faith and Tweens

Is Bono so big that his faith in God needs to be explained to the tween set? Apparently so.

A prominent publisher of evangelical books, Zondervan, recently came out with a book called Breaking Through by Grace: The Bono Story, aimed squarely at the nine to 12 year old market.

It’s a head-scratching choice for a kid’s Christian biography for sure, no offense intended to U2 star Bono and the amazing career he’s forged for himself both as a rock star and tireless philanthropist. Perhaps the folks at Zondervan feel he can be the next Harry Potter, too!

“Awards, fame, wealth … Bono has it all. But the biggest rock star in the world has something more important, something that has guided every step of his success: faith in God,” says a Zondervan blurb about the book.

“From growing up in Ireland during deadly times to performing on the largest stages in the world, Bono’s beliefs have kept him grounded and focused on what truly matters. Whether using his voice to captivate an audience or to fight for justice and healing in Africa, Bono is a champion of the lost and a hero to those who long for harmony.”

Bono didn’t actually sit for a series of interviews for the book. Maybe he’s even unaware that it exists. The author, Kim Washburn, who used to help publish books for the ultra-conservative group Focus on the Family, pulled her book together through Bono’s previous spoken words on his faith and the role it plays in life.

“One thing early on, I decided to only go with Bono’s words. Of course there was so much other people had said about him, but other than one quote from The Edge (U2’s guitarist) we really wanted it to be in his own words,” said Washburn, in a piece published last Friday on the site EverydayChristian.com.

“He’s a very hard person to put in a little Christian box,” Washburn added. “I thought it was really great to see the details of how he didn’t fit a lot of Christian stereotypes, and yet it’s very clear that he loves God, loves Jesus and loves God’s word.”

Amen to that! The book is 144 pages, about $6 and could make a nice stocking stuffer for the younger U2 fans out there.

Win a backstage tour

Here’s a chance for U2 fans to win a “money can’t buy” experience at the Irish supergroup’s 360* concert at Auckland’s Mt Smart stadium on Friday November 26.

You will win a backstage tour for 14 people, including 2 VIP tickets and 12 red zone tickets valued at more than $350 each.

The winning group will have to make their own way to the Auckland concert. Winners must cover their own travel to/from Auckland and the venue, plus accommodation.

Just watch out for daily clues on Breakfast all this week. You need four clues to enter.

Check out the competition terms and conditions.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE COMPETITION

The competition closes at 5pm on Friday November 12. The winner will be announced on Monday November 15.

THIS IS NOT A U2TOURFANS PROMOTION - We do not have any other details other than what has been posted above. Do not submit your requests to us they will be deleted without comment. - Read the terms and conditions and follow the instructions. - Good Luck and yes we will have something for North America soon -

U2 dominate

Rock acts including U2, Metallica and AC/DC were the toast of the Billboard Touring Awards in New York on Thursday, taking the night’s top prizes.



The Irish band’s 360 Degree trek was named Top Tour and Top Draw at the ceremony, while AC/DC’s show at the Anz Stadium in Sydney, Australia in February this year took the Top Boxscore honour. Metallica landed the Eventful Fans’ Choice, while Canadian rockers Rush were crowned Legend Of Live.

Pop acts were also honoured at the prize-giving, with Lady Gaga receiving the Breakthrough trophy, while the ‘Poker Face’ hitmaker’s Monster Ball tour scored an award for Concert Marketing & Promotion. Britain’s Download Festival was named Top Festival, while London’s O2 Arena was picked out as Top Arena.

Bienvenido a México

With two U2360° shows at the Azteca Stadium already sold out, the third show announced today will take place on Wednesday May 11th. As we’ve seen over the summer in Europe, the band have been mixing up the set list night after night and this additional Wednesday show is set to warm things up for those lucky Saturday fans who got tickets early.

Tickets for this May 11th show will be available starting at $350 MXN, with general admission floor tickets at $850 MXN. Additional seated tickets also available starting at $750 MXN. Tickets go on sale to Banamex cardholders on Tuesday, November 16th at 11AM and to the general public on Thursday, November 18th at 11AM.


The March of U2

If rock and roll is the ultimate extension of Rhythm and Blues, then Irish military bands are about as un-rock and roll as it gets. But they have been the main training ground for generations of Irish drummers, including Dublin’s Larry Mullen, Jr. Born on Halloween, 1961, the only son of Larry and Maureen Mullen took to the instrument at the age of nine, heavily influenced by the nascent scene that would soon burgeon into glam. With the thumping sounds of Sweet, T. Rex and Slade blasting from his bedroom, Mullen was drawn to the drums.

Larry, Jr. convinced his parents to get him a kit, which he described to Rhythm magazine as “a bit of a nightmare.” The kit was, evidently, the product of a Japanese toy company. Still, with a little elbow grease and ingenuity, he made it work. “I persevered with it for quite a few years and, like an old friend, I was sorry to see it go,” he recalled.

He was fortunate enough to study the instrument, early on, with noted Irish drummer Joe Bonnie. Nevertheless, his only outlet for performance was a marching, military-style outfit called the Artane Boys Band. There wasn’t much to work with in rockish 4/4 timings, but Mullen did develop a unique style that would later color such hits as “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and “Pride (In the Name of Love).”

In the fall of 1976, Mullen decided it was time to form his own rock and roll band. He placed an ad on the bulletin board at the Mount Temple Comprehensive School. Fate took care of the rest, by delivering to him fellow classmates Paul Hewson (later known as “Bono”), Dave Evans (“The Edge”) and Adam Clayton, along with a few others (most notably, Evans’ brother Dik) who would fall by the wayside over the next couple of years.

“At the first rehearsals, people were referring to the band as Larry Mullen’s Band, for want of a better name,” he recalled, with a bit of self-effacing humor. “We never played under that name, but I think it was done to protect my ego at that stage, because we had rehearsed at my house and, when Bono came in, he could sing better than me, looked better and was just plain that bit older. He basically shot my chance of becoming the leader of the band.”

The band paid their dues, with multiple name changes along the way. Mullen mowed enough lawns to replace his rickety old kit with something slightly more professional. And finally their demo made it into the hands of CBS Records. CBS was interested in the group, with one note: get rid of the drummer. Mullen’s style, while evolving toward something more soulful in the company of his new musical brothers, still was far afield of traditional rock and roll. But the band was adamant; Mullen was crucial to their musical formula. CBS relented and signed the group, by now called U2, anyway. And the rest is music history.

As for Mullen and his role within the group, the drummer waxed, “I’ve never thought of myself as U2’s drummer but rather a contributor to the overall sound.”
@Michael Wright



St Louis !

ST. LOUIS – Busch Stadium will transform from baseball field to rock concert venue next summer when the legendary group U2 makes a stop during their 360 degrees tour on July 17, 2011.

The Cardinals announced the concert at a press conference Monday morning at Busch Stadium, calling it the largest event to be hosted at the five-year-old stadium to date and likely for some time.

One of only 16 American cities chosen for the tour, the Cardinals hope to have a crowd of more than 50,000 on hand. The concert comes in the middle a 14-day break from baseball at Busch Stadium with the Cardinals following the All-Star break with a nine-game road trip to open the second half of the season.

“I’m a huge fan so it’s particularly exciting for me to get them here at Busch Stadium in what will probably be the biggest concert ever here,” said Cardinals president Bill DeWitt III. “I can’t imagine there will ever be a bigger one based on the size of the stage.

“I went to the Chicago show and I remember thinking there’s no way we can get this thing into Busch Stadium but sure enough after planning and thinking about all of the dimensions and the logistics and the window of time, we were able to think it through and pull it off.”

U2 will bring the largest stage in concert history with them to St. Louis, with the top of the steel structure 90 feet and the center pylon 150 feet into the air. The stage design can support up to 180 tons and will take up virtually the entire Busch Stadium outfield.

2 More North American Shows Added !

Another two shows have been confirmed today for U2’s North America tour in the summer of 2011.

On June 22nd the band will play at the M&T Stadium in Baltimore, MD with special guests Florence and The Machine.

On July 17th the band will play at Busch Stadium in St Louis, MO with special guests Interpol.

Tickets for both shows go on sale to the general public next Monday November 8th at 10am (local) but U2.com subscribers can enter a special advance PRESALE beginning this Wednesday, November 3rd and running until Friday November 5th.

Subscribers will be emailed ahead of this presale with details of timings.

U2 Releasing Three-Track Vinyl EP

(NEW YORK) — U2 fans will need to rush to their local independent record store on Nov. 26 if they hope to pick up a copy of the band’s new three-track vinyl EP, Wide Awake in Europe.

SlicingUpEyeballs.com reports that only 5,000 copies of the EP will be released and that it features live versions of the songs “I’ll Go Crazy if I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight,” “Moment of Surrender,” and a song called “Mercy,” which was originally recorded during the sessions for the 2004 album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb.

All the songs were recorded during U2’s 2009-2010 360 tour.

Copyright 2010 ABC News Radio



Killing Bono Trailer Released

A couple of fans found this link to the trailer Killing Bono. We can not comfirm that the movie will even be released. No offical date has been posted.

Nick Hamm’s film based upon Neil McCormick’s memoir of growing up in the 70s and attending the same school as U2′s Bono. Ben Barnes stars as McCormick and Dick Clement and Ian Le Frenais did work on the screenplay, so I’m quite keen. We’re pretty much guaranteed some cracking gags and a few good character touches at least.



U2 break Computicket record

U2’s ticket sales have broken ticketing agency Computicket’s record for the number one selling show in South Africa.

Sales for the 22-time Grammy award-winning band, who are expected to perform their 360 Degrees tour on February 13 in Johannesburg and on February 18 in Cape Town, started at the weekend.

By yesterday, they managed to sell 114000 tickets.

Concert promoters Big Concerts’ financial officer, Justin van Wyk, said: “U2’s ticket sales smashed the record that UK singer Robbie Williams held at 98000 from November 2005.”

“This is the biggest event since the Fifa World Cup to happen in our country,” he said. – The Times, Avusa Group News



U2 North America News !

After announcing additional dates in Australia, New Zealand, Mexico City and South Africa, Billboard.biz confirms that U2 will take its record-breaking 360 tour to Nashville’s Vanderbilt Stadium on July 2 of next year, the band’s first trip to the market in more than 29 years.   

By the time the tour returns to North America, it will have been seen by well over 4 million fans and is marching toward becoming the highest-grossing tour of all time. A press conference is announcing the Nashville show today. 

U2 is adding some select dates to its re-scheduled second North American leg, which was postponed due to back surgery for the band’s frontman, Bono. The  will be U2’s first appearance in Nashville since December 2, 1981, also at Vanderbilt. Commenting on U2’s return to Nashville after such a long absence from the market, tour producer Arthur Fogel, chairman of Live Nation Global Touring, tells Billboard.biz, “In rescheduling the postponed dates to 2011 it opened up the opportunity to add a few additional cities. It has been a very long time since U2 has played Nashville — too long — and it will be a great show in a great city.” 

At about 50,000 capacity for the show, Vanderbilt Stadium will be one of the smallest-capacity venues to be played on the tour, which boasts a ground-breaking production and staging that allows for an attendance-boosting 360-degree configuration, a first for a touring stadium show. U2 is a finalist for the Top Tour and Top Draw awards at the 2010 Billboard Touring Awards in New York Nov. 4, and band manager Paul McGuinness’ Principle Management is a finalist in the Top Manager category.

Tickets for the Nashville show go on sale Oct. 29 and are priced at $30, $55, $95 and $250.

Auctioning Behind the Scenes Tour of U2's 360 World Tour

U2’s guitarist The Edge  is auctioning a rare, intimate look inside U2’s 2011 360° World Tour for two lucky fans.

This backstage experience will benefit Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation for cancer research. Bidding closed on October 21st, at charity auction site charitybuzz

The auction winner and a friend will fly first-class on Continental Airlines to the North American show of their choice to catch U2’s performance from VIP seats. After the show, the fans will meet The Edge and get a behind (or should we say below?) the scenes look at the engine room of the “Space Station.”

While plenty of attention is given to the amazing structure built above the stage, beneath the band’s feet lies the Underworld. The fans will go down to the mysterious, hidden depths beneath the U2 360° production. To make their Underworld experience even more memorable, their private tour guide will be The Edge himself!

This once-in-a-lifetime adventure will raise funds for Gabrielle’s Angel Foundation for Cancer Research (www.gabriellesangels.org), which funds research to improve the efficacy of cancer treatments, reduce their toxicity and improve the quality of life of patients with leukemia or lymphoma. 

U2's New Album 'Happening So Easily'

Bono has revealed that Danger Mouse has been working on U2’s new album, one of three currently in the pipeline.

As previously reported by Spinner, band manager Paul McGuinness believes the record, tentatively titled ‘Songs of Ascent,’ will hit the shelves early next year.

Now, in an interview with The Age, the outspoken frontman has filled in a few more gaps surrounding U2’s forthcoming release and their work with Danger Mouse. Bono said, “We have about 12 songs with him. At the moment that looks like the album we will put out next because it’s just happening so easily.”

The album most likely to follow ‘Songs of Ascent’ sees the band adopting a “club” style and features collaborations with Lady Gaga associate Red One, Black Eyed Peas’ Will.i.am and French DJ/producer David Guetta.

Bono explained the thinking behind the record. “U2’s remixes in the 1990s were a real treasure, so we wanted to make a club sounding record. We have a pile of songs.”

The third project is a concept album based on songs Bono and the Edge wrote for the new Spider-Man musical, due to open on Broadway next month. However the two still have to win over the other half of the band on the merits of the project, “We haven’t convinced the rest of the band to do that yet. Larry (drummer and founding member Larry Mullen, Jr.) definitely has a raised eyebrow” said Bono.

U2 Close to follow up

New U2 coming 2011

It’s been less than a year since they released their last album, but U2 are already close to their next album release, with the rockers peppering new tracks into their live sets!

The Irish foursome, who are currently on a worldwide tour, have performed numerous unreleased tracks during their performances leading to widespread rumours that there could be an album cooking.

Manager Paul McGuinness confirmed fans’ guess-work to the Irish Times, “I would expect a new U2 album sooner than anybody thinks,” he said. “I would guess early 2011 before the next leg of the American tour, whichstarts in May.”

Despite a hectic touring schedule and Bono’s recent back injury, it is thought that the band are throwing themselves into the recording of this new album to make up for the lukewarm reception of 2009’s ‘No Line On The Horizon’ which took over four years to complete.

In other U2 news, the hit-makers are rumoured to be headlining the already sold out Glastonbury 2011! U2 were forced to cancel last year’s set, after Bono suffered painful back surgery.

The Speculation Over

The speculation’s over: the world’s most famous rock band, U2, is coming to Cape Town.

The news was broken by Big Concerts and partners 94.5Kfm on Monday morning.

The Irish rockers will take Cape Town Stadium by storm on February 18.

Some 72 000 tickets will be on sale from Saturday for fans who will be treated to U2’s “360°” visual extravaganza.

The group will belt out their hits from smack bang in the middle of the stadium.

U2 lead singer Bono and guitarist The Edge were last in Green Point’s old stadium for Nelson Mandela’s 46664 mega-bash on November 29, 2003.

Big Concerts’ John Langford said on Monday that Capetonians would be treated to “the full U2 band”.

Before the Cape Town concert U2 will perform at FNB Stadium in Joburg.

Tickets for the Cape Town show start at R161 and peak at R2 568 for VIPs in “The Red Zone”.

Crowded House will play at the GrandWest Arena on October 26, and Neil Diamond at Cape Town Stadium in April. - Cape Argus

Enter To Win Tickets To U2 360° Tour In Pittsburgh

Posted: 4:59 pm EDT October 11, 2010Updated: 11:59 am EDT October 12, 2010

PITTSBURGH — Hot on the heels of the band’s sold out European tour, U2 has confirmed the final stop on next year’s 360° tour is Pittsburgh.U2 is scheduled to play at Heinz Field on Tuesday, July 26, 2011.The tour begins next year and will visit Mexico City on May 14 before returning to North America. By the time the tour returns to North America, it will have been seen by well over 4 million fans.With a cylindrical video system of interlocking LED panels, and a steel structure rising 150 feet from the floor over a massive stage with rotating bridges, the band has truly created an intimate 360º experience for concert goers. Long-time U2 Show Director Willie Williams has worked again with architect Mark Fisher (ZooTV, PopMart, Elevation and Vertigo), to create an innovative 360 design, which affords an unobstructed view for the audience.Tickets go on sale Monday, Oct. 18 at 10 a.m. via livenation.com, all Ticketmaster outlets or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000. See & Be Seen and WPXI.com is giving you the chance on win tickets before they go on sale! Enter now, and as many times as you’d like, using the form below. On Friday, Oct. 15 at 2 p.m., two lucky winners will be randomly selected and will each win two tickets to the show.

http://www.wpxi.com/news/25357958/detail.html

 

THIS IS NOT Associated with U2TOURFANS.com - We do not have any other details other than what has been posted.

U2 adds Pittsburgh finale

U2 adds Pittsburgh finale 

With an extensive European run newly complete, U2 has firmed up the final stop on the band’s rescheduled 360 tour, which will canvas major U.S. and Canadian markets next summer.

Tickets for the newly announced July 26 tour finale at Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field go on sale Monday (10/18) via Ticketmaster, though subscribers to the band’s website can enter a special advance presale beginning Thursday (10/14) and running through Saturday (10/16).

The next leg of the stadium rockers’ North American trek kicks off May 21 in Denver, followed by another 18 shows in 14 cities. The full schedule, including international dates in Mexico, Australia and New Zealand, is shown at right.

 

Earlier this summer, the tour’s North American leg was postponed after frontman Bono suffered a back injury while preparing for the trek. The run is now taking place about a year later than originally scheduled.

Bono underwent emergency back surgery at a Munich hospital in May, shortly before the elaborate tour — which got underway last year — was scheduled to resume.

Bono posted a website video for his fans shortly after the incident, apologizing for the trouble his injury caused fans. “People go through a lot of trouble to get U2 tickets and we don’t take it for granted,” he said. “Thank you for standing by us in our hour of need. It was not a lot of fun for me. The injury was quite serious.”

The bright side, Bono said in the video, was that the “forced indolence” of “staring at the ceiling” helped him to come up with some new songs that the band has been recording, “and we might be playing them onstage.”

The band unveiled its 12th studio album, “No Line on the Horizon,” in February of 2009. The set debuted at No. 1 in 30 countries, including the U.S., where it posted first-week sales of about 484,000 copies.



75K Fans Go Crazy In Rome

ROME - The claw grabbed Rome: a summer night in nearly 75,000 flocked from all over Italy and abroad for the grand finale of this part of the tour 360 °, around the world in the name of the rock, they say experts, is poised to become the most successful tour in history.

  Bono called it a A “magical evening” in the words (in Italian),along with the rest of the band gave one of his best concerts of recent years. Upon entry into the Roman stadium, the followers of Bono and company were found in front of him ‘The Claw’, the claw, the huge stage and hyper one that seems to many of the aliens of the ‘War of the Worlds’, or a spider above the band.

Below, the fortunate of the ‘golden circle’, literally within the structure (the central part of the wheel, the top 50 for 58 yards in diameter), with the musicians that are just a few meters. Open dances Interpol has fallen to the Americans, with their ‘indie rock’ stylish (they will be in Italy with their tour November 17 at Palasharp Milan), but the public’s attention was low, given that the expected spasmodic U2 was obviously all for years now the biggest rock band on the planet.

And, like any self-respecting global band, their show but also offers music - especially on this tour came from No Line On The Horizon - massive visual stimuli. But tonight, in Rome, was the music to become the main protagonist. U2 have appeared in the form as often in recent seasons.

© Copyright ANSA - Tutti i diritti riservati

Bono, incredibly inspired, he found his voice from legend, the group played compact and powerful than ever. Introduced by Space Oddity by David Bowie, the former Irish boys attacked with a explosive Beautiful Day, then I will follow the classic, followed by Get on your boots, Magnificent, Mysterious Ways.

Among the thrilling moments and tears, a wonderful Miss Sarajevo. Above them, change the color of the claw, the cylindrical screen changes shape in incredible ways through the songs. “We are in love with Rome’s Flaminio stadium when we played many years ago (1987). Thanks for having kept close to your heart for all this time - says Bono - And tonight we are here with the last date of a European tour that many judged impossible. And I feel very lucky to be here with my three best friends: Larry, Adam and The Edge.

Then he paid tribute to Roberto Saviano, the students of Tehran who struggle for democracy (for them there is a devastating Sunday Bloody Sunday) and, as always, the notes of Walk On, part of the appeal for solidarity with Aung San Suu Kyi , Democratic leader for many years under house arrest in Burma.

Vertigo And then, I’ll go crazy if I do not go crazy, In a little while, I Still Have not Found What I’m looking for. All perfect for an audience in raptures authentic. Spectacular scenery in the stands, which stands on the Tiber was at one point ready to form the word One, while the curves became two huge flags, Italian and Irish.

And the grand finale party with its classical burst with One, and Where the Streets Have No Name, With or without you and enveloping Moment of Surrender.

 

U2 Could Play Vanderbilt

Rumors have begun to circulate that U2 will be returning to Nashville this summer for a July 2nd show at Vanderbilt Stadium. According to U2Gigs.com, “U2 are going to return to Tennessee for the first time since the Popmart Tour and perform in Nashville. The rumour suggests that the concert will take place on 2 July 2011 at Vanderbilt Stadium. There is a sufficient gap in the schedule between the Miami show on 29 June 2011 and the Chicago show on 5 July 2011. Furthermore, since Nashville is on the way from Miami to Chicago, this rumour seems pretty plausible. A somewhat weaker rumour hints that tickets for this show could go on sale as soon as the 30th of October.”