Thanks Bono

Thanks to Bono and Jolie, Pitt knew how to respond when Hurricane Katrina ran its way through New Orleans in 2005. “There was a responsibility to make it right, which was not being answered wholly, so I decided to make that a focal point and help families return home, and in the process we started discovering the inadequacies of low-income housing,” he said.

Turning to Bono, he asked for some humanitarian advice. “I sat down with him a few times and got involved in some of the stuff he was doing,” Pitt said.

Paul McGuinness lashes out at Google

Paul Paul slammed Google calling them a “monopoly” and is speaking out against the way it displays illegal download sites in search results.

Why has Paul been so vocal? Google may have poked a nerve with its campaign against proposed legislation aimed to stop this type of online piracy.

Paul said: “Never underestimate the ability of a monopoly to defend itself.” While speaking at MIDEM, in Cannes.

“It amazes me that Google has not done the right thing.

The experience of people when they go on Google and look for U2 music, or PJ Harvey music, is a shopping list of illegal opportunities to get their music. They have done nothing meaningful to discourage it,” said Paul.

What he wants is easy to do. Block all Internet sites that offer illegal downloads of anything that has a copyright. Music, Books and Films should all be considered protected.

He said that companies such as Google were “incredibly clever people with enormous resources”.

“Why are they not trying to solve the future in a more generous way? Ultimately it is in their interest that the flow of content will continue, and that won’t happen unless it’s paid for.”

SpotifyThe U2 manager said he would be more likely to give previews of U2’s next album to traditional radio than an online service like Spotify.

“At the moment I’m inclined to treat it (Spotify) as a promotional medium. If we have to choose where to put records on their debut we’re unlikely to give it to Spotify.

“We have arrangements like that around the world with people we’ve worked with over the years.

Spotify has yet to become popular with artists because artists don’t see the financial benefit of working with Spotify.”

Fans Pick 22 Songs

U2 360 Tour / Mark Peterson

Fans your votes are in for the 22 live track double CD album to be released to celebrate the 360 tour.  Fans had 46 songs to choose from and of course the main stays like “Where The Streest Have No Name, One and some lesser known Ultravoulet and The Unforgettable Fire have been chosen. Take a look at the list. What do you think ? Did they get it right ? Or is something missing ?

U22 tracklist:

1. Bad
2. Where The Streets Have No  Name
3. Magnificent
4. One
5. Ultraviolet
6. Even Better than The Real Thing
7. With or Without You
8. Beautiful Day
9. City of Blinding Lights
10. The Unforgettable Fire
11. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For
12. All I Want is You/Love Rescue Me
13. Moment of Surrender
14. Until The End of the World
15. The Fly
16. One Tree Hill
17. Stay (Faraway, So Close)
18. Walk On
19. Zooropa
20. Elevation
21. Out of Control
22. Mysterious Ways

From the Sky Down: Released Today

From the Sky Down is a 2011 documentary film directed by Davis Guggenheim about rock band U2 and the production of their 1991 album Achtung Baby. The film documents the album’s difficult recording period, the band members’ relationships, and the group’s creative process.

Guggenheim, who was commissioned by U2 to create the film to commemorate Achtung Baby’s 20th anniversary, spent several months in 2011 developing the documentary.

Archival footage and stills from the recording sessions appear in From the Sky Down, along with unreleased scenes from the group’s 1988 motion picture Rattle and Hum.

For the documentary, the band were filmed during a return visit to Hansa Studios in Berlin where the album was partly recorded, and during rehearsals in Winnipeg for the Glastonbury Festival 2011.

The film premiered at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2011, the first time in the festival’s history that a documentary was screened as the opening film.

The following month, it was broadcast on television and commercially released in the 20th anniversary reissue of Achtung Baby. Standalone copies of the film were released on December 12, 2011 on Blu-ray and DVD.

Critics’ reviews of From the Sky Down have been mixed. Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film an enthusiastic review, describing it as “one of the most transcendent close-up looks at the process of creating rock & roll I’ve ever seen.” In his opinion, the film was a “stirring testament to what it really means when four people in this world can create magical things because they band together.”

Hank Steuver of The Washington Post called it an “intriguing” documentary that “becomes a revealing and even enlightening meditation on the mystery of why some bands stay together and some don’t.” The review said the film is “refreshingly blunt and beautifully assembled”, and it praised Guggenheim for asking the band tough questions about that period in their history.

Bono in Timbukto

U2 front man, Bono, takes to the stage in Timbuktu as Mali raises security for it’s desert music festival.

Many reports are comiong that Bono appeared in the music festival.The festival used to be a major world music event but al Qaeda threats have kept crowds away.

Roughly 300 paying tourists attended, about half the number in 2011 and well down on the thousand-plus of past years. Around three thousand non-paying Malians also turned up for the three-day event, including nomadic Tuaregs.

Bono, put in an appearance on the opening night on Thursday in what organisers said was a show of support for the event.

Mali and the nieghbbouring Niger have ended years of uprising which began in 2009. The area faced a new security threat bandits teamed up with al Qada’s Saharan wing. ( who knew that even was a real group)to suppply a lucrative trade in ransoms of Western hostages.

Aside from the impact on tourism, the kidnappings have made it harder for international aid workers to operate in the semi-arid Sahel region which faces regular food crises and has some of the worst health statistics in the world.

Pride (In the Name of Love)

“Pride (In the Name of Love)” The second track on the band’s 1984 album, The Unforgettable Fire, it was released as the album’s lead single in September 1984. Written about Martin Luther King, Jr., the song received mixed critical reviews at the time, but it was a major commercial success for the band and has since become one of the band’s most popular songs. It was named the 378th greatest song by Rolling Stone on their list of “The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time”. “Pride” appeared on the compilation The Best of 1980-1990 as the opening track, and on the 2006 compilation U218 Singles.

The song had been intended to be about Ronald Reagan’s pride in America’s military power but after the lyricist Bono had been influenced by Stephen B. Oates’s book Let The Trumpet Sound: A Life of Martin Luther King, Jr. and a biography of Malcolm X. these caused him to ponder the different sides of the civil rights campaigns, the violent and the non-violent. In subsequent years, Bono has expressed his dissatisfaction with the lyrics, which he describes, along with another Unforgettable Fire song “Bad”, as being “left as simple sketches”. He says he was swayed by The Edge and producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, who played down the need to develop the lyrics as they thought their impressionistic nature would give added forcefulness to the song’s feeling, particularly when heard by non-English speakers.

“I looked at how glorious that song was and thought: ‘What the fuck is that all about?’ It’s just a load of vowel sounds ganging up on a great man. It is emotionally very articulate - if you didn’t speak English.”
—Bono , U2 by U2

The song contains the erroneous reference to King’s shooting as “Early morning, April 4”, when it was actually after 6 p.m. Bono acknowledges the error and in live performances he occasionally changes the lyric to “Early evening…”.

Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders sang backing vocals on the recording. She was married to Jim Kerr of Simple Minds at the time and she is credited as “Christine Kerr”

Three music videos were made. The first was shot in August by director Donald Cammell and features opening and closing shots of the Dublin Docklands area. Two versions of this video exist; black and white and colour (sepia). The band was not satisfied with Cammell’s video, and they agreed to their principal photographer, Anton Corbijn, shooting an alternative. A “one-take” video filmed in a basement near London’s Heathrow Airport, it features U2 standing sternly in front of a wall under poor lighting conditions.

The U2 camp was also unimpressed with this video and a third video is produced by compiling footage shot during The Unforgettable Fire recording sessions at Slane Castle. The original (black and white) Cammell video was primarily used in promotion

Temper Trap inspiration 4 new U2 album

In a chat online,Bono said the band was working on three albums with different musical directions.

“Something really exciting is that finally the rock band is melting into clubland and experimenting with sounds that are not normally deemed authentic for the rock band - synthesizers, experimental sounds - which you can hear in an album by the Temper Trap,” Bono said. “That’s exciting, a new hybrid.”

The Temper Trap, whose hit Sweet Disposition was compared with the sounds of U2, has been recording its second album, due for release mid-year, in LA and London.

Tebow, Bono and Faith

 ‘It’s not just something that happens when you’re at church’ – Tim Tebow 

Tim Tebow and Bono have faith in common, faith in a higher power (God). Both men use their platforms to express their views of faith in that higher power. U2 songs have expressed faith, religion, love, sex, lost and hop for many years. Bono has taken the hit many times about whether the band is a Christian band and if they are pretending to be faithful. This makes them veterans in the category of bring religion to work.  How many times have you seen Bono take a knee for the big man up stairs? Bono and Tebow share passion that which drives results. Tim has had this passion for sometime which has extended beyond football. As a Florida Gator he made the promise.

“I promise you one thing. A lot of good will come out of this. You will never see any player in the entire country play as hard as I will play the rest of the season. You will never see someone push the rest of the team as hard as I will push everybody the rest of the season. You will never see a team play harder than we will the rest of the season.” Tim Tebow 

Tim has leadership qualities and because of his faith, he is able to understand how to motivate his team. Bono in the same token has leadership qualities to use his passion to make a difference in the world. 

The passion is the attraction to the Denver team today. U2 fans have passion for Bono, Larry, Adam and The Edge.  Why do we mock those with passion; it’s fear, fear that you could be doing better than me, fear that if I drive my passion that I will be held accountable for doing something with that passion.  Lets turn 2012 into passion believing in something greater than yourself is not a bad idea, heck if you had all the answers you would still need passion to share your vision.   Cheer on Tim Tebow’s passion for life and lets wish him a “Beautiful Day” next Saturday night.

Irrelevantvant U2 in 2012

Thinking about the article in Rolling Stone referencing U2 and Bono’s comments of irrelevance. The boys have been working on 3 album projects. Bono made reference to having a need to having U2 music played on radio. RS threw some cold water on that idea.

RS:” We hope they realize that radio is unlikely to put any song they ever write into heavy rotation: instead, they should just focus on making another great record, and then hit the road on an arena tour that drops some of the old warhorse in favor of great songs from the past. We fear their primary focus is competing with Lady Gaga on radio. Its a fight they’re going to lose.”

U2 music will be played on radio and other sources. Commercial radio may not be the right venue for U2; however consider SIRUSXM as a perfect new home for the boys. Bruce Springsteen has made a go for it and it has worked out well for both. The Police had a channel and the list goes on. Online music venues have worked well for bands that have a strong fan base and look to continue to supporting good music. U2 has a strong marketing machine and management team unlike other bands. Record labels have lost some of their power as band gain back the control of the direction of their music, so expect to see U2 take hold of the reins as they guide their fans thru the next 20 years.  

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New Year, New U2 ?

The boys have been pretty busy in 2011 and with some reports coming that they have recorded some new tunes the question remains; when can we expect to see some fresh U2 tunes ? U2 has reinvent its self a come of times already. Fans flocked to the 360 tour in hopes to retain those youthful times of bliss. We start this year with a bit of directional news. U2TOURFANS will be working on a couple of big projects this year. Our goal is to be able to provide a home for all of our images, videos and continue to provide a source for U2 news and conversation. As we begin the process we will be testing out some new features and creating some opportunities for authors to share their U2 expereience. As alway we thank you for all your support and we hope that the changes we make improve your U2 experience.

Bono Busker !

Irlish Central reports that Bono the most famous busker has hit the streets again. Bono could be found on Christmas Eve in Dublin’s Grafton Street singing his heart out along with Oscar-winning musician Glen Hansard, Mundy, Declan O’Rourke and Hothouse Flowers rocker Liam O’Maonlai. Bono did the same thing last year which meant that crowds of people, warned in advance, were waiting for the superstar and his all-star entourage. In fact, numbers got so high that police were forced to ask Bono and his band to move on as fears were expressed for crowd safety.  It was all in a good cause however, as all money collected was donated to charity.
 

From the Sky Down

From The Sky Down ,would make a worthy Christmas present for a music-loving friend, family member or, even better, a treat for yourself. It ranks alongside Pearl Jam’s Twenty and Kings of Leon’s Talihina Sky: The Story of Kings of Leon as one of the top rock DVD releases of 2011.

From the Sky Down is a documentary focusing on the recording of Achtung Baby, which is seen as the crucial transition of the biggest rock band in the world.

Achtung Baby is the reason we are still here now,” says guitarist The Edge in the doccie.

The doccie is told via the band in present time with scenes in and around the recording of the album.

Achtung Baby found the band in a rather bloated position. With 1987’s  The Joshua Tree U2 went from just an Irish alternative rock group to being the biggest band in the US. The media and fan worship that borders on idolatry, and comes with making it big in in the US, went to their heads. They were absorbed in the consumerism and fast-paced materialism that comes with that country’s culture, which resulted in the terrible Rattle and Hum album. This was a group that had lost their identity as a band and as individuals.

The opening lines of the doccie begin with the words: “They say that a band is a clan. You may not be related, but you have pledged loyalty to each other.”

It then goes on to show band members Bono, Adam Clayton, The Edge and Larry Mullins jr waiting to go on stage at Glastonbury. (Of course they have to do it in slow motion, it being U2 and all.)

The narrative includes earlier footage of the band and shows exactly how much creative input Daniel Lanoi and Brian Eno, in particular, had on their creativity both in their music and emotional well-being. In fact, from the very beginning one of the secrets of the band’s success was the number of super-talented and intelligent people who surrounded them.

Bono initially comes across as a pretentious twat. But as the doccie evolves into a musical exploration you remember that he is essentially a musician, and a good one at that.

The doccie strips away all that bloated bull U2 are known for, and just as what Achtung Baby did for them then, this DVD brings out the real musician in each of them.

In parts the explanations are musically technical, but user-friendly enough that the average fan won’t get bored.

The story is told with frank honesty from all four members’s perspectives.

When they decided to record in Hansa, Germany, it was 1990, just after the Berlin Wall had been pulled down. But, say the band, it was a very dark time for them. They couldn’t find their groove. The breakthrough finally came when Bono found the chords to the song One. The rest of the creative process then flowed organically.

But what was interesting is that even though they had a straight-up rock sound with no special effects, their ensuing tour, ZooTV, was anything but.

“If we’re accused of megalomania then let’s do something to enhance it,” says The Edge. “Let’s give them rock star.”

Enter The Fly with his Lou Reid glasses, Jim Morrison leathers and Elvis Presley attitude. Throughout the tour U2 took on the role of the media, the concepts of truth and democracy, and Bono as we know him was born.

The question is: was Achtung Baby the way back to the roots of U2, or the beginning of a bigger and more bloated U2?

U2: From The Sky Down is available online

Imelda and Bono

Looking like an Old Testament preacher on a festive jolly, Guggi was sitting next to me on Friday night at The 02 in Dublin. The artist smiled quixotically at me when I told him what was about to happen next was the worst-kept secret in Ireland.

Then, seconds later, Guggi’s best friend, a messianic fella by the name of Bono, joined headliner Imelda May and her band onstage for an audacious version of Desire by his band U2 (the rumour that Larry Mullen was to play drums proved unfounded).

The 12,000 crowd went mental. Harry Crosbie, who owns the venue, had told me earlier in the bar that tonight “we would be witnessing a magical piece of rock ‘n’ roll history — it was 23 years ago that U2 filmed music for the movie Desire in this building”.

When Bono and Imelda did another duet together — a suitably festive and out-of-kilter version of Phil Spector’s Christmas: Baby Please Come Home — everyone, including Guggi beside me and doubtless Harry elsewhere, was up on their feet dancing the recession away.

But this was Imelda May’s night. It is some achievement that the beautiful belle from the Liberties in Dublin sold out Friday and again last night at the country’s biggest venue. Wearing a tight-fitting silver dress that wouldn’t have looked out of place on Marilyn Monroe, she held the audience in thrall for a good two hours with her sassy blend of retro cool, surf guitars and rockabilly with a razor’s edge.

The music throughout, courtesy of Imelda’s bewitching voice, was evocative of what you’d hear in a David Lynch film. I could see why Rolling Stone described her as exuding “the dangerous allure of a Fifties pulp pin-up, the kind with race-car red lips and a dagger in her boot”.

A bluesy rendition of Spoonful by the Chicago bluesman Hubert Sumlin (who only died on December 4) was followed by Psycho, Tear It Up and Big Bad Handsome Man, with her own big bad handsome man, husband Darrel Higham, on guitar beside her.

“The music he plays, the way he moves me and sways,” she sang. “Rocks me to the core/When he sings in my ear/He makes me shiver and leer/Leaves me wanting more and more.”

It was the sentiment of the audience watching her perform, too. She has bona fide star quality; the authenticity of her music emphasises that star quality.

Ireland’s First Lady of Rockabilly isn’t anything you could remotely call manufactured. She isn’t pretending to be Wanda Jackson or Patsy Cline or Billie Holiday. She only knows how to be one thing and that’s herself.

She charms the crowd almost as much with her raw Dublin girl lingo as she does with her songs that have charmed everyone from Jools Holland to Eric Clapton, and Jeff Beck to Van Morrison.

Imelda will be making steps (with a dagger in her boot or not) to the Forum in Waterford tomorrow, the INEC in Killarney on Thursday and the Big Top in Limerick on Friday.

Impossibly hip Irish band The Last Tycoon are the (very) special guests on the last two shows.

“We’re delighted to be asked to open for Imelda again,” Tycoons frontman Stephen Fanning told me — he and his band flew specially from their base in Berlin for the gigs.

“We played with her in Berlin last May and after seeing us, she invited us on the rest of her German tour, which was amazing. She’s been really supportive of us and her fans were great to us as well,” Stephen said, before adding that the hotly tipped group have their own headline show in the Workman’s Club in Dublin on December 28 with a new album on the way in 2012.

Now that will be mayhem.

- Barry Egan

One Band on a Mission

For his part, Bono makes it clear his praise is directed to a higher power. “They’re all, to me, songs of praise to God and creation, even the angry ones,”

Should U2 a band on a mission? A band with a strong sense of integrity and purpose, which so many say, is the foundation for their music.  They have sold massive amounts of records, tours and estimations that the group could be worth at least a cool billion including the 17 Grammy Awards this band has pass the test of time in an industry where longevity can be measured in months. 

For all the celebrity hype, Bono retains a certain authenticity, a centeredness and seems humble, which has come out many times during the 360 tour “You have given us a good life” He reminds us that we are the reason for the bands success. That our marriage with him and the rest of the band is not taken lightly.

360 is behind us, yet some part of us want to revisit with our old friends and hold on to those youthful times of our lives when music, religion and war had our focus and our attention to get some resoling foundation of peace and faith. U2 you have given us a good life. 

Would you call the following lyrics statements of faith ?

 “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” (from Joshua Tree)
I believe in the Kingdom Come,
Then all the colors will bleed into one
But yes I’m still running.
You broke the bonds and you
Loosed the chains.
Carried the cross and all my shame,
You know I believe it.
But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.

“Grace” (from All That You Can’t Leave Behind)
Grace, it’s the name for a girl
It’s also a thought that changed the world.
What once was hurt
What once was friction
What left a mark
No longer stains.
Because grace makes beauty
Out of ugly things.

Faith is nothing more than your ability to believe in something you cannot see yet you know to be true within your heart.  In a time when we all need a little faith why not believe in something greater than yourself why not have a little faith.

Bono was the only Christian in the early days. He started sharing his feelings and thoughts about God. And it seemed a natural progression from what happened in school to go along to meetings outside school.

“I realised that was where it was at and about the same time Larry and myself became Christians. From then on it seemed that there was a purpose for the band, if you know what I mean. Bono felt this from the beginning I think…”

“I believe in God very strongly and I don’t believe that we are just kind of exploded out of thin air. I can’t believe it. I think it is that spiritual strength that’s essential to the band. We want to offer people hope, but we don’t want to freak them out. We feel the Spirit is doing something different. Jesus taught in parables and some of our lyrics are like that.”

“I’m not cynical or pessimistic about the future and a lot of that must come down to my beliefs. It’s my belief in God that enables me to get up in the morning and face the world. I believe there is a reason and logic to everything.”

“I want an audience to feel washed after a U2 gig. I don’t like music unless it has a healing effect. There’s a huge spiritual battle going on in the world. It’s big and it’s serious and if you want to get into the battle you’ve got to get under covering. You’ve got to be part of a body.”

Its not a question of U2’s beliefs as it is what our belief provides us when we hear U2 songs, for some its just some words that provide the back drop to a great melody to others is a source that provides growth to the seed inside of all of us. Now before we upset those that do not care to believe that U2 has blended faith with rock music and that rockers can have faith expressed in songs with out attachment to a christain label, maybe your right, maybe faith better be left to your private thoughts and one should not sing in joy.

Perhaps it gives God goosebumps to hear these Irish rockers touch millions with their music while acknowledging and praising his name, even as they wrestle with him on a very public stage. May Bono’s voice and U2’s music ring out for a long, long time to come…   

Highest Earning Tour of 2011

Shock! U2 lead Billboard’s year-end report of the top touring acts of 2011, with their “360 Tour” raking in $293.3 million in box office revenue from nearly 3 million in ticket sales for the year.

Bono and crew were on the road from June 30th 2009 to July 30th 2011 with their giant claw on the “360 Tour” and broke the all-time touring industry records by bringing in a staggering $736,421,586 with more than 7 million punters attending the shows.

Bon Jovi had one of the biggest years of their 28 year career and Take That made a lazy $185 million from their comeback tour with Robbie Williams, which included a record breaking eight nights at Wembley Stadium. The Wembley shows alone earned the band $61.7 million breaking the previous venue record of $38.7 million that had been set by Bruce Springsteen’s ten sold-out shows at New Jersey’s Giants Stadium in 2003.

Highest-Earning Tours of 2011:
01) U2 – $293.3 million
02) Bon Jovi – $193 million
03) Take That – $185 million
04) Roger Waters – $150 million
05) Taylor Swift – $97.3 million
06) Kenny Chesney – $84.6 million
07) Usher – $75 million
08) Lady Gaga – $72 million
09) Andre Rieu – $67 million
10) Sade – $50 million

Wish U2 Merry Christmas

U2 / U2TOURFANS As we all get ready for the holiday what would your Christmas wishes be for the boys? Send in your comments, we will be posting them and sharing them on 24th.  Send comments directly to  Holiday Wishes.

 

Bono and Glee

Ahead of the Glee Christmas episode called Extraordinary Merry Christmas, Fox released a new preview of the holiday Glee goodness with Bono of U2 and Sting of The Police who reflect on the classic charity song Do They Know Its Christmas by Band …

The Future Needs A Big Kiss ! Rock Giants

Rock giants U2 have pledged to nurture and inspire more of Ireland’s young musicians with the rolling-out of a tutoring programme.

The Music Generation scheme will invest 1.7 million euro to help children and young people in Cork city, Laois and Wicklow get access to vocal and instrumental tuition in their local area.

The Edge said: “Access to music for children and young people is something that is very close to our hearts. We believe that every child should have the choice to get involved in music, irrespective of their background.

“Music Generation is addressing the gap in individual and group vocal and instrumental music tuition in our education system, and we are delighted to be playing a part in nurturing and inspiring Ireland’s young musicians of the future.”

Music Generation was launched in 2009 after a five million euro donation from U2 along with another two million euro raised by the Ireland Funds. The donation was the largest-ever single philanthropic gift to music education in Ireland in the history of the state.

The programme, which last year ran in Louth, Mayo and Sligo, is expected to create substantial job opportunities for local musicians over the next five years.

Music Generation chairman Dr Tony O Dalaigh said: “Music Generation would not be happening without the contributions made by U2 and the Ireland Funds.

“In practical terms it means that Music Generation can provide access to music education which is currently unavailable to the majority of children, as well as employment for musicians in their locality.”

Billboards Tour of the Year ! U2

Bono / U2 / U2TOURFANS/ Nick Walker U2 started out with an idea of getting closer to its fans and ended up with the largest grossing tour with a whopping $736,421,586.  The 360 tour has broken stadium records and changed the way people attend concerts.  The tour ended in July, which at that time became the highest grossing and biggest ticket seller in the history of the tour business.  

Quoted from Billboard:

Months after 360° wrapped in Moncton, New Brunswick, the tour’s significance was finally sinking in for Live Nation Global Touring chairman Arthur Fogel, global producer of the epic trek.

“As time moves on and we get further away from it, it actually seems more impressive than when you’re actually in the middle of it,” says Fogel, not a man given to overstatement. “It just leaves a tremendous sense of accomplishment, and is without a doubt one of the greatest experiences in the business that I’ve ever had.”

While it was under way, 360° was a beast to execute, from its initial yearlong setup, to the postponement of the second North American leg due to Bono’s back surgery, to the daily grind of pulling off the most ambitious tour ever mounted.

“It was a lot of pressure, even during the down times, because it was so big and so complicated,” Fogel says. “The postponement issue was a lot to deal with, so when it ended and time goes by, it seems that much more impressive and an accomplishment to be incredibly proud of.”

While 360° is in a class all its own in terms of scale and box office, the principals that made it a success-scaling, routing, showmanship and songs-are relevant across the entire live business. The fact that such numbers could even be achieved, let alone in a down global economy, is a testament to the power of live music

Fogel dismisses the notion that 360° somehow is isolated from the realities of the rest of the touring industry. “I don’t subscribe to the theory at all that somehow this tour is its own animal,” he says. “This is what drives our business, this is what gets people excited about going to shows, this is what proves that we are the real deal as an industry. When you can capture the attention and imagination and enjoyment of 7 million people, that’s what this business is all about.”

We can look back on this tour with the thousands of hours of concert video, concert photos and stories. The idea that a simple stage can bring people together to experience music like never before is only the start of somthing greater.

U2, world's No.1 rock band, collaborates with Talenthouse

Mumbai:Talenthouse India, the online crowd-sourcing platform which has successfully conducted talent hunts for various celebrities and brands like Rocky S, Rajeev Surti, Zod!, , Pepsi &Micromax showcased an invite to redesign the collage for U2’s legendary album ‘Achtung Baby’.

Achtung Baby‘s original cover art embodied the zeitgeist of the early 90s and the spirit of the album. The critically adored album propelled Irish rock band U2 to the level of fame they have enjoyed ever since, earning them a place among music legends. To honor the 20th anniversary of Achtung Baby‘s release, U2 wants you send in your best interpretation of today’s global environment on Talenthouse. This can be in the form of a photograph or artwork. Mr. ArunMehra (CEO – Talenthouse India) said, “Talenthouseis the world’s largest collaborative platform undertaking crowdsourcing Creative Invite’s for globally renowned industry names like Lady Gaga, Maroon 5, Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, Naomi Campbell, etc. We, at Talenthouse India are looking to provide creative artists opportunities to work not only in Bollywood, but also giving them a platform to showcase their creativity internationally in Hollywood”

This Invite will feature 15 winners whose submissions will be compiled into a collage acting as a modern makeover for the beloved 1991 album’s cover work. The winning submissions will be selected by U2’s official designer and photographer, Shaughn McGrath and Anton Corbijn.

One uber-lucky winner will be selected to receive a custom designed, original Achtung Baby styled Trabant car. Additionally, one highest voted artist will have their submission promoted across U2’s social media channels and U2.com. They will also receive a copy of the final collage, a deluxe box-set, and an SLR digital camera.

Follow this link for more details -