U2 Saves Day for Sex Abuse Charity
hollywood.com
Irish rock group U2, along with their manager Paul McGuinness, donated $46,360 to the Irish sex abuse charity One in Four, which was facing closure because of a funding crisis, Reuters reports. Charity officials said the donation would keep the support group, which campaigns on behalf of people who were sexually abused as children, operational for the time being. "The members of U2 and their manager have offered to provide to One in Four 40,000 euros ($46,360) to enable this wonderful organization to continue its vital and important work for a further month, while the government gets it together to do the right thing," the group's management said in a statement.
Full Version: U2
EOnline.com
WALK ON: Bono to present commencement speech at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia May 17. The U2 frontman will also receive an honorary degree.
WALK ON: Bono to present commencement speech at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia May 17. The U2 frontman will also receive an honorary degree.
Bono: Live Aid 2 Would Be Too Expensive
U2 star Bono has denied reports his rock group will headline a Live Aid 2 event, because the concert would not raise enough money to help struggling nations. Reports of a second Live Aid have been in circulation ever since the original 1985 megashow, and the latest rumors have taken flight following new claims in the British press. But Bono has poured scorn on the reports, insisting a second Live Aid would fail to serve a purpose. He says, "We would love to be talking about Live Aid 2, but the sums of money we are dealing with are in the billions of euros, not the millions. It would help, but not fix the problem." The original Live Aid concerts in London and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, raised an estimated $100 million to fight hunger in Ethiopia. Bono was meeting with European leaders in Dublin yesterday to discuss the plight of struggling African countries and the need for support.
http://www.imdb.com/news/wenn/#1
U2 star Bono has denied reports his rock group will headline a Live Aid 2 event, because the concert would not raise enough money to help struggling nations. Reports of a second Live Aid have been in circulation ever since the original 1985 megashow, and the latest rumors have taken flight following new claims in the British press. But Bono has poured scorn on the reports, insisting a second Live Aid would fail to serve a purpose. He says, "We would love to be talking about Live Aid 2, but the sums of money we are dealing with are in the billions of euros, not the millions. It would help, but not fix the problem." The original Live Aid concerts in London and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, raised an estimated $100 million to fight hunger in Ethiopia. Bono was meeting with European leaders in Dublin yesterday to discuss the plight of struggling African countries and the need for support.
http://www.imdb.com/news/wenn/#1
EOnline.com
PREPARE FOR THE BOOTLEG: An unfinished copy of U2 's upcoming CD disappearing Tuesday from a photo shoot with the band in the south of France. The album isn't expected in stores until November.
PREPARE FOR THE BOOTLEG: An unfinished copy of U2 's upcoming CD disappearing Tuesday from a photo shoot with the band in the south of France. The album isn't expected in stores until November.
U2'S MASTER CD IS SNATCHED
Page Six
IT was far from a "Beautiful Day" for U2 Tuesday afternoon when a master copy of their upcoming record was stolen from a photo shoot in Nice. Guitarist The Edge had brought along the master of the CD ? working title, "Vertigo," and due out in November ? to a photo shoot for the album cover so the band could listen to it while they posed. But at some point during the shoot, someone snatched the CD out of the player and ran off with it. On the band's Web site, The Edge reports: "A large slice of two years' work lifted via a piece of round plastic. It doesn't seem credible but that's what's just happened to us . . . and it was my CD." Although there are other copies, band members fear it will end up on the Internet before it's shipped to stores. "The recording of this album has been going so well," Paul McGuinness of Principle Management told the Web site. "The band is so excited about its release. It would be a shame if unfinished work fell into the wrong hands." Universal Music Group CEO Lucian Grainge added: "As the missing CD is our property, we're very keen to find it as soon as possible and the French police are being extremely helpful in this regard."
Page Six
IT was far from a "Beautiful Day" for U2 Tuesday afternoon when a master copy of their upcoming record was stolen from a photo shoot in Nice. Guitarist The Edge had brought along the master of the CD ? working title, "Vertigo," and due out in November ? to a photo shoot for the album cover so the band could listen to it while they posed. But at some point during the shoot, someone snatched the CD out of the player and ran off with it. On the band's Web site, The Edge reports: "A large slice of two years' work lifted via a piece of round plastic. It doesn't seem credible but that's what's just happened to us . . . and it was my CD." Although there are other copies, band members fear it will end up on the Internet before it's shipped to stores. "The recording of this album has been going so well," Paul McGuinness of Principle Management told the Web site. "The band is so excited about its release. It would be a shame if unfinished work fell into the wrong hands." Universal Music Group CEO Lucian Grainge added: "As the missing CD is our property, we're very keen to find it as soon as possible and the French police are being extremely helpful in this regard."
popbitch.com
U2 have approached Scissor Sisters to support them
on their as yet untitled tour next year. Bono was at
Moma in New York last week watching their gig.
U2 have approached Scissor Sisters to support them
on their as yet untitled tour next year. Bono was at
Moma in New York last week watching their gig.
EOnline.com
RATTLE AND HUM: U2 's as-yet-untitled studio album to be released internationall Nov. 22 and a day later in North America. The first single, "Vertigo," will hit radio airwaves in late September.
RATTLE AND HUM: U2 's as-yet-untitled studio album to be released internationall Nov. 22 and a day later in North America. The first single, "Vertigo," will hit radio airwaves in late September.
U2 Will Release New Album As Planned
imdb.com
The release of U2's new album is going ahead as planned - despite the theft of a CD containing new tracks last month. The band, who panicked when a copy of their new songs went missing during a photo session in Nice, France, will release the still-as-yet-untitled LP as scheduled on November 23 - while their single "Vertigo" will be played on the radio from September. U2 were prepared to rush through the release of the album after the CD disappeared. Frontman Bono said at the time, "If it is on the internet this week, we will release it immediately as a legal download on iTunes, and get hard copies into the shops by the end of the month. It would be a real pity. It would screw up years of work and months of planning, not to mention f***ing up our holidays. But once it's out, it's out."
imdb.com
The release of U2's new album is going ahead as planned - despite the theft of a CD containing new tracks last month. The band, who panicked when a copy of their new songs went missing during a photo session in Nice, France, will release the still-as-yet-untitled LP as scheduled on November 23 - while their single "Vertigo" will be played on the radio from September. U2 were prepared to rush through the release of the album after the CD disappeared. Frontman Bono said at the time, "If it is on the internet this week, we will release it immediately as a legal download on iTunes, and get hard copies into the shops by the end of the month. It would be a real pity. It would screw up years of work and months of planning, not to mention f***ing up our holidays. But once it's out, it's out."
Achtung, Baby! New U2 Release Set
EOnline.com
by Josh Grossberg
Aug 23, 2004, 10:00 AM PT
Nov. 23 is going to be a beautiful day for U2 fans.
Bono and the boys have announced plans to release their still untitled album in the U.S. then, a day after it drops in the U.K. The first single, "Vertigo," will hit radio on Sept. 24, while a video for the song will debut in October.
U2's 11th studio album, produced by Steve Lillywhite, is the follow-up to their multiple Grammy-winning 2000 disc, All That You Can Leave Behind. Besides "Vertigo," other song titles rumored to be on the Irish rockers' set include "Tough" and "Full Metal Jacket."
The band has been previewing tracks to select music industry types, and the buzz has been tremendous. Time magazine's Josh Tyrangiel says the new CD "is just full of confident, expansive guitar rock from the masters of the form. All the old tricks--the Edge's echoing guitar notes,Larry Mullen Jr.'s martial snare--still work...[Bono] has enormous assuredness, and the occasional cracks in his voice make the bad-relationship songs (and, as always, there are quite a few) darker and more dramatic."
U2 fan site @U2 quotes VH1 Senior Vice President Bill Flanagan saying, "It's the best album they have ever done. It's going to knock [listeners] out." And British rock writer Neil McCormick tells Hot Press magazine that "Vertigo" "is like the early U2 pumped up in the 21st century, a really exciting record."
The album's release will apparently not be impacted by the disappearance of early version of the album. A compact disc containing unmixed versions of the tracks went missing from a recording studio in Nice, France, in July, prompting worries that the songs could be leaked to the Internet, potentially costing the quartet, arguably the most popular rock band in the world, and its label, Interscope, millions in lost revenue.
With French investigators still not finding what they're looking for, Bono told London's Daily Telegraph that the group may try and head off such a disastrous leak by making the album available early as a legal download on Apple's iTunes should file-swappers get their hands on it.
"If it is on the Internet this week, we will release it immediately as a legal download on iTunes, and get hard copies into the shops by the end of the month," the singer said. "It would be a real pity. It would screw up years of work and months of planning, not to mention f--king up our holidays. But once it's out. It's out."
A cursory scan of the major music-swapping sites haven't turned up any of the MIA tracks.
For now, the album will be on shelves--and iTunes--in November, with a U.S. tour slated for the spring.
EOnline.com
by Josh Grossberg
Aug 23, 2004, 10:00 AM PT
Nov. 23 is going to be a beautiful day for U2 fans.
Bono and the boys have announced plans to release their still untitled album in the U.S. then, a day after it drops in the U.K. The first single, "Vertigo," will hit radio on Sept. 24, while a video for the song will debut in October.
U2's 11th studio album, produced by Steve Lillywhite, is the follow-up to their multiple Grammy-winning 2000 disc, All That You Can Leave Behind. Besides "Vertigo," other song titles rumored to be on the Irish rockers' set include "Tough" and "Full Metal Jacket."
The band has been previewing tracks to select music industry types, and the buzz has been tremendous. Time magazine's Josh Tyrangiel says the new CD "is just full of confident, expansive guitar rock from the masters of the form. All the old tricks--the Edge's echoing guitar notes,Larry Mullen Jr.'s martial snare--still work...[Bono] has enormous assuredness, and the occasional cracks in his voice make the bad-relationship songs (and, as always, there are quite a few) darker and more dramatic."
U2 fan site @U2 quotes VH1 Senior Vice President Bill Flanagan saying, "It's the best album they have ever done. It's going to knock [listeners] out." And British rock writer Neil McCormick tells Hot Press magazine that "Vertigo" "is like the early U2 pumped up in the 21st century, a really exciting record."
The album's release will apparently not be impacted by the disappearance of early version of the album. A compact disc containing unmixed versions of the tracks went missing from a recording studio in Nice, France, in July, prompting worries that the songs could be leaked to the Internet, potentially costing the quartet, arguably the most popular rock band in the world, and its label, Interscope, millions in lost revenue.
With French investigators still not finding what they're looking for, Bono told London's Daily Telegraph that the group may try and head off such a disastrous leak by making the album available early as a legal download on Apple's iTunes should file-swappers get their hands on it.
"If it is on the Internet this week, we will release it immediately as a legal download on iTunes, and get hard copies into the shops by the end of the month," the singer said. "It would be a real pity. It would screw up years of work and months of planning, not to mention f--king up our holidays. But once it's out. It's out."
A cursory scan of the major music-swapping sites haven't turned up any of the MIA tracks.
For now, the album will be on shelves--and iTunes--in November, with a U.S. tour slated for the spring.
people.com
UNVEILED: U2 has revealed the names of six of the 11 tracks on its as-yet-untitled album, due Nov. 23, reports Billboard. This includes the first single, "Vertigo," scheduled for radio play later this month. Other songs include "A Man and a Woman," "Crumbs From Your Table," "Yahweh," "City of Blinding Lights" and "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own." The new CD is the follow-up to 2000's All That You Can't Leave Behind, which has sold more than 4 million copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan. A world tour is expected to launch early next year.
If they go on tour, I am so going.
UNVEILED: U2 has revealed the names of six of the 11 tracks on its as-yet-untitled album, due Nov. 23, reports Billboard. This includes the first single, "Vertigo," scheduled for radio play later this month. Other songs include "A Man and a Woman," "Crumbs From Your Table," "Yahweh," "City of Blinding Lights" and "Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own." The new CD is the follow-up to 2000's All That You Can't Leave Behind, which has sold more than 4 million copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan. A world tour is expected to launch early next year.
If they go on tour, I am so going.
EOnline.com
GEEZERS ALREADY? Rockers U2 join The Pretenders and several other bands on the 2005 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ballot. A ceremony honoring the eventual inductees will stage next year in New York City.
ACHTUNG BABY! U2 meanwhile unveiling the title of their new album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, which hits stores on Nov. 23.
GEEZERS ALREADY? Rockers U2 join The Pretenders and several other bands on the 2005 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ballot. A ceremony honoring the eventual inductees will stage next year in New York City.
ACHTUNG BABY! U2 meanwhile unveiling the title of their new album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, which hits stores on Nov. 23.
the first single "Vertigo" will start appearing on the radio on September 24th
MOST RECOGNIZED MUSICIANS
Topping the list of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees were Bono and the boys of U2, who've been at work on their 11th studio album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (due Nov. 23). But the real bombshell: The list of nominees, including the Pretenders, Buddy Guy and Conway Twitty, for the first time recognized a rapper, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five.
EOnline.com
ATOMIC TRACK: U2's first single off its upcoming album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, expected to debut this week in the top 20 of Billboard 's Modern Rock Tracks chart after just three days on the radio. The band also announced the track listing for its new disc, due out Nov. 23.
ATOMIC TRACK: U2's first single off its upcoming album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, expected to debut this week in the top 20 of Billboard 's Modern Rock Tracks chart after just three days on the radio. The band also announced the track listing for its new disc, due out Nov. 23.
I keep reading about this song "Vertigo" ..about how good it is...I have yet to hear it on my local station. Is this the first single???
Has anyone heard it yet? What is it like..is it as good as say "Beautiful Day" ..their last comeback single?
Has anyone heard it yet? What is it like..is it as good as say "Beautiful Day" ..their last comeback single?
For the casual fan, the best comparison of Vertigo is more like Elevation than Beautiful Day. It's a dirty, fun rock song that harkens back to the sound of their first album, Boy. The response I've been reading on music site message boards is that people love the song and the energy of the band. Hope that helps.
Great. Thanks.
Although I luved Beautiful Day's catchy,happy feel...I'm from the old school that U2's "greatest" songs were from the old days--"Gloria","New Year's Day", Sunday Bloody Sunday,etc.
Although I luved Beautiful Day's catchy,happy feel...I'm from the old school that U2's "greatest" songs were from the old days--"Gloria","New Year's Day", Sunday Bloody Sunday,etc.
EOnline.com
BEAUTIFUL DAY: Apple Computer Inc. and U2 expected to announce next week that they have inked a deal to sell custom iPods, according to Billboard. The iPods will reportedly come preloaded with the rockers' new album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, set to be released Nov. 23.
BEAUTIFUL DAY: Apple Computer Inc. and U2 expected to announce next week that they have inked a deal to sell custom iPods, according to Billboard. The iPods will reportedly come preloaded with the rockers' new album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, set to be released Nov. 23.
people.com
JOINED: U2 and Apple Computer are expected to announce that they have signed a deal to sell custom iPods preloaded with the Irish rock band's upcoming album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (due Nov. 23 from Interscope Records), reports Billboard. Reps for the band as well as Apple declined comment. U2's new single "Vertigo" is featured in current TV ads for the iPod. The track is currently No. 2 on Billboard's airplay-based Modern Rock Tracks chart, and No. 44 on the Hot 100, which is based on both retail sales and radio airplay.
JOINED: U2 and Apple Computer are expected to announce that they have signed a deal to sell custom iPods preloaded with the Irish rock band's upcoming album How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (due Nov. 23 from Interscope Records), reports Billboard. Reps for the band as well as Apple declined comment. U2's new single "Vertigo" is featured in current TV ads for the iPod. The track is currently No. 2 on Billboard's airplay-based Modern Rock Tracks chart, and No. 44 on the Hot 100, which is based on both retail sales and radio airplay.
EOnline.com
BEAUTIFUL DAY: Bono announcing that a briefcase containing notes and lyrics for U2's 1981 album, October, has been returned, 23 years after it was stolen at a concert in Portland, Oregon.
BEAUTIFUL DAY: Bono announcing that a briefcase containing notes and lyrics for U2's 1981 album, October, has been returned, 23 years after it was stolen at a concert in Portland, Oregon.
Bono Finds What He Was Looking For
EOnline.com
by Josh Grossberg
Oct 22, 2004, 10:30 AM PT
It was an October surprise for U2.
Lead singer Bono confirmed Wednesday that a long-lost briefcase full of notes and lyrics gone missing after an Oregon concert nearly 25 years ago has been returned.
Bono said that two fans had returned the case, stolen following a Portland gig in 1981. He made the annoucement at a speaking engagement before the World Affairs Council of Oregon and hailed their return as "an act of grace," per a report in the Oregonian.
Calls to Universal Music Group, U2's record company, were not immediately returned Friday.
The briefcase contained a black binder, photos, documents and a blue spiral notebook featuring lyrics and song title ideas intended for U2's sophomore album, October. The case was swiped--presumably by a bunch of groupies who had been flirting with the band--following a concert on March 22, 1981.
The theft "devastated" the crooner, according to Eamon Dunphy's U2 biography, Unforgettable Fire.
"It wasn't the money, the passport, the personal knick-knacks. It was the words he had written. And the breach of trust."
Bono never forgot the stolen briefcase. When U2 came back to Portland for a show two years later, Bono asked the crowd if anyone had seen his stuff. And in 2001, he mentioned it again during a show at the Rose Garden arena.
Talk about all that you can't leave behind.
Bono in turn was forced to rewrite all the lyrics. U2 always called the October sessions their worst recording experience; the album didn't spawn any huge hits and is generally considered one of the band's weakest efforts.
The notes were returned by Cindy Harris, 44, who said she found the tattered brown briefcase in an attic in a rental house in Tacoma, Washington, back in 1983. She had always known that the case had once belonged to Bono and the boys, but she hadn't realized it had been stolen until recently. In fact, her husband wound up using the briefcase for work, and she stuck the contents in a plastic bag for safekeeping.
"I had started a family, and I thought it would be impossible to ever get a hold of them and let them know that I have these items," Harris told the Oregonian.
According to the newspaper account, last October Harris mentioned she had found some U2 memorabilia in an email to her friend Danielle Rheaume of Vancouver.
Rheaume, a U2 fanatic, thought her pal might have stumbled upon the missing lyrics, which had attained legendary status among band fans. Once Harris showed Rheaume the goods--including a 70-page notebook containing a work visa bearing Bono's given name, Paul Hewson, as well as notes for future hits like "Sunday Bloody Sunday"--Rheaume lauched a one-woman crusade to have them returned.
After locking the items away in a safe, Rheaume spent the better part of a year contacting the jet-setting group's management firm trying to set up a meeting.
Finally, her chance came when Bono--who's been lobbying industrial nations to forgive Third World debt and fight the AIDS pandemic ravaging Africa--committed to giving a lecture at the World Affairs Council in Oregon.
With the blessing of the rock star's reps, Rheaume and Harris met Bono in the lobby of Portland's Benson Hotel on Wednesday and reunited him with his stuff. Bono gave the fans some primo seats his speech, during which he thanked them.
But just because the long-MIA October lyrics turned, doesn't mean the band has found everything it's been looking for.
Last summer, U2 guitarist the Edge revealed that someone had swiped a CD of unfinished tracks for band's new album, How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, from a mixing studio in Nice, France.
Band members were worried the tunes might pop up on the Web, forcing them to move up album's release date and causing havoc with their promotional schedule.
So far, the songs have yet to make an appearance. Maybe in 20-some years?
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, U2's 11th studio record, hits stores on Nov. 23. It will also be available in a special-edition black iPod as part of a promotional deal the band has struck with Apple and its iTunes Music Store.
EOnline.com
by Josh Grossberg
Oct 22, 2004, 10:30 AM PT
It was an October surprise for U2.
Lead singer Bono confirmed Wednesday that a long-lost briefcase full of notes and lyrics gone missing after an Oregon concert nearly 25 years ago has been returned.
Bono said that two fans had returned the case, stolen following a Portland gig in 1981. He made the annoucement at a speaking engagement before the World Affairs Council of Oregon and hailed their return as "an act of grace," per a report in the Oregonian.
Calls to Universal Music Group, U2's record company, were not immediately returned Friday.
The briefcase contained a black binder, photos, documents and a blue spiral notebook featuring lyrics and song title ideas intended for U2's sophomore album, October. The case was swiped--presumably by a bunch of groupies who had been flirting with the band--following a concert on March 22, 1981.
The theft "devastated" the crooner, according to Eamon Dunphy's U2 biography, Unforgettable Fire.
"It wasn't the money, the passport, the personal knick-knacks. It was the words he had written. And the breach of trust."
Bono never forgot the stolen briefcase. When U2 came back to Portland for a show two years later, Bono asked the crowd if anyone had seen his stuff. And in 2001, he mentioned it again during a show at the Rose Garden arena.
Talk about all that you can't leave behind.
Bono in turn was forced to rewrite all the lyrics. U2 always called the October sessions their worst recording experience; the album didn't spawn any huge hits and is generally considered one of the band's weakest efforts.
The notes were returned by Cindy Harris, 44, who said she found the tattered brown briefcase in an attic in a rental house in Tacoma, Washington, back in 1983. She had always known that the case had once belonged to Bono and the boys, but she hadn't realized it had been stolen until recently. In fact, her husband wound up using the briefcase for work, and she stuck the contents in a plastic bag for safekeeping.
"I had started a family, and I thought it would be impossible to ever get a hold of them and let them know that I have these items," Harris told the Oregonian.
According to the newspaper account, last October Harris mentioned she had found some U2 memorabilia in an email to her friend Danielle Rheaume of Vancouver.
Rheaume, a U2 fanatic, thought her pal might have stumbled upon the missing lyrics, which had attained legendary status among band fans. Once Harris showed Rheaume the goods--including a 70-page notebook containing a work visa bearing Bono's given name, Paul Hewson, as well as notes for future hits like "Sunday Bloody Sunday"--Rheaume lauched a one-woman crusade to have them returned.
After locking the items away in a safe, Rheaume spent the better part of a year contacting the jet-setting group's management firm trying to set up a meeting.
Finally, her chance came when Bono--who's been lobbying industrial nations to forgive Third World debt and fight the AIDS pandemic ravaging Africa--committed to giving a lecture at the World Affairs Council in Oregon.
With the blessing of the rock star's reps, Rheaume and Harris met Bono in the lobby of Portland's Benson Hotel on Wednesday and reunited him with his stuff. Bono gave the fans some primo seats his speech, during which he thanked them.
But just because the long-MIA October lyrics turned, doesn't mean the band has found everything it's been looking for.
Last summer, U2 guitarist the Edge revealed that someone had swiped a CD of unfinished tracks for band's new album, How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, from a mixing studio in Nice, France.
Band members were worried the tunes might pop up on the Web, forcing them to move up album's release date and causing havoc with their promotional schedule.
So far, the songs have yet to make an appearance. Maybe in 20-some years?
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, U2's 11th studio record, hits stores on Nov. 23. It will also be available in a special-edition black iPod as part of a promotional deal the band has struck with Apple and its iTunes Music Store.
U2 To Tour in 2005 ... But Don't Buy Tickets Yet!
Posted on Monday, October 11 @ 17:43:52 CEST by Macphisto
elevation-tour.com
(U2.com) -- Paul McGuinness has confirmed that U2 will tour next year but urged fans not to buy tickets until details are confirmed.
U2 manager Paul McGuinness today confirmed that the band will set out on a major tour next year but urged the band's fans not to part with any money for concert tickets until the tour details are confirmed.
An announcement is expected in the coming months. Some web sites are currently offering tickets for speculative dates.
"We are still very much in the planning stages of our tour for next year which will visit the US, Canada, Europe, Japan and Australia, and the band is really looking forward to getting out on the road." said McGuinness today.
"As soon as we have finalised the plans, the tour will be announced on U2.Com as usual and purchase instructions will be clearly available. Nothing is confirmed until the official tour announcement, no tickets will be on sale until after this time."
U2's forthcoming album, 'How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb', will be released by Universal Island Records on 22nd November.
'Vertigo', the first single from the album, is currently Number 1 on the download chart and hits shops on 8th November.
Posted on Monday, October 11 @ 17:43:52 CEST by Macphisto
elevation-tour.com
(U2.com) -- Paul McGuinness has confirmed that U2 will tour next year but urged fans not to buy tickets until details are confirmed.
U2 manager Paul McGuinness today confirmed that the band will set out on a major tour next year but urged the band's fans not to part with any money for concert tickets until the tour details are confirmed.
An announcement is expected in the coming months. Some web sites are currently offering tickets for speculative dates.
"We are still very much in the planning stages of our tour for next year which will visit the US, Canada, Europe, Japan and Australia, and the band is really looking forward to getting out on the road." said McGuinness today.
"As soon as we have finalised the plans, the tour will be announced on U2.Com as usual and purchase instructions will be clearly available. Nothing is confirmed until the official tour announcement, no tickets will be on sale until after this time."
U2's forthcoming album, 'How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb', will be released by Universal Island Records on 22nd November.
'Vertigo', the first single from the album, is currently Number 1 on the download chart and hits shops on 8th November.
EOnline.com
SHINY NEW TOY: Apple rolling out the new iPod Photo Tuesday, which features color screens that allow users to view and share photos and slideshows. The U2 Special Edition iPod, a black model with a red click wheel debuts next month.
SHINY NEW TOY: Apple rolling out the new iPod Photo Tuesday, which features color screens that allow users to view and share photos and slideshows. The U2 Special Edition iPod, a black model with a red click wheel debuts next month.
"CSI" Investigates New U2
EOnline.com
by Charlie Amter
Nov 2, 2004, 5:45 PM PT
Pity the television fan who doesn't like the music of U2.
After a blizzard of Apple iTunes commercials featuring the band's new single, "Vertigo," blanketed television screens nationwide in October, the band is once again turning to the tube to usher in a second wave of exposure.
To promote their new record, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, which drops Nov. 23, the Irish foursome will pull musical guest duty on NBC's Saturday Night Live later this month. And, in an even more novel strategy, the band is teaming with CBS' runaway hit CSI to will roll out tracks from the album over the next few weeks, E! Online has confirmed.
A snippet of "Vertigo" played in last week's CSI , while the show's 100th episode on Nov. 18 will feature a special remix of the single. Another track, to be determined by the band, will appear on the Nov. 25 episode.
Meanwhile, in a sign that the band is reaching out to a different demo, a mix of the new song "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" is slated to air during the Nov. 25 episode of Fox's The O.C..
While the soundtracks to many TV shows feature modern rock acts to cross-promote the music and sell the show's hipness (see: The O.C., Felicity and even The West Wing), never has a band of U2's caliber taken advantage of the tactic.
Precious few bands wield enough clout to cherry-pick shows for their promotional purposes, especially when the show of choice is the top-rated on television and will air during the high-stakes November sweeps.
"I think that U2 and their manager Paul McGuinness have been extremely smart," says music supervisor G. Marq Roswell of 35 Sound. "The show [CSI ] is a proven success and this is a way to expose them to an entirely different demographic that may or may not be aware of their new release."
Roswell, who has worked as a music supervisor on films like Auto Focus and Spy Game, thinks U2 knew exactly what it was doing when the band agreed to license its music to CBS' number one drama.
"When a group like U2, who are so notoriously careful with licensing their music, agrees to rollout three tracks on a show like CSI, that's huge," he says. "That's the McGuinness way. As a manager, he's always been extremely smart in realizing how the music business is changing--and I would have to say he's usually been right about it."
Roswell says U.S. television viewers can expect to see more bands attempting to promote their new records via partnerships with television shows in the future.
"Managers are starting to realize that TV has such a huge audience," he says. "They know the demographics of the shows, and they see immediate sales spikes right after the show airs whether it is CSI or even a WB series."
Aside from the TV blitz for the band's old media fans, U2 is also using the Internet in hopes of enticing some younger music fans who may not be down with the lads from across the pond.
Last week, the band announced it has teamed with Apple to release a special-edition black iPod . "Vertigo" has been available on Apple's iTunes Music Store for weeks and is currently the most-downloaded track on the music service.
And, as if November couldn't get any busier for the biggest band in the world, U2 is considered a lock to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this month in its first year of eligibility. The band, now almost 30 years into its career, was nominated for the Hall of Fame in September.
EOnline.com
by Charlie Amter
Nov 2, 2004, 5:45 PM PT
Pity the television fan who doesn't like the music of U2.
After a blizzard of Apple iTunes commercials featuring the band's new single, "Vertigo," blanketed television screens nationwide in October, the band is once again turning to the tube to usher in a second wave of exposure.
To promote their new record, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, which drops Nov. 23, the Irish foursome will pull musical guest duty on NBC's Saturday Night Live later this month. And, in an even more novel strategy, the band is teaming with CBS' runaway hit CSI to will roll out tracks from the album over the next few weeks, E! Online has confirmed.
A snippet of "Vertigo" played in last week's CSI , while the show's 100th episode on Nov. 18 will feature a special remix of the single. Another track, to be determined by the band, will appear on the Nov. 25 episode.
Meanwhile, in a sign that the band is reaching out to a different demo, a mix of the new song "Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" is slated to air during the Nov. 25 episode of Fox's The O.C..
While the soundtracks to many TV shows feature modern rock acts to cross-promote the music and sell the show's hipness (see: The O.C., Felicity and even The West Wing), never has a band of U2's caliber taken advantage of the tactic.
Precious few bands wield enough clout to cherry-pick shows for their promotional purposes, especially when the show of choice is the top-rated on television and will air during the high-stakes November sweeps.
"I think that U2 and their manager Paul McGuinness have been extremely smart," says music supervisor G. Marq Roswell of 35 Sound. "The show [CSI ] is a proven success and this is a way to expose them to an entirely different demographic that may or may not be aware of their new release."
Roswell, who has worked as a music supervisor on films like Auto Focus and Spy Game, thinks U2 knew exactly what it was doing when the band agreed to license its music to CBS' number one drama.
"When a group like U2, who are so notoriously careful with licensing their music, agrees to rollout three tracks on a show like CSI, that's huge," he says. "That's the McGuinness way. As a manager, he's always been extremely smart in realizing how the music business is changing--and I would have to say he's usually been right about it."
Roswell says U.S. television viewers can expect to see more bands attempting to promote their new records via partnerships with television shows in the future.
"Managers are starting to realize that TV has such a huge audience," he says. "They know the demographics of the shows, and they see immediate sales spikes right after the show airs whether it is CSI or even a WB series."
Aside from the TV blitz for the band's old media fans, U2 is also using the Internet in hopes of enticing some younger music fans who may not be down with the lads from across the pond.
Last week, the band announced it has teamed with Apple to release a special-edition black iPod . "Vertigo" has been available on Apple's iTunes Music Store for weeks and is currently the most-downloaded track on the music service.
And, as if November couldn't get any busier for the biggest band in the world, U2 is considered a lock to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this month in its first year of eligibility. The band, now almost 30 years into its career, was nominated for the Hall of Fame in September.
people.com
PIRATED: Illegal versions of U2's highly anticipated new album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, appeared on online file-sharing networks Monday. A spokeswoman for the rockers tells Reuters that no decision had yet been made on whether to move up the album's release date, which is currently Nov. 23. Over the summer, a tape of some of the band's rough tracks disappeared from the studio where they were recording. At the time, they said that they might shift the release date if illegal copies of the album surfaced. Last week, the release dates for albums by Eminem and Snoop Dogg also were bumped up due to piracy concerns.
PIRATED: Illegal versions of U2's highly anticipated new album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, appeared on online file-sharing networks Monday. A spokeswoman for the rockers tells Reuters that no decision had yet been made on whether to move up the album's release date, which is currently Nov. 23. Over the summer, a tape of some of the band's rough tracks disappeared from the studio where they were recording. At the time, they said that they might shift the release date if illegal copies of the album surfaced. Last week, the release dates for albums by Eminem and Snoop Dogg also were bumped up due to piracy concerns.
"Bomb" Away: U2 Piracy Nightmare
EOnline.com
by Charlie Amter
Nov 9, 2004, 8:45 AM PT
This isn't the kind of bomb U2 expected to be dropped.
Pirated copies of the Irish group's forthcoming How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb hit file-sharing sites late last week--some two weeks before disc's official release date.
The disc has long been scheduled to drop Nov. 23.
Paul McGuinness, the band's manager, is reportedly in high-level discussions this week with both the band's label, Interscope, and Apple iTunes executives in an effort to possibly move up the album's release date to stave off wholesale looting of the band's 11th studio record.
The move would certainly not be an unprecedented one this fall. Several high-profile fourth-quarter releases have already seen their release dates moved up due to piracy concerns.
Eminem's new release, Encore, was just moved up four days, to Nov. 12; shortly thereafter, Geffen Records announced it was bumping up Snoop Dogg's new album, R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece, one week, to Nov. 16.
While cursory searches of several file-sharing sites have so far failed to turn up any Snoop or Eminem tracks (the latter's two new singles notwithstanding), there are now several new U2 songs in circulation.
Aside from the lead single "Vertigo," at least two other cuts--"City of Blinding Lights" and "Miracle Drug"--are making the rounds on the Web to the consternation of record execs but to the delight of fans, who can't wait to get a hold of the new (and by all accounts stellar) material. The music represents the band's first new studio set in nearly four years, and those who have heard the disc are already saying it is the band's best work since The Joshua Tree.
Earlier this year, the band reported the theft of an early, unfinished version of Atomic Bomb while the band was recording in France. Whether or not that MIA disc represents the source of the Internet leak is not clear.
After the France July theft, Bono said he would rush-release the album online to counteract piracy.
"If it is on the Internet this week," he said, "we will release it immediately as a legal download on iTunes, and get hard copies into the shops [as soon as possible]?Once it's out, it's out."
Such a move could compromise the U2's carefully orchestrated promotional schedule.
The band's music is already getting crucial prime-time exposure via Apple's ubiquitous iTunes spots featuring "Vertigo" and a new black U2 iPod is due in stores later this month. Meanwhile, the Grammy winners' music has been appearing on CSI and The O.C. and the group is confirmed as the Nov. 20 musical guest on Saturday Night Live.
EOnline.com
by Charlie Amter
Nov 9, 2004, 8:45 AM PT
This isn't the kind of bomb U2 expected to be dropped.
Pirated copies of the Irish group's forthcoming How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb hit file-sharing sites late last week--some two weeks before disc's official release date.
The disc has long been scheduled to drop Nov. 23.
Paul McGuinness, the band's manager, is reportedly in high-level discussions this week with both the band's label, Interscope, and Apple iTunes executives in an effort to possibly move up the album's release date to stave off wholesale looting of the band's 11th studio record.
The move would certainly not be an unprecedented one this fall. Several high-profile fourth-quarter releases have already seen their release dates moved up due to piracy concerns.
Eminem's new release, Encore, was just moved up four days, to Nov. 12; shortly thereafter, Geffen Records announced it was bumping up Snoop Dogg's new album, R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece, one week, to Nov. 16.
While cursory searches of several file-sharing sites have so far failed to turn up any Snoop or Eminem tracks (the latter's two new singles notwithstanding), there are now several new U2 songs in circulation.
Aside from the lead single "Vertigo," at least two other cuts--"City of Blinding Lights" and "Miracle Drug"--are making the rounds on the Web to the consternation of record execs but to the delight of fans, who can't wait to get a hold of the new (and by all accounts stellar) material. The music represents the band's first new studio set in nearly four years, and those who have heard the disc are already saying it is the band's best work since The Joshua Tree.
Earlier this year, the band reported the theft of an early, unfinished version of Atomic Bomb while the band was recording in France. Whether or not that MIA disc represents the source of the Internet leak is not clear.
After the France July theft, Bono said he would rush-release the album online to counteract piracy.
"If it is on the Internet this week," he said, "we will release it immediately as a legal download on iTunes, and get hard copies into the shops [as soon as possible]?Once it's out, it's out."
Such a move could compromise the U2's carefully orchestrated promotional schedule.
The band's music is already getting crucial prime-time exposure via Apple's ubiquitous iTunes spots featuring "Vertigo" and a new black U2 iPod is due in stores later this month. Meanwhile, the Grammy winners' music has been appearing on CSI and The O.C. and the group is confirmed as the Nov. 20 musical guest on Saturday Night Live.
EOnline.com
BOMBS AWAY: MTV.com and VH1.com announcing an exclusive premiere of U2's new album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb , beginning Nov. 16, one week before the album's official release date. Fans can log onto the sites to stream the album free and can sign up to pre-order the album and have it delivered on the day of release.
BOMBS AWAY: MTV.com and VH1.com announcing an exclusive premiere of U2's new album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb , beginning Nov. 16, one week before the album's official release date. Fans can log onto the sites to stream the album free and can sign up to pre-order the album and have it delivered on the day of release.
EOnline.com
BOMBS AWAY: U2 planning to kick off a world tour on March 1 in Florida in support of its new album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, per Billboard. Band manager Paul McGuinness said the group would play about 35 shows in the U.S., then head to Europe for 30 shows, return to the U.S. for 35 more shows, then wrap up in Japan and Australia. Atomic Bomb is due out on Nov. 23.
BOMBS AWAY: U2 planning to kick off a world tour on March 1 in Florida in support of its new album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, per Billboard. Band manager Paul McGuinness said the group would play about 35 shows in the U.S., then head to Europe for 30 shows, return to the U.S. for 35 more shows, then wrap up in Japan and Australia. Atomic Bomb is due out on Nov. 23.
U2 Ready to "Bomb" World
EOnline.com
by Josh Grossberg
Nov 16, 2004, 2:30 PM PT
U2's plans for world domination are complete.
With the Dubliner's new album, How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, hitting stores on Nov. 23 and their tunes already featured in everything from iPod commercials to episodes of CSI and The O.C., the group is now making plans to blanket the globe.
Billboard reports that U2--which last rocked North America four years ago on their mega-successful Elevation trek in support of the 2000 release All That You Can't Leave Behind--will kick off their jaunt March 1 in Florida.
"We'll play approximate 35 shows in the arenas in the spring in the U.S.," the group's longtime manager Paul McGuninness tells Billboard.
U2 will then head over to Europe to headline another 30-plus concerts this summer before returning to the States in the fall for another 35-date arena run. The band will wrap up the year with a series of gigs in Australia and Japan.
No official word yet on an opening act, but U2 is rumored to be mulling fellow Irish outfit Snow Patrol or quirky American new wavers the Scissor Sisters.
"We love Snow Patrol. Their producer, Jacknife Lee, also worked on U2's album and they're Irish. There's a close connection," McGuinness tells Billboard.
Although All That You Can't Leave Behind was a critical and commercial success, selling over 4 million copies, winning seven Grammys and grossing nearly $110 million on tour, it only generated one hit tune, "A Beautiful Day."
This time around, Bono and the boys are pulling out all the stops to make sure no one forgets they are the reigning "world's most popular rock 'n' roll band."
To that end, the band has been crafting a promotional plan that began with the release of the first single, "Vertigo," on Apple's iTunes Music Store. The band followed up with a video/commercial for the iPod and iTunes that has been in heavy rotation for the past month. The group has also partnered with Apple to release their own special-edition black iPod.
Meanwhile, the band is rolling out new music on episodes of The O.C. and CSI during the current November sweeps and will cap their TV run with a Saturday Night Live gig this weekend.
And when an Internet leak of Atomic Bomb threatened to upend the carefully orchestrated marketing campaign, the band managed to turn around and get yet more publicity by streaming the new album on MTV.com and VH1.com beginning today.
Aside from the new album and tour onslaught, U2 is a shoo-in for enshrinement in Rock and Roll Hall of Fame when the new class is announced next month.
EOnline.com
by Josh Grossberg
Nov 16, 2004, 2:30 PM PT
U2's plans for world domination are complete.
With the Dubliner's new album, How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, hitting stores on Nov. 23 and their tunes already featured in everything from iPod commercials to episodes of CSI and The O.C., the group is now making plans to blanket the globe.
Billboard reports that U2--which last rocked North America four years ago on their mega-successful Elevation trek in support of the 2000 release All That You Can't Leave Behind--will kick off their jaunt March 1 in Florida.
"We'll play approximate 35 shows in the arenas in the spring in the U.S.," the group's longtime manager Paul McGuninness tells Billboard.
U2 will then head over to Europe to headline another 30-plus concerts this summer before returning to the States in the fall for another 35-date arena run. The band will wrap up the year with a series of gigs in Australia and Japan.
No official word yet on an opening act, but U2 is rumored to be mulling fellow Irish outfit Snow Patrol or quirky American new wavers the Scissor Sisters.
"We love Snow Patrol. Their producer, Jacknife Lee, also worked on U2's album and they're Irish. There's a close connection," McGuinness tells Billboard.
Although All That You Can't Leave Behind was a critical and commercial success, selling over 4 million copies, winning seven Grammys and grossing nearly $110 million on tour, it only generated one hit tune, "A Beautiful Day."
This time around, Bono and the boys are pulling out all the stops to make sure no one forgets they are the reigning "world's most popular rock 'n' roll band."
To that end, the band has been crafting a promotional plan that began with the release of the first single, "Vertigo," on Apple's iTunes Music Store. The band followed up with a video/commercial for the iPod and iTunes that has been in heavy rotation for the past month. The group has also partnered with Apple to release their own special-edition black iPod.
Meanwhile, the band is rolling out new music on episodes of The O.C. and CSI during the current November sweeps and will cap their TV run with a Saturday Night Live gig this weekend.
And when an Internet leak of Atomic Bomb threatened to upend the carefully orchestrated marketing campaign, the band managed to turn around and get yet more publicity by streaming the new album on MTV.com and VH1.com beginning today.
Aside from the new album and tour onslaught, U2 is a shoo-in for enshrinement in Rock and Roll Hall of Fame when the new class is announced next month.
Bono and the rest of U2 give New Yorkers an early Christmas gift: a free midday performance Monday through the streets of Manhattan, including a Times Square stop for "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town." The stunt, which had the band on the back of a flatbed truck, was to promote their new album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, due Tuesday.
EOnline.com
BOMB'S AWAY: U2's critically acclaimed new album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, hitting stores Tuesday, weeks after bootlegs turned up on Internet file-sharing networks.
U2 ADD: To promote the release, the Irish rockers performed on a flat-bed truck that drove around Manhattan Monday and also put on a surprise show at a waterfront park underneath the Brooklyn Bridge. The concert will air on MTV on Dec. 2.
BOMB'S AWAY: U2's critically acclaimed new album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, hitting stores Tuesday, weeks after bootlegs turned up on Internet file-sharing networks.
U2 ADD: To promote the release, the Irish rockers performed on a flat-bed truck that drove around Manhattan Monday and also put on a surprise show at a waterfront park underneath the Brooklyn Bridge. The concert will air on MTV on Dec. 2.
Page Six
SIGHTINGS
THE Edge chowing with pals at Matsuri after the surprise U2 show in DUMBO, while Betsey Johnson speared sushi at a nearby table . .
SIGHTINGS
THE Edge chowing with pals at Matsuri after the surprise U2 show in DUMBO, while Betsey Johnson speared sushi at a nearby table . .
U2 Bombs the Charts
EOnline.com
by David Jenison
Dec 1, 2004, 1:05 PM PT
It took an atomic bomb to dismantle Eminem 's encore.
U2's How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb blew Em's Encore out of the top slot the latter had occupied for two straight weeks. Atomic Bomb , the Irish quartet's 11th student album, exploded with 840,000 in sales for the week ended Sunday, according to Nielsen SoundScan data, to debut on top of the Billboard 200.
U2's first-week numbers mark a career best for the band and the third highest open for 2004, trailing only Usher's Confessions (1.1 million) and Norah Jones' Feels Like Home (1.02 million). Eminem's Encore, rush-released to stores, sold a whopping 871,000 second-week copies, giving Atomic Bomb takes the fourth best week overall for the year. U2 benefited from huge radio play for the lead single "Vertigo," a multimillion-dollar Apple iPod/iTunes campaign and a carefully orchestrated marketing strategy.
Chiefly produced by Steve Lillywhite, Atomic Bomb survived a piracy scare when unfinished tracks went missing last summer. And even though the album was leaked early to song-swapping sites, it nearly doubled the opening sales of their previous disc, 2000's All That You Can Leave Behind . The latter peaked at three on the charts and went on to win seven Grammys, including Record and Song of the Year in 2000 for "Beautiful Day" and Record of the Year in 2001 for "Walk On."
Eminem's latest, meanwhile, slipped to number two, selling 471,000 to bring the rapper's 17-day total to just over 3 million served. His previous, The Eminem Show, held the top spot for five straight weeks in June 2002 and made an encore at number one in August of that year.
Despite griping about her disappointment over the release, No Doubt's Gwen Stefani's solo debut, Love, Angel, Music, Baby, opened at seven with 309,000 copies. That tops her group's last album, Rock Steady, which debuted at nine on 255,000 copies in late 2001.
Season three American Idol winner Fantasia sold 239,000 copies of her rookie album, Free Yourself, to bow at eight. This marks the first time an Idol champ's debut failed to open atop the album charts, as previous winners Kelly Clarkson and Ruben Studdard did in 2003.
That said, Studdard's sophomore disc, I Need an Angel, also hit the charts this week at 20, marking a new low for a former Idol champ; Studdard, sidelined by bronchitis , was unable to promote his disc last week, likely hurting sales. Clay Aiken, who finished second to Studdard, proved more bankable as his Merry Christmas with Love remained strong. The disc, which opened at four last week, currently sits at 11. (Clarkson's second disc dropped this week and will make its play on next week's chart.)
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the rest of the Top 10 were leftovers: Shania Twain's Greatest Hits at three, Destiny's Child's Destiny Fulfilled at four, Toby Keith's Greatest Hits 2 at five, Now That's What I Call Music! Vol. 17 at six, Snoop Dogg's R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece at nine and Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz's Crunk Juice squeezing into the 10 spot. With the holiday shopping season in full swing, 19 albums moved more than 100,000 copies last week.
Creed, who called its quits earlier this year, debuted at 15 with its Greatest Hits selling 158,000 copies. Jessica Simpson's Re-Joyce: The Christmas Album --ripe with such Yuletide plums as "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"--followed at 16 with 152,000 discs sold. Simpson's holiday disc also helped her 67-week-old In This Skin leap 61 spots to 64.
Despite a steep price tag, the long-awaited Nirvana box set With the Lights Out scored an impressive debut at 19 on nearly 106,000 copies sold. The four-disc (three CDs, one DVD) set includes live songs, radio performances and obscure demo tracks from the band's archive.
Bluegrass queen Alison Krauss and Union Station fiddled their way to number 31 with Lonely Runs Both Ways, while Evanescence's double-disc live CD/DVD Anywhere But Home followed at 39. Dropping in one spot behind at 40, Kenny G blew his way onto the charts with At Last...The Duets Album, on which Mr. G collaborates with Richard Marx, LeAnn Rimes and Daryl Hall, among others.
Another notable debuts included The Diplomats' Diplomatic Immunity II at 46, The Blue Collar Comedy Tour Rides Again at 50 and actor Robert Downey Jr. showing off his pipes with The Futurist at 121.
Here's a recap of the Top 10 albums for the week ended Sunday:
1. How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, U2
2. Encore, Eminem
3. Greatest Hits, Shania Twain
4. Destiny Fulfilled, Destiny's Child
5. Greatest Hits II, Toby Keith
6. Now That's What I Call Music! 17, various
7. Love, Angel, Music, Baby, Gwen Stefani
8. Free Yourself, Fantasia
9. R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece, Snoop Dogg
10. Crunk Juice, Lil Jon and the East Side Boyz
EOnline.com
by David Jenison
Dec 1, 2004, 1:05 PM PT
It took an atomic bomb to dismantle Eminem 's encore.
U2's How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb blew Em's Encore out of the top slot the latter had occupied for two straight weeks. Atomic Bomb , the Irish quartet's 11th student album, exploded with 840,000 in sales for the week ended Sunday, according to Nielsen SoundScan data, to debut on top of the Billboard 200.
U2's first-week numbers mark a career best for the band and the third highest open for 2004, trailing only Usher's Confessions (1.1 million) and Norah Jones' Feels Like Home (1.02 million). Eminem's Encore, rush-released to stores, sold a whopping 871,000 second-week copies, giving Atomic Bomb takes the fourth best week overall for the year. U2 benefited from huge radio play for the lead single "Vertigo," a multimillion-dollar Apple iPod/iTunes campaign and a carefully orchestrated marketing strategy.
Chiefly produced by Steve Lillywhite, Atomic Bomb survived a piracy scare when unfinished tracks went missing last summer. And even though the album was leaked early to song-swapping sites, it nearly doubled the opening sales of their previous disc, 2000's All That You Can Leave Behind . The latter peaked at three on the charts and went on to win seven Grammys, including Record and Song of the Year in 2000 for "Beautiful Day" and Record of the Year in 2001 for "Walk On."
Eminem's latest, meanwhile, slipped to number two, selling 471,000 to bring the rapper's 17-day total to just over 3 million served. His previous, The Eminem Show, held the top spot for five straight weeks in June 2002 and made an encore at number one in August of that year.
Despite griping about her disappointment over the release, No Doubt's Gwen Stefani's solo debut, Love, Angel, Music, Baby, opened at seven with 309,000 copies. That tops her group's last album, Rock Steady, which debuted at nine on 255,000 copies in late 2001.
Season three American Idol winner Fantasia sold 239,000 copies of her rookie album, Free Yourself, to bow at eight. This marks the first time an Idol champ's debut failed to open atop the album charts, as previous winners Kelly Clarkson and Ruben Studdard did in 2003.
That said, Studdard's sophomore disc, I Need an Angel, also hit the charts this week at 20, marking a new low for a former Idol champ; Studdard, sidelined by bronchitis , was unable to promote his disc last week, likely hurting sales. Clay Aiken, who finished second to Studdard, proved more bankable as his Merry Christmas with Love remained strong. The disc, which opened at four last week, currently sits at 11. (Clarkson's second disc dropped this week and will make its play on next week's chart.)
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, the rest of the Top 10 were leftovers: Shania Twain's Greatest Hits at three, Destiny's Child's Destiny Fulfilled at four, Toby Keith's Greatest Hits 2 at five, Now That's What I Call Music! Vol. 17 at six, Snoop Dogg's R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece at nine and Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz's Crunk Juice squeezing into the 10 spot. With the holiday shopping season in full swing, 19 albums moved more than 100,000 copies last week.
Creed, who called its quits earlier this year, debuted at 15 with its Greatest Hits selling 158,000 copies. Jessica Simpson's Re-Joyce: The Christmas Album --ripe with such Yuletide plums as "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"--followed at 16 with 152,000 discs sold. Simpson's holiday disc also helped her 67-week-old In This Skin leap 61 spots to 64.
Despite a steep price tag, the long-awaited Nirvana box set With the Lights Out scored an impressive debut at 19 on nearly 106,000 copies sold. The four-disc (three CDs, one DVD) set includes live songs, radio performances and obscure demo tracks from the band's archive.
Bluegrass queen Alison Krauss and Union Station fiddled their way to number 31 with Lonely Runs Both Ways, while Evanescence's double-disc live CD/DVD Anywhere But Home followed at 39. Dropping in one spot behind at 40, Kenny G blew his way onto the charts with At Last...The Duets Album, on which Mr. G collaborates with Richard Marx, LeAnn Rimes and Daryl Hall, among others.
Another notable debuts included The Diplomats' Diplomatic Immunity II at 46, The Blue Collar Comedy Tour Rides Again at 50 and actor Robert Downey Jr. showing off his pipes with The Futurist at 121.
Here's a recap of the Top 10 albums for the week ended Sunday:
1. How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, U2
2. Encore, Eminem
3. Greatest Hits, Shania Twain
4. Destiny Fulfilled, Destiny's Child
5. Greatest Hits II, Toby Keith
6. Now That's What I Call Music! 17, various
7. Love, Angel, Music, Baby, Gwen Stefani
8. Free Yourself, Fantasia
9. R&G (Rhythm & Gangsta): The Masterpiece, Snoop Dogg
10. Crunk Juice, Lil Jon and the East Side Boyz
people.com
RANKED: U2 earned its sixth No. 1 album on the pop charts as its new disc How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb sold almost twice as many copies in its first week as 2000's All That You Can't Leave Behind. The new Interscope album by the Irish quartet moved 840,000 copies in the Thanksgiving holiday week ended Nov. 28, according to Nielsen SoundScan. All That You Can't Leave Behind, entered ? and peaked ? at No. 3 in November 2000 with sales of 428,000 copies and has sold a total of 4.2 million to date.
RANKED: U2 earned its sixth No. 1 album on the pop charts as its new disc How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb sold almost twice as many copies in its first week as 2000's All That You Can't Leave Behind. The new Interscope album by the Irish quartet moved 840,000 copies in the Thanksgiving holiday week ended Nov. 28, according to Nielsen SoundScan. All That You Can't Leave Behind, entered ? and peaked ? at No. 3 in November 2000 with sales of 428,000 copies and has sold a total of 4.2 million to date.
people.com
ANNOUNCED: Irish rockers U2, R&B singers The O'Jays ("Love Train"), soul balladeer Percy Sledge ("When a Man Loves a Woman"), The Pretenders and blues guitarist Buddy Guy are to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during the foundation's 20th annual induction ceremony March 14, the organization announced Monday. Musicians, industry professionals and journalists vote on the nominations, which were announced in September. Artists are eligible to be inducted into the Rock Hall after at least 25 years have passed since their first record was released.
ANNOUNCED: Irish rockers U2, R&B singers The O'Jays ("Love Train"), soul balladeer Percy Sledge ("When a Man Loves a Woman"), The Pretenders and blues guitarist Buddy Guy are to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during the foundation's 20th annual induction ceremony March 14, the organization announced Monday. Musicians, industry professionals and journalists vote on the nominations, which were announced in September. Artists are eligible to be inducted into the Rock Hall after at least 25 years have passed since their first record was released.
And they're off! U2 frontman Bono and 5-year-old son Elijah head to the Leopardstown Races, an annual four-day horse-racing event, in Dublin on Sunday.
EOnline.com
ODD PLACE FOR A PREMIERE: U2 planning to debut its video for "All Because of You" during halftime of Tuesday night's college football national championship game in the Orange Bowl.
ODD PLACE FOR A PREMIERE: U2 planning to debut its video for "All Because of You" during halftime of Tuesday night's college football national championship game in the Orange Bowl.
U2 Tour Delayed
EOnline.com
by Charlie Amter
Jan 22, 2005, 11:05 AM PT
It's not vertigo that pushed back U2's highly anticipated upcoming U.S. tour.
A family illness has postponed U2's return to American arenas in support of How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb.
The tour was originally scheduled to start Mar. 1 in Miami, but the Irish foursome will now kick off its worldwide Vertigo Tour March 28 at the San Diego Sports Arena, Billboard reported Friday.
No word on the extent of the family emergency or which band member--Bono, the Edge, Larry Mullen Jr. or Adam Clayton--was affected.
In any case, the band is ready to tour America for the first time since 2001.
The full list of tour dates will officially be unveiled Monday, but a list of leaked dates has been taking a tour of its own--online.
Among the big dates for the U.S. portion of the jaunt, according to the unofficial list circulating among U2 fan sites and news groups, is a four-night stand in L.A. in May at the Staples Center. The soon-to-be inducted Rock and Roll Hall of Famers also may play a St. Patrick's Day show in New York at Madison Square Garden.
The two-month spring leg will purportedly conclude with a May date in Boston.
Tennessee rockers Kings of Leon will open the first leg of the American swing.
Billboard estimates the cost of tickets this time out will range from $49.50 to $165.
"This tour will be not unlike the last production in that the lowest priced tickets will be on the floor," U2 manager Paul McGuinness told Billboard. The best seats are the cheapest, and we want people to get excited."
The shows are expected to sell out quickly in most cities, and provide a much-needed shot in the arm for an ailing concert business. U2's Elevation Tour was the top-grossing tour of 2001, pulling in an estimated $109.7 million in North American receipts.
Following the 2005 American arena engagements, U2 will take the tour to Europe for the summer--hitting London in June 18 and Paris July 7.
EOnline.com
by Charlie Amter
Jan 22, 2005, 11:05 AM PT
It's not vertigo that pushed back U2's highly anticipated upcoming U.S. tour.
A family illness has postponed U2's return to American arenas in support of How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb.
The tour was originally scheduled to start Mar. 1 in Miami, but the Irish foursome will now kick off its worldwide Vertigo Tour March 28 at the San Diego Sports Arena, Billboard reported Friday.
No word on the extent of the family emergency or which band member--Bono, the Edge, Larry Mullen Jr. or Adam Clayton--was affected.
In any case, the band is ready to tour America for the first time since 2001.
The full list of tour dates will officially be unveiled Monday, but a list of leaked dates has been taking a tour of its own--online.
Among the big dates for the U.S. portion of the jaunt, according to the unofficial list circulating among U2 fan sites and news groups, is a four-night stand in L.A. in May at the Staples Center. The soon-to-be inducted Rock and Roll Hall of Famers also may play a St. Patrick's Day show in New York at Madison Square Garden.
The two-month spring leg will purportedly conclude with a May date in Boston.
Tennessee rockers Kings of Leon will open the first leg of the American swing.
Billboard estimates the cost of tickets this time out will range from $49.50 to $165.
"This tour will be not unlike the last production in that the lowest priced tickets will be on the floor," U2 manager Paul McGuinness told Billboard. The best seats are the cheapest, and we want people to get excited."
The shows are expected to sell out quickly in most cities, and provide a much-needed shot in the arm for an ailing concert business. U2's Elevation Tour was the top-grossing tour of 2001, pulling in an estimated $109.7 million in North American receipts.
Following the 2005 American arena engagements, U2 will take the tour to Europe for the summer--hitting London in June 18 and Paris July 7.
I missed them in 2001, no chance I'll miss them again. I can't wait! I hope they play some of their old stuff, it reminds me of all the dumb things I use to do while their songs played in the background. 
I hope they play some of their old stuff, it reminds me of all the dumb things I use to do while their songs played in the background.
By George Varga
UNION-TRIBUNE POP MUSIC CRITIC
January 22, 2005
U2 will kick off its worldwide "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" concert tour March 28 at the San Diego Sports Arena.
An official announcement of the full tour itinerary is expected Monday. The San Diego opening date was confirmed yesterday by a spokesman for the show's promoter, Avalon Attractions/Clear Channel Entertainment, and by a representative for Kings Of Leon, the young Tennessee rock band that will open the first leg of the tour. By coincidence, Kings Of Leon also performs here next Monday at 'Canes in Mission Beach.
It is not yet known when tickets will be available for the Sports Arena show or other dates on the tour. However, Billboard.com, the Web site operated by leading music industry publication Billboard, reports that ticket prices will range from $49.50 to $165, with an average price of $90 for most seats. (Tickets for U2's 2001 tour ranged from $45 to $135.)
As on U2's last tour, which also included a San Diego Sports Arena show, the lowest price will be for general admission standing-room tickets will go on sale to the general public, while others will be available to radio contest winners, according to U2 manager Paul McGuinness.
McGuinness also told Billboard.com that U2 will release a live concert DVD toward the end of its year-long tour. The band is also exploring the option of making concerts available for fans to download immediately after each show, possibly through a partnership with iTunes and Apple Computers.
UNION-TRIBUNE POP MUSIC CRITIC
January 22, 2005
U2 will kick off its worldwide "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" concert tour March 28 at the San Diego Sports Arena.
An official announcement of the full tour itinerary is expected Monday. The San Diego opening date was confirmed yesterday by a spokesman for the show's promoter, Avalon Attractions/Clear Channel Entertainment, and by a representative for Kings Of Leon, the young Tennessee rock band that will open the first leg of the tour. By coincidence, Kings Of Leon also performs here next Monday at 'Canes in Mission Beach.
It is not yet known when tickets will be available for the Sports Arena show or other dates on the tour. However, Billboard.com, the Web site operated by leading music industry publication Billboard, reports that ticket prices will range from $49.50 to $165, with an average price of $90 for most seats. (Tickets for U2's 2001 tour ranged from $45 to $135.)
As on U2's last tour, which also included a San Diego Sports Arena show, the lowest price will be for general admission standing-room tickets will go on sale to the general public, while others will be available to radio contest winners, according to U2 manager Paul McGuinness.
McGuinness also told Billboard.com that U2 will release a live concert DVD toward the end of its year-long tour. The band is also exploring the option of making concerts available for fans to download immediately after each show, possibly through a partnership with iTunes and Apple Computers.
ticketmaster.com
Fri, 04/01/05
07:30 PM U2 Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim
Anaheim, CA More Info
presale begins
Tue, 01/25/05 10:00 AM
Tue, 04/05/05 U2 STAPLES Center
Los Angeles, CA More Info
presale begins
Tue, 01/25/05 10:00 AM
Wed, 04/20/05
07:30 PM U2 Pepsi Center
Denver, CO More Info
presale begins
Tue, 01/25/05 10:00 AM
Sat, 05/14/05
07:30 PM U2 Wachovia Center
Philadelphia, PA More Info
presale begins
Tue, 01/25/05 10:00 AM
Sat, 05/21/05
08:00 PM U2 Madison Square Garden
New York, NY More Info
currently not on sale
Tue, 05/24/05
07:30 PM U2 Fleetcenter
Boston, MA More Info
presale begins
Tue, 01/25/05 10:00 AM
Thu, 05/26/05
07:30 PM U2 Fleetcenter
Boston, MA
presale begins
Tue, 01/25/05 10:00 AM
Fri, 04/01/05
07:30 PM U2 Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim
Anaheim, CA More Info
presale begins
Tue, 01/25/05 10:00 AM
Tue, 04/05/05 U2 STAPLES Center
Los Angeles, CA More Info
presale begins
Tue, 01/25/05 10:00 AM
Wed, 04/20/05
07:30 PM U2 Pepsi Center
Denver, CO More Info
presale begins
Tue, 01/25/05 10:00 AM
Sat, 05/14/05
07:30 PM U2 Wachovia Center
Philadelphia, PA More Info
presale begins
Tue, 01/25/05 10:00 AM
Sat, 05/21/05
08:00 PM U2 Madison Square Garden
New York, NY More Info
currently not on sale
Tue, 05/24/05
07:30 PM U2 Fleetcenter
Boston, MA More Info
presale begins
Tue, 01/25/05 10:00 AM
Thu, 05/26/05
07:30 PM U2 Fleetcenter
Boston, MA
presale begins
Tue, 01/25/05 10:00 AM
One of my local radio stations said:
Mon, 03/28/05
Staples Center
San Diego, CA
presale begins
Sat, 01/29/05 10:00 AM
Mon, 03/28/05
Staples Center
San Diego, CA
presale begins
Sat, 01/29/05 10:00 AM
Tickets go on sale in 15 minutes. Guess who's not going to miss them this time. 
Bloody fucking hell, I kept hitting reload on ticketmaster until time to purchase, typed in 2 tixs and now they say they're sold out!! 
Tried a few more times, tixs are gone. 
They added a second San Diego date 15 minutes after original date went on sale. March 30th. I got tixs for second date, lower level great seats!!
people.com
Tickets for U2's Vertigo tour start selling Saturday amid a fan uproar over a presale for priority seating. Earlier this week, hundreds of fans who had paid $40 on the band's Web site to access a special code for the Ticketmaster sale complained that they got bad seats – or none at all.
U2 promoter Arthur Fogel tells Billboard.com that huge demand and computer glitches are to blame, but he adds, U2 "will do whatever they can to make sure people are taken care of." The tour, with tickets costing up to $163, kicks off March 28 in San Diego.
Tickets for U2's Vertigo tour start selling Saturday amid a fan uproar over a presale for priority seating. Earlier this week, hundreds of fans who had paid $40 on the band's Web site to access a special code for the Ticketmaster sale complained that they got bad seats – or none at all.
U2 promoter Arthur Fogel tells Billboard.com that huge demand and computer glitches are to blame, but he adds, U2 "will do whatever they can to make sure people are taken care of." The tour, with tickets costing up to $163, kicks off March 28 in San Diego.
This Is London
U2 guitarist, The Edge, has begun a court battle to prevent a newspaper from reporting about the illness of a family member, it emerged today.
The 43-year-old has obtained a temporary injunction against the Sunday World tabloid which published details on January 8 about the illness.
At the High Court in Dublin today lawyers for The Edge applied for a two-week adjournment of the case.
Mrs Justice Macken granted the adjournment and agreed to delete the Sunday World's main shareholder, Independent Newspapers, as a named party in the action.
Philip Lee Solicitors, the Dublin firm representing the star, will be seeking a permanent injunction against the newspaper to prevent it was publishing any further information about the illness.
The Sunday World article on January 8 included pixellated photo of the family member.
The case will be one of the first of its kind in Ireland to test the right to privacy of a celebrity under the Irish constitution and European Convention of Human Rights.
The Sunday World is claiming that the story was first disclosed in Rolling Stone magazine and was of huge public interest because it could have led to the cancellation of U2's world tour.
U2 guitarist, The Edge, has begun a court battle to prevent a newspaper from reporting about the illness of a family member, it emerged today.
The 43-year-old has obtained a temporary injunction against the Sunday World tabloid which published details on January 8 about the illness.
At the High Court in Dublin today lawyers for The Edge applied for a two-week adjournment of the case.
Mrs Justice Macken granted the adjournment and agreed to delete the Sunday World's main shareholder, Independent Newspapers, as a named party in the action.
Philip Lee Solicitors, the Dublin firm representing the star, will be seeking a permanent injunction against the newspaper to prevent it was publishing any further information about the illness.
The Sunday World article on January 8 included pixellated photo of the family member.
The case will be one of the first of its kind in Ireland to test the right to privacy of a celebrity under the Irish constitution and European Convention of Human Rights.
The Sunday World is claiming that the story was first disclosed in Rolling Stone magazine and was of huge public interest because it could have led to the cancellation of U2's world tour.
U2: Sorry for Fan Club Bomb
EOnline.com
by Josh Grossberg
Feb 4, 2005, 10:30 AM PT
You might say U2 is rattled and bummed about the flawed Internet presale for its upcoming Vertigo Tour.
After receiving countless complaints from subscribers to the band's fan club at U2.com, drummer Larry Mullen Jr. took the unusual step Wednesday of issuing a formal apology to those faithful who failed to find what they were looking for last week when the best seats were snapped up by ticket brokers. The tickets later turned up for sale by scalpers at sky-high prices.
"This is not something that I would normally do, but I feel that I have to do something to redress this situation," the rock vet said in an "open letter" emailed to members. "There was a mess up in the way the tickets were distributed through U2.com for the Vertigo presale. Some of it was beyond our control, but some of it wasn't. I am now in the process of figuring out a way of distributing the tickets for our intended return to North America in the fall."
Mullen said that U2 will make amends to its most devoted supporters--members of the now-defunct 20-year-old Propaganda fan club who have made the jump to U2.com--first dibs on the fall leg of the tour. After that, members will be given priority in the order they signed up.
For those thinking they got a lemon of a deal after forking over the $40 membership fee and either missing out on seats or winding up with nosebleed or obstructed-view tickets, the band is offering to give subscribers their money back.
"Many people who joined U2.com and didn't get tickets are understandably angry. They now have the option to get a full refund of their subscription fee," Mullen said.
"The idea that our long-time U2 fans and scalpers competed for U2 tickets through our Website is appalling to me. I want to apologize to you who have suffered that. If your U2.com presale experience has left you feeling disappointed, I hope this will go some way towards reassuring you of our total commitment to our audience."
Details on how to obtain a refund are available on U2.com. Mullen concluded his letter by taking a parting shot at "those so-called U2 fans who are quick to accuse U2 of unseemly behavior. I've only got two words for you..."
U2.com members were supposed to be part of a presale pool with shots at the best seats. But soon after the presale last week, reports began surfacing about how fan club members in cities like New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia were shut out, and scalpers were reselling the general-admission floor seats before the tickets were on sale to the general public. The band, its management and Ticketmaster were viciously targeted by critics and news reports.
Since then, U2 has been working round-the-clock to dismantle the bad feelings.
Because tickets have yet to be printed and shipped, the group has also urged fans to report any scalper activity.
"Technology is helping us connect scalpers' offers with the original purchase of tickets," the Dubliners said, adding that after they identify "rogue U2.com subscribers," they'll terminate their orders and redistribute tickets to those fans left empty-handed.
Citing a clause in the U2.com subscription agreement, the band said it has the right to cancel any ticket orders for scalpers, ticket brokers or their suppliers; anyone using automated technology to obtain tickets; or whose ticket order "exceeds the stated limit."
U2 has already sold out stops in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Boston, Anaheim, Philadelphia and San Diego, where the tour is scheduled to kick off on March 28. After a spring swing in the States, the Irish rockers will head over to Europe for the summer before returning for additional fall and winter dates in North America.
Before the launch of the Vertigo Tour, U2 will join the Pretenders, the O'Jays, Percy Sledge and Buddy Guy the latest inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at an all-star jam session in New York on March 14.
EOnline.com
by Josh Grossberg
Feb 4, 2005, 10:30 AM PT
You might say U2 is rattled and bummed about the flawed Internet presale for its upcoming Vertigo Tour.
After receiving countless complaints from subscribers to the band's fan club at U2.com, drummer Larry Mullen Jr. took the unusual step Wednesday of issuing a formal apology to those faithful who failed to find what they were looking for last week when the best seats were snapped up by ticket brokers. The tickets later turned up for sale by scalpers at sky-high prices.
"This is not something that I would normally do, but I feel that I have to do something to redress this situation," the rock vet said in an "open letter" emailed to members. "There was a mess up in the way the tickets were distributed through U2.com for the Vertigo presale. Some of it was beyond our control, but some of it wasn't. I am now in the process of figuring out a way of distributing the tickets for our intended return to North America in the fall."
Mullen said that U2 will make amends to its most devoted supporters--members of the now-defunct 20-year-old Propaganda fan club who have made the jump to U2.com--first dibs on the fall leg of the tour. After that, members will be given priority in the order they signed up.
For those thinking they got a lemon of a deal after forking over the $40 membership fee and either missing out on seats or winding up with nosebleed or obstructed-view tickets, the band is offering to give subscribers their money back.
"Many people who joined U2.com and didn't get tickets are understandably angry. They now have the option to get a full refund of their subscription fee," Mullen said.
"The idea that our long-time U2 fans and scalpers competed for U2 tickets through our Website is appalling to me. I want to apologize to you who have suffered that. If your U2.com presale experience has left you feeling disappointed, I hope this will go some way towards reassuring you of our total commitment to our audience."
Details on how to obtain a refund are available on U2.com. Mullen concluded his letter by taking a parting shot at "those so-called U2 fans who are quick to accuse U2 of unseemly behavior. I've only got two words for you..."
U2.com members were supposed to be part of a presale pool with shots at the best seats. But soon after the presale last week, reports began surfacing about how fan club members in cities like New York, Los Angeles and Philadelphia were shut out, and scalpers were reselling the general-admission floor seats before the tickets were on sale to the general public. The band, its management and Ticketmaster were viciously targeted by critics and news reports.
Since then, U2 has been working round-the-clock to dismantle the bad feelings.
Because tickets have yet to be printed and shipped, the group has also urged fans to report any scalper activity.
"Technology is helping us connect scalpers' offers with the original purchase of tickets," the Dubliners said, adding that after they identify "rogue U2.com subscribers," they'll terminate their orders and redistribute tickets to those fans left empty-handed.
Citing a clause in the U2.com subscription agreement, the band said it has the right to cancel any ticket orders for scalpers, ticket brokers or their suppliers; anyone using automated technology to obtain tickets; or whose ticket order "exceeds the stated limit."
U2 has already sold out stops in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Boston, Anaheim, Philadelphia and San Diego, where the tour is scheduled to kick off on March 28. After a spring swing in the States, the Irish rockers will head over to Europe for the summer before returning for additional fall and winter dates in North America.
Before the launch of the Vertigo Tour, U2 will join the Pretenders, the O'Jays, Percy Sledge and Buddy Guy the latest inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at an all-star jam session in New York on March 14.
EOnline.com
PRIZEWORTHY: Bono and sitar master Ravi Shankar among the nominees for the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize.
PRIZEWORTHY: Bono and sitar master Ravi Shankar among the nominees for the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize.
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