Latest U2 News & Information

Los Angeles-based SDI Media Group, a provider of subtitling and language dubbing services, has been acquired by Elevation Partners, the investment group that includes U2’s Bono as a partner. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Elevation is acquiring SDI Media from private equity firm Warburg Pincus, which acquired SDI in 2004. SDI Media provides localization of media, including subtitling and dubbing, using its own software and network of freelancers and employees. Elevation Partners is a private equity firm that includes U2’s Bono, Roger McNamee, Fred Anderson, Bret Pearlman, and Marc Bodnick. Elevation also holds a stake in Move.com and Forbes Magazine.

- socaltech 

A DVD version of ‘PopMart Live From Mexico City’ ? giant mirrorball lemon, cocktail stick plus Haring, Warhol and Lichtenstein - is released on September 10th (except US - date TBC). Everything you need to know here.

Described as a ’sci-fi disco supermarket’, the PopMart Tour opened in its ’spiritual home’, Las Vegas, on 25th April 1997. ‘PopMart Live from Mexico City’ was filmed at the Foro Sol Autodromo in Mexico City in December that year and directed by David Mallet. Filmed on analogue video - and originally released on video in 1998 - for its DVD debut it has been transferred to a digital format with re-graded pictures, remastered audio and mixed in 5.1 Surround Sound.
Read the rest of this story »

The African Well Fund’s 5th Annual "Build a Well for Bono’s Birthday" fundraising drive has raised over $34,000. All proceeds of the fundraiser will go directly to African Well Fund partner Africare, a leading non-profit organization assisting Africa, to fund clean water projects throughout the continent.

Schenectady, NY (PRWEB) July 5, 2007 — The African Well Fund is excited to announce that this year’s fundraiser to "Build a Well for Bono’s Birthday" has raised more than $34,000 to fund clean water projects in Africa. This marks the 5th year in a row that U2 fans from around the world have come together to honor Bono’s May 10th birthday by raising money for clean water in Africa. All proceeds of the fundraiser will go directly to African Well Fund partner Africare, a leading non-profit organization assisting Africa, to fund clean water projects throughout the continent.

Read the rest of this story »

U2 frontman BONO has a secret power - he can erase the memory from his friend’s mobile phones.

Razorlight frontman Johnny Borrell says he experiences a bizarre technical hitch soon after speaking to the Irish rocker on the phone. He says, "Nobody has Bono in their contacts! Bono doesn’t have a number that can stick in contacts.

The last time Bono phoned me, it wiped all my saved text messages out of my phone. "It went ‘ching, ching, ching, ching’ like that - like a Pac-Man thing. He deleted all my text messages - it was amazing!

"Maybe he was using Al Gore’s phone of some secret service stuff, but there was no way you could get the number to call him back because not only had the number gone but the whole call history had gone. I don’t think anyone’s got Bono’s number."

-ContactMusic 

Video of the Week: Bad from the Live Aid concert 1985

Live Aid Artist Roster/Lineup

@U2, July 01, 1985

KEY: Times are listed occasionally as a point of reference
“P” equals Philadelphia, and oddly enough, “L” equals London

Status Quo (London, 12 p.m.)
Style Council
Boomtown Rats
Adam Ant
INXS (from Melbourne, but played at approximately 1 p.m. in London)
Ultravox
Loudness
Spandau Ballet

(Philly begins at this point!)
P - Joan Baez (Philly 9 a.m./London 2 p.m.)
L - Elvis Costello
P - The Hooters
Opus (from Vienna)
L - Nik Kershaw
P - The Four Tops
B.B. King (from The Hague)
P - Billy Ocean
P - Ozzy Osbourne
P - Run DMC (Philly 10:15 a.m./3:15 p.m. London)
Yu Rock Mission (from Belgrade)
L - Sade
L - Sting (3:15 p.m. London/10:15 a.m. Philly) (same as Run DMC)
P - Rick Springfield
L - Phil Collins
P - REO Speedwagon
L - Howard Jones
Autograph (from Moscow)
L - Bryan Ferry (4:10 p.m. London/11:10 a.m. in Philly)
P - Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young
Udo Lindenburgh (from Cologne)
P - Judas Priest (Philly 11:26 a.m./4:26 p.m. in London)
L - Paul Young (London 4:40 p.m./11:40 a.m. in Philly)
L - Bob Geldof welcomes America (5 p.m. in London/noon in Philly)
P - Bryan Adams (12:02 p.m. in Philly/5:02 p.m. in London)
L - U2 (5:20 p.m. in London/12:20 p.m. in Philly)
P - The Beach Boys (12:40 p.m. in Philly/5:40 p.m. in London)
L - Dire Straits/Sting (6 p.m. in London/1 p.m. in Philly)
P - G. Thorogood/Bo Diddley/Albert Collins
L - Queen (6:44 p.m. in London/1:44 p.m. in Philly)
David Bowie/Mick Jagger (on video)
P - Simple Minds
L - David Bowie
P - The Pretenders
L - The Who (8 p.m. in London/3 p.m. in Philly)
P - Santana w/Pat Metheny
L - Elton John
P - Ashford & Simpson w/T. Prendergrass
L - Elton John and Kiki Dee (9:05 p.m. in London/4:05 p.m in Philly)
L - Elton John, Kiki Dee, and Wham!
P - Madonna
L - Mercury and May
L - Paul McCartney
L - McCartney, Bowie, Townshend, Moyet, and Geldof
L - U.K. Finale (9:56 p.m. in London/4:56 p.m. in Philly)

(The rest are ALL in Philly!)
Tom Petty (5:14 p.m.)
Kenny Loggins
The Cars
Neil Young (6:07 p.m.)
The Power Station
The Thompson Twins
Eric Clapton (7:39 p.m.)
Phil Collins
Plant, Page, and Jones (8:13 p.m.)
Duran Duran
Patti LaBelle
Hall & Oates w/Eddie Kendrick and David Ruffin
Mick Jagger (10:15 p.m.)
Jagger and Tina Turner
Bob Dylan/Keith Richard/Ron Wood (10:39 p.m.)
U.S. Finale (10:55 p.m.)

NEW YORK: Steve Jobs, the co-founder and chief executive of Apple, is an emerging force in the cellphone business, as evidenced by the snaking lines of gadget fans who lined up last week to buy the iPhone. But now he faces a headache in an industry Apple already dominates - digital music.

The Universal Music Group of Vivendi, the world’s biggest music corporation, last week notified Apple that it would not renew its annual contract to sell music through iTunes, according to executives briefed on the issue who asked for anonymity because negotiations between the companies are confidential.

Read the rest of this story »