Video Of The Week: Crumbs From Your Table recorded Dublin 2004

TWO hearts beating as one? Adam Clayton was dining a deux with a mystery lady last week in Expresso Bar in Dublin. Has the dapper U2 bassist found what he’s looking for? I, for one, certainly hope so.

Early last year, he sadly broke up with his fiancee, Suzy Smith. (Adam and Canadian beauty Suzy had chosen St Valentine’s Day 2006 to get engaged. They had been going out for eight years. Another time, another country, and besides…).

My Deep Throat in the U2 camp refused to be drawn on Adam’s new romance, as if I would tell anyone that three months ago, Adam started seeing a girl who worked in a bank.

“She looks very similar to Suzy. It was a very low-key relationship, if it is still on. That’s all I know.”

I know, however, that last Friday week, in Dublin, U2 listened to a rough mix of their album. Presumably, there was some celebrating in Han(g)over Quay afterwards.

- Barry Egan, independent.ie

U2 have reportedly turned down the chance to play at next year’s All-Ireland finals, which will mark the 125th anniversary of the Association.

The Irish super-group were asked by the GAA to entertain the crowd at Croke Park – where they played three sold out gigs in 2005 – during the half-time intervals of next year’s finals.

However, the foursome have other plans for the dates in question, explained Jarlath Burns, head of the planning committee for the anniversary event. Read the rest of this entry »

Bono

I wanted to set the record straight on behalf of the members of U2 on comments made to the BBC by our much-loved and valued manager, Paul McGuinness, regarding Radiohead’s decision to make the music of ‘In Rainbows’ available as a download, using the ‘honesty box’ idea for payment.

We agree with our manager that this is a head-scratching and worrisome time for many musicians who, unlike ourselves, are depending on royalty or publishing cheques to pay the rent (particularly songwriters). We also agree that it is disturbing to see internet service providers and technology companies profit from the so-called ‘disintermediation’ of the music business when so many music lovers are losing their jobs. And while there is no doubt that it’s extremely difficult for a new artist to get the kind of investment on which U2 depended in the first few wobbly years of recording, we disagree with Paul’s assessment of Radiohead’s release as “having backfired to a certain extent.” We think they were courageous and imaginative in trying to figure out some new relationship with their audience. Such imagination and courage are in short supply right now…they’re a sacred talent and we feel blessed to be around at the same time.

With respect,
Bono

-NME

Bono & Edge perform Happy Birthday for Nelson Mandela during the *Nelson Mandela at 90* concert on June 27th, 2008 from Hyde Park, London, England.

Singer rejects manager’s claim that download ‘backfired’

U2’s Bono has sent a letter to NME this week (June 25) following the band’s manager Paul McGuinness’s comments regarding Radiohead’s decision to release their last album, ‘In Rainbows’, on a pay-what-you-like basis as a download.

Earlier this month, McGuinness said Radiohead’s album release “backfired” and that U2 would not be following the Oxford band’s example when they release their next record.

In the letter, printed in tomorrow’s (June 25) edition of NME, Bono says that he disagrees with his manager’s comments, calling “courageous and imaginative in trying to figure out some new relationship with their audience”.

“Such imagination and courage are in short supply right now,” he continued. “They’re [Radiohead], a sacred talent, and we feel blessed to be around at the same time.”

Read the full letter from Bono in the new issue of NME, out nationwide tomorrow.

-NME.com