DUBLIN (Reuters) – The Irish rock group U2 has lost a bid to prevent
demolition of the studio where it recorded its latest award-winning album.

Ireland’s Planning Board has been given the go-ahead for a redevelopment
project that requires the razing of the studio, feted by the group as part
of Ireland’s musical heritage.

The studio, on Hanover Quay in Dublin, was used by U2 to record the
Grammy-winning album “All That You Can’t Leave Behind” and has been compared
in significance to The Cavern Club in Liverpool, where the Beatles spent
their early days.

More than 8,000 fans had signed an online petition ( www.saveu2studio.com)
to preserve the studio, where the group also recorded some of its “Pop”
album.

Dublin’s Docklands Authority placed a compulsory purchase order on the
property in August 2001 as a step toward demolishing the studio to create a
public amenity on the quayside.

- Reuters

An official source has stated that the new best of album should be out Nov
11th , as per the last best of U2 are looking at a double with
B-sides to start with, plus maybe some sort of bonus dvd as well.

Band are planning to have the new tracks finished by the end of this
week. Besides this it isn?t sure, wether the “Gangs Of New York” track will be
on the album or not yet!

Thanks to the U2-Tribute Band Achtung Vorsprung who gave us these information.

- As reported on u2tour.de

U2 is in the studio working on new material and have set the cameras
on themselves to preview a new song online.

At u2.com you can watch a 30 second clip of the band rehearsing the
new song “The Hand That Built America”. The song is another one of
the tender U2 ballads.

“I saw your face in a war coloured sky” Bono sings in the song bound
to strike a chord in the post September 11 world.

The song will make it’s debut in the new Martin Scorcese film ‘Gangs
of New York’ starring Leonardo DiCaprio. The movie is set in New
York between 1846 and 1863, said to be the most violent place on
earth at the time. The story is about a conflict between a white
Anglo Saxon family and some Italian immigrants.

The movie is scheduled for later this year.

By Paul Cashmere
http://www.undercover.com.au
From Undercover:

While Bono was enjoying himself on Tuesday at Sir Paul McCartney’s wedding to Heather Mills U2’s drummer Larry Mullen was busy enjoying himself elsewhere.

The shyest member of U2 was busy giving an American museum two letters of rejection the band received when they were starting out in the music industry.

The letters were sent to Bono and Larry back in 1979 when they posted both Arista and RSO records demo tapes from their band the Hype, which was the band’s name before they changed it to U2.

One of the letters even arrived to Bono on his 19th birthday saying the demo was not suitable for them at that time. Mullen donated the letters to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio.

He also has a collection of every single piece of U2 memorabilia since the band formed in 1979 in Mount Temple School in Dublin.

He even has the first ever U2 T-shirt he designed in art class.

? ShowBiz Ireland, 2002.

The [u2tour] list moderators and the U2tours.com development group have
created a new mailing list that may interest you:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/u2-talk/

This is a general discussion mailing list which we hope will serve as a
complement to the [u2tour] list, where discussion is focused
solely on U2’s tours and live performances. Since the start of the [u2tour]
list, the moderators have been active in making sure discussion here remains
on-topic. We’ve had repeated requests in the past 18 months to create
another list where more general U2 discussion would be allowed, and the
[u2-talk] list has been created in response to those requests.

[u2-talk] will be moderated by the same Admin team which moderates this list
(Aaron, Kevin, Matt, Phil), with the additional help of a 5th moderator,
Nicky M., who has survived the very strenuous initiation camp required of
all new Admins.

[u2-talk] will be moderated with guidelines that are somewhat similar to
what you’re familiar with here on [u2tour], with the obvious exception that
discussion doesn’t need to be solely about tours and live performances. When
you subscribe to the new [u2-talk] list, you’ll receive more information
about the list’s guidelines.

If you’re interested in a moderated general discussion list, you can join
the list here:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/u2-talk/join/

We look forward to seeing you on the new list!

Thanks,
Aaron, Kevin, Matt, and Phil

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – While U2 singer Bono is campaigning for Third World
debt relief, his rock band topped Rolling Stone magazine’s list of
top-earning music stars last year.

The Irish quartet took home $61.9 million from touring, recording and
publishing (i.e. copyright royalties), ahead of rap mogul Dr. Dre, the
Beatles, the Dave Matthews Band and Madonna. The top 50 earners are
contained in the magazine’s next issue, due on stands Friday.

While admitting that calculating the earnings of famous people involves some
guesswork, the magazine said it compiled the numbers through conversations
with music industry insiders, such as managers, label executives, agents,
lawyers and publicists. The figures are “net” — what’s left after expenses,
fees and label deductions.

Most of U2’s income came from its successful “Elevation” tour of North
America and Europe, with album sales and publishing providing some very rich
icing, the magazine said.

Gangsta rap pioneer Dr. Dre (born Andre Young), who signed hit rapper Eminem
to his Aftermath label, followed at No. 2 with net income of $51.9 million.
The magazine noted that Young received a reported $35 million payment when
Vivendi Universal SA’s Interscope Records boosted its Aftermath stake to 80
percent from 50 percent.

More than 30 years after they broke up, the Beatles came in at No. 3 with
$47.9 million in net income, thanks mostly to sales of their worldwide hits
album “1.” On the other hand, the Dave Matthews Band had to work for its No.
4 slot. It netted $43.4 million, most of it coming from touring.

Madonna, who also toured last year, ranked No. 5 with $40.8 million, driven
by a reported $20 million to $30 million recording advance from a contract
renegotiation with AOL Time Warner Inc.’s Warner Music Group, Rolling Stone
said.

Rounding out the top 10: rap mogul Master P. at No. 6 with $36 million;
veteran guitarist Carlos Santana at No. 7 with $32.7 million; boy-band ‘N
Sync at No. 8 with $26.5 million; rock band Aerosmith at No. 9 with $24.2
million; and pop singer Sting at No. 10 with $24 million.