As a practice, I don’t usually quote rock drummers on the subject of wealth and economic fairness.

But U2’s Larry Mullen had some choice words recently about the rich and the recent surge in populist resentment.

“Love them or loathe them,” the spiky-headed drummer said, “all those rich wives, all those rich guys with all those balls, all those women that you see organizing this and organizing that, without them we’d be in a very, very different state than we are now. A lot of people who are well off in this country make huge contributions with their time and with their money.”

Mr. Mullen was speaking specifically of Ireland, which has given some of its rich–including billionaire financier Dermot Desmond–a hard time. His thoughts were echoed by bandmates Adam Clayton and Bono, who cautioned against Irish people becoming “sour.”

“Melancholy and bile are not our greatest traits,” said the singer, who clearly knows a thing or two about bile and melancholy.

The U.S. isn’t Ireland, of course. But populism is clearly rising on both sides of the Atlantic. And when left-leaning super-groups start defending billionaires, you know maybe things have gone too far.

Perhaps U2 will even write a song about the disenfranchised rich. “Angel of the Upper East Side”? Or “Even Better Than A Millionaire”?

- Wall Street Journal

U2 are on the cusp of their 360 Tour, and are asking fans to remember Burmese democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi by wearing a mask featuring her face.

“U2 believe the world must not be allowed to forget Aung San Suu Kyi and every night on the 360 Tour fans are being invited to wear the mask when the band play ‘Walk On,’ which was written for her,” the band’s website said today. “Put it on with thousands of others when Larry [Mullen, Jr., drums] and Edge [guitar] strike up the opening bars of ‘Walk On.’”

A downloadable mask is on the site with directions, but you’ll need Adobe Acrobat Reader to print the file.

“Wear it to work or college,” the post on the website reads. “Wear it on the bus or the train. Wear it in the pub or at the shops. And don’t forget. Bring it to a U2 show.”

Suu Kyi is a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and won elections in Burma in 1990, but the military junta refused to accept the results. She has spent most of the last 19 years under house arrest.

Suu Kyi was recently tried for violating the terms of her house arrest after an uninvited visitor swam across Inya Lake in Yangon, Burma to visit her house twice. The trial was widely condemned as a sham by the United Nations and western nations.

U2 start their world tour in Barcelona on Tuesday. The tour, which is in support of the recently released No Line On The Horizon, hits Toronto in mid-September.

You can see U2 here:

June 30, July 2 Barcelona, Spain @ Nou Camp
July 7-8 Milan, Italy @ San Siro
July 11-12 Paris, France @ Stade De France
July 15 Nice, France @ Parc Charles Ehrmann
July 18 Berlin, Germany @ Olympic Stadium
July 20-21 Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Arena
July 24-25, 27 Dublin, Ireland @ Croke Park
July 31-Aug. 1 Gothenburg, Sweden @ Ullevi
Aug. 3 Gelsenkirchen, Germany @ Veltins-Arena
Aug. 6 Chorzow, Poland @ Slaski Stadium
Aug. 9-10 Zagreb, Croatia @ Maksimir Stadium
Aug. 14-15 London, England @ Wembley Stadium
Aug. 18 Glasgow, Scotland @ Hampden Park
Aug. 20 Sheffield, England @ Don Valley Stadium
Aug. 22 Cardiff, Wales @ Millennium Stadium
Sept. 12-13 Chicago, IL @ Soldier Field
Sept. 16-17 Toronto, ON @ Rogers Centre
Sept. 20-21 Boston, MA @ Gillette Stadium
Sept. 24-25 New York, NY @ Giants Stadium
Sept. 29 Hyattsville, MD @ FedEx Field
Oct. 1 Charlottesville, VA @ Scott Stadium
Oct. 6 Atlanta, GA @ Georgia Dome
Oct. 9 Tampa, FL @ Raymond James Stadium
Oct. 25 Pasadena, CA @ Rose Bowl
Oct. 28 Vancouver, BC @ BC Place Stadium

- ChartAttack

U2 to Barcelona, Milan, Paris, Nice, Amsterdam, Gothenburg, Chorzow, Zagreb

U2 begin their European tour in Spain, with 2 concerts in Camp Nou Barcelona next week. From then on the 7th and 8th July, Bono and co head to the San Siro Stadium, in Milan playing in the 2nd enourmous stadium. Snow Patrol are the main support for these.

The French 80,000 seater Stade de France in Paris hosts U2 for 2 nights. Kaiser Chiefs will be the support in the French Capital.

The entourage of trucks, equipment and Stage as well as crew head to be set up in Nice for the concert on the 15th July.

Germany’s Berlin will hold 1 concert in the Olympic Stadium on the 18th, then it’s the Dutch Music Capital Amsterdam in the ArenaA for 2 nights.
Snow Patrol are back supporting the Nice, Berlin and Amsterdam shows.

Tickets are only available for the 2nd Barcelona night, (2nd July) , and for the shows in Berlin and Amsterdam. All others are Sold Out.

U2 return home for 3 Sold out nights 24,25, 27th July in 80,000+ Stadium Croke Park in Dublin.
The end of July- Start of August Lunasa Festival, sees Ireland’s top Band return to the Continental circuit, with concerts in Gothenburg (31st July and 1st August).
Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen holds the capacity crowd for the concert on the 3rd.
Then Poland’s Chorcow Slaski Stadium are followed on the 9th and 10th ugust by 2 concerts in the Croatian Capiotal Zagreb – both of which are Sold Out.
Snow Patrol are again in support for these concerts.

- Written by Siasy, europeanirish.com

Ireland soccer captain Robbie Keane and U2’s The Edge are among high-profile celebrity names who will be campaigning for a yes vote in the new Lisbon Treaty referendum set for this October in Ireland.

Nobel laureate poet Seamus Heaney and author Deirdre Purcell are also involved in the new campaign group, Ireland for Europe, which insists it will not allow politicians to mess up the yes campaign.

> In the first referendum last year Ireland rejected the treaty — designed to streamline government of the EU — and that meant it had to be put on hold since ratification requires the approval of all member states of the EU.

Read more at IrishCentral.com

Time is winding down for the opening night of U2’s highly anticipated world tour, “U2 360”. In less than two weeks, the Irish rockers will be embarking on their first global trek since its massively successful “Vertigo” tour.

U2.com has been providing updates on the stage production and the band’s preparation for the June 30th performance in Barcelona. And with the way things look in Spain so far, fans are going to be getting their money’s worth.

When it comes to the talked-about “Claw” stage design, Production Director Jake Berry said, “Seeing it here is something else. I think jaws are going to drop when people come through those doors on opening night.”

Willie Williams, the Show Designer who oversaw the construction of the Claw, said seeing the structure go from design to reality is “pretty extraordinary.”

Mark Fisher, the tour architect, believes that this unique design will help bring U2 even closer to their fans.

“I think it will take people’s breath away when they arrive, a real statement that U2 are in town,” he said, “But when the band come on stage it will disappear, it will all be about the communication between the band and the audience.”

With that kind of statement, U2 fans are in for the time of their lives.

To see photos of the Claw being built, visit here. For an even closer look, check out U2’s tour site 360.u2.com

- Examiner