More than 400 mourners including U2 frontman BONO and funnyman STEPHEN FRY turned out to pay their respects to late writer/broadcaster SIR CLEMENT FREUD at his funeral on Friday (24Apr09).
The former politician, whose grandfather was legendary psychiatrist Sigmund Freud and his brother artist Lucien Freud, died earlier this month (15Apr09) at the age of 84.

Freud was laid to rest with a memorial service in London on Friday afternoon, which would have been his 85th birthday, with members of the entertainment industry mixing with politicians and journalists to pay tribute to the veteran star.
British prime minister Gordon Brown read an address during the service.
Freud is survived by his wife of 59 years, Jill, five children – including PR guru Matthew and successful broadcaster Emma – and 17 grandchildren.

- ContactMusic

According to the BBC, producer Brian Eno says he will be back in the studio with U2 some time next week.

U2 lead singer Bono has told Rolling Stone magazine the band plans to have another new record out in late 2009 or early 2010.  Eno offered no further details about these new sessions, but one possibility is these are aimed at finishing that new record.  Songs of Ascent is the title of the planned LP and while most details about it are sketchy, Bono has apparently already chosen “Every Breaking Wave” to be its first single.

Other songs rumored for possible inclusion on Songs of Ascent are “Tripoli,” “Winter,” “If I Could Live My Life Again,” “Love Is All We Have Left,” “North Star,” “Mercy,” and “Lead Me In The Way I Should Go”

No Line On The Horizon, U2’s first album in four years, was released in March of this year.  Long layoffs and bursts of activity are nothing new for the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers.  Zooropa was finished during a break on the band’s mammoth ZooTV tour and was released on the heels of Achtung Baby.

Meanwhile, U2 is gearing up for a world tour in support of No Line On The Horizon.  The U2:360 tour kicks off with two shows in Barcelona, Spain, the first of which is June 30.  The first U2 date of the tour is September 12 at Chicago’s venerable Soldier Field.

• June 30, 2009: Barcelona, Spain @ Camp Nou
• July 02, 2009: Barcelona, Spain @ Camp Nou
• July 07, 2009: Milan, Italy @ San Siro
• July 08, 2009: Milan, Italy @ San Siro
• July 11, 2009: Paris, France @ Stade de France
• July 12, 2009: Paris, France @ Stade de France
• July 15, 2009: Nice, France @ Charles Ehrmann Park
• July 18, 2009: Berlin, Germany @ Olympic Stadium
• July 20, 2009: Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Arena
• July 21, 2009: Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Arena
• July 24, 2009: Dublin, Ireland @ Croke Park
• July 25, 2009: Dublin, Ireland @ Croke Park
• July 27, 2009: Dublin, Ireland @ Croke Park
• July 31, 2009: Gothenburg, Sweden @ Ullevi Stadium
• August 01, 2009: Gothenburg, Sweden @ Ullevi Stadium
• August 03, 2009: Gelsenkirchen, Germany @ Veltins-Arena
• August 06, 2009: Chorzow, Poland @ Slaski Stadium
• August 09, 2009: Zagreb, Croatia @ Maksimir Stadium
• August 10, 2009: Zagreb, Croatia @ Maksimir Stadium
• August 14, 2009: London, England @ Wembley Stadium
• August 15, 2009: London, England @ Wembley Stadium
• August 18, 2009: Glasgow, Scotland @ Hampden Park
• August 20, 2009: Sheffield, England @ Don Valley Stadium
• August 22, 2009: Cardiff, Wales @ Millenium Stadium

• September 12, 2009: Chicago, IL @ Soldier Field
• September 13, 2009: Chicago, IL @ Soldier Field
• September 16, 2009: Toronto ON, Canada @ Rogers Centre
• September 17, 2009: Toronto ON, Canada @ Rogers Centre
• September 20, 2009: Boston, MA @ Gillette Stadium
• September 21, 2009: Boston, MA @ Gillette Stadium
• September 24, 2009: East Rutherford, NJ @ Giants Stadium
• September 25, 2009: East Rutherford, NJ @ Giants Stadium
• September 29, 2009: Washington, DC @ FedEx Field
• October 01, 2009: Charlottesville, VA @ Scott Stadium
• October 03, 2009: Raleigh, NC @ Carter-Finley Stadium
• October 06, 2009: Atlanta, GA @ Georgia Dome
• October 09, 2009: Tampa, FL @ Raymond James Stadium
• October 12, 2009: Dallas, TX @ Cowboys Stadium
• October 14, 2009: Houston, TX @ Reliant Stadium
• October 18, 2009: Norman, OK @ Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
• October 20, 2009: Phoenix, AZ @ University of Phoenix Stadium
• October 23, 2009: Las Vegas, NV @ Sam Boyd Stadium
• October 25, 2009: Los Angeles, CA @ Rose Bowl
• October 28, 2009: Vancouver BC, Canada @ BC Place

- BlogCritics.org

Bono thinks he looks “sexy” in eyeliner.

The U2 frontman has started wearing thick black eye makeup under his coloured glasses because it makes him look like Elvis.

He said: “I thought I looked very sexy in eye make-up. It’s a new character I’m trying out. I was calling him Elvis’s dead brother, Jesse – which maybe is in poor taste. It’s still in development! I started just messing with it a few weeks ago.”

The 48-year-old singer has a knack for stealing the limelight from the band, but that doesn’t mean they listen to what he says.

Drummer Larry Mullen Jr said: “People think we’ve all got beepers on, and it’s like, ‘Bono’s had a thought! Oh, f**k! Get out your beeper!’”

He claims the other members of U2 spend a lot of time talking Bono out of his hare-brained schemes.

Larry said: “I think if Bono had his way, we’d probably be recording and playing for Africa, that’s how he thinks. Just take everything and give it all. It doesn’t work like that.

“We spend a lot of time trying to hold Bono back from doing the maddest things possible. I just don’t understand where he gets the energy.”

- BANG SHOWBIZ

U2 have added a string of dates to their tour of North America, with the new dates kicking off September 12 in Chicago, IL.

The tour has so far sold over 2.5 million tickets in North America and Europe with almost half a million sold yesterday (April 6).

The trek continues to support the band’s most recent effort ‘No Line On The Horizon’.

The new dates are:

Chicago, IL Soldier Field (September 12, 13)
Toronto, ON Rogers Centre (16. 17)
Foxboro, MA Gillette Stadium (20, 21)
East Rutherford, NJ Giants Stadium (24, 25)
Washington, DC FedEx Field (29)
Charlottesville, VA Scott Stadium (October 1)
Raleigh, NC Carter Finlay Stadium (3)
Atlanta, GA Georgia Dome (6)
Tampa, FL Raymond James Stadium (9)
Dallas, TX New Cowboys Stadium (12)
Houston, TX Reliant Stadium (14)
Norman, Oklahoma Oklahoma Memorial Stadium (18)
Phoenix, AZ University of Phoenix Stadium (20)
Las Vegas, NV Sam Boyd Stadium (23)
Pasadena, CA Rose Bowl (25)
Vancouver, BC BC Place Stadium (28)

- NME

U2’s guitarist, The Edge, has signed up to become an ambassador for the UK learning disability charity, Mencap.

The rock star will help the charity with fundraising, raising awareness and campaigning against discrimination.

The Edge, otherwise known as David Evans, took the position following his appearance at Mencap’s Little Noise Sessions held in north London last November.

- belfasttelegraph.co.uk