We Waited Patiently for the Lord

A World Without Hunger

May 28, 2015

(ANSA) - May 28 - U2 frontman and humanitarian activist Bono Vox on Thursday appealed for a "world without hunger" in a video message shown at the pavilion of the Italian farmers' group Coldiretti at Milan Expo. 

U2 Plays Club Gig

Setlist:

Main Set

    The Ocean
    11 O'Clock Tick Tock
    I Will Follow
    The Electric Co., Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio? (snippet), Send In The Clowns (snippet), I Can See For Miles (snippet)
    Beautiful Day, I Remember You (snippet)
    Elevation
    Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of
    Sunday Bloody Sunday, When Johnny Comes Marching Home (snippet)
    Out Of Control, Iris (Hold Me Close) (snippet)

Encore

    Vertigo
    Song For Someone
    California (There Is No End To Love), God Only Knows (snippet)

What Time Is It in the World?

The Boys Dust Off "God's Country"

The Setlist: May 19, 2015 San Jose, CA

First Set:
        People Have the Power  (Patti Smith song)

        The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)
        The Electric Co.
        Vertigo
        I Will Follow
        Iris (Hold Me Close)
        Cedarwood Road
        Song for Someone
        Sunday Bloody Sunday
        Raised by Wolves
        Until the End of the World

        Second Set:

        The Wanderer  (Johnny Cash animation on video screen)
        Invisible
        Even Better Than the Real Thing
        Mysterious Ways
        Desire
        In God's Country  (First performance since December 2, 2001)
        Sweetest Thing
        Every Breaking Wave (acoustic)
        Bullet the Blue Sky
        Pride (In the Name of Love) (with "The Hands That Built America" snippet)
        Beautiful Day
        Bad
        With or Without You
        Encore:
        City of Blinding Lights
        Where the Streets Have No Name (with "Mother and Child Reunion" snippet)
        I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

Note: Three sisters are brought up on stage to dance during "Mysterious Ways."

The Full Concert Vids Start Rolling In

George Clooney to Visit Bono; Bicycles Won't Be Involved

George Clooney to Visit Bono; Bicycles Won't Be Involved

Irish Daily Mail

May 19, 2015 Tuesday

TALK of a supposed motorbike trip around Ireland first surfaced last year and now it seems A-list actor George Clooney is finally ready for his longawaited visit to these shores. The Hollywood star is currently on a European promotional tour of his new film, Tomorrowland: A World Beyond.

The Setlist: Night 3 (May 18, 2015, San Jose)

        Set 1:

        The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)
        Out of Control
        Vertigo (with 'Do You Remember Rock n')
        I Will Follow
        Iris (Hold Me Close)(with 'Mofo' snippet)
        Cedarwood Road
        Song for Someone
        Sunday Bloody Sunday (acoustic; without final verse)
        Raised by Wolves
        Until the End of the World

        Set 2:

        Invisible
        Even Better Than the Real Thing
        Mysterious Ways (with 'Burning Down The House')
        When Love Comes to Town
        Angel of Harlem
        Every Breaking Wave (acoustic)
        Bullet the Blue Sky (with '19' snippet)
        Pride (In the Name of Love)(with 'The Hands That Built America' intro)
        Beautiful Day (with 'I Remember You' snippet)
        With or Without You

        Encore:

        City of Blinding Lights
        Where the Streets Have No Name (with 'Mother and Child Reuion)
        I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

Mandela's Grandson Talks

May 16, 2015

Kweku Mandela was 4 years old when he first met his grandfather, the South African anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela. After his family left South Africa to live in exile in America, Kweku Mandela grew up largely on the East Coast, returning to his homeland only after his grandfather was released from prison - after 27 years - in February 1990. Kweku Mandela saw the one-time revolutionary become his country's first black president in 1994 and was with him before his Dec. 5, 2013, passing. Now president of one of South Africa's largest film and TV production companies, Out of Africa Entertainment, Mandela, 30, was in Chicago recently to speak to a "We Day Illinois" youth gathering and spoke with Chicago Sun-Times reporter Maudlyne Ihejirika. An edited transcript follows.

The Setlist: Night 2 (May 15, 2015, Vancouver)

        Set 1:

        The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)
        Vertigo
        California (There Is No End to Love)(Live debut)
        I Will Follow
        Iris (Hold Me Close)
        Cedarwood Road
        Song for Someone
        Sunday Bloody Sunday (acoustic; without final verse)
        Raised by Wolves
        Until the End of the World

        Set 2:
        Invisible
        Even Better Than the Real Thing
        Mysterious Ways
        Angel of Harlem
        When Love Comes to Town (First performance since August 28, 1993)
        Every Breaking Wave (acoustic)
        Bullet the Blue Sky
        Pride (In the Name of Love)(with "The Hands That Built America" snippet intro)
        Beautiful Day (with "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely… more )
        With or Without You

        Encore:

        Miracle Drug (First performance since November 28, 2005)
        Bad  (with "Moment of Surrender" snippet)
        Where the Streets Have No Name (with "Mother and Child Reunion" snippet)
        One

Note: "When Love Comes to Town" was dedicated to BB King, who passed away earlier in the day at the age of 89. Bono says at the end of the song, "the thrill will never be gone."

The Setlist: Night 1 (May 14, 2015, Vancouver)

        Set 1:

        The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)
        Out of Control (with "Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll Radio?" snippet)
        Vertigo  (with "God Save the Queen" snippet)
        I Will Follow
        Iris (Hold Me Close) (with "Mofo" snippet)
        Cedarwood Road
        Song for Someone
        Sunday Bloody Sunday  (acoustic, without the final verse)
        Raised by Wolves (with "Psalm 23" snippet)
        Until the End of the World

        Set 2:

        Invisible
        Even Better Than the Real Thing
        Mysterious Ways  (with "Burning Down the House"… more )
        Desire
        Sweetest Thing  (First performance since August 22, 2001)
        Every Breaking Wave
        Bullet the Blue Sky (with "The Hands That Built America" snippet)
        Pride (In the Name of Love)
        The Troubles
        With or Without You
       
        Encore:
        City of Blinding Lights
        Beautiful Day  (with "I Remember You" and "… more )
        Where the Streets Have No Name (with "California (There is no… more )
        I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For  (with "Invisible" snippet)

Note: First full and official show without "One" since January 10, 1990

I don't believe anymore

The Most Beautiful Sound I Ever Heard

For Old B

What's Playing on Zoo TV?

September 3, 1992

Editor's Note: Music writer Peter Howell caught up with the Zoo TV roadshow last week for a preview of what we can expect from U2 Saturday and Sunday at Exhibition Stadium.

BOSTON - Here in the city where the streets all have names - but nobody knows how to drive them - the U2 Zoo is in full effect.

Early Peek at the Set List

Hat Tip http://www.u2gigs.com/

1. Bullet The Blue Sky
2. The Hands That Built America
3. Pride
4. Even Better Than The Real Thing
5. Mysterious Ways
6. The Miracle (possibly with a piano intro)
7. Iris

The band then took a dinner break - and their crew delivered pizzas to fans already in the GA queue. U2 then resumed rehearsals and performed:

1. The Miracle
2. Out Of Control
3. Vertigo
4. I Will Follow
5. Iris
6. Cedarwood Road
7. Song For Someone
8. Sunday Bloody Sunday
9. Raised By Wolves
10. Until The End Of The World (with an unidentified outro)

Short break.

11. Invisible
12. Even Better Than The Real Thing
13. Desire
14. Mysterious Ways
15. Sweetest Thing
16. Every Breaking Wave (acoustic)
17. Bullet The Blue Sky
18. Pride
19. The Troubles
20. With Or Without You (with some additional work on the outro)
21. City Of Blinding Lights
22. Beautiful Day
23. Where The Streets Have No Name
24. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

That was the end of rehearsals for the night. It was a slightly different (read as: longer) setlist to that performed at the dress rehearsal on 8 May. It's possible U2 still have some surprises up their sleeve, especially with regards to the encore. We will have to wait and see what happens on opening night - we look forward to your company then!

"Cept the Thing that You Want

The "Pissed Off" Middle Eight

--
On March 2, 2006, u2 visited Argentina, where it performed a concert Buenos Aires. But it wasn't just any concert. It was part of u2's Vertigo Tour, or the first tour since Amnesty International released a report documenting the torture and abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

The band was in rare form on this night, and you can tell from the below set list what kind of mood it was in. Bono gets the emotions flowing with a song about his dad. Lest you think those emotions are all melancholy, listen to how he introduces the song.

From here the band moves to Love and Peace or Else, which one might call a sequel to Bullet the Blue Sky. But instead of just playing the sequel, u2 follows up by playing Bullet itself, separated only by an inspired version of Bloody Sunday. Even the lyrics of the softer tune Miss Sarajevo are modified to make a plea for human rights at the close.

Only after this spilling of guts and venting of spleen does Bono remind the crowd why they are all here. To hear great music? Yes. But more specifically to be uplifted spiritually by the hands of Love.

Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own
Love and Peace or Else
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Bullet the Blue Sky
(Snippets of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" & "The Hands That Built America")
Miss Sarajevo
Pride (In the Name of Love)
Where the Streets Have No Name

Free Yourself to be Yourself

Bono the Lyricist

Bono the Lyricist

November 10, 2005

U2 left little doubt who deserves the title ``greatest rock 'n' roll band in the world'' of the three contenders visiting the Bay Area this week.

u2 and Liturgy

u2 and Liturgy

June 25, 2006

Wearing a clerical collar and a headset, the Rev. Michael A. Smith swings his hips and, taking cues from the church band, joins worshippers in singing "Mysterious Ways" from the U2 album "Achtung Baby."

You Will Never Hear this Song the Same Way Again

I, I, I, I, I'm not your Steppin' Stone...

Much of Atomic Bomb Recorded without Bono

October 27, 2005

Bono and Co. will rip through U2's hit-packed catalog next week when the band's Vertigo tour returns to L.A. for two shows

So how do you dismantle an atomic bomb, anyway? According to U2 frontman Bono, the answer is "with love." If so, U2 comes well equipped. The numbers reveal a long-lasting romance between the Irish quartet and its fans for the past 25 years: Since the 1980 release of its debut album "Boy," U2 has sold more than 120 million albums worldwide and has won 14 Grammy Awards -- including a pair for its latest, "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" (2004), which has sold more than 10 million copies.

The Coldplay Critique

June 5, 2005 Sunday 
Correction Appended 
Late Edition - Final

HEADLINE: The Case Against Coldplay

BYLINE: By JON PARELES


THERE'S nothing wrong with self-pity. As a spur to songwriting, it's right up there with lust, anger and greed, and probably better than the remaining deadly sins. There's nothing wrong, either, with striving for musical grandeur, using every bit of skill and studio illusion to create a sound large enough to get lost in. Male sensitivity, a quality that's under siege in a pop culture full of unrepentant bullying and machismo, shouldn't be dismissed out of hand, no matter how risible it can be in practice. And building a sound on the lessons of past bands is virtually unavoidable. 

Fuck the Revolution

The Wheel Breaks the Butterfly

Am I Buggin' You?

February 22, 1989

"Am I bugging you?" asks U2 singer Bono during "U2 Rattle and Hum," a videocassette release of the 1988 movie set to hit the shops today. "I don't mean to bug you."

Bono's terse comment in the film concludes an anti-apartheid rap in "Silver and Gold," but one can't help hearing it, especially now, in a wider context. U2 is bugging a few people these days. As you may have noticed, the U2 backlash has set in.