U2 On The Late Late Show

U2 appeared on the Last Late Late Show to be hosted by Pat Kenny yesterday evening. They performed Magnificent followed by a short interview, watch the appearance below.

U2 At Island Records 50th Bash

U2 made a surprise appearance on Thursday at the concert to celebrate Island Records 50th anniversary. They performed "One" with African artist Baaba Maal, and then Bono and Maal singing a short version of Bob Marley's "One Love." To finish U2 played Vertigo.

Brilliant photos here

999 Alert After Dog Accidentally Makes Emergency Call

Whenever I put the news on these days it's all full of more stories of how our thieving Ministers of Parliament have used their "expenses" (funded by the public taxes) to buy things such essential items as duck houses, or paying for cleaning a moat (well everyone has one of those don't they?) or paying a mortgage that is already paid off. There's something rotten at the heart of our government and it really pisses me off. So, it was lovely to read the story below which made me laugh, a thieving dog rather than MP!


A 999 operator worriedly returned a call from a suspected domestic violence victim only to discover that the caller was a dog that had stolen its owner's phone. Officers traced the call, in which a man was heard screaming "Come out or else, I'm warning you", to Jodie Halfpenny's house in Withington, Herefordshire.

The operator, from West Mercia Police, immediately returned the call thinking that the caller might have been attacked after a muffled whine was heard before the line went dead. But Miss Halfpenny, 20, answered and revealed that the call had been made by mistake – by her 14 month-old golden retriever Bailey.

Bailey had made the call inadvertently after making off with the phone and repeatedly biting down on the number 9 digit. The muffled voices were Jodie and a male friend, who chased the dog behind their garden shed before wrestling the phone from Bailey's jaws at 4.30pm on Monday.

A West Mercia Police spokesman said: "We received a call from in which the operator became concerned after muffled shouts and screams were heard on the line. An operator phoned the number back hesitantly, only to be greeted by a very apologetic woman who confirmed that all was well and that the culprit was not her husband – but the dog."

"After discussing the situation at length, we were satisfied the call was made by the dog and there was no danger." He added: "You just couldn't make something like this up."

By Murray Wardrop, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

U2's 360 Tour Stage - "The Claw"

U2's 360 Tour Stage - "The Claw",
originally uploaded by atu2.

Geez, it'll take over the world!

Click image for larger version of photo

Magnificent Not

I noticed today that Magnificent has only reached 42 in the UK singles charts since it's release. What a shame, such a wonderful song has fallen below the radar. Some of the blame must rest with U2's PR, there was little promotion on it's release and of course the video came out after the single which is madness - plus that video was not an attention grabber. I have rarely even heard the song being played on the radio.

Another possible reason for the low chart position is that, to my knowledge, this is the first U2 single not released on CD in the UK. I know downloading music is what a lot of people do nowadays (including myself), but also there are still many - often older people who form a large proportion of U2's fans - who still prefer to buy CDs. Maybe this was a mis-calculation on the record company's part. And it's not just the UK, the song has performed badly pretty much worldwide.

Of course chart positions are not everything, Magnificent is a fabulous song no matter where it gets to in the charts. But it makes me wonder what lies in store for the band in the future, something I've been thinking about a lot recently and will write more about soon.

Luminous Times? OMG!

Be still my beating heart! In an interview in Rolling Stone Edge discusses ideas the band are discussing re songs to play on the tour. I'd be in heaven if they play Luminous Times! The whole concept sounds fabulous.

"We're talking about resurrecting songs we haven't played in a long time. I have a list of every U2 song -- some I can't remember anymore -- even some of the B-sides that we've never played live. We were thinking how much fun it would be to play something like 'Luminous Times.' Certain songs from the last couple of tours, we may not play again. We want to find songs that feel fresh and valid."

Read more here

The Claw

Here's a photo of The Claw taken by Bart Mot as it was being built in Wechter, Belgium. It looks massive, but not as high as I imagined, though this may just be the upper section that's fitted onto a lower part. Quite an ugly thing, and surely it will block the view for some people?

Where's My Luggage Gone?

A Japan Airlines Boeing 747, with 245 passengers on board, sucked up a large metal baggage container as the plane prepared to depart from Los Angeles International Airport yesterday.

Japan Airlines Flight 61 to Narita had been preparing to leave the airport about 1.30pm (LA time) and was pushing back from the terminal gate when the incident occurred.
Carol Van Schellen, an Australian woman on board the flight, said she was waiting for the plane to taxi down the runway when she noticed police cars suddenly appear on the ground before the aircraft.

“I noticed there were police cars escorting us and I thought: ‘hmmm that’s strange',” she told Melbourne’s 3AW radio station.

“But they were actually trying to stop us I think and I looked out the window and there was a big luggage container sitting in the engine. I don’t know why the pilot hadn't noticed it but I think we were about ready to go and he announced that we had a "slight problem with engine no 1.”

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor said a baggage cart – which may have been parked too close to the plane - was being towed at the same time and the engine ingested one of the containers, forcing it to become lodged in the outer left-side engine of the four-engine jet. The vacuum created by the engines preparing for take-off was so strong it sucked up the metal container, which measures approximately 5 feet by 5 feet by 4 feet.

The 245 passengers and 18 crew members were taken back to the terminal where alternative flight arrangements were made for them. (Taken from Mail Online)

"Slight problem" is a bit of an understatment!

World's Oldest Dog!

Couldn't resist this story about the world's oldest dog which happens to be a dachshund! As you know I have a soft spot for dachshunds and had to put it on my blog. Happy Birthday Chanel!

Story taken from the New York Post


OLDEST DOG'S A SENIOR WIENER
By ADAM NICHOLS

She's the world's oldest pooch, with 21 years under her collar, but she never learned how to beg.

"She's independent. If she didn't want to do something, she had a look she would give, and she usually got her way," Long Islander Denice Shaughnessy joked of her aging dachshund, Chanel, whose 147th birthday -- in people years -- is today.

Chanel -- named the oldest dog by Guinness World Records last year -- is taking a rare trip from her Port Jefferson Station home to mingle with canine buddies invited to her Manhattan birthday party.

The old girl's red hair faded to white a long time ago. Her cataracts force her to wear special doggie glasses and her bones feel the cold. Her home is kept at a constant 72 degrees. She eats boiled chicken with whole-wheat pasta, and a specially selected soft treat designed for her ancient teeth. And she spends her days relaxing at home, only taking walks in the summer.

"She used to run three miles with me every day," said Shaughnessy, a high-school principal's secretary who adopted Chanel from a Virginia shelter as a 6-week-old pup. "She still enjoys a walk, but now she's carried for a lot of it."

Magnificent Video

Here's the video for Magnificent. It's not bad, it's always nice to have close ups of the band . But I do feel that in general it's a bit unadventurious and predictable. The sheet imagery could have created a beautiful mysterious atmosphere, an "unveiling" had it been handled better, and that would have really fitted with the song. Also, it's a pity the beauty of Fez was not used to it's full advantage. It's not a terrible video, but after the ground-breaking Get On Your Boots video I expected more. Shame because Magnificent is a much better song.

American David

On May 13th BBC Radio 4 will be broadcasting a recording of Bono reading his poem about Elvis, American David. This isn't something new, it was written in 1995 and recorded at a BBC interview in 2004 but never broadcast at the time. There's more info about it here

Personally, in all honesty I'm not impressed, read it here and see what you think.

Bono Interviews George Clooney

Two intelligent, caring and gorgeous men in conversation on CNN, a treat, watch Bono's interview with George Clooney here

Bono And Northern Star's Twentieth Anniversary

I'm feeling a bit nostalgic today, as 29th April 2009 is the twentieth anniversary of my first meeting with Bono in Dublin which you can read about here. I can't believe that it is twenty years ago! I was a relatively young woman then, now I'm middle aged (but young at heart!), as is Bono. It was my first visit to Dublin and I never ever dreamed I would meet any member of U2. So much has happened in my life since then, good and bad. I'm a different person in many ways, life teaches, challenges, hurts and strengthens us. But one constant over that time has been U2.


As I've discussed before in my blog, my relationship with the band and their music has changed over the years. Since becoming a fan, U2 has always been a part of my life, much of the time in the background, sometimes like now, with a new album out and tour on the horizon (!) U2 are in the foreground. This fandom has also enriched my life in many non-U2 ways, the main one being that I would never have met the people who are now amongst my best friends had it not been for our common interest in u2.


Meeting Bono that time twenty years ago showed me the human side of U2 and how kind he is to fans (I found in time that the same applies to the other band members as well). I've been lucky to have met Bono many times since that first time in April 1989, and without fail at every meeting he has been friendly, warm and respectful towards me and others fans. Sometimes his gestures show such special kindness, way beyond any expectations, an example of which you can read about here. I wish Bono's detractors could see that side of him.


So, slainte to my anniversary, may there be many more years to share with Bono, U2 and my friends!

Here, There And Everywhere

I really wonder where Bono gets all his energy from, he has the most amazing hectic lifestyle. Here's a quick rundown of his wanderings over the last week:

21st April

Attends the Food Bank for New York City's Sixth Annual Can-Do Awards

22nd April

Attends the Tribeca Film Festival kickoff dinner in New York hosted by Vanity Fair magazine.

24th April

He has crossed the Atlantic to attend the funeral of Sir Clement Freud in London with Ali.

25th April

Attends the public wedding ceremony of actress Salma Hayek and husband Francois-Henri Pinault in Venice.

27th April

Out for dinner with his mates in Dublin.

Bono and Ali at Selma Hayek's wedding in Venice

Bull In Irish Supermarket

A friend told about this video today and when I got home I looked it up. It is hilarious, especially the bit where the staff member tries to block the bull's way with a supermarket trolley LOL! The interviews also shows that wonderful Irish sense of humour, enjoy.

The Original Achtung Baby

My friend Dawn and I went to see a U2 tribute band called The Original Achtung Baby on Saturday night. They were playing at The Venue in Dumfries, Scotland 30 miles from where I live.

The Venue was quite a small club, and had black leather sofas and armchairs scattered around the floor, I've never seen that before in a place like that! But they were very comfortable and we sat in a raised area close to the stage. There weren't that many people there, maybe 40-50, and most of them were aged 35+, which maybe says something about the Dumfries crowd or U2's fan base.

The band took the stage at 9.10pm and opened with Where The Streets Have No Name. "Bono" looked strange because he was quite tall with long legs, nothing like the short, stocky real version! Facially he wasn't much like Bono either. "Edge" was actually quite like the real thing, but played the guitar left handed. "Adam" did have a bit of the look of Mr Clayton and he had his mannerisms off to a "t" as they say. "Larry" looked nothing like the real Larry, but I've found most Larry's in tribute bands are unlike him - maybe that's because "It's all about the drums".

The set only consisted of songs up to Achtung Baby, there were no songs from later in U2's career which I thought was very strange and disappointing. "Bono" could sing, but his voice didn't really sound much like the real Bono's and he didn't really establish a rapport with the audience either. "Edge's" guitar playing was quite good, but sometimes the mix wasn't brilliant and the guitar wasn't as upfront as much as it should have been.

However, on a positive note it was really nice to hear some of the old songs again. A treat was when they did A Sort Of Homecoming and One Tree Hill, both rarely performed by U2 in the past, and both favourites of mine. They also did my all-time favourite song Bad, I never tire of it and I find it hard to believe it's 25 years old! Hearing all those songs from The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby made me realise the sheer brilliance of those albums and I feel U2, though still relevant, will never attain that level again.

The Original Achtung Baby were ok, but I wouldn't go to see them again, ZU2 who we saw last year were much better, and the now sadly disbanded NU2 were the very best. But it was nice to hear U2 songs played live again and it's an exciting thought that when we next hear some of those songs they will be performed by the real U2!

The Ultimate Music Guide to U2

I'm on a bit of a roll with posting this weekend! This is from the NME website, it doesn't say when the magazine comes out, but I take it that it's May.

From the makers of Uncut comes an essential guide to the biggest rock band of the last 30 years. Over 148 pages the magazine's unrivalled team of expert writers provide a comprehensive survey of U2's work, from their first stirrings in Dublin to the globe-straddling force who have just released their 12th blockbusting album.

The Ultimate Music Guide to U2 will include detailed analyses of each one of U2's albums, revealing the hidden stories behind these landmark recordings. There will be reappraisals of U2's live work and DVD's, a guide to rarities and bootlegs, discographies and a wealth of info guaranteed to amaze the band's legion of fans.

The Uncut guide to U2 will also exploit Uncut's unique access to the NME and Melody Maker archives to reprint a host of classic interviews with the band, unseen for decades. It will also, as Uncut does each month, present the very best in rock photography.

Caldbeck In The Springtime

Today has been one of those glorious, sunny and warm Spring days when England looks so wonderful, especially so in my exquisite corner of it, Cumbria. Most of the county is a National Park, but some of my much-loved places are not within the well-known Lake District, but on the outskirts of it. One of my favourite villages is Caldbeck, 13 miles form where I live. It is an ancient village that nestles in a verdant hollow in the Fells, the foothills of the mountains of the Lake District.

My cousin Janet and I had a day out in Caldbeck today, along with the terrible two, Pepsi and Max. We parked the car and walked along a narrow pathway beside the river, past cottages and grander houses with gardens full of Spring flowers, and past the 12th Century St Kentigern's Church. On the riverbank behind the church was by St Kentigern's Well, where from the 6th century Christians were baptised.

A stone bridge crosses the river just beyond the church and a short walk on form there is the Priest's Mill. Built by a rector of the nearby church in 1702, it was a working corn grinding mill until 1933. It was restored in 1986 and now houses shops and a wonderful cafe that serves delicious homemade food. The huge waterwheel is still in full working order.

We stopped at the Priest's Mill as we knew they had an outside area where we could eat and take the dogs. Unfortunately a lot of other dog owners had the same idea, it was like a Doggie Central Meeting Point! We had a delicious meal there and the dogs had a lot of canine socialising.

Afterwards we walked back through the lovely village which, as it's a conservation area, has remained unchanged - I'm sure someone coming back here from a hundred or more years ago would recognise most of it.

We went on to just beyond the car park to the village pond and sat on a bench in the sunshine. The pond residents, the mallards, either sunbathed on the grass or were dipping their heads underwater tails in the air, looking for food.

It was so peaceful, there was no noise except for birdsong all around us and the odd splash and quack from the ducks. It was so relaxing and we sat for ages just chatting. All in all a lovely day, sometimes the simple things are the best aren't they?