Nathanial We Have Your Back !

 

 Editor Comment: Not sure when the first time I got an invite to support this Facebook page however this story was amazing. We did not cover the story. This story was written by David Guarino on his blog over at technorati.com. This 8 year kid created a postive message to show Bono that we all care.

Now notice his age 8 years old.  Thats great to see that fans come from all age groups.

Nathanial, we are going to ask our followers to show some love to you and support your hard work ! Good Job - U2TOURFANS has your back too.

Facebook Page Link - Followers lets reward the positive work he has done by following - Let him know that we sent you over to him !

Orginal Story by David Gurino

Not many people pray for rock stars – especially admitted rock star megalomaniacs who strut as comfortably before 100,000 screaming fans as they do in front needy Africans, supermodels, presidents and the Pope.

By now you know I mean to say, not many people pray for Bono.

But the 50-year-old lead singer of U2 has hit a bit of a rough patch and an 8-year-old boy in Western Canada has his back.

When Nathanial Crossley of Alberta learned Bono had badly injured his back, required emergency surgery and postponement of the band’s planned summer North American tour, he did what any right-minded, red-blooded, child of the digital age would do: He created a Facebook group.

Nathanial’s aptly-named group, “Bono: I Got Your Back,” had humble beginnings, with family and friends joining to support the 8-year-old. But word got to the U2 world, it hit some U2 fan blogs, got a “thank you” on U2.com and then took off.

As of today, there are 1,244 fans throughout North America, from Portugal to Croatia, up through Scandinavia and down to Chile. The site has landed Nathanial on a local rock radio station and allegedly became part of a motivation and emotion lecture by a psychology professor at Chapman University in California.

Nathanial, and his parents, Blake and Candice Crossley, said in interviews that they can’t believe the people drawn to the simple call to action.

“It’s awesome to see how global this has become,” said Blake, a 35-year-old network administrator at Keyano College, who has been a U2 fan for more than 20 years and who proudly notes Nathanial didn’t “see” U2 until last year but heard them when his 3-months pregnant Mom caught a 2001 show.

Nathanial said he was disappointed when he learned the singer had been hurt, saying he was “sad that (Bono) hurt his back while he was rehearsing. I hoped that he was ok and would get better but he was hurt pretty bad.”

Nathanial, told that the tour had been cancelled over breakfast one morning, said he wanted to do something. He wrote Bono a ‘get well’ card, including his own school picture to the pop star,

  ut also wanted to show Bono he had support out there. Blake remembered saying, “Oh, like you have his back.” One conversation led to another, and they decided on the Facebook page.

“It’s pretty amazing what can happen over a bowl of Cheerios,” Blake Crossley said.

Asked why he did it, Nathanial says simply, “So Bono would feel better and see that someone is supporting him. I also wanted other people to support him.”

Nathanial’s Dad embraces the metaphysics of whether prayers – even the Facebook kind – can help a rock star on the mend, and, of course, quotes a U2 song.

“I think the spirit of people transmitting positive energy and vibes to someone we all love and care about makes a person feel loved,” Blake Crossley said. “I’d ask Bono a simple question and take it from the album ‘Pop,’ ‘Do You Feel Loved?’ You should because you got an army of supporters behind you.”

As Nathanial would say, if you need it, Bono, they got your back.

 

 

Bono and Lance Chillin in France

A few weeks after undergoing emergency surgery, which put the North American leg of the U2 tour on hold, Bono is recovering in his luxury villa in the French Riviera – with a little help from friends.

After meeting pals for lunch in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat earlier this week (he drove himself), he has also spent time with Lance Armstrong, who is in the country for a bike race.

“Lunch with an old friend,” Lance tweeted on Thursday, posting a photo of himself with the Irish rocker in front of a very scenic backdrop.

Bono, looking quite tired, is holding a wine glass and has his arm around Lance’s pregnant girlfriend, Anna Hansen, while Lance holds their son, Max.

The rock star, who was released from a Munich hospital on May 25, has to spend at least eight weeks doing physical rehabilitation, which put the kibosh on the North American leg of U2’s 360° world tour. The dates will be rescheduled for 2011.

In 2009, U2’s tour grossed just shy of $110 million, making it the year’s most profitable show. hoto by

Photo Credit twitter.com/lancearmstrong

Bono Walks On

—to French Riviera—After Spinal Surgery

Good news. Bono is he’s back on his feet.

The U2 singer stepped out in public for the first time since last month’s surgery  that led to the scuttling of the band’s upcoming 360-Degree Tour.

Bono, who hit the big 5-0 last month, was spotted in the ancient Mediterranean village of Eze sur Mer along the French Riviera, where he’s been recuperating at a posh villa he owns there. According to the U.K.’s Daily Mirror, Bono drove himself to a lunch date at the Hotel La Voile d’Or in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat before meeting some friends later.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer suffered a back injury during rehearsals in Munich. According to his neurosurgeon, temporary partial paralysis had already occurred in his lower leg and could’ve become permanent had the problem not been corrected during the emergency procedure.

His prognosis for a full recovery is said to be “excellent,” and with at least two months of physical rehabilitation, doctors say he should be ready to hit the stage again.

“I was joking earlier on that this is probably the most rest he’ll have in decades, you know the few weeks after the operation,” said The Edge in a video post on U2.com. “But the other thing we have to make sure is that he does follow the doctor’s orders in terms of the program of rehabilitation because knowing him again he’ll probably want to take some short cuts and sort of get ahead of himself.

“But really from what I understand it’s very important he does this in a very methodical way.”So we’ll be there to chain him down if need be.”

Bono’s injury also forced U2 to scrap a headlining gig at the 40th anniversary of the U.K.’s legendary Glastonbury Festival, for which the group had written a commemorative song. Gorillaz will serve as the replacement band.

If all goes well, Bono and bandmates plans to begin rehearsals in August before relaunching their stadium trek. The rockers will also put the finishing touches on their next album.


Bono and Angelique World Cup Video

Continuing to garner acclaim for OYO, an album of music that inspired her while growing up in Benin, Angelique Kidjo debuts the album’s first video for the single “Move On Up”, the track itself featuring guest vocals from Bono and John Legend. This stunning video, directed by Kevin J. Custer (Lil Wayne, Gym Class Heroes) features the imagery, and appearances by the dancers, of the acclaimed musical FELA! which is directed and choreographed by Bill T. Jones (adapted for the video by Maija Garcia.) Presented by Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter and Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, the Broadway sensation is currently nominated for 11 Tony Awards.

“Angelique Kidjo is one of this world’s truly great musical personalities,” said Stephen Hendel, FELA!’s lead producer.  “The Broadway company of FELA! was honored to participate in this beautiful music video and we are delighted by how well the video captures both the spirit and soul of Angelique, of the FELA! performers, and of Bill’s choreography.”

“I am convinced that the success of the FELA! musical on Broadway is the indisputable sign that people are now interested in the true richness, depth and beauty of African culture,” said Angelique Kidjo. “I feel that the music from my continent is a universal language that can create a bond between all the different cultures of the world and this is what the musical is about. Collaborating with the FELA! dancers on the ‘Move On Up’ video has been an amazing experience for me:  The Musical and the song, that I dedicate to the African youth, carry the same message of joy and hope for the future of Africa and for the future of people everywhere.”

On June 10 the entire world will have their eyes on Africa and on Angelique as she performs at the FIFA World Cup Kick-Off Celebration Concert, at the newly renovated Orlando Stadium in Soweto/Johannesburg. The concert celebrates the first time the tournament has taken place in Africa. Also performing will be John Legend, Alicia Keys, Amadou & Mariam, Black Eyed Peas, Shakira and others of their stature. “Move On Up” is also featured on Listen Up! The Official 2010 FIFA World Cup Album, which was released May 31, with proceeds from its sale going to various African charities.

Angelique Kidjo will continue touring internationally throughout 2010 in support of OYO.


ANGELIQUE KIDJO DEBUTS VIDEO FOR “MOVE ON UP”

** International Superstar Joined by Bono & John Legend on Curtis Mayfield Classic **

** Video Features Dancers from Acclaimed, Tony-Nominated Broadway Musical FELA!**

** Uplifting Clip a Perfect Segue to Angelique’s World Cup Performance on June 10 **

The Unforgettable Fire (BONUS)

The Unforgettable Fire will feature bonus audio material and a DVD including music videos, a documentary and unreleased live footage from the Amnesty International Conspiracy of Hope Tour in 1986.

Here’s the 16 track listing for :

The Unforgettable Fire Bonus Audio CD.

Disappearing Act
A Sort of Homecoming (live)
Bad (live)
Love Comes Tumbling
The Three Sunrises
Yoshino Blossom
Wire (Kervorkian Remix)
Boomerang I
Pride (In The Name of Love)
A Sort of Homecoming
11 O’Clock Tick Tock
Wire (Celtic Dub Mix)
Basa Trap
Boomerang II
4th of July
Sixty Seconds in Kingdom Come




As the comments on our earlier story have been suggesting, The Unforgettable Fire - with the arrival of Brian Eno and Danny Lanois in the studio - has a special place in the heart for many fans and a lot of the tracks on this bonus CD have been unavailable for a long time.

Two of the titles from those Slane Castle sessions have never been available: ‘Yoshino Blossom’, and ‘Disappearing Act’, which the band recently completed. A Sort of Homecoming and Bad are live versions, from The Unforgettable Fire Tour that were on the highly sought after collectors item EP Wide Awake in America.



The version of 11 O’Clock Tick Tock was the b-side to ‘Pride (In The Name of Love)’ while Wire (Celtic Dub Remix) was previously on 7” vinyl given away free with NME in May 1985.

And The Unforgettable Fire DVD Collection looks like this:

The Unforgettable Fire
Directed by Meiert Avis

Bad
Directed by Barry Devlin

Pride (In The Name Of Love)
Directed by Donald Cammell

A Sort Of Homecoming
Directed by Barry Devlin

The Making Of The Unforgettable Fire - documentary
Directed by Barry Devlin


Additional Material

U2 at A Conspiracy Of Hope Concert
1. MLK
2. Pride (In The Name Of Love)
3. Bad
Recorded live at Giants Stadium, New Jersey, USA, 15th June 1986

U2 at Live Aid
1. Sunday Bloody Sunday 2. Bad
Recorded live at Wembley Stadium, 13th July 1985

Pride (In The Name Of Love) - Sepia version
Directed by Donald Cammell

11 O’Clock Tick Tock - Bootleg version
Live from Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland, 29th June 1985

Lanois intensive care !

Canadian producer-artist Daniel Lanois has canceled all upcoming tour dates after a motorcycle crash in L.A. this past Saturday, a press release announced today. “Lanois suffered multiple injuries but is expected to be released from intensive care soon,” the release states. “Due to the severity of the injuries, Lanois…will be recuperating for the next two months.” He had previously scheduled a European tour for this July.

Lanois is best known for his close working relationships with the likes of Bob Dylan (Oh Mercy, Time Out of Mind) and U2 (The Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby, All That You Can’t Leave Behind, and more). He has also released several albums of his own material, and recently started a new trio called Black Dub. The press release says Black Dub “will release their debut album when circumstances permit.”

Lanois worked collaboratively with Brian Eno on some of Eno’s own projects, one of which was the theme song for David Lynch’s film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune.

Eno invited him to co-produce U2’s album The Unforgettable Fire. Along with Eno, he went on to produce U2’s The Joshua Tree, the 1987 Grammy Winner for Album of the Year, and some of the band’s other works including Achtung Baby and All That You Can’t Leave Behind.

Bono recommended Lanois to Bob Dylan in the late 1980s; in 1989 Lanois produced Dylan’s Oh Mercy. Eight years later Dylan and Lanois worked together on Time Out of Mind which won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1997.

Danny pop back soon -Cheers Mate

I want my U2

How many of you remember when MTV first came on air in the Tri state area. On August 1, 1981, at 12:01 a.m., MTV: Music Television launched with the words “Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll,” spoken by John Lack.

Those words were immediately followed by the original MTV theme song, a crunching guitar riff written by Jonathan Elias and John Petersen, playing over a montage of the Apollo 11 moon landing.

With the flag having a picture of MTVs logo on it. MTV producers Alan Goodman and Fred Seibert used this public domain footage as a conceit, associating MTV with the most famous moment in world television history.

Seibert said they had originally planned to use Neil Armstrong’s “One small step” quote, but lawyers said Armstrong owns his name and likeness, and Armstrong had refused, so the quote was replaced with a beeping sound.

At the moment of its launch, only a few thousand people on a single cable system in northern New Jersey could see it.

Appropriately, the first music video shown on MTV was “Video Killed the Radio Star” by The Buggles. The second video shown was Pat Benatar’s “You Better Run”. Sporadically, the screen would go black when an employee at MTV inserted a tape into a VCR.

Video of the launch of MTV was uploaded onto YouTube in 2009, with the original commercials, and the “black screens” between videos. The “MTV lettering” differed on its first day, and included record label information like year and label name.

As programming chief, Robert W. Pittman recruited and managed a team for the launch that included Tom Freston (who succeeded Pittman as CEO of MTV networks), Fred Seibert, John Sykes, Carolyn Baker (original head of talent and acquisition), Marshall Cohen (original head of research),Gail Sparrow (of talent and acquisition), Sue Steinberg (executive producer), Julian Goldberg, Steve Casey (creator of the name MTV and its first program director), Marcy Brafman, Ronald E. “Buzz” Brindle, and Robert Morton.

So what’s the point? Well it’s summer in North America, hot and getting hotter. Many of us have grown have a couple of kids, raising a family trying to make ends meet and yet we all when out and purchased tickets to see the boys. It was kind of a chance to go back to that happy time. Summer 1982 ! 

Now fast forward to December 1982, the band arrived in Sweden with director Meiert Avis to shoot a video for New Year’s Day, first single from the their third album ‘War’.

The song, which made its 360 debut in Dublin a few days ago, was inspired by Lech Walesa, the leader of Solidarity, the trade union in Poland which helped bring down communism.

‘Snow as an image of surrender,’ explained Bono, talking about the lyric. ‘And these little glimpses of narrative, which are really just excuses for the overarching theme, which was Lech Walesa being put in prison and his wife not being able to see him…’



Adam remembers the video: ‘We needed snow so the director suggested northern Sweden. It was very basic, us performing in the snow, just kind of wrapped up, so you couldn’t really see us. I think Bono sussed that to be in a video you had to look like yourself, so he wasn’t wearing wooly hats or anything. I don’t even think he was wearing thermal underwear, just the same clothes he had on when we got off the plane from Dublin.’

Edge: ‘Bono’s mouth almost froze solid; if you watch him lip-syncing his mouth won’t quite work. But the video has an epic quality, there was something about that song that seemed to conjure up images of Dr Zhivago and European winterscapes. People always ask me: ‘Was it difficult riding the horse, in the video?’ And I have to tell them that was shot the day after we left. Apparently the four figures on horseback were all women, dressed similarly to ourselves.’

So there you go…. a random U2 connection from Sweden to Poland. (Maybe you can think of a better one…)

U2 360° Coming to Canal+ !

UK-based distributor Precious Media has completed a raft of international deals for U2 360° - At the Rose Bowl, selling the music programme into more than 30 territories.

The high definition show is a made-for-TV edit of the DVD of the same name featuring live concert footage and interviews with the band, and is available in 44-, 48- and 58-minute versions.

It has been picked up by Canal + (France and Spain); ProSiebenSat.1 and Servus TV (Germany); RSI (Switzerland); Fox (Portugal); Antena 1 (Greece); Max and Channel V (Australia); Wowow (Japan); RSI (Switzerland); NRK 1 (Norway); YLE (Finland); HBO Adria (Croatia); Servus TV (Austria); HBO Bulgaria (Bulgaria); HBO Romania (Romania); NTV (Turkey); Channel V China (China); Star World SE Asia (Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar and Hong Kong); Star World (India); Global TV (Indonesia); Channel 5 (Singapore); TVBS (Taiwan); Channel V Thailand (Thailand); YAN and HN TV (Vietnam); Globosat (Brazil); CTV (Canada); and Red Media Moscow (Russia).


UK satcaster Sky1 also picked up rights to the show, which it aired last month. The concert was recorded at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena as part of the U2 360° Tour and was originally broadcast on YouTube, where it attracted an audience of more than 10 million.

The programme is a Whizz Kid Entertainment production for Principle Management and Mercury Records, part of Universal Music Group. It was directed by Tom Krueger, produced by Katherine Allen and Ned O’Hanlon, and exec produced by Malcolm Gerrie for Whizz Kid Entertainment and U2 manager Paul McGuinness.