The non-profit ONE campaign, which was co-founded by U2’s Bono, has come under fire over a series of lavish gifts sent to journalists.
The organisation sent items including a $15 moleskin leather notebook and a $20 bottle of water to New York newsrooms.
ONE aims to increase government funding for and effectiveness of international aid programs.
The gifts were timed to arrive ahead of the UN’s Summit on the Millennium Development Goals, which began yesterday (September 20).
According to the New York Post, all of the packages were delivered by courier. Other items included a small tin of Band-Aids and two syringe-style pens.
A spokeswoman for ONE declined to comment on how much money had been spent on the gifts, but said they were aimed to attract journalists’ attention.
“We think it’s important enough to try and break through the clutter,” she said. “That’s why we sent the boxes.”
Daniel Borochoff, from the the American Institute of Philanthropy in Chicago, said the PR drive as a “risk”.
U2Chile.net Reports South American Dates (Rumor)
U2Chile.net has reported on their web site 6 dates for a series of South American concerts.
March 25 & 26, 2011: Santiago, Chile
March 31 & April 1, 2011: Buenos Aires, Argentina
April 7 & 8, 2011: Sao Paolo, Brazil
This is not official. There’s been nothing confirmed by U2 or Live Nation.
Producer to Mentor American Idol Contestants
Legendary record producer Jimmy Iovine (U2, Tom Petty, Dire Straits) has signed on as official mentor to the contestants on American Idol.
Iovine is Chairman of Interscope-Geffen-A&M Records and his role is part of a new deal announced last month between Universal, 19 Entertainment and Idol creator Simon Fuller. The labels will market, promote and distribute CDs form the TV show’s finalists. Previously American Idol was affiliated with Sony.
The new season of American Idol will begin January 12, 2011 on Fox with new judges Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez and without Simon Cowell.
Brussels Goes Crazy !
Even the rain could not stop a second show that was above amazing. The biggest show in the world landed and the boys played to amazing shows. Bad made its appearance the fans over joyed sang along most of the night. The setlist has been posted and videos keep coming in from you. If you have videos of the show let us know and we will be glad to post them.
The band came to the scene with all stadium lights on, enlarged at the huge oval video screen. There was something mythical. While the band “Return of the stingray guitar bets, a scorching piece of spacey blues, Bono strolled around those” claw “, as it is called innovation stage.
Then the lights really went out and ‘Beautiful Day’ and ‘I will follow “the attack. These are fast songs with great guitar work and it did not cope with the klankman. The more rock guitars and industrial sounds in the sound emerged, and the faster the rhythm, the harder it was to U2 sounding good.
The setlist was predictable, but does not say anything. There was a serious difference between the way Bono “I Will Follow” which he sang and ‘Magnificent’ bets. That first song is to certify that the youth ideals remain intact. But ‘Magnificent’ is U2 now: four late forties (Bono is already 50) that so much money that they challenge the spiritually searching. The song was the first great moment of the evening.
Meanwhile, everyone was admiring the claw and all its glory. This wonderful little stage below that giant spider structure. This video screen that gave everyone a good view. The arrangement, which allowed you through the stage also saw sitting audience, which reinforced the feeling that we are all ‘one’ are.
Bono felt it after about a half hour time to the Belgian contribution to the spectacle of the flower to turn. “There are more Belgians participate in this show than any other nationality. Today, the claw home, “he said.
It was followed by an ecstatic moment of “I Still Have not Found What I’m looking for ‘, and then Bono wanted something else. With just guitar in support he sang ‘North Star’, a new little song that the stadium was too small musical. It was the beginning of an intimate part, but also the beginning of the world-improving part.
Nobody takes the blame Bono that he wants to reduce debt of poor countries, but there is a lot of frustration about his preacher attitude. From “In a little while” went the open box of tricks: the first boy from the audience, Frank De Winne from space, a sermon by Desmond Tutu, and finally, well into the gad, a patch ‘Amazing Grace’. To take or leave, but the concert was a different style.
Here it was still hard, with “Vertigo” and “I’ll go crazy, but it was the oerriff of ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’ muddle-headedness that emerging weather knocked out the stadium for U2 U2 to do what is good at: the passion, melody, great faith.
The end of the concert, including a long bisronde, was back in the positive atmosphere, with euphoric singalongs like “One” and “With or Without You” into a “Moment of Surrender ‘to come. The ovation sounded long, loud and very intense.
Yes, it was a good concert. Pioneering in technology. Inspired spiritually. Volatile musical. Moderate to aural. Overwhelming as mass spectacle.
Mexican Pre-Sale Codes !
The U2 360° Tour will visit Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca on May 14th, 2011 - just over five years since the band last played in Mexico, on the Vertigo Tour in 2006.
From Friday, ahead of next week’s public onsale, U2.com subscribers can enter a special advance presale.
The subscriber presale for Group 1 (Horizon, Breathe, Magnificent, Boots) begins this Friday, September 24th at 11AM and is open until next Tuesday, September 28th, 10AM (local time).
You’ll be able to purchase up to FOUR TICKETS for the Estadio Azteca show in May in a single transaction.
We have two pre-sale Codes -
Bono's Special Video Message
Bono: “Here’s a thought to leave you with: By 2015, we could live in a world where no kids are born with HIV. The first born AIDS-free generation of our lifetime, by 2015. That’s a thought, right? Every day, 1,000 mothers give birth to a child with HIV. And it doesn’t have to be, so sign up to the ONE Campaign, choose RED, support your First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy and the Global Fund. They’re here tonight. This is for them. Thank you, you’re our heroes.”
70K Brussel Fans in Ecstasy
Darkness fell upon Belgium as U2 began their first of two nights in Brussel. Tonights crowd which was about 70,000 fans had a chance to see the “The Claw” up close and personal. Kicking off the show was “Return Of The Stingray Guitar” some consider it to be a song rather than intro music we are yet to define it. For Brussells the first of two shows on this beautiful summer night as the band sang “Beautiful Day” it was clear that the fans came to party. So right away they seemed to be in pure ecstasy as the boy drove thru with “I will Follow”. Interpol started the night off as the crowds began a sort of Mexican Wave, as to say HOLA Mexico your tun is soon to come.
For U2 singing titles like “Magnificent” and “Mysterious Ways’ and ‘Elevation’ only contiued to drive the fans to ecstasy.
Welkom U2 naar Brussel
BRUSSELS - The two concerts in Baudouin Stadium are much more than a musical event. This technology is the future of the live events.
Jake Berry shines. The production manager of the 360 ° tour expects to have nice weather in Brussels and he heard that today will be even better. The first U2 concert in Brussels will be perfect.
Behind him, on one half of football, is “the claw” up, colloquially known as the enormous stage. It is 65 meters wide, 27 meters high, with a “cigar” in the middle which, 45 meters high above the stadium overlooking Baldwin. Tonight, this bizarre structure, almost walked away from a comic strip, the main character in a U2 concert.
The 360 ° tour was launched last year in Barcelona and was immediately hailed as a revolutionary step for the live entertainment. “Bigger is not,” Berry put on a high chest. Somewhat misplaced, since the characteristic of U2 is that the ‘sky’ never ‘the limit’ is. The band always wants to evolve, innovate, continue.
Between Irish supergroup and some Flemish companies over the years has grown a warm story that both parties have pushed forward. The stages of Stageco have been used on pretty much all world tours since 1992, all U2 video screens made in Belgium, and every concert of the band live is portrayed by XL Video, from Ghent.
Frederic Opsomer Technologies of Tait is the man behind the innovative oval video screen, and fold-in and also transparent. Whether it’s been down more often than that for the first time in Barcelona, I ask him? “You’ll see tomorrow,” he grins. But seriously: “When that screen to expand the stage, this should be a moment of magic. The idea is that you will be surprised, not that spectacular a yo-yo is. “
Hedwig De Meyer, the patron of Stageco, hesitates, but calls “the claw” still “the strafste we ever did.” Special thanks to U2: “The producer Willie Williams showed me at the end of the Vertigo tour has a picture of a spider-like structure, asking if I could make such a stage.
That’s the good thing about that band. Of course U2 is a good customer, but he always asks again for a revolution. Live entertainment has become essential for the income bands and so we need to innovate, and it is good that such large developments help pay bands. “
The two Brussels concerts are the 16th and 17th in the second part of the European tour. Constant three stages on the road in Europe right now are the last parts in Paris again in one of forty trucks loaded, while the stage in San Sebastian is built to be ready by September 26.
Its steel structure is heavy and costs a lot to transport, but according to him, the greatest environmental nuisances caused by millions of fans who come to the concerts. That’s in line with what guitarist The Edge said. He thinks it is unfair to rock ‘n’ roll laden with sins that others commit regularly. Soccer Matches example.
Tonight U2 plays about 25 songs, interspersed with about half as many quotations from other songs. Except that the summer weather and music fans will carry, the main thrill in life, however, that anyone anywhere a good view of the live action, and to each other. The revolutionary 360 ° to the production is that a football stadium for concerts once a living place is slowly.
Both concerts were sold out. Interpol is the schedule.
Promoter Live Nation advises the public to carpool to and asked to come to Brussels.