Finally New U2 Music !

Reports out of  Dublin suggest that we could have some new U2 music very soon. We have already reported about the "Leaked U2 Jam Session (2010-2013)" which the video can be found on our facebook page ( U2TOURFANS). If you remember early this year Bono commented on a Dublin radio station (Sunshine 106.8FM) that they have been working on #13 and that a title was in the works. We have heard "10 Reasons to Exist" could be the title or at least right now its the working title.

Two other songs that are rumored to possibly be part of the new album are "Soon" and "Winter." "Winter" was featured in two movies, Brothers and Linear, while "Soon" was used as an intro to concerts in 2010.

"U2 is on the verge of irrelevancy," Bono told Fashion and Style magazine recently.  "We have to do something on this next album that is very, very special in order to have a reason to exist.”

“U2 has been beating the odds of being irrelevant for close to 20 years, since Rattle and Hum, and we had to find ways to keep ourselves fresh yet loyal to our fans which we love so much. We are still hungry and not ready to give up our spot as the biggest and best band in the world because we feel like we have much to offer...we are still as cool as we were in 2004 and even 1994."

Reports coming in from Dublin - Again this could all be rumors - Heck until the machine starts we really have to go with what we hear.  Bono ? Any comment

Bono AKA Techie Man

Bono has been singing the praises of technology and it paid off. As an investor and cofounder of the AIDS programs ( One and RED) he has been devoting his time to eradicating poverty and AIDS related issues. Bono traded emails with MIT Technology Review deputy editor, Brian Bergstein about his role in tech, vaccines and information services. A couple of those questions highlighted our interests.

MIT: It's 2013, and Millions of people are still short of food or proper medical care. Have technologists over promised ?

Bono: The tech that’s been delivered has been staggering in its measurable achievements.

MIT: What should be the role of technology in making a better world? Are some problems beyond its reach, like poverty?

Bono: Technology has already helped tackle extreme poverty in Africa. Extreme poverty is the empirical condition of living on under $1.25 a day. Nelson Mandela once demanded we be the “great generation” to beat extreme poverty, noting how we have the technology and resources to achieve this extraordinary vision. And we do. We could achieve it by 2030, maybe before.

MIT: You admired Steve Jobs. Did he make the world better or just make nice computers?

Bono: I think a large part of the reason Apple and Steve Jobs have beguiled so many is that they are a gigantic company that put greatness ahead of the bottom line, believing that great profitability would follow in the long term. He told me he would love to spend more time on philanthropy and would get to it one day. He wasn’t interested in half doing it, as is obvious with his personality. Still, Apple very quietly has contributed more than $50 million to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria through the sale of (RED) iPods, Nanos, etc. They are the biggest corporate donor. Tim Cook is passionate about this stuff.

MIT: If you had a budget equivalent to the one that put astronauts on the moon, what problems would you try to solve?

Bono: There’s an exciting thought. The Apollo program in its day was 4 percent of the federal budget. All U.S. overseas assistance is just 1 percent, with 0.7 percent going to issues that affect the poorest people. I believe that extreme poverty is the biggest challenge we have. That term is a complex one, but on many aspects, we know what works. For example, with Apollo-level resources, you could finish the job on HIV/AIDS. Get rid of it, done. Malaria too.

MIT: Do you despair? If not, why not?

Bono:  Like any parent, I wonder what kind of world we’re leaving behind. But I’ve also been blessed to be involved in some great movements that helped bring major challenges—like debt or AIDS or malaria—from the margins to the mainstream. These social movements are the things that make the real difference, people from different walks of life coming together to stand up for what they believe in.  Whether they do it by marching, by writing, by tweeting, by posting, by singing, or by going to jail. It’s hard not to be an optimist when you see what happens when people join forces.

Working Title Revealed

In an interview with The Independent, Bono revealed that the group's busy working on their next album which they might title "10 Reasons to Exist". The Irish rock band worked on the studio set throughout 2012 and would be releasing it this 2013 but the specific release date has yet to be decided.

According to Bono, "Within the band, we've been calling it '10 Reasons to Exist', but I will tell you we might have at least six of them." This latest work from U2 is highly anticipated since, prior to this latest effort, it has already been three years since the group released an album. The most recent one was "No Line on the Horizon".

The Bono interview and his revelations came after the singer had recovered from the flu, which he caught over the holidays. This caused him to miss the annual Leopardstown racing festival on St. Stephen's Day, a charity event he had consistently attended with his family.

Bono and Sinead busking in Dublin

Bono maintained his Xmas ritual this year with a busking session in Dublin's Grafton Street on Christmas Eve.

This year Bono  accompanied by Glen Hansard of "Once" fame and singer Lisa Hannigan. Bono played to the gallery with a mix of traditional festive melodies and some U2 classics.

Sinead O'Connor also took Grafton Street by surprise with a rendition of her Prince-penned classic Nothing Compares to You.

Hewson Daughters Home For the Holidays

Bono delighted to have two girls home for Christmas

Bono  told the Irish Independent that the Hewson house is jam-packed once again thanks to the arrival of Jordan (23) and Eve (21), who have returned to Ireland for the holidays.

Eve and Jordan Hewson ( Bono Daughters)

"We're very much looking forward to Christmas this year. The two girls are back, which means there won't be much room in the house for me and Ali, but we love it and all their mates, too – it's just that time of year," Bono said.

The Hewson daughters are currently living in New York.

"They've both finished college now. Eve finished early, which is amazing, as she worked through the summer. Jordan's making her mind up as well about what she wants to do now, too."

Bono expected to  have a chilled out Christmas Day at his Dalkey home. "This year my brother (Norman) and his family are coming over to our house. It's noisy, it's messy, it's fantastic – just everything we love about Christmas."

Starting their celebrations in style, U2 threw a lavish party at H-Cafe in Dublin for staff at their company, Principle Management, where the entertainment included a performance from RTE personality Katherine Lynch.

Bono slips into a New York bar

Last weekend ( Sunday Night )  Bono happened to walk by Bemelman's Bar at the Carlyle Hotel. He walked in and gave the musicians on stage a treat.

He stayed to sing a couple of tunes with Jim Caruso and Billy Stritch. Of course it was not hard to recognize Bono because of his trade mark glasses. Bono was in the house with some guests and seemed to enjoy the evening. Before leaving he jumped in a set "I've got you under my skin" a Sinatra tune that Bono and Frank had recorded in 93. 

A rare treat to see Bono appear in public singing - Not really Bono has been known to jump in a few sets and support local artists.

Biden meets Bono at White House

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says Vice President Joe Biden has met with Bono to discuss global development, AIDS and efforts to fight poverty.

The singer and activist has been a leading advocate for Africa, drawing attention to issues ranging from poverty and hunger to AIDS.

Spokesman Jay Carney joked that Bono and Jim Messina — President Barack Obama’s campaign manager — were forming a new band. Messina also visited the White House on Tuesday. Carney says Obama did not meet with Bono

Bono visits Washington

Bono / U2TOURFANS

Bono will appeal to Democrats and Republicans during a visit to Washington this week to spare U.S. development assistance programs from cuts as Congress tries to avert the looming "fiscal cliff" of tax hikes and spending reductions early next year.

he U2 lead singer's visit comes as the Obama administration and congressional leaders try to forge a deal in coming weeks to avoid the economy hitting the "fiscal cliff" - tax increases and spending cuts worth $600 billion starting in January if Congress does not act.

Analysts say the absence of a deal could shock the United States, the world's biggest economy, back into recession.

Kathy McKiernan, spokeswoman for the ONE Campaign, said Bono will hold talks with congressional lawmakers and senior Obama administration officials during the November 12-14 visit.

During meetings he will stress the effectiveness of U.S. foreign assistance programs and the need to preserve them to avoid putting at risk progress made in fighting HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, she said.

Bono, a long-time advocate for the poor, will argue that U.S. government-funded schemes that support life-saving treatments for HIV/AIDS sufferers, nutrition programs for malnourished children, and emergency food aid make up just 1 percent of the U.S. government budget but are helping to save tens of millions of lives in impoverished nations.

The One Campaign would not elaborate which lawmakers and senior Obama administration officials Bono will meet.

Medicore New Album Blues

Has U2 been overly candid during their last interview? ‘We realized people who want exciting, revolutionary, important music aren’t buying latter-day U2 albums are they?’ said Bono

Comments from The Edge "it’s the least adventurous album we’ve ever made’ he said. "Over the last few albums I’ve added more and more guitar pedals to find new sounds, the pedals were beginning to look like a keyboard." Asked about his lyrical direction on this release, Bono blows a raspberry  and laughs while the rest of the band make armpit fart noises. ‘Really now’ says Bono ‘if you’re concerned about my lyrical direction then I’m concerned about you.

We can only assume that this was an interview that strayed from the stated promotional machine course, it clearly make no fucking sense that the boys would be doing any interviews prior to a release announcement.

Hey who the fuck are we to say what is real or not. We call Bullshit on this interview.