Venue: Camp Nou
Main Set: Breathe, No Line On The Horizon, Get On Your Boots, Magnificent, Beautiful Day, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, Angel of Harlem, In a Little While, Unknown Caller, The Unforgettable Fire, City of Blinding Lights, Vertigo, I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Pride, MLK, Walk On, Where the Streets Have No Name, One
Encore(s): Ultraviolet, With or Without You, Moment of Surrender
Comments heard:Photo: Last show at Camp Nou -
U2 drummer Larry Mullen believes rich and successful people are being unnecessarily humiliated when coming in and out of Ireland, describing this as "part of a new resentment of rich people in this country".
"We have experienced [a situation] where coming in and out of the country at certain times is made more difficult than it should be - not only for us, but for a lot of wealthy people," he said. "So it wasn't personal. It was to do with the better-off being sort of humiliated."
Mullen was speaking in Howth the day before the Irish Sunday Independent exclusively joined U2 in Barcelona last week as they convened for final rehearsals for their world tour and to see for the first time the phenomenal 360-degree stage they have built.
There are exclusive interviews with all four of U2 in this week's Irish Independent.
Rehearsals wrapped up last night and here's a look at the set list. Remember we will be bringing the most current information from the tour thanks to our fans.
If God will send his angels
Drowning man
Sometimes you can't make it on your own
Sometimes you can't make it on your own (snippet, linked with) / Bad (incomplete)
Walk on
Walk on (instrumental)
Desmond Tutu speech
Ultraviolet
Where the streets have no name
Unknown song, reportedly sounded like chords from Seconds
I'll go crazy if I don't go crazy tonight (remix)
Pride (in the name of love)
(break)
Breathe
No line on the horizon
Get on your boots
Magnificent
Beautiful day
I still haven't found what I'm looking for
In a little while + Rocket man (snippet)
Unknown caller
The unforgettable fire + Strangers in the night (snippet)
City of blinding ligths
Vertigo
I'll go crazy if I don't go crazy tonight (remix)
Pride (in the name of love)
MLK
Walk on
Where the streets have no name
One
Ultraviolet
With or without you
Moment of surrender
Larry has been quoted as saying the opening night could go either way. Interesting reading in Rolling Stone or on U2TOURFANS.com - We are down to 6 days. Thats all for now ! News tonight from Spain !
1. The Spidey
If Bono were a bit younger, he could audition for the title character in his own Broadway show and get the part. In his never-ending desire to connect with his audience, Bono was notorious for climbing up, climbing down, or swinging from anything he could get his hands on, including light rigging, speaker stacks, fences, sculptures, and at the US Festival in the mid-'80s, the huge banner that hung behind the stage. While Bono insisted on defying gravity, the rest of the band were left to their own devices, continuing to play while no doubt shaking their heads in disbelief. Imagine what they're thinking during the band's Live Aid performance of "Bad," 11 minutes into a six-minute song: "You crazy #*%*#!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHnXOSxka1Q
2. The Hair Whisperer
In the late '80s, Bono got rid of his mullet and cut his hair into a shoulder-length pageboy. At first it was a jarring transition, until it became apparent that this hairstyle was the best bodily prop Bono ever had at his disposal, giving him more options than ever before or since. It started out innocuously enough, pulled back into a ponytail, but then it became a weapon whipping around his head, or sticking to the sweat on his face, causing Bono to compulsively run his fingers through his hair to smooth it away.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdceKu89SxY&NR=1
3. The Shackle
In the video for "With or Without You," Bono throws his arms straight up over his head and crosses them at the wrists for a literal interpretation of the line "My hands are tied/my body bruised..." Bono, I'd like to personally thank you for fueling my rock star fantasies with that particular visual.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdlPjAJFIrw
4. The Rockette
U2 likes to make a big entrance when they come out to play for their fans, and nothing was bigger than the Zoo TV tour. Bono and his mates tossed off every last vestige of their '80s personas and came roaring into the '90s in a blaze of leather and flickering blue light from an enormous wall of television screens. The Edge strikes the first notes of "Zoo Station," and Bono, looking cooler than cool, rises out of the darkness and executes a series of high kicks that rival any of those performed by the famed residents of Radio City Music Hall.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5omeaIIcbc
5. The Boxer
How do you top Zoo TV? Why, with PopMart, of course. Another big entrance by the band as the song "Pop Muzik" blares over the loudspeakers, they enter the venue by walking through the crowd, tuxedoed bodyguards and huge entourage in tow. In his white robe, hood pulled over his eyes, Bono does his best "Macho" Comacho or "Boom Boom" Mancini, jabbing and prancing his way to the ring. And while it may take a few minutes for the crowd to notice, no one seems to care once they realize the muscles aren't real.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1c7U-9gyPsw
6. The Bull
This move was worthy enough to be a part of both the PopMart and Elevation tours, for the song "Until the End of the World." Bono's fingers are his props here, representing the horns of a charging bull as Bono and The Edge attempt to slay each other with rock 'n' roll. The fans are the lucky winners in this dramatic fight to the finish.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5i9OuBJNdbI
7. The Turkey
U2 appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman in support of All That You Can't Leave Behind, shortly after the 9/11 disaster. The band paid homage to the city by playing "New York." True to form, Bono changed the lyrics of the song to fit the occasion, which was touching until, in an effort to become the Statue of Liberty, Bono places his outstretched fingers behind his head to form her crown. Does he evoke the famous symbol of freedom, or poultry in heat? Tough call.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXMSNRDcBMM
8. The Loaded Diaper
This move is most evident in the official "Beautiful Day" video, shot in and around the Charles De Gaulle airport in Paris, France. Anyone who's been a parent will recognize it immediately: Your very young child waddles up to you in a sort of half walk, half squat, clearly uncomfortable. With the camera at such a low angle, we get a most unfortunate view as Bono gives new meaning to the phrase "It's been all over you."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6FwEJwwYcQ
9. Crazy Samurai
During the Vertigo tour, Bono and Larry began the song "Love and Peace or Else" at the tip of the b-stage, while Adam and The Edge remained on the main stage. Larry plays the song on a single drum and cymbal, but at some point flees the scene and heads back to the safety of his kit. Bono takes the drumsticks and starts wailing away on that poor thing, doing his damnedest to smash it to bits. He gets so excited, he's also stomping his feet. Look out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEQSVihLdPo
10. The Upper GI
There's a point in every U2 show that makes you wonder if Bono's pre-show burrito was a bad idea. He hunches over, grabbing his middle or pulling his jacket tighter to his body, and he's clearly feeling something, but what? The song, or the burrito? Let's hope, for all of our sakes, that it's the song.
So in honor of hitting the official 50 day mark. Here are 50 things you did not know. (well maybe)
BONO, 44
1. Dropped out of school at 16
2. Sleeps four hours a night
3. Is a fan of George Bush (and finds him very funny); also likes Condoleezza Rice and is pro-Tony Blair
4. Wears a replica of a rosary given to him by the pope, who he calls "the funky pontiff"
5. Regrets having a mullet in the '80s
6. Gets in shape by boxing
7. Drives a beat-up Volvo
8. Keeps his beloved trademark bug-eyed "Fly" sunglasses he wore on the 1993 Zoo TV tour in safe storage in Dublin
9. Years before he was born, a psychic told his mother she would have a son who would be famous in whatever profession he chose
10. Got into so much trouble in high school that he was called "the Antichrist"
11. Gets late-night "firing squad" phone calls from the band after jumping into the audience or climbing scaffolding onstage
12. Is working with Brooklyn-based designer Rogan on a new line of blue jeans
13. Says he needs to be told he's loved 12 times a day
14. Has been married to his high school sweetheart Alison Stewart for 22 years, though she once threw him out of the house during a rocky stretch in their marriage
15. Was a character witness for R.E.M.'s Peter Buck when Buck was on trial for an air rage incident
16. Keeps an apartment on Central Park West
17. Has four children, ranging in age from 2 to 13
18. Gave Christy Turlington away at her wedding to Ed Burns
19. Is allergic to red wine
20. Quit dying his hair jet black because he was "starting to look like Roy Orbison"
ADAM CLAYTON, 44
21. Doesn't drive at night since he had Lasik surgery
22. Though he's not married, he was once engaged to Naomi Campbell
23. Served as best man at Bono's wedding
24. As a teenager, was kicked out of two schools for smoking, drinking and streaking
25. Kept the band together in the early '80s, when the three other members wanted to quit and devote their lives to God
26. Was charged with drunk driving in 1984 and marijuana possession in 1993
27. Says he is now completely sober
28. Admits that he hates responsibility
29. Was so wasted on the Zoo TV tour that the band's bass technician was forced to take his place for a whole show
THE EDGE, 43
30. Was the first member of the band to get married, to high school sweetheart Aislinn O'Sullivan, in 1985 (they're now divorced)
31. Now lives in Europe and in L.A., because his current wife, a belly dancer, is an American
32. Doesn't think Bono should allow himself to be photographed with the pope and George Bush, "and he knows it"
33. Wanted to be a doctor or an engineer growing up
34. U2 lore has it that he actually left the band in the early '80s for religious reasons
35. For years was teased about his record collection, which included nothing recorded before 1976
36. Is so proper that he calls Larry Mullen "Lawrence"
LARRY MULLEN, 43
37. He hates cats (he had a bad experience with one as a child)
38. Is called Dorian Gray by Bono because he has yet to age
39. Loves Echo & the Bunnymen
40. Like the Edge, has a son named Aaron
41. Considers Bono his best friend
42. Is teased for being cheap; U2's manager says Mullen "still has his First Communion money"
43. Worships Elvis Presley
44. Loves to hang out in secondhand record shops
45. Like Bono, he's been with his high school sweetheart since they were 13, although they're not married
46. Is a huge Irish football fan
47. Was painfully shy and still is the quietest member of the band
48. Suffers chronic back pain because he was never taught how to sit correctly at the drums
49. He "cannot tell a lie," according to Bono
50. Has been known to shun the tour bus in favor of traveling alone, on his motorcycle
1. Is everyone in the band married?
Bono is married to his high school sweetheart, Alison (Stewart), whom he wed on August 21, 1982. Edge married Aislinn O'Sullivan in July, 1983. They separated in the early 90s and divorced in 1996. Edge married Morleigh Steinberg, the second belly dancer from the Zoo TV tour, on June 18, 2002, in Dublin. (A public ceremony was held June 22 in the south of France.) Larry is single, but has a longtime girlfriend in Anne Acheson. Their relationship apparently goes back to the late 70s. Adam is also single, but was briefly engaged to supermodel Naomi Campbell in 1993. He has most recently been spending personal time with longtime Principle Management girl Suzanne Smith.
2. How many kids do they each have?
Bono and Ali have two daughters, Memphis Eve and Jordan, and two sons, Elijah Bob Patricius Guggi Q (yes, his real name) and John Abraham. Edge has four daughters and a son: daughters Holly, Arran, and Blue Angel with Aislinn; and daughter Sian and a son named Levi with Morleigh Steinberg. Larry and Anne are the proud parents of a son, Aaron Elvis, and a daughter named Ava. They also have a third child, a boy, but the name is not known as of this FAQ update.
3. When are their birthdays?
Adam is the oldest, born March 13, 1960. Bono was born May 10, 1960. Edge was born on August 8, 1961, and Larry is the youngest, born October 31, 1961.
4. Do they have any pets?
Bono has two German Shepards, their names are Fanny and Angel. Edge had a dog called Fleetwood, but it ran away. He actually showed a picture of the dog on TV during an interview, to try and get the dog back. Larry dog J.J.died, as evidenced by the "J.J. (R.I.P.)" message in the liner notes of Pop. He also has a pet named Missy. Adam has a dog named Colin.
5. How tall is Bono?
He's not.
In previous versions of the FAQS, their heights were listed as: Bono 5'-8, Edge 5'-10, Adam 5'-10, and Larry 5'-7. These were supplied years ago by someone associated with the U2 World Service, making them the closest thing to "official" we have. But each height listed is generally considered to be a couple inches too tall by fans who have stood next to a band member. Bono's friend Gavin Friday has let it slip that Bono is 5'-6-and-a-half.
6. Are U2 Christians?
In a word: yes.
Longer explanation: In the band's early years, it was no secret that Bono, Edge, and Larry were very active in their faith. For a time in the early 80s, the three joined a religious group called Shalom, and struggled for some time to reconcile their beliefs with the rock and roll lifestyle. Songs such as "Gloria", "40", and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" are very open in their religious and spiritual overtones. In more recent years, Bono has not worn his faith on his sleeve as openly as he did in past years. But to examine things such as Zoo TV, the Mirrorball Man, and MacPhisto, and to take the lyrics of songs such as "Wake Up, Dead Man" and others, and draw the conclusion that Bono (and U2) are no longer believers is to completely miss the point. These things were not U2 embracing the dark side, it was U2 exposing the dark side. As Bono often quoted, "Mock the devil and he will flee from thee." The message has not changed over the years ... but sometimes it's been a little harder to find.
If all that's not enough, various band members have said in recent interviews that they ARE still believers. Here's a quote from Bono during his appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, September 20, 2002:
I'm a believer, but religion is the thing when God, like Elvis, has left the building. But when God is in the house, you get something else. I'm happy in a Catholic cathedral or a tent show down in the South with gospel music.
Here's another quote from Bono, this time in response to a student who asked how Bono's faith informs his activism. It's from a Q&A session during DATA's "Heart of America" tour in late 2002:
"I'm not a very religious person. I'm a need to practice much more Christian. I'm uncomfortable in churches because the Christ I love and read about in the Gospels is often not in the churches. Remember, I come from Ireland and I've seen the damage of religious warfare. I am a believer. I don't wear the badge on the outside but it is on the inside."
And in December, 2002, Hot Press magazine asked Edge about his faith:
Yourself, Larry and Bono were all members of the Shalom Christian prayer group in the early days of U2. Are you still religious?
I still have a spiritual life, but I'm not really a fan of religion per se. You know, what I believe is very much what I ended up coming to. It's not a doctrine that is connected to any church or any religious group. It's very much my own personal thing.
Are you raising your kids as Catholics?
Em . . . technically yes, but again I'm not in favour of presenting something that I think is ultimately very personal in any kind of fundamental way. I think it's really up to everyone, when they reach a certain age, to figure it out for themselves. You know, they are Catholic in terms of their upbringing or whatever, but really they'll decide themselves what they wanna believe, when they get older.
Hopefully these quotes answer the question adequately.
7. Didn't Adam get arrested for doing drugs?
In August, 1989, Adam was arrested near his Dublin home and charged with possession of marijuana and with intent to supply marijuana to another person. Less than a month later, he appeared in court and admitted to possessing 19 grams of marijuana. The intent-to-supply charge had already been dropped by the State. Under Irish law, the prosecution agreed to apply the Probation of Offenders Act, which allows defenders to make contributions to charity in return for a dismissal of charges without conviction. Adam agreed to pay £25,000 to the Women's Aid Refuge Centre and there is no mention of this incident on his record. [M2]
8. Is it true that Larry almost had to quit the band because of a hand injury?
In late 1986, Radio 2 in Dublin picked up a story from the Daily Mirror that Larry Mullen was in a New York hospital having emergency surgery on his hands, and that if the surgery didn't work it would be the end of Larry's career as a drummer. The story was picked up by other news sources reporting that Larry was indeed in a New York hospital and that it might be the end of his career.
The U2 office was quick to respond when they were actually called for comment. The spokesperson at the time responded "No, it's not true. Yes, he does have a problem with his hand. It's not piano hand. And it's not going to impinge on his career." Larry at the time was actually working in the studio on The Joshua Tree album and not in a hospital room in New York.
In a later interview with Hot Press, Larry spoke extensively of his problems with his hands. He admitted to having to wear a cast which could be removed for live performances during the Amnesty International Tour. He's had cortisone injections which didn't cure the ailment, and he was taking anti-inflammatory pills for the problem at the time of the interview, which were helping him deal with the problem.
As recently as the Elevation Tour, Larry was wearing compression bandages on his wrists as he performed. This is likely a sign that the problem continues to bother him, but to my knowledge he's never had to undergo surgery for the problem, nor has it affected his career some 17 years after it was first announced.
9. What about the story about Larry taking injections of bulls' blood -- is that true?
According to Bill Flanagan's book, U2 At the End of the World, it is true. (Or at least it was in the early 90s during the time period chronicled in the book.)
"Bono says Larry tried different doctors without success until he went to a German who brought in a holistic healer who started giving Larry shots of bull's blood. That did the trick! Larry's Irish doctor refuses to accept it - he looks at X rays of Larry's crooked spine and says it's impossible, but Larry feels fine. He flies to Germany for shots of bull's blood regularly."
10. Is it true that Bono has had his chest shaved?
Yes. Bono had to have an exam for his insurance company. He had too much chest hair for the doctor to be able to hear his heartbeat so they shaved part of it off. That's where the story comes from.
Deconstructing Larry: the creative tension behind U2
Irish Independent, January 14, 2009
On first glance it looked like the multi-million U2 bubble was finally about to burst. U.K. music magazine Q conducted four separate interviews with Bono, Larry Mullen, Adam Clayton and The Edge for their new issue.
So far so good -- except that when finally given a chance to air his world views at length, drummer Larry unleashed what seemed like a broadside on Bono, his politics and his seemingly non-stop humanitarian campaign work.
Larry is best known as a backroom boy, even though it was he who formed the band all those years ago in Mount Temple School on Dublin's Malahide Road. To begin with, it was his band and they all deferred to him. In fact, they apparently still do, to a certain extent.
Larry is the no-nonsense sticksman who prefers to keep his private life out of the spotlight, is extremely protective of his family and is usually the one to cry halt to the other three when things are getting a little bit out of hand.
Larry rarely gives interviews, with himself and bassist Adam Clayton seemingly happy to leave all that extra work to the loquacious frontman Bono and stoic guitar ace The Edge.
Therefore, it was all the more surprising to read Larry declaring that he believes former British Prime Minister Tony Blair should be tried as a war criminal over the Iraq invasion.
"Then I see him and Bono as pals, and I don't like that," he said. But according to Larry, Bono is well aware of the drummer's political views, which seem to be at the opposite end of the spectrum to his own.
And Larry went on to state how Bono is using his weight as a celebrity at great cost to himself and his family, to help other people.
"I don't think there's much of an upside to it for him, I don't think he chooses where he goes and who he meets. But as an outsider looking in, I cringe."
While the above statement could possibly be interpreted as an implication that Bono is neglecting his family and even the band, according to a close friend of the quartet, who are all now rapidly approaching 50, Larry's words were actually spoken in a tone of admiration for the singer.
Since they first came together over three decades ago, the four members of U2 have always enjoyed robust debates and discussions. They have been known to argue vehemently over music, tours, attitude and direction. Despite the high profile of Bono, they have somehow remained a democracy -- of some kind. And when somebody doesn't like something, they are quick to speak out, without caring about the consequences.
At the time of recording their last album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, in their Dublin studios on Hanover Quay, Larry exclaimed in an interview that Bono's constantly having to take off somewhere on his charity work was slowing down their progress in the studio. The only solution for them at the time was to continue to keep on working with the producers until he returned. Which he always did.
The friend said: "The relationship between the four of them is really like a marriage. Sometimes we've expected to see blood and guts on the floor when an argument kicks off at a meeting or in the recording studio.
"But I think that is what keeps them going. They're pulling in four directions all the time and it somehow seems to fuel their creativity, their purpose and their mission."
In the early days of U2, Bono and Larry were actually the closest in the band and used to bunk in together back in the days when sparse finances necessitated cheap twin rooms on the road instead of suites. And insiders believe that in some strange way they possibly still are the closest.
But they hardly ever socialise together now when they're not working. While Bono regularly hits the town with old childhood pals Guggi and Gavin Friday, and occasionally The Edge, Larry prefers to spend time in his retreat in Howth with his family.
While Bono, his wife Ali and pals are photographed every summer with supermodels and Hollywood superstars in the south of France, Larry and his family are never pictured with them. But then neither is Adam Clayton, who reportedly spends a lot of his time abroad with his current girlfriend whenever U2 take a break.
But the ever-so-slightly serious Larry revealed: "When I'm finished on a Friday, I'm straight home to see my family. That's my choice. So we spend less time together on a social level. We're still friends, but it's a lot more difficult now.
"It's not the four guys fighting the world. That doesn't exist anymore. The opportunity to just sit around the pub and have a pint and talk about nothing doesn't happen as often as it should."
And in a way Larry probably does miss the old days when they could pop around to the famous Dockers pub beside the old Windmill Lane studios for a pint, one of their famous sausage sandwiches and a quiet chat, with only the occasional foreign fan dropping in to distract them for an autograph.
"I liked it (back then) because it created a bond that was unshakeable. Because the studio can be a difficult environment to work in, when people get het up and passionate. And when people become passionate they become difficult. So the further away you go from confirming your friendship, the harder it is."
Larry has stubbornly remained the only group member to stay based on their native northside. His house looks out on the beach and he has also quietly bought up nearby properties to safeguard his privacy.
The enigmatic Clayton, who has been teetotal for many years now, lives in the Daneswood mansion in Rathfarnham, while Bono lives in Killiney and The Edge lives in Dalkey.
It sounds like the forthcoming album No Line On the Horizon is the result of much hard work and blood, sweat and tears in the numerous recording studios where it was made.
The first single off the album, "Get On Your Boots," will be performed live by the band at the Brit Awards in Earl's Court, London, on February 18. U.S. rock bible Rolling Stone described it as "a blazing fuzzed-out rocker which picks up where 'Vertigo' left off."
The album was initially to be produced by the legendary American knob-twiddler Rick Rubin, the man who turned the late Johnny Cash's career around for the last 10 years of his life.
But the sessions didn't work out quite as expected, and they subsequently called in Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, who have worked with them since The Unforgettable Fire in 1984. And they are quick not to blame Rubin, who apparently just has a different method of working in the studio than the Dublin supergroup.
Former Roxy Music member Eno and New Orleans legend Lanois were also involved in some of the writing process, and sessions took place in the south of France, Morocco, London and, to a small extent, Dublin. It was initially supposed to be released last November but was put back until the end of February as all concerned felt that they could do better.
But Larry isn't the only one to sometimes get concerned by Bono's extra-curricular activities. Bono revealed: "Edge always says to me, 'You're an artist, remember that. You're not a politician.'
"But if you've looked into the face of a mother whose daughter or son has died for no good reason, they don't know or care who is president of America. It's something that once you're a witness to, you can't get it out of your head and so you don't take s**t on their behalf."
And when asked why the now veteran band don't just go out and play all the old hits, Bono is adamant in his response.
He said: "Chemistry is a very peculiar thing. As you get older, males want to be lords of their own domain.
"They rid the room of argument and miss out on the friction that caused the spark of their genius. The really sad and pathetic thing is me and Edge have two sons around the same age whose names rhyme -- Eli and Levi. God forbid they should ever form a band, Eli and Levi. It's like a bad joke."
But Larry's comments seem to have caused little worry to Bono, who was out partying last Saturday night with his coterie of close friends. They hit Lillie's Bordello, their favourite late night haunt, and according to onlookers, Bono was in sparkling form and enjoying a few beers, as well as strutting his stuff on the dancefloor for a few numbers.
Larry was probably tucked up in bed at home by then, dreaming bad dreams about Tony Blair and George W. Bush, and how to keep the band on the straight and narrow, without any detours and compromises. Good on him!
© Irish Independent, 2009.
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