16 Shows pushed to 2011 -

Live Nation, promoter of the U2360° tour, today confirmed that 16 shows from Salt Lake City (June 3) to New Jersey’s Meadowlands Stadium (July 19), will be rescheduled for 2011.

The tour is the most expensive ever staged, and any postponement means its huge running costs - including the wage bill - still have to be covered.

“Although we understand the disappointment to U2 fans, first and foremost comes the recovery of Bono,” said U2 tour producer/promoter Arthur Fogel, CEO of Live Nation Global Touring, in a statement.

Details on rescheduled dates will be confirmed shortly, according to a statement.

The injury was sustained during tour preparation training.

According to the U2 Web site, Bono has now been discharged from Ludwig Maximilians-University (LMU) Hospital in Munich where he underwent emergency surgery. He is under doctor’s orders to start a rehabilitation program and to recuperate for at least eight weeks.

“Bono suffered severe compression of the sciatic nerve,” the site quotes Dr Muller Wohlfahrt. “On review of his MRI scan, I realized there was a serious tear in the ligament and a herniated disc, and that conservative treatment would not suffice. I recommended Bono have emergency spine surgery with Professor Tonn at Munich’s LMU University Hospital on Friday [May 21].”

Professor Tonn, who carried out the operation, added: “He was already in severe pain with partial paralysis in the lower leg. The ligament surrounding the disc had an 8mm tear and during surgery we discovered fragments of the disc had traveled into the spinal canal. This surgery was the only course of treatment for full recovery and to avoid further paralysis. Bono is now much better, with complete recovery of his motor deficit. The prognosis is excellent but to obtain a sustainable result, he must now enter a period of rehabilitation.”

Wohlfahrt said that “we are treating Bono as we would treat any of our athletes and while the surgery has gone very well, the coming weeks are crucial for a return to full health. In the next days, he will start a light rehabilitation program, with increasing intensity over the next 8 weeks. In our experience, this is the minimum time.”

North America Tour Postponed !

Speaking at the LMU University Hospital in Munich, Paul McGuinness has confirmed the postponement of 16 shows on the U2360° Tour from Salt Lake City on June 3rd, through to New Jersey’s Meadowlands Stadium on July 19th. Tour Promoters Live Nation are now rescheduling those dates.

Paul McGuinness said, ‘Our biggest and I believe best tour has been interrupted and we’re all devastated. For a performer who lives to be on stage, this is more than a blow. He feels robbed of the chance to do what he does best and feels like he has badly let down the band and their audience. Which is of course nonsense. His concerns about more than a million ticket buyers whose plans have been turned upside down, we all share, but the most important thing right now is that Bono make a full recovery. We’re working as fast as we can with Live Nation to reschedule these dates.’

Bono Discharged from Hospital

Bono has now been discharged from Ludwig Maximilians-University (LMU) Hospital in Munich where he underwent emergency surgery on Friday, following a back injury. In order to fully recover, he is under doctor’s orders to start a rehabilitation program and to recuperate for at least eight weeks.

Dr Muller Wohlfahrt confirmed, ‘Bono suffered severe compression of the sciatic nerve. On review of his MRI scan, I realized there was a serious tear in the ligament and a herniated disc, and that conservative treatment would not suffice. I recommended Bono have emergency spine surgery with Professor Tonn at Munich’s LMU University Hospital on Friday.’

Professor Tonn, who carried out the operation, added, ‘Bono was referred to me by Dr Muller Wohlfahrt late last week with a sudden onset disease. He was already in severe pain with partial paralysis in the lower leg. The ligament surrounding the disc had an 8mm tear and during surgery we discovered fragments of the disc had traveled into the spinal canal. This surgery was the only course of treatment for full recovery and to avoid further paralysis. Bono is now much better, with complete recovery of his motor deficit. The prognosis is excellent but to obtain a sustainable result, he must now enter a period of rehabilitation’.

Dr Muller Wohlfahrt continued, ‘We are treating Bono as we would treat any of our athletes and while the surgery has gone very well, the coming weeks are crucial for a return to full health. In the next days, he will start a light rehabilitation program, with increasing intensity over the next 8 weeks. In our experience, this is the minimum time.’

Bono returns to Ireland

Irish Central has reported that Bono will return to Ireland over the next few days to recuperate after his shock emergency back surgery.

The upcoming dates on U2’s 360 Tour have been shelved after Bono’s back was injured while the band was rehearsing in Germany.

Sources are remaining tight-lipped about the type of surgery and a statement is expected from the band over the next few days.

U2.com is telling fans only that Bono was “admitted to a specialist neuro surgery unit in a Munich hospital, and is under the care of neurosurgeon Prof. Dr. Jorg Tonn and Dr Muller Wohlfahrt

Source Irish Central -

We can not stress this point any harder ! Do not lose your tickets - No offical word has come from Live Nation as of 2:30 PM EST - 5/24/10

Dizzee and Coldplay 'Lined Up To Replace U2 At Glastonbury'

Alicia Keys: I want to sing with U2

ALICIA Keys revealed last night that she is hoping to follow her worldwide hit with Jay-Z by teaming up with even bigger names.

The singer spoke to The Razz ahead of her sell-out show at Glasgow’s SECC after appearing at the Radio 1’s Big Weekend in Wales.

And she is determined to eclipse the success of Empire State Of Mind by working with other rock legends.

Alicia said: “I have a little list. Prince is on it, M.I.A., Kings Of Leon and Maxwell. But I’ve always wanted to do something with U2.

“We are good friends and if we were to do something together, I think that would be really special.”

Alicia was thrilled to be back in Glasgow - her mum is half-Scottish - and insists her down-to-earth attitude is due to her mother’s heritage.

She said: “My mum and my gran are really wonderful. They gave me an example in the way that I was raised, to be considerate of others.

“That has given me a balance of how to be in this crazy world.

“I am most proud of being able to maintain who I am as a person.

“Of course, I have grown and changed in the way that comes with age but the actual person, who I have always been, I still am.

“There are places where the people are really good - Glasgow is one.

“There is a great vibe and the people are really open to what I do.”

Alicia recently sparked mania on the internet by launching an online search for a new blogger to work closely with her via website I Am A Superwoman.

She feels it is important to give women opportunities.

She said: “It is exciting to watch the site develop and come to life.

“We have been searching for our main head blogger, now we have thousands of people to look through.

“I am very excited about that coming together and becoming a part of people’s lives.

“I want to be a positive role model. There is so much negativity, in every story and in the news. Very rarely do we give anyone the good news.

“I’ve always wanted to be one of those bearers of good news. You can be a positive person, you can have a good life, it just depends on your outlook.”

Alicia has found herself thrust into the World Cup this year because of her Keep A Child Alive foundation, which helps AIDS-stricken kids and their families.

She said: “I am looking forward to going to Africa as part of the World Cup.

“So much of the work we do with Keep A Child Alive is based there. I am bringing five Americans and they will experience all the things that we have been able to do.

“It will be especially inspiring to see how it changes their lives.”



Planes,Trucks,and Crew.... Stand by

U2 Fans - 10:00 PM East Coast - We thought we better make a comment to those of you following the other millions of fans on twitter, facebook or your favorite social media source.

Rumors are running wild.  Lets start by saying NOTHING has been confirmed. Period. A friend, that knows a friend of a truck driver said what ? Come on now fans lets stop sending rumors around. We can tell you this for sure. Rehearsals will need a week. The stage will need a week.  U2 operates three steel crews within North Amerca. Currently all trucks are holding. Crew that has not arrived into Salt Lake has been told to wait in their home city for further updates.

As for rumors, we have done our homework on not posting, commenting or suggesting any rumors. We would like to ask that you follow us on twitter or facebook for the fastest real time updates.

U2 may cancel more concert dates

As word of Bono’s emergency surgery spread around the U2 fan base one thing was clear, this was going to be a long weekend. As fans began to plan their North American follow U2 began the long process of logistics.

Most of the 400 plus crew as due to arrive in Utah this coming week. Where from you ask ? Well pretty much all parts of the world.

Some crew members finished up gigs months ago and have been cooling their gig bags at home, waiting for this week to come.  When your in the concert business large super tours are hard to find. Its long term work and when you have the chance to jump on a super tour like this one, you run to the bus. Run fast ! 

In the case of Bono and the boys this was going to be the pay off for many. Mortgages paid in advance, Child Support all caught up, as well as a couple of other details. This is the lottery tour.

Crew members die to be on this tour. Bon Jovi, Van Halen (early days), Rolling Stones, The Police all mega shows earn big dollars for lots of people.

So its no surprise that the news of Bono’s surgery has left many wondering will the band be forced to cancel the tour until fall ?

The singer was injured when he fell on stage while rehearsing in Munich and was rushed to hospital where he was operated on.

He is said to be making a good recovery but plans for the tour, set to open in Salt Lake City in June, are now on hold.

Manager Paul McGuinness stated that the band will “reinstate the dates” that they will be forced to miss. It has not been a happy 50th birthday aftermath for Bono, who was hyped up about the resumption of the tour when he spoke at the American Ireland Fund dinner in New York two weeks ago.

Given Bono’s need to be highly mobile while on stage, a back injury and surgery could be very tough for him to overcome.

The tour resumption was set to feature several changes in the band’s on stage act. The U2 360 Tour had just paid for itself last year and was set to capitalize on very positive advance bookings when the injury happened to Bono.

We thought about it. We have choosen not to create any guess work. We will inform you as we know rather than spread rumors, guess work and frankly just crap. Here is what we can tell you bags, packed, street team ready, cameras, videos and hotels all booked. Now its up to God which we think that Bono and God happen to be pretty tight. So God we call on you.