Critics, Fans and Tour
Musicians have a love hate with critics and those that claim to be in the industry with knowledge of what the "fan" wants. This weekend NYT blog has some pretty interesting comments about the up coming tour, the band and the "uncertain" album.
U2 fans have been lucky that the band has already turned a deaf ear to what critics say or those that want to say "its time to call it a day"
The fact that the boys are so what healthy and that while so fans would like more cities added to the tour most understand that its better to have a few cities and a healthy band with great shows then canceled shows. Its not easy being the worlds greatest band.
This summer tour season has a couple of BIG bands out on the road. Rolling Stones, Greatful Dead, Van Halen just to name a few. For most this would be the " Summer of Love" the big blow out. However not for U2, this is the summer to give audiences a chance to really soak in the new album a possible taste of the next album.
This will be a pretty busy week with U2 news almost daily. Download our newest app for the most current updated news and the show fan connect feature.
Every Breaking Wave, Trouble and Irish filmmaker
The violence of Northern Ireland in the 80’s has been a theme for U2 within many of their songs. This short film inspired by the newest tracks from “Songs of Innocence” opens on a group of Catholic lads goofing off before hitting a punk club, where one boy, Sean, catches the eye of a crowd-surfing girl, Sandra. She catches up with the Sean after the show, stealing his cigarette as he lays in the street with a friend, who later informs him the she's a Protestant. Nevertheless, the couple comes together to the tune of "Every Breaking Wave," but scenes of their budding romance are undercut with outbursts
In the aftermath of the arrest, Sean isolates himself from Sandra and prepares to join forces with a group of Catholic militants. During a meeting, however, Sean answers a knock at the door and finally reunites with Sandra — but their moment is cut short when a bomb goes off. Amidst the smoke and rubble, the pair find each other and together, lift an injured friend off the ground while U2's "The Troubles," also off Songs of Innocence, begins to play.
U2 band member The Edge has praised Aoife’s work labeling it “extraordinary”.
"The Aoife McArdle short film expands on the theme of Songs of Innocence which was largely rooted in our experience growing up in the early eighties in Dublin. Aoife chose west Belfast in the same period, as it was the neighborhood that was so formative to her,” he said.
The Edge is not Aoife’s only notable fan.
Academy Award nominated filmmaker Spike Jonze, said of Aoife McArdle's short film, "I was really taken with this film. She captured that feeling and size of life of being a teenager and of first love so well. She drifts between the reality of friends and first love into fantasy so effortlessly and romantically. It's a perfect little gem of a romance movie."
Aoife has previously directed music videos for James Vincent McMorrow and Simian Mobile Disco.
The London-based talent plans to move back to her native Belfast soon to work on her first feature film. “A lot of films in Northern Ireland don’t get shot in Northern Ireland, which is quite strange. A lot of people feel like it’s too close to the bone to go there. Or are too afraid to go there. I don’t know why.”
The band will embark on the ambitious Innocence + Experience World Tour this May download the tour app to keep up on all of the tour news, set lists and more.
U2's Grammy Rich History
Current Nominations
2014 - 57th Annual GRAMMY Awards
Best Rock Album
Past GRAMMY Awards
2005 - 48th Annual GRAMMY Awards
Album Of The Year
Winner
How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
Song Of The Year
Winner
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
Winner
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
Best Rock Song
Winner
City Of Blinding Lights
Best Rock Album
Winner
How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
2004 - 47th Annual GRAMMY Awards
Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
Winner
Vertigo
Best Rock Song
Winner
Vertigo
Best Short Form Music Video
Winner
Vertigo
2001 - 44th Annual GRAMMY Awards
Record Of The Year
Winner
Walk On
Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
Winner
Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of
Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
Winner
Elevation
Best Rock Album
Winner
All That You Can't Leave Behind
2000 - 43rd Annual GRAMMY Awards
Record Of The Year
Winner
Beautiful Day
Song Of The Year
Winner
Beautiful Day
Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
Winner
Beautiful Day
1994 - 37th Annual GRAMMY Awards
Best Music Video, Long Form
Winner
Zoo TV - Live From Sydney
1993 - 36th Annual GRAMMY Awards
Best Alternative Music Album
Winner
Zooropa
1992 - 35th Annual GRAMMY Awards
Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
Winner
Achtung Baby
1988 - 31st Annual GRAMMY Awards
Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
Winner
Desire
Best Performance Music Video
Winner
Where The Streets Have No Name
1987 - 30th Annual GRAMMY Awards
Album Of The Year
Winner
The Joshua Tree
Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal
Winner
The Joshua Tree
Hello, World!
U2 Every Breaking Wave Offical Video
The biggest classic-U2 ballad on Songs of Innocence. "Wave" was originally slated for Songs of Ascent (the abandoned follow-up to No Line on the Horizon); the band played a radically different, stripped-down version a few times in 2010. They've since fleshed it out dramatically, completely re-written the chorus and tinkered with some of the verses. Songs of Innocence isn't a full-on concept record about the band's youth – the lyrics to "Wave" appear to deal more adult concerns: a long-term relationship, distractions, and the struggles that come from both: "Are we ready to be swept off our feet?/And stop chasing/Every breaking wave"
Billboard ranked this song #3 on their top 50 for 2014 saying the emotional centerpiece of Songs of Innocence is a stark, shimmering ballad that recalls "With or Without You" in its searching power. "Are we so helpless against the tide?" Bono asks, staring down time's passage. The music answers back with gently heroic uplift, giving him the salvation he seeks.
New Year Brings New Music and More
The year is coming to a close and this surely was an interesting year. We have had our share of rumor stories, release dates, tour dates and push back dates and yet it all seemed to work out in the end.
The album release was interesting, who would have thought about releasing an album for free worldwide on iTunes would have caused such a stir among music fans.
Next we had a scheduled appearance on "The Tonight Show" canceled because Bono was tooling around Central Park and no one seemed to notice. The Edge said it was because he was disguised as a Hasidic Jew.
Which later was proven untrue. This week filming the next video, it seemed a bit to noisy for the locals and yet production remained on schedule. Now we heard that Songs of Experience will be released early next year. No idea how they plan to release it.
We at U2TOURFANS have been busy too. We have redesigned our website to be more of an interactive place for fans to be able to engage in community interaction with other fans. We launched our forum community both versions now available. The community is rather small right now however we do expect it to grow. We also made a call out for our tour street team to support the shows coming up. You still have time to sign up and be apart of the fun. Our tour pages have been built and ready to publish tour news by location.
We do have to announce that we have reached a major mile stone. We have had over 10 Million interactive U2 fans engaged during the year. This was outstanding ! Finally we have been working on something pretty big for next year. We believe this will put all our properties together in a single easy to use environment. We have made some new partners over the years and we believe that we are ready to launch the next phase of U2TOURFANS. We hope you come along for the ride.
Cheers Mates, May the season be a blessing to you and your family and may you find joy and peace within each tune you play.
Next U2 Album in 18 Months
U2 plan to release a new album in just 18 months. Titled 'Songs of Experience', lined up for next release.
Bassist Adam Clayton told the new issue of Rolling Stone magazine: ''We're hoping 'Songs of Experience' will be less about intimacy and more about a celebration of sorts.''
Clayton's band mate Bono has also revealed an album called 'Songs of Ascent' - a record he previously claimed would be the follow-up to 2009's 'No Line on the Horizon' - could still be released as part of a trilogy of themed LPs.
The singer said: '''Songs of Ascent' will come. And there are some beautiful songs.''
The band also revealed they scrapped a completed version of 'Songs of Innocence' entirely produced by Danger Mouse because it didn't sound how a U2 record should sound, and instead changed some tracks with Ryan Tedder, Paul Epworth, Declan Gaffney and Flood.
U2 Blasted ! Summer 2015 !
Now that we have had a few days to dig into the album and take a listen it seems that some fans have found their way to the the top of the food chain to blast the boys on a free album release on Apple. Calling them "Sell outs" Rich old dudes" and "Lame" Change is not always good for everyone. Some view change as a departure from what is safe and secure throwing anger towards it makes them feel better. We guess.
Fan pages have been popping up all over the place offering suggestions of when the next tour might happen. Its really comes down to availability of locations around the word and routing the band in the right direction to make the most money possible on the road. This will take time. We heard that we should not expect anything sooner than 2015 and it will run always out into 2016.
We u2 fans really did not know how close to over this really was. Yes over, finished, done and final. Not talking about the music; talking about the band. Sources ( hate when we say this, however we have been asked to not say who) close to the band say that this has been a challenging time for them. This album has had a lot of start and stops and a lot of redirection, to the point that it pulled the boys apart for a bit. Now truth be told that any labor of love will cause some drama and the suggestion that the boys may end this ride seem as possible as humm what ? Marriages are challenging and the boys have been marriages along time; let them have their private fights and lets just enjoy the music.
We at U2TOURFANS have a lot in store for you. We are going to gear up a massive U2 touring team that will provide the best coverage of the band, videos, and concert news possible. Watch for over the next few weeks our brand new community center.
Cheers
U2 Songs of Innocence and Experience
U2 released their 13th studio album yesterday (gosh we had hoped for the title Lucky 13) “Songs of Innocence” considered a surprise release and a super surprise “free” download.
The marketing machines have really gone back and pulled out some old tricks for this one. However, that is not of interest to most U2 fans.
What really matters is the music! Yea I could use the terms “gestation” “delay” “lack of focus” however who really gives a crap about that when the music has arrived to us via iTunes just waiting for us to download.
Gene Simmons said Rock is dead, well U2 most not have gotten the funeral notice; this album is brilliant, fluid, bold and most of all fresh with tip of the hat to the past. Lets call this a reconnection to their past and to future audiences.
Bono and Edge created visions of a punk rock era and provided some balance for those that have yet to embrace the concept of punk rock.
Keeping it simple as to grab the attention of the youth today and U2’s attempt to remain relevant may cause some U2; fans to think that void commercialism and stay true to their roots.
U2 is not a band that stands on past performances and while no tour dates announced surely we will see the boys across the world in 2015.
Time will tell if Bono has met his goal to stay relevant and if fans embrace “Songs of Innocence”. I at first glance believe that we got our chance to see lighting in a bottle again. I am sure to have more to say about this over the next few weeks. Bono did drop us a note updating on the next album to be released called " Songs of Experience"
We’re collaborating with Apple on some cool stuff over the next couple of years, innovations that will transform the way music is listened to and viewed. We’ll keep you posted. If you like Songs of Innocence, stay with us for Songs of Experience. It should be ready soon enough… although I know I’ve said that before…
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