‘Cos They Needed The Cash

If you live in the United States, you’ll hopefully be paying less for the next U2 album — Universal Music Group, the conglomerate which owns Interscope Records (U2’s label), plans to cut its wholesale prices, lowering the suggested retail price of their discs to $12.98 from $18.98. The price change would reportedly take effect October 1st. Cross your fingers… (There’s no news yet on whether or not UMG will extend this policy to international markets.)

Legends of Music

U2 have been nominated in the category of Legendary Group Award for the Capital Gold Legends Awards, which honors outstanding contributions to the music industry over the past four decades. Also nominated in the same category are ABBA, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Bee Gees, Fleetwood Mac, The Four Tops, Queen, The Rolling Stones, and Simply Red.

The awards ceremony will be held in London on September 26. Register to win tickets to the ceremony at the Capital Gold Legends Award web site.

Bono’s Supermodel Pose

The Sun reports Bono is featured in a collection of celebrity portraits taken by supermodel Helena Christensen that will be exhibited at Proud Central Gallery in London. Christensen was commissioned by British ELLE and Levi Strauss & Co to create her first photography exhibition, which she has titled “People and Portraits.” Her photographs of Bono, Robbie Williams, Marianne Faithful, and Orlando Bloom (among others) will be auctioned in aid of the Terrence Higgins Trust, an AIDS charity. The free exhibition runs from September 5 to October 4. The photos may also be seen in the October edition of ELLE.

Update: The Terrence Higgins Trust has informed us that there is also a portrait of The Edge in the exhibition. Serious bidders may contact Jane Higgins to request a bidding form. The reserve price for each print is

Puppet Man

bonothepuppet.gif
Bono’s political career is the subject of a new book being written by journalist Aleksandar Mitic and designer Tony Dosen. The book, titled Bono the Puppet, attempts to answer the question, “Is Bono a hero with a vision or a 21st Century puppet whose vision has been blurred by partiality, deception, and profit?”

It’s unclear if Mitic and Dosen have found a publisher for their title, but their book proposal outlining the content may be read at their web site.