Bono and The Edge make surprise appearance at charity gig

{ The Edge and Bono: Wave of Sorrow. See also: Desire. }

U2′s singer and guitarist showed up at the Mencap Little Noise Sessions at the Union Chapel in Islington, North London on Friday night. They were special guests on a bill including Biffy Clyro and We Are Scientists.

The event was hosted by BBC Radio 1′s Jo Whiley who introduced the pair to the 300 lucky people attending the charity show.

Playing Stay, Desire and Angel of Harlem, Bono dedicated the latter to Michael Hutchence on the tenth anniversary of his death.

Then he told the crowd: “About 20 years ago we started a tune that we never finished. We’ve just finished it. Just don’t tell Larry or Adam that we’ve played it.”

They ended their short set with Wave of Sorrow – the same song featured in last week’s little video clip.

Organiser Mencap is the UK’s leading learning disability charity.

Elsewhere:

• The Sun: Private Gig
• Mencap.co.uk

U2′s new, very pretty, Joshua Tree

Here’s a picture (and here’s more) of the extra superduper edition of U2′s 20th anniversary Joshua Tree release. Did you get it, or did you stick to the ‘ordinary’ double CD? How are you liking it so far?

Behold the wonder that is U2′s Red Hill Mining Town video

We know you have been waiting to see this for the past 20 years. Neil Jordan’s finest moment?

…

We’re speechless.

Bono and Stevie Wonder team up for Darfur Now documentary

Darfur Now is a newly released documentary about the struggles and achievements of six different individuals from inside Darfur, Sudan.

At the Darfur Now MySpace page you can, among other things, listen to Bono and Stevie Wonder’s song “Love Is In Need Of Love Today” which is used during the documentary’s end credits.

When will you send your eggs to India

Start the new week with some 30 second previews of all the tracks on the upcoming Joshua Tree release. There’s a widget for your blog or myspace, or listen to more tracks on the 7digital.com website. Or check out U2.com’s little video feature on ‘Waves of Sorrow’, one of the extra tracks on the release and listen to Bono explain what it’s about.

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Trent Reznor does Sunday Bloody Sunday

Nine Inch Nail’s Trent Reznor has teamed up with hip hop poet Saul Williams to produce the fabulously titled album ‘The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!’

The album contains a cover of U2′s Sunday Bloody Sunday. You can listen to the song on Williams’ MySpace.

Reznor and Williams have decided to follow into Radiohead’s footsteps by making the album available for free, or for 5 dollars, which ever you decide. You can choose to get either a 192kps MP3 version, a 320kbps MP3 version or lossless FLAC version. Hello! I think I hear a round of applause. “All files are 100% DRM free, and can be played on any device. MP3s are encoded with LAME v3.97 and love.” Amen.

Saul Williams on the choice of song:

I was an exchange student to Brazil when I was 16. Up until that point
in my life the ONLY music I listened to was Hip Hop. That year away
was pivotal, not only because I was at the heights of puberty in
Brazil….but also because it exposed me to more music than I ever
cared to listen to: along with all the Brazillian music which I still
treasure: Sinead O’Conner. Morrisey. New Order. Depeche Mode. And
definitely U2. The first time I heard Sunday Bloody Sunday, I was in a
club in Manaus which is a city in the middle of the Amazon. When I
heard those drums come through the speakers I was hooked. I think they
had played Blue Monday right before it. The kids were going wild. I
remember watching this dude dance, wishing I was as cool as him. That
song stuck with me. I suggested it to Trent as a possible cover
thinking he would hate it as an obvious choice. He loved the idea and
started working on the music immediately. The only music I added to
his composition ( aside from my O O O O Ode to Beyonce…..just
kidding) was the 808s. What’s the use of a hip hop head covering a
famous rock song without using 808s?

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Lanois on The Hour

Daniel Lanois talks to George Stroumboulopoulos

Got 20 minutes?

Take the @U2 Fan Survey 2007

The future

Bono: The Rolling Stone Interview : Rolling Stone