Brazil, take 2

U2′s second Sao Paulo show sold out in less than 8 hours. Sales were by telephone only, which caused a lot of stress to Brazilians fans because the telephone lines became jammed when sales began. The ticket service declared its call center received more than 600,000 phone calls in 7 hours.

Local TV Channel Globo has announced it will broadcast live from Morumbi Stadium, and the cable channel Multishow will also broadcast the same show.

Brazil gets Vertigo

Tickets for U2′s concert at São Paulo’s Morumbi Stadium on February 20th will go on sale next Monday. Ticket prices are:

• Campo/GA Field: R$ 200,00 (US$ 88)

• Tribuna/Stands: R$ 230,00 (US$ 101)
• Pão de Açúcar Emotion Kit (this is a combo that includes: Stands ticket + lunch + t-shirt + Cd HTDAAB): R$ 380,00 (US$ 167)

Tickets may be purchased online via Ticketronics.net and at Pão de Açúcar supermarket, which is the main sponsor, only in some branches of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The other sponsors are Siemens, CLARO, and Telefônica Speedy.

The local promotor has announced that as soon as the 73,000 tickets are sold, a second show will be added for Feb 21. He also confirmed that Franz Ferdinand will be the support act and that, in spite of rumours, a show in Rio de Janeiro will not be added.

Santiago concert details revealed by promoter

Today the Chilean promoter DG Medios announced the following details regarding the U2 concert in Santiago:

• Tickets will go on sale on Wednesday, January 11 at 14:00 p.m.
• The main sponsor is Ripley (a shopping mall).
• Tickets will be available for sale ONLY from Ripley’s and can be purchased online at www.ripley.cl. (Disregard the previously published information about tickets being sold via Ticketmaster.cl.)
• Ticket prices ranges from US$37 to US$335 (19.000 to 175.000 pesos)

Achtung Chile!

Attention Chilean fans! Tickets for the U2 show at Nacional Stadium in Santiago on February 26 will go on sale this weekend. Prices range from 20.000 pesos to 150.000 pesos. Like the Buenos Aires’ shows, Franz Ferdinand will be the supporting band. Keep checking Ticketmaster.cl for specific on-sale information.

Bonos Aires, part 2

Tickets for the second Vertigo concert in Buenos Aires on March 2nd will go on sale tonight at midnight through www.ticketek.com.ar. The only credit card allowed to purchase tickets is a VISA, as this is the main sponsor of the tour in Argentina. The other sponsors are Coca-Cola and Movistar.

Franz Ferdinand will open for the band at both shows.

It is rumoured that local TV channel Telefe will broadcast the second show for the Argentinean audience.

Top Hat Turns Bono Spanish

Bono opened the third annual MTV Video Music Awards Latin America last week via a pre-recorded video. Wearing a top hat and speaking in Spanish, Bono greeted the Latin audience in this way:

Senoras y Senores!
Pasen y vean!
llego el circo!
Bestias del Rock and Roll
Magos del Pop
Bandas en vivo y sin red
y la lengua más grande del planeta
Bienvenidos a los MTV Music Awards
Latin America two thousand and…1, 2, 3, 14.

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Bono Receives Neruda Medal of Honour

Radio Universidad de Chile reports Bono has been honoured with the Pablo Neruda Medal of Honour by the Chilean government in recognition of his contribution to music and humanitarian causes. This distinction has been awarded to 100 people around the world to mark the centenary of the birth of Pablo Neruda, Chile’s most famous poet.

Bono was presented with the medal by the Chilean Ambassador in Ireland, Alberto Yoacham, at a ceremony in the ambassador

Latin American Release Details

Universal Mexico has confirmed details of U2′s forthcoming releases in Latin America, specifically for the countries of Argentina, Chile, and Mexico.

“Vertigo,” the first single from U2′s forthcoming album, is scheduled to be released in Latin America on September 24. In Argentina, “Vertigo” will be a national release; in Mexico, it will be available only as an import. Chile, unfortunately, will not have a single release.

The new album will be released in Latin America on November 22 in the following formats:

Where Poets Speak Their Heart

Chilean Chancellor Soledad Alvear has announced activities to celebrate the centenary of poet Pablo Neruda. The activities include a wide range of cultural activities, such as lectures and meetings, around the world. Also, with the purpose of recognizing the influence of Pablo Neruda’s life and work in the artistic world, the Chilean Government will deliver 100 medals to the most relevant personalities in the cultural scene. Bono will receive a medal and a diploma signed by the Chilean President Ricardo Lagos on July 12th. Other medals are destined to Ernesto Sabato, Arthur Miller, Mario Vargas Llosa, Jose Saramago, and Mario Benedetti among others.