He talked with host Jian Gomeshi about African aid, LiveAid, Live8, his new album, the sudden death of his sister and a brief story about his father and a broken-back Bono hobbling to the pub together.

If you, like me, had never really paid much attention to Sir Bob Geldof other than as Bono’s “African charity buddy” I’d strongly encourage you to watch/listen to the hour long interview.

Link to iTunes podcast video

Something to watch over the Christmas break while you wait for U2 to get back out on the road after opening their presents.

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Adam’s been talking to U2.com about recording ‘quite a lot of tunes’ during Bono’s recovery and ‘tossing a few out into the show’ (‘We could get four songs into the show’).

On a new album: ‘We’re kind of trying to break it up a bit, the idea of doing another big record and going away for a long time doesn’t appeal to us. But the idea of putting out tracks in the show and seeing what happens to them, and then maybe put out  a little EP at some point, these are all possibilities we’re thinking about.’

With a last minute announcement DJ Dave ‘Bookie’ Bookman conducted a short interview which covers among thing the roof of stadium being opened to benefit sound, the lighting of the CN tower, the birthday of B.B. King, the taping of “Spectacle” with Elvis Costello, Snow Patrol, working with Brian Eno on Unforgettable Fire, Michael Franti & seal noises (!)

To wind up the interview the DJ plays Moment of Surrender, which seems to leave Edge pleasantly surprised.

Listen back

Photo gallery

U2′s Clooney-esque tour director Craig Evans talks to Dublin FM104 News about the scope of the stage and the 360 tour, revealing that it is currently planned to last some 18 months, well into 2010. (via U2tour.de)

Shortly before their July 11 show in Paris, U2 talked to the France 2 television station: “It was always about getting closer to our audience.”

“The most potent way to tell a story is to have lived it. And if you’ve lived it, then you are speaking the truth. And when you speak the truth, a listener will feel that it is the truth. And therefore your story will be more contagious. And that’s what listeners look for in songs. They want to feel that the writer, the singer has lived it. And then they can experience the same feeling while entering the songs.”

Back in 2007, Brad Frenette from Canada’s National Post was invited into Lanois’ Toronto studio for a lesson in producing a song. It’s an interesting peek into the way U2′s producer works.

Ladies… hold on to your knickers hats. It’s Bono vs The Clooney on CNN next week. Tune in to hear Bono ask: “You recently slept with someone that I have a crush on … tell me about that?”

Clooney is being honored by Time magazine as one of the world’s 100 most influential people. Time asked Bono to write the profile, and CNN shot the interview for a Time 100/Anderson Cooper 360’ Special titled “The World’s Most Influential People.” It will air on CNN on May 1 at 11:00 p.m. ET.

Read more on CNN.com

Thanks to Absolute Radio UK for the heads up on their video of Bono and The Edge’s recent interview with them. And you can download the full audio podcast too.

Bono talks about taking on characters to write the songs on No Line On The Horizon: “I’d just kind of worn out my own biography or autobiography. The last two albums were very personal. And I’m not sure if I could bear it any more, let alone anyone else. The irony is, of course, as Oscar Wilde taught us, the mask reveals the man. So you end up in fancy dress revealing your true self. You end up in these very emotional places which you shouldn’t understand, but somehow do.”

There’s a 12-page interview with U2 in Ireland’s Hot Press magazine this week. The interview will eventually be available from HotPress.com, after the magazine goes off sale two weeks from now. Here’s a lovely hi-res image of the cover. And you can read an excerpt from the U2 interview on Hotpress.com now.