Bono and Edge greet fans in Vancouver

Reader Morgan Uren reports about 30 fans who were waiting outside Vancouver’s GM Place got a treat Saturday afternoon when Bono and Edge visited with the fans after U2′s rehearsal at the venue. According to Morgan, Bono and Edge greeted each of the fans individually, and Bono — like a campaigning politician — kissed one fan’s baby before the band departed.

Thanks to Morgan for sharing her photos.

[Click on images for enlargements.]

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Bono and Ali to appear at Saks

U2log.com has confirmed that Bono and Ali will be making an appearance at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York City tomorrow (Friday, March 11) to officially launch Edun in America. This week the Hewsons’ fair-trade clothing line will begin to appear on the racks at 46 Saks stores across the country, as well as at Barneys New York.

Although a spokesperson for Saks confirmed the Hewsons’ appearance at the flagship store and their participation in a press conference with the fashion media, she was unwilling to divulge the specific time when all the fun will happen. Our crystal ball, which has been fairly accurate in the past, predicts the appearance will occur in the early afternoon.

We encourage NYC fans who scope out the scene at Saks tomorrow to contact us with their pics and stories.

The only helpful hint of information we have is the Edun line will be located on the fifth floor at Saks.

Update: our reader Matt reports: “Couldn’t get into Saks. Saks closed its doors at 7pm for a private invite only bash. Only a few fans were waiting outside the 5ave entrance Bono and Ali snuck in another entrance while Gavin Friday walked right up to the front door. After 3 and half hours standing out in the cold I went home. The outside windows displayed LIVE models modeling the new Edun line. Cool clothes though.”

Classical Gas

The Guardian in the UK recently wrote a piece on “hit song science,” or HSS, a new statistical analysis of pop singles that claims to predict their hit potential with startling accuracy. (Hmmm, we sez, hmmmm.) The article contained this fascinating U2-related tidbit:

It’s all in the clusters, you see. Hit songs, typically, fall into one of a number of groupings – there are around 50 in the US and 60 in the UK where, traditionally, tastes have been more diverse. Belonging to the same cluster does not mean songs sound the same, though, more that they are mathematically similar. And the analysis has thrown up some very unlikely musical bedfellows: Some U2 songs are in the same cluster as Beethoven, while spandex ultra rocker Van Halen sits right alongside MOR piano babe Vanessa Carlton.

(Thanks, Pasi)

U2 shoot video on Dublin’s Grafton Street

U2 grabbed their hometown by the short and dangly bits on Thursday, filming part of their video for their upcoming release ‘Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own’ in the heart of the city, on Grafton Street.

Patrick Lynch reports for U2log.com:

It could have been just another ordinary December day in Dublin’s Grafton Street. Indeed as I rushed along the street that’s exactly what it seemed like. But beyond the hordes of shoppers, the Christmas tree lights and carol singers, any U2 fan would soon find what they were looking for.

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On The Streets, Again

U2 are once again on the streets of Dublin today, filming a video on Grafton Street at this very minute (additional footage for “Sometimes…” we’re now told; they’ve filmed in other locations throughout the capital as well). U2log has a reporter on the scene, and we’ll hopefully be bringing you more details soon.

No Memphis Blues for Bono

Bono is in Memphis, Tennessee, to be honored by the National Civil Rights Museum with its 2004 Freedom Award.

Accompanied by his wife and daughters, Bono spent Monday morning at a public forum at Memphis’ historic Temple Deliverance Church, where an African group entertained, a local girls’ choir sang “Pride (In the Name of Love),” and he and Representative John Lewis (D-Ga), who will also be honored with a Freedom Award tonight, spoke about civil rights, AIDS, and poverty.

After the forum, Bono and his family toured the National Civil Rights Museum, where they were allowed to walk out onto the balcony of the Lorraine Motel, the location of Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination.

Bono took time in the afternoon to participate in a short press conference with Rep. Lewis, where he addressed questions about possibly having to work with new leadership in America. After acknowledging both President Bush’s and Senator Kerry’s cooperation on the AIDS initiatives he supports, Bono said, “I plan to be a pain in their ass, no matter who wins.”

U2log.com will publish a full report on the forum, press conference, and tonight’s banquet and award ceremony in the near future.

We can share now that we did manage to get a moment of Bono’s time alone between events, and he had one thing on his brain: U2′s new album. Repeatedly he told us, “You’re going to love the new album! You’re gonna die. It’s so good!”

Bono’s Worldly Affairs

As U2log.com reported earlier, Bono will speak on the topic of global poverty and AIDS at the World Affairs Council International Speaker Series event in Portland, Oregon, next Wednesday (Oct. 20). The event, which will take place at Rose Garden Arena, is open to the public. Tickets are still available to purchase through Ticketmaster.

As a bonus to the program, ticketholders are offered the unique opportunity to submit a question for Bono through the World Affairs Council of Oregon’s web site. This will be Bono’s only public speaking engagement in the Northwest this year.

Bono Boogies

How does one close a day in which one speaks to a political party about the importance of aiding Africa? By booging down, of course!

Last Wednesday, after his address at the Labour Party Conference in Brighton, Bono headed to London to catch a DJ set by his friends Gavin Friday and Guggi at Soho’s Nag Nag Nag club. There he enjoyed the masterful spinning of tunes with the likes of Shane MacGowan and a pack of Virgin Prunes fans who had spent their afternoon queueing to get Friday’s and Guggi’s signatures on the Virgin Prunes’ re-releases at a London record store.

Good times. Good company.

Bono Does Brighton

In his continuous quest to save the continent of Africa, Bono addressed delegates at the Labour Party Conference in Brighton, England today, calling on Tony Blair and Gordon Brown to use the UK’s presidency of the G8 and EU in 2005 to lead an international campaign to tackle the continent’s poverty and health crises.

A transcript of Bono’s speech is available at DATA. RealVideo of Bono’s speech is available at U2exit.com.
(Photo: Reuters)

The Edge Performs with Macca at Irish Gala

This past weekend The Edge performed alongside Paul McCartney at a fundraiser event recognizing the tenth anniversary of Barretstown, an Irish children’s cancer organization.

The Beatle and U2 guitarist offered up a version of Buddy Holly’s “Peggy Sue” to the 300 guests gathered for the organization’s gala ball. (McCartney purchased the rights to all of Holly’s music in 1976.) The guitar McCartney used during their performance was later auctioned for EUR 55,000.