Lanois: Bono wanted ‘spiritual songs for the future’

Alan Cross on ExploreMusic.com’s blog has started posting the transcript of his interview with Daniel Lanois.

“We started in Fez Morocco because we wanted a musical and exotic location. One of my first conversations with Bono was one about future hymns—spiritual songs for the future—and he was at the opinion that Morocco would be a great crossroads for a universal feeling for the album.”

Read more on ExploreMusic.com

You can also listen to two brief soundbytes from the interview on AtU2.com in which Lanois reveals he’s seen the band’s preliminary set-drawings, including a 360-degree stage, with all the ‘artillery’ out of the sight line.

‘Shooting Peacocks up the arse’, vintage interview surfaces

Debbi Voisey of U2 fanzine “The Real Thing” has donated a phone interview given by Bono (Chicago, June 26th, 1997 on the first leg of the Popmart tour) to the U2 interview archive. This must have been one of the last fanzine interviews U2 have done, although I’m sure someone will correct me on that.

You can read her own introduction to the interview on her blog and listen to the interview on U2source.com.

Take your best shot…

… and send it to Matt McGee.

As you all know Matt runs atU2.com. Over the past few months he’s been busy writing his book ‘U2 – A Diary’ and he’s just handed in his manuscript – we know how that feels!. He’s now looking for pictures to illustrate the book. You’ll find all the details on his book blog. But he’s looking for the following in particular:

• The “fan displays” at the Vertigo Tour gigs.
• Photos of Bono changing his shoes during “I Will Follow” at the July 7, 2005, show in Berlin.
• Photos of the PopMart Lemon getting stuck in Oslo, August 1997.
• Photos of U2 fans in line at Point Depot for tickets, November 1989.

Think you can help?

U2 recording in Morocco

Bono applauds U.S. President Bush’s AIDS proposal says USA Today, which is all very nice, but what we really want to know is what the band is up to musically. Well fret no more, because the same interview reveals the boys are in the studio in Fez, Morocco, recording for their new album.

As atu2.com reported last week, Daniel Lanois was recently spotted hanging out with the band in a Dublin studio. We can confirm this and add the news that Lanois is not alone… his old friend ‘Ben O’Rian’ has come along for the ride. Allegedly.

Meanwhile, Fez-based blog ‘The View from Fez’ is trying to catch up with Bono.

Join the queue like everybody else

The BBC is blogging from the World Economic Forum in Davos. Their reporter Tim Weber mentions tight security on site:

‘Without a badge, you won’t get far here. For some, though, the staff might be tempted to make an exception. But they don’t. As I rush out of the conference centre to go to a briefing, Bono walks up and as he is without a bag or other accessories, he tries to jump the queue at the x-ray machine. But he is turned back firmly by a security guard. Just as she does so, she hesitates. “Bono?”, she asks. He nods. She smiles – but points him to the badge reader regardless.’

• More Bono in Davos on the BBC’s WEF blog.
• Washington Post: Blair, Bono tout helping Africa at forum
• Guardian blog: Hope and hot air

I-Wanna-Blog-for-U2log contest winner

We are pleased to announce the winner of our I-Wanna-Blog-for-U2log contest. Tim Nafus of New York City will receive an OTX Extreme Luau & Ticket Package, so he may attend and report on the final show of the Vertigo tour for U2log.com. Nafus won over the U2log.com editors with his impressive writing sample, which detailed how he can cook thirty-minute brownies in twenty minutes — among many other such important skills. Nafus was the only applicant who purchased beers for the U2log.com editors, which heavily influenced our decision.

We thank all the fans who entered the contest. Every submission entertained the U2log.com editors. We will be inviting many of the contest applicants to write content for the site in the future.

Aloha, Tim!

I-Wanna-Blog-for-U2log contest

Attention U2log.com readers! We have an assignment for you. We’re looking for one good fan to write a report on the final show of the Vertigo tour in Honolulu, Hawaii, on December 9. If you think you’ve got what it takes to be a U2log.com writer, enter our I-Wanna-Blog-for-U2log contest. The winner will receive one OTX Extreme Luau & Ticket Package, which includes admission to a luau hosted by actress Rosario Dawson on December 8 and a general admission ticket to the U2 concert on December 9 with Pearl Jam.

To enter, submit an example of your writing to us at iwannablog4u2log@gmail.com by Wednesday, November 29. You may write about anything you wish; the only requirement is it should entertain us. Please keep the length reasonable; we have short attention spans. The U2log.com staff will choose and notify the winner by Friday, December 1. U2log.com reserves the right to publish the winning entry.

Contest Requirements

1. You must be at least 21 years old to enter.
2. You must be a U2 fan. Duh.
3. You must be able to get yourself to Honolulu, Hawaii. The prize does NOT include travel and other expenses.

Before you enter the contest, please be sure that you have the means to get to Honolulu. We recognize that we are not giving much notice for anyone to make arrangements to travel. The OTX package was originally intended for use by one of the U2log.com editors; however, that person is unable to attend.

Other Mumbo-Jumbo

1. The prize has no monetary value. You cannot convert it to cash. Heck, we’d do that ourselves if we could.
2. The prize is non-transferable. You may not give it to your buddy or mom.
3. You are expected to deliver your report in a timely manner. Your report is the property of U2log.com.

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