Mates, Dames and Prunes – Gavin Friday and Friends

Gavin, Bono, Shane McGowan

We’re still recuperating from our whirlwind trip to New York City, where we attended the “Gavin Friday and Friends” concert at Carnegie Hall. By ‘we’ this time I don’t mean the editors of U2log.com, though some of them – past and present – were among us. By ‘we’ I mean the International Brigade, a group of friends who met online, through their love of music and Gavin Friday in particular. Some of us are into U2. Some of us aren’t. Since the late 80′s we have seen Gavin play live on many occasions, in various cities, on different continents. We all have to travel to see him play, because he doesn’t come around that often. When we heard of this event there was no question about it – we were there.

As sure as we were, many others were confused as what exactly the night was about. A charity gig? A tribute? An Aids benefit? A Hal Willner extravaganza? U2 were going to perform. Or not… the band was billed as separate members. The Virgin Prunes would reform. Or not. They said they never would. Who the hell are Flo and Eddie? Some U2 fans seemed unfamiliar with widely acclaimed artists like Rufus Wainwright, his sister Martha and Antony of Antony and the Johnsons, while others rolled eyes at the mention of Scarlett Johansson, Courtney Love and, well, U2.

For us die hard Friday-fans this concert was always about Gavin’s 50th birthday and those in the know gleefully looked forward to see an audience subjected to an evening of songs from his repertoire and influences. (“I hope U2 play their new single”, one fan wrote on a message board. Eh, no. “Is this a family show?” another asked. Not likely.) We were also very keen to find out how the other artists would interpret the songs that mean so much to us.

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Photos: Gavin Friday and Friends at Carnegie Hall

Photos from GavinFriday.com. (more)

The Edge’s brother Dik joins Carnegie Hall line up

Gavin Friday tells U2.com:
“The thing with [U2] is that I know them all individually, so they’re all taking part but what’s unusual is that they aren’t going to be U2, so I think we’ll see something pretty different, which is something that always happens with Hal’s events.

“Dik, Edge’s brother will be there, who was in U2 before they were U2, and Guggi of course, so I would love Dik and Guggi and myself to do some Virgin Prunes songs – it won’t be the Virgin Prunes reuniting because we don’t do that, but let’s see what happens. When Hal is involved you never know how it’ll work out.”

So if you want to see the brothers Evans on stage together, tickets for ‘An Evening with Gavin Friday and Friends’ (October 4th) are still available from the Carnegie Hall box office and website.

Read the full interview at U2.com

Friends and fans to celebrate Gavin Friday’s 50th at Carnegie Hall

Bono, The Edge, Larry Mullen and Adam Clayton are among the guests of ‘Hal Willner presents: An Evening with Gavin Friday and Friends’, at Carnegie Hall on October 4th, 2009, celebrating Gavin Friday’s 50th birthday. The concert is part of the a (RED) Nights Event series.

The full line up is:

Laurie Anderson, Antony, Elizabeth Ashley, Bono, Adam Clayton, Andrea Corr, The Edge, Flo & Eddie, Joel Grey, Bill Frisell, Guggi, Courtney Love, Lydia Lunch, Patrick McCabe, Maria McKee, Shane MacGowan, Eric Mingus, Larry Mullen, JG Thirlwell, Martha Wainwright, Rufus Wainwright, Chloe Webb, Plus Special Guests.

For more information go to www.gavinfriday.com

Gavin Friday on the tension of playing Dublin

Gavin Friday talks to U2.com just before the Dublin shows. Can you feel the tension?

Gavin Friday on his role as U2′s Show Consultant

Gavin Friday explains his role as show consultant on U2′s 360 Tour: “I’m not a yes-man, I’m not a no-man. I’m the man.” (source: U2.com)

‘Brian Eno would like to talk about this’

New on U2.com (subscribers only), a video of Gavin Friday explaining what the symbols on U2′s whiteboard mean. Friday, as U2 fans will know, is the band’s preferred ‘midwife’, and helped deliver U2′s new baby via caesarian.

We’re amused by the note on ‘Moment of Surrender’ at the top of the board. It reads ‘Brian would like to talk about this’. From what we’ve heard, Eno – not a fan of brevity, perhaps – fought for a 9-minute version of the mix, instead of the 7’12″ version the band preferred. That might be what the note referred to.

Click for a run down of what’s on the board.

Tweet tweet

Gavin Friday’s SMS text messages on Twitter

Here’s to you, Ronnie Drew

U2 and friends collaborate on tribute to The Dubliner’s Ronnie Drew.

Bono and The Edge have co-written a song for Ronnie Drew, the singer with Ireland’s best known folk band, The Dubliners.

Drew has been battling cancer for some time. Bono told Hot Press: “When you’re fighting cancer your mood is critical. We want Ronnie to know how much he is respected and loved.”

Bono, The Edge, Simon Carmody and Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter wrote and demoed the song entitled ‘The Ballad of Ronnie Drew’ last week and the band (U2/Kila) laid down the rhythm track at Windmill Lane at 10am, this Tuesday morning. Bono, Shane McGowan, Christy Moore and Damien Dempsey all took turns singing the verses. On Tuesday night, everybody who is anybody in Irish music gathered together at the studio, to record the backing vocals of the song, ‘we are the world’-style.

Musicians included Sinead O’Connor, Christy Moore, Andrea Corr, Shane McGowan, Bob Geldof, Damien Dempsey, Gavin Friday, Jerry Fish, Clannad’s Moya Brennan, Paul Brady, Paddy Casey, Glen Hansard and members of The Dubliners and The Chieftains.

According to an insider the session ‘…went well. Mad hectic, but fun.’ The Pogues’ Shane McGowan apparently had some trouble getting into the country, forgetting his passport in the hurry.

The single’s expected for release around Easter this year. We’re told proceeds will go toward a children’s cancer charity.

- Hot Press has the details.
- U2.com talks to Simon Carmody

Not a Lemon

Download Gavin Friday’s “Singin’ In The Rain” for free