U2 play ‘Magnificent’ on Pat Kenny’s Late Late Show

U2 played ‘Magnificent’ and talked to Pat Kenny on RTE’s Late Late Show on Friday evening. It was Kenny’s last time hosting the show. He hosted the show for ten years, having taken over from Gay Byrne in 1999. U2 brought some farewell gifts for the host: a rare ‘Music Rising’ Gibson Les Paul guitar and a pair of shades. Ten years earlier they had seen Gay Byrne off with a Harley Davidson motorcycle.

Bono revealed that early on in their career the band had a meeting discussing the possible firing of their manager Paul McGuinness since he seemed unable to get the band a van for transportation. As they were debating this in Dublin’s ‘Captain America’s‘ restaurant a man sat next to them approached them. He said he couldn’t help overhearing their discussion and he thought they were making a big mistake. He knew McGuinness and thought highly of him. When Bono asked the man for his name, he said he was Louis Walsh, later manager of Westlife and now known as a judge on British television show The X-Factor.

Continue to watch part II of the interview, and U2′s 1999 appearance on the Late Late Show

Tribute to Ronnie

RTÉ Television – The Late Late Show. Watch the full show.

U2 and Irish All Stars on the Late Late Show

U2 and the Irish all star ensemble who recorded the charity single ‘The Ballad of Ronnie Drew’ will perform the song live on RTE’s Late Late Show on Friday night (22/2). The single is released as a digital download today and as a CD single on 29 February.

All profits from the release of this single will go to the Irish Cancer Society at the request of Ronnie Drew. The Irish Cancer Society is dedicated to eliminating cancer and improving the lives of those living with cancer.

More at RTE.ie

Bono and the Edge appear on Late Late Show

The Edge and Bono both appeared on RTE’s Late Late Show’s Tribute to Jim Sheridan presented by Pat Kenny on Friday evening.

Bono revealed the band had been working in London on using string sections for three on three tracks but had to bin it because ‘the songs were crap’. The Edge said they would have to start from scratch to rework them. (quotes paraphrased from memory)

After being interviewed by Kenny, they were joined by Daniel Lanois to perform Falling at your feet.

Earlier in the day, Bono appeared on ArtZone on Lyric FM, RTE, in a taped interview (windows media) in which he talks very briefly about Peter and the Wolf and the sadness involved in drawing the pictures. There’s also an interview at USA Today. Check the right hand column for an additional real audio excerpt.

Bono on Late Late Show

The Late Late Show on Irish RTE television will be doing a tribute to Irish film director Jim Sheridan on October 31st, the day after the Dublin premiere of his film ‘In America‘.

Bono is said to be appearing on the show. Andrea Corr and Gavin Friday will perform ‘Time Enough for Tears’ (“hotly tipped for the 2004 Oscars”) the song Bono co-wrote with Gavin and Maurice Seezer for ‘In America’.

The score for ‘In America’, including the song, will be released on CD on Atlantic Records in time for Thanksgiving.

CATHOLIC GUILT, ME ARSE Reader

Reader Emmet mailed us the following: Bono’s wife, Ali Hewson, was on the Late Late Show on Irish tv on Friday night. She was there to talk about the Chernobyl Children’s Project and was accompanied by Adi Roche.

It was mentioned that she was pregnant and Ali said “Yeah, Bono’s always talking about how he’s half Catholic and half Protestant. Now we know which half is Catholic.”

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