BIFFCO? BOFFO!

Want two of the new remixes of “Elevation”? Then get over to YouTwo.net and deliver a hearty thanks to U2NewYork. Unfortunately, neither of them are the Johnny Moy mix that’s been shaking up the crowd before each Elevation show, but y’know, we take what we can get because -ahem- it’s all that we can find…

I, I…. BELIEVE IN LOVE

And the award for most inspiring pop preview of the week goes to Jim Walsh ‘pop music critic’ for St. Paul Pioneerpress and his write up leading up to U2’s concert in Minneapolis this week. It’s a little over the top, and you know what? We like that. Check this out: I believe in fire in the belly, passion in the back seat, snare drums that sound like cannon shots coming over a ship

IMOLA MOOLAH MOOLAH

There has been some confusion surrounding the one Italian date U2 are playing. Imola is a no go, so now they’re looking at possibilities in the city of Turin. The mayor of Turin met with U2’s Italian promotor on Thursday to figure out what can be done. The promotors asked for the use of the ‘Delle Alpi Stadium’ between July 16th and 23rd – it would be a nice location for Italian as well as French fans. However, the stadium is not available during that period due to maintenance… and apparently, it’s only available to soccer matches anyway. Italian bureaucracy would not allow for changes to be made in time. So… it’s back to square one. [thanks to Germana, of U2 Star, for this info gathered from ‘La Stampa’ and www.rockol.it.]

THE FLY CAN FLY

Bono is to star in the next ‘Superman’ movie to be directed by Paul Verhoeven (Robocop, Showgirls, Total Recall, Basic Instinct). In this spy picture, the wannabe actor can be seen practising the classic Superman stance, suspended from cables in a studio in Los Angeles. He is rumoured to have called the experience ‘painful’.

IT MUST BE ART

A picture says a thousand lyrics. Expat (har har) Irishman (now living in Australia) David Egan paints U2’s songs. “I have heard of other artists contacting bands to use their lyrics in paintings, and they have either been just told, `no’, or they have been told, `yes, as long as you give us $1 million or $5 million’. But U2 have just said: go and do it. When we email them one day, we have a reply the next” says his manager. Story at The Irish Times.

And according to rocksvillage.com a website will be set up as part of Egan’s U2 project, pending band approval (although we doubt it’ll be April). Best to keep checking his website.

BLUE CHIP

“Industry titans were equally forward-looking in 1993 and 1995 when two more polls found U2, Pearl Jam and R.E.M. to be the most prized properties. The assumption again was those stars were going to be turning out hits for years. No longer. No matter the reason — media overexposure, a lack of fan loyalty or Internet technology — few executives think they can still count on any new act to have more than one or two hits albums again.”
“Only two top acts from the last Times survey in 1995, are on the latest short-list of today’s bankable players: U2 and Dr. Dre.”

The LA Times lists good music stock.

AND I HAVE NO MAPS

The Guardian has a fascinating article about the new William Gibson biopic No Maps For These Territories.

Produced on a meagre budget of $250,000, the film features original music from Bono and The Edge from U2. Part road movie, part autobiography, the film offers an intimate portrait of the writer of seven best-selling science fiction novels.

Astute followers of the band or the author will know that the track “Zooropa” was the band’s attempt to conjure up The Sprawl, the urban future setting of many of Gibson’s novels. We also note that Gibson’s novel IDORU (about a futuristic rock band and the fictional entity their frontman falls in love with) was shaped by the author’s experiences tagging along on the ZooTV / Zooropa tours. And in a final note, you may recall this golden oldie from the U2Log vaults.

WELCOME BACK MR TREE

U2 have re-entered the UK album charts this week, but you can rule out the obvious. The Joshua Tree makes a comeback into the top 20 some 14 years after its initial release, and stacks up its 145th week in.


On a further note, I would like to congratulate the person/s who replaced all the Britney, Emma Bunton and Corrs CDs with Joshua Tree inserts!