Bono and The Edge make surprise appearance at charity gig


{ The Edge and Bono: Wave of Sorrow. See also: Desire. }

U2’s singer and guitarist showed up at the Mencap Little Noise Sessions at the Union Chapel in Islington, North London on Friday night. They were special guests on a bill including Biffy Clyro and We Are Scientists.

The event was hosted by BBC Radio 1’s Jo Whiley who introduced the pair to the 300 lucky people attending the charity show.

Playing Stay, Desire and Angel of Harlem, Bono dedicated the latter to Michael Hutchence on the tenth anniversary of his death.

Then he told the crowd: “About 20 years ago we started a tune that we never finished. We’ve just finished it. Just don’t tell Larry or Adam that we’ve played it.”

They ended their short set with Wave of Sorrow – the same song featured in last week’s little video clip.

Organiser Mencap is the UK’s leading learning disability charity.

Elsewhere:

Trent Reznor does Sunday Bloody Sunday

Nine Inch Nail’s Trent Reznor has teamed up with hip hop poet Saul Williams to produce the fabulously titled album ‘The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!’

The album contains a cover of U2’s Sunday Bloody Sunday. You can listen to the song on Williams’ MySpace.

Reznor and Williams have decided to follow into Radiohead’s footsteps by making the album available for free, or for 5 dollars, which ever you decide. You can choose to get either a 192kps MP3 version, a 320kbps MP3 version or lossless FLAC version. Hello! I think I hear a round of applause. “All files are 100% DRM free, and can be played on any device. MP3s are encoded with LAME v3.97 and love.” Amen.

Saul Williams on the choice of song:

I was an exchange student to Brazil when I was 16. Up until that point
in my life the ONLY music I listened to was Hip Hop. That year away
was pivotal, not only because I was at the heights of puberty in
Brazil….but also because it exposed me to more music than I ever
cared to listen to: along with all the Brazillian music which I still
treasure: Sinead O’Conner. Morrisey. New Order. Depeche Mode. And
definitely U2. The first time I heard Sunday Bloody Sunday, I was in a
club in Manaus which is a city in the middle of the Amazon. When I
heard those drums come through the speakers I was hooked. I think they
had played Blue Monday right before it. The kids were going wild. I
remember watching this dude dance, wishing I was as cool as him. That
song stuck with me. I suggested it to Trent as a possible cover
thinking he would hate it as an obvious choice. He loved the idea and
started working on the music immediately. The only music I added to
his composition ( aside from my O O O O Ode to Beyonce…..just
kidding) was the 808s. What’s the use of a hip hop head covering a
famous rock song without using 808s?

Continue reading