pat kenny

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

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.