G8: Are you ready to Rostock?

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Bono: “I missed Woodstock, and now I’m not going to miss Rostock! If
the G8 heads think that they can ignore this campaign, they are making a very big mistake.”

Bono, celebrating his 47th birthday today, is set to rock the German city of Rostock during the G8 summit on June 7. He’ll be sharing the ‘Music and Messages’ bill with Die Toten Hosen, Herbert Groenemeyer and other German artists. The gig, part of Germany’s ‘Deine Stimme Gegen Armut‘ movement has been dubbed ‘P8’. The musicians are urging the G8 leaders to keep their promises regarding commitments on aid to Africa. Tickets were sold online at the simply lovely price of 2.50 euros on May 2. Needless to say there are none left.

Eyes from the frontline

When you’re done reading all that, get your teeth in Bono’s poem/lyric penned for Gégé Katana, as published on U2.com. Bono read out his tribute at City Hall in Dublin on May 1st, as he presented the Front Line Award for Human Rights to Gégé.

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Miss Katana works on behalf of victims of sexual violence and founded the Solidarity Movement of Women Human Rights Activists in Uvira in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Who knows, we may see these words again, on U2’s next album perhaps?

Larry Shares Experience as Irish Musician for Charity

Larry Mullen has contributed to a new book that chronicles the history of Irish music. “From the Cradle to the Stage” by RTE radio presenter Alan Swan is being produced for the Irish charity Fighting Blindness.

According to a press release, Irish musicians share their memories of what helped shape their success in the book, which is due to published by Christmas 2003. Presumably, interested readers will be able to order the book (priced at Euro 19.99) from Fighting Blindness’ web site closer to its publication date.