After weeks of not a lot happening in U2 world the headlines are a buzz with Ireland’s greatest rock band. Back on their 360′ Tour, U2 played shows in Helsinki and Moscow this week. The band’s first trip to Russia included a meeting between Bono and Russian president Dmitry Medvedev near the Black Sea, a rainy U2 concert for 50,000+ fans at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow which featured an acapella serenade of “Singing in the Rain” from Bono, an acoustic cover of Bob Dylan’s “Knocking on Heaven’s Door” with Russian musician Yuri Shevchukn and a inspirational encore of “Moment of Surrender” in honor of the victims of Russia’s terrible wildfires. In other news - U2 is being fined by the city of Barcelona for excessive noise for $22,000 during their concert at Camp Nou last year. U2 certainly has the money to fork over that kind of cash, but the fine reeks of a city scrapping for some extra dough. U2 will light up the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna, Austria this coming Monday before targeting the Olympic Stadium in Athens next Friday.

U2 played their first show since Bono’s emergency back surgery derailed their summer 360 tour plans. Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr. performed in front of full house inside the Stadio Olimpico di Torino in Turin, Italy last Friday night. To celebrate  The Edge’s 49th birthday the audience serenaded the U2 guitarist with “Happy Birthday”. The Italians also were treated to three new U2 songs during the concert including an ode to the English festival “Glastonbury” that the band missed due to Bono’s injury. The new song has been already posted on YouTube here. Bono showed his appreciation for his fan’s patience, as well as, his own bandmates during the show, and referred to U2 as a “A family business”. U2 debuted a instrumental introduction piece by the name of “Return of the Stingray Guitar” and a acoustic ballad by the name of “North Star”.  German U2 fans will get to take in the 360′ Tour tonight in Frankfurt at Commerzbank Arena.

Bono was in the capital city of the United State to meet with President Barrack Obama. Besides showing the President a dance move or two, Bono and Obama spoke about the U2 front man’s recent trip to Africa. Bono was also able to conduct an interview with Obama for the Canadian newspaper Globe and Mail about the upcoming G8 Conference in Canada. They discussed topics ranging from how new technologies can help Africa’s economy grow and the way first world countries can help third world goverments be more just. Obama spoke about his memories from his last trip to Africa, remembering his visit to Ghana right as the country had held a successful election. It is rumored that Obama may make an appearance at the World Cup this summer in South Africa. In other notes, U2 get back to the 360 Tour in 14 days playing their first show of the spring in Salt Lake City, UT on June 3rd.

Bono and former US President Bill Clinton attended the 35th American Ireland Annual Fund to help raise money for musical education for children in Ireland. Like U2’s front man. Clinton has long been a supporter of the arts in his time in public service. Growing up playing the saxophone, Clinton wasn’t able to further his musical education because his family didn’t have the money. During his time in office, Bill Clinton was very active in the Ireland-Northern Ireland peace process, and continues to be involved in Irish affairs. One of the biggest contributors to Bono’s desire to make music himself was when his family sold their piano when he was young. U2 has donated 7 million dollars to the cause alone. Who knows? The money going towards musical education could foster Ireland’s next U2 someday.

U2’s new album has a whole strategy behind it. This has nothing to do with the music, which is great. But U2 (read Bono) has a vision for the band. They want to become the biggest new band with the biggest album in the world. And right now, in a time of major transition for the music business, it is especially difficult to be relevent and to make a mark on the market. It’s just different now than it was when the band first started doing their work. With iPods and mp3s changing how we listen to music. We don’t listen to full sized albums anymore, but little pieces of them, whatever we happen to prefer. It’s really unfortunate for those who can’t shift their styles to fit the new system. But Bono is going to try, continuing to promote the new album in innovative ways. How fun to watch him go around that way.

Bono recently travelled over to the UK (Liverpool specifically) to award Paul McCartney and the rest of the Beatles with MTV Europe’s “Ultimate Legend” award. While handing the award over he stated, “In the universe of rock and roll, the Beatles were the Big Bang.” Then he… I’m sorry. Hold on a second. Isn’t Ireland in Europe? Why didn’t Bono get something too? Or better yet, just take that award…

The band has dismissed any concerns about the four track from their soon to be released album having reached the internet. The song’s which were reportedly titled “Moment of Surrender,” “For Your Love,” “Sexy Boots” and “No Line on the Horizon” were of very very poor sound quality. They were removed from YouTube soon after copyright violation complaint filled by Universal. They were reportedly recorded by a Dutch fan from outside Bono’s apartment in the French Riviera. The band spokesman said that even though the song’s were barely audible, the amount of media coverage and publicity that it got hinted at the extreme amount of jealousy.

The Irish pop band group U2 who are in the news for one reason or the other has again come into the limelight and this time it is the release of their June 5^th, 1983 classic concert held at Colorado that will be released for the first time on DVD on the 30^th of September. The same concert was earlier released on the VHS in late 80’s. The DVD version will comprise of 5 songs that have not been included in the VHS tape. The concert was titled “Live At Red Rocks” and the VHS was very popular among the U2 fans. There is no doubt that the DVD will also be in great demand once it is released. 

Bono, the front man of the world famous music rock band U2, is all praise when it comes to the lead guitarist of the band and calls him the genius in the U2 band. Bono says that he really admires by the presence of other two mates, drummer Larry Mullen Jr and bassist Adam Clayton, but feels that Edge has some real edge over the other members of the band. The Edge is an epitome of music and adds color and vigor to the band. He creates tunes at will and has the knack of coming up with soulful tunes when the chips are down in the recording room.

The forthcoming Broadway musical, Spiderman, will have the music composed by the U2 members Bono and Edge. They have together composed 18 songs for this play, which is a comic book adaptation. This Broadway musical is produced by $25 m productions and is expected to open in Broadway in October 2009. U2 is planning to release an album based on this musical and they are trying to release the album soon after the release of their next album in October this year. It was tough work for Bono and Edge as they had to write the tracks that would be apt for the Broadway play and that which will grab the audience attention to the play.