Posted by chicagomedia.org on March 11, 2009 at 07:52:14:
In Reply to: Tuesday Night's U2 Special posted by Dave Bremmer on March 11, 2009 at 06:32:24:
U2 at Metro: 'It's a shame we're here and we don't have guitars'
There were two keeper lines from U2's sit-down, all-talk and no-play promotional visit Tuesday to Metro:
1) "Don't touch my mike," was host Shirley Manson's mantra throughout the one-hour live broadcast. Manson, the former Garbage lead singer-turned-radio host, had personality to burn as she orchestrated questions from an enthused but hardly frantic crowd of invited guests.
2) "It's a shame that we're here and we don't have guitars," said the Edge, the skull-capped guitarist.
You can say that again. Instead of rocking the house, the Irish quartet lounged on leather couches and played deejay for the radio audience. The few hundred invitees inside the venerable rock club were nearly matched in number by the people waiting outside for the band to enter on a rain-soaked evening.
While the radio audience heard the likes of the Ramones' "I Wanna Be Sedated" (chosen by drummer Larry Mullen) and Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" (one of Bono's picks), the fans inside asked questions, only one of which could be termed indelicate, regarding the 2005 ticket fiasco that saw dues-paying fan club members edged out by scalpers for prime seats. "We're convinced we have people in place who won't let it happen again," the Edge said. Bono apologized for the "debacle" and said the band's stadium tour, which arrives in Solider Field on Sept. 12, is designed to ensure that more fans will have access to more tickets, with some of the best seats starting at $30.
Besides that we found out that Mullen is jealous of Arcade Fire for having written a song as good as "Rebellion (Lies)," and that Edge's tip for any Irishman marrying an American woman is "learn a lot about sports." Bono toasted Smashing Pumpkins by singing the praises of "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" and gave a thumb's up to Billy Corgan's testimony in Congress earlier in the day advocating artist royalties for radio airplay: "I like the idea of musicians being in control of their own destiny."
It was over in an hour but it seemed like longer. Yes, U2 has a new album out. Yes, they're touring. And, yes, they should've brought their guitars.
(Chicago Tribune)