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New & Noteworthy OK, OK, Bono — you’ve got the job

February 16, 2011

By Staff Reporter

By Eileen Murphy

U2 kicked off their latest world tour Sunday night in Miami with a bang but NOT a whimper.

A capacity crowd of 18,000 jammed the arena for the opening of what has been (unofficially) called the band’s "back to basics" show, the Elevation 2001 Tour. Lucky ticket holders — who spent the entire show on their feet, since all seats had been removed from the arena — got up close and personal with the band, who performed on a 360-degree-visibility stage set.

Bono and the guys played the best cuts from their sublime new album, "All That You Can’t Leave Behind," including "Elevation," "Stuck in a Moment You Can’t Get Out Of," and the Grammy-winning "Beautiful Day." They also reached deep into their catalog for 1980’s classics like "I Will Follow," "Sunday Bloody Sunday," "Bad" and "With or Without You."

The "bang" part came when Bono took a header off the stage while dancing with The Edge during the show’s fourth number, "Until the End of the World." The singer lay on the floor, stunned, for a few tense moments, before being helped to his feet by anxious fans. He recovered quickly, though, and gamely carried on with the show. The Irish Times, in its review, noted that Bono "continued a rockin’ and a rollin’," but with a "noticeable limp."

The encore consisted of "Bullet the Blue Sky," "With or Without You," "One" and a question: "Have we got the job," Bono asked.

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What job? you ask.

"We’re here to reapply for the job as best band in the world," crowed Bono. We’ll give you one guess as to the crowd’s answer.

In related tour news, we hear that Bono was "horrified" to hear that tickets for the band’s Slane Castle show in August are selling for up to £600 a pop. The show sold out within 45 minutes, and reasonably priced tickets are now scarcer than Mets fans at a Yankees rally. The band is willing to do a second show at Slane the following weekend, but have been stymied by arcane rules governing the use of the space.

Fans with long memories will recall that the band faced similar problems during their last tour. After selling 80,000 tickets for two concerts at Lansdowne Road Stadium in Dublin, a few narky residents tried to stop the whole shows from taking place. After much legal wrangling, the courts ruled that the shows must go on. Talk about a sort of homecoming . . .

The huge demand for Slane tickets — some estimate that the band could sell another 200,000 — may just push the Irish government to make an exception. Fingers crossed.

Staying the Corrs

Speaking of Irish bands conquering the world, we should tell you that The Corrs were U2’s special guests at the Miami show. This followed quite a whirlwind week for the singing siblings, who spent St. Patrick’s Day in the Big Apple.

Andrea, Sharon, Caroline and Jim sold out the cavernous Radio City Music Hall on Friday, March 16, along with their special guest, Brian Kennedy. They appeared on NBC’s "Today" show on Saturday morning, later performed a few songs on the Z-100 radio show, which was broadcast live from Connolly’s 47th Street Pub and Restaurant, then they jetted off to Los Angeles to hang out with Jay Leno on the "Tonight Show." Sheesh — it’s the kind of schedule that can leave you "Breathless."

On the romance front, we hear that the youngest Corr, lead singer Andrea, has fallen in love (sorry, fellas!). The lucky guy is an Englishman who manages top music acts for an American agency.

The singer, who has been voted one of the most beautiful women in the world, is said to be "totally charmed" by her new beau. And this is from a girl who has dated both Robbie Williams and Gavin Rossdale (the gorgeous lead singer of Bush — the band, not the president).

And in case you were wondering whether sibling rivalry ever rears its ugly head in the group, Andrea admits that the road has sometimes been a little rough.

"We don’t [fight] so much anymore," she said.

"We’ve learned so much. When we first did the touring for ‘Forgiven Not Forgotten,’ it was difficult for us as a family," she recalled. "The claustrophobia, the amount of work we had to do, the amount of jet-lag we had and the relentless struggle.

"It was constantly walking uphill pushing something and somebody pushing you at the same time. But it’s someone you’ve lived with all your life, so it’s claustrophobic. But now we are in a good time."

Andrea confesses that her secret ambition is to headline at the mack daddy of all NYC concert venues.

"I’d love to be able to play in Madison Square Garden," she told the Sunday World.

"It’s a dream and I feel it’s going to happen."

RTE’S ‘River’ of cash runs dry

The suits at RTE, Ireland’s semi-state television station, are going to feel the pinch now that the station’s share in the "Riverdance" phenomenon has expired.

The broadcast company bought a 20 percent stake in the show back in 1994, when not even its creators, John McColgan and Moya Doherty, could imagine that their little Irish dance show would take the world by storm. One estimate puts the station’s "Riverdance" earnings at not-too-shabby £100 million.

RTE’s contract stipulated that the station would share in the show’s profits until the year 2000. After that, full rights would return to McColgan and Doherty.

Now that its cash cow has fled the milking machine, RTE plans to raise its licensing rates. Which should just thrill the pants off its viewers.

A pint of plain is their only man

Now, we know this will sound like a blatant product plug, but we couldn’t resist. We hear that Guinness is quickly becoming the bevvy of choice among the Hollywood elite.

A Guinness spokesman recently revealed that some major — and hunky — stars are fans of the black stuff.

"Over the past year, we have set up specialized draught equipment in the homes of George Clooney, Brad Pitt and David Arquette," he told Ireland on Sunday.

"Guy Ritchie also wants one," he added. No word on whether Mrs. Ritchie — better known as Madonna — indulges as well.

Quotable

"[My wife, Melanie, and I] met when we were teenagers and I never once thought the grass might be greener somewhere else. I find it appalling, [the idea of] dumping someone who has seen you through hard times the minute success comes."

— Comedian, author and actor Ardal O’Hanlon

"It seems to be Oirish, with an ‘O’, as in Westlife doing that lovely video, on the beach, ‘welcome home, we’re back to ‘Oirland.’ Why don’t they have some donkey pulling a cart or something?"

— Mark Greaney of the Irish rock band JJ72 on his country’s current wave of pop bands.

All draught Guinness served in the U.S. is shipped directly from St James’s Gate brewery in Dublin.

Hot gigs

Out of this world: On Friday, March 30, Pat Maguire will sing songs from his new CD, "Love Songs for Astronauts," at Rory Dolan’s, 890 McLean Ave., Yonkers, N.Y. The Associated Press reports, "Maguire’s music has got the catches, the hooks. You remember the songs." The band also features Sean Grissom, Brian O’Neill and Shane McConnell. If you don’t live in the neighborhood, the show’s worth the trip. Music starts at 10 p.m. For information, call (914) 776-2946.

Ladies and gentlemen, please — "Closing Time" at Arlene Grocery, 95 Stanton St., NYC. It’s an evening of Irish pub theater with music and songs, based on the work of Flann O’Brien. Go quickly if you’re going — the show closes on Saturday, March 31. For information, call (212) 316-1446.

Cherish them all: On Thursday, April 19, Cherish the Ladies will celebrate the release of their new album, "The Firls Won’t leave the Boys Alone," with an all-star concert at Symphony Space, 95th Street and Broadway, NYC. Joining them will be Irish music legends Liam Clancy, Paddy Reilly and Mick Moloney and a host of other big names. Tickets are $25 and will probably go quickly, so run to the phone and call (212) 864-5400.

What’s so funny? On Tuesday, May 1, Irish comedian Tommy Tiernan returns to New York for a series of shows at CAP 21 Theater, 15 West 28 St., NYC, that are guaranteed to leave audiences weak with laughter. We’re telling you way in advance, because: a) he’s only doing 12 performances; b) sales are already brisk and c) the place only holds 100 sweaty bodies at a time. For tickets and information, call (212) 946-1206.

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