It’s almost that time, the tour is dangerously close to re-starting down in Brisbane, Australia. And that means those of us wayyyy far away from the upcoming shows are looking forward to seeing a lot of great photos in @U2’s Flickr Group.

If you’re planning to take photos at any of the upcoming shows, and are hoping to get the best pictures possible, please read TIPS FOR SHOOTING CONCERTS, a post written by our good friend Amanda on the Aussie U2 News log. Very helpful stuff!

Good luck to everyone as U2.com starts their “Hunt the Lyric” competition.

If you logged onto U2.com early today, you might have found that the rules of the competition stated that the competition was only open to UK residents (excluding Ireland). This was a minor glitch (I’d suspect from a copy/paste edit from Mercury Records’ legal department that wasn’t updated for U2.com’s needs) and the rules no longer state the exlusivity of the contest.

Official word from U2’s camp is that the contest is open to all - and if you live in Italy, due to Italian laws you need to enter the contest through a different site, which is provided on U2.com.

Happy Hunting!

The U2/Green Day collaboration The Saints Are Coming lands the second top 10 debut of 2006 at Triple-A as it enters at No. 10 on the Radio & Records charts. Only Tom Petty’s Saving Grace scored a higher debut this year when it debuted at No. 6 back in June. If no more songs debut in the top 10 between now and the end of the year, it would mark the formats fewest top 10 entries since 1997 when U2’s Staring At The Sun and The Rolling Stones Anybody Seen My Baby?were the only top 10 debuts. Triple-A, Adult Album Alternative, is a rock leaning format aimed at adult listeners.

U2 by U2 debuted at #7 on the New York Times bestseller list (hardcover nonfiction), and this week it’s at #10. Entertainment Weekly reports that with its $39.95 price tag, the U2 by U2 is the most expensive book the top 10 has seen in two years.

Not too shabby!

From Brian Williams, anchor of NBC Nightly News, comes this account of what happens when a rock star gets hold of indelible ink. Williams posted this on an MSNBC blog last week.

Visit MSNBC for a photo of the damage done…

Williams writes:

“Tonight’s ‘Making a Difference’ segment is about Bono. Having met with President Bush on board Air Force One in Chicago last night, he today launched the new “Red” campaign, aimed at raising money (by just making everyday purchases) to eradicate AIDS in Africa. I spent time with him earlier in the week, and today he visited 30 Rock so we could sit with him for an interview. The Bono that I feel so fortunate to have come to know is a lot of things: enormously talented, extremely energetic, sentimental, oddly introverted, charmingly self-deprecating… and very mischievous. So it was that we found ourselves near the elevators, just outside the NBC Nightly newsroom.

At my request, Bono had just appeared before an impromptu gathering of staffers to thank them for their coverage of his efforts. We posed for a still picture in front of what’s called a “light box,” an embarassingly large promotional picture of yours truly designed to get the attention of the tour groups that walk by all day long. Bono asked if anyone had a Sharpie. The result is now on display for all to see. I’ve been defaced. I’m now wearing something of a Zorro/raccoon mask. Passing tour groups this afternoon in the hallway shake their heads in disgust, picturing a common prankster with a permanent pen. This was no common prankster. What they don’t know is the small initial “B”at the bottom of the graffiti stands for the frontman of U2. I shared with Bono a common American adage about “paybacks” — which ends with a word that is not family reading material — and told him that while it might take me a while, I’ll get him back. It was a fun afternoon, and a good interview. It will all make for a great ‘Making a Difference’.”

It’s not surprising when a politician attends a U2 concert, especially when invited by Bono. However, when one is invited by a lobbyist, it’s a different story.

I don’t know if you’ve been following the saga of lobbyist Jack Abramoff and all of the controversy surrounding politicians’ involvement with him, but indictments and resignations are happening as a result. Through the House Committee on Government Reform’s office, it became public on October 16 that one of the ways Abramoff tried to woo politicians was with tickets to a luxury box at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C. for U2’s Elevation Tour.

In a letter sent to Ken Mehlman, Chairman of the Republican National Committee, House Ranking Minority Member Henry Waxman states:
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The documents released by the Government Reform Committee include several e-mails that link you to a June 15, 2001, U2 concert at the MCI Center. On June 5, 2001, Abramoff lobbyist Kevin Ring e-mailed Mr. Abramoff: “Please tell me we can fit 2 more in for Friday night. Ken Mehlman of the White House apparently wants to go.” Mr. Abramoff replied: “We must.” Later that day, Mr. Abramoff’s assistant sent an e-mail with “the most current list” for U2 concert tickets. The list contained your name for two tickets, along with several other individuals, including:

* Pete Rowan, who was a special assistant to the deputy director for legislative affairs at the White House (two tickets);

* Lori Sharpe Day, who was a top aide to Attorney General John Ashcroft (two tickets);

* Don Trigg, who was the director of policy at the Commerce Department (two tickets);

* Doug Mescar, who was the chief of staff in the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education at the Department of Education (two tickets);

* Carrie Crane, the daughter of Congressman Philip Crane (three tickets).

In addition, a congressional office is listed for three tickets, and Abramoff lobbyists Kevin Ring, Pat Wilson, and Duane Gibson are listed for two tickets each.3

On June 14, a day before the concert, Mr. Ring e-mailed Mr. Abramoff that he would “talk to Mehlman at the concert tomorrow night.”

The tickets appear to have been for seats in Mr. Abramoff’s suite. According to the Office of Government Ethics, they would be valued at the price of the most expensive tickets sold to the public for the event, which was $133 for this concert. If parking or food was provided with the tickets, they would also be added to the value of the tickets under OGE guidance.

In your public statements, you have not answered whether you attended the U2 concert. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, you said: “I’ve been to several U2 concerts, but I don’t remember whether I went to that one.”

According to the Los Angeles Times, there is confirmation that you in fact attended the concert. The paper reported yesterday that “[a] former Abramoff associate remembers Mehlman attending the concert.”
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The letter goes on to point out ethical and legal considerations, as well as ask key questions of Mehlman. For the full letter, click here.

Bono and Bobby Shriver have been making the television rounds today to continue the promotion of RED. They were spotted on CNN earlier today, as well as FOX News. To watch their interview on FOX, click here. To watch the interview on CNN’s Your World Today, click here.

(Photo courtesy of Charles Dharapak/AP)

Bono has been quite busy over the past 24 hours. As we all know, he went shopping with Oprah yesterday. Then he was invited onto Air Force One for a 10 minute meeting with President Bush and his buddies Christy Turlington and Bobby Shriver to discuss the work of DATA.

This morning it was announced that he and Bob Geldof lost the Nobel Peace Prize to another worthy poverty-focused initative headed up by Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank Yunus founded.

Also this morning, he’s also been asked to help fund the FIFA World Cup along with former President Clinton too. According to The Swazi Observer:

“Mankhenkesi Stofile has advised the National Football Association (FA) to approach international organisations in order to secure funding for football squads ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

“He cited some of these organisations as the former President of the United States of America (USA) Bill Clinton’s Foundation and that of U2 Rock Group member, Bono.

“Stofile said although the two funds were established to fight poverty and HIV and AIDS prevalence in the African continent they could also be accessed for the funding of football projects as it was another way of fighting poverty.

“The minister, who arrived in the country on Tuesday, made these remarks during an official dinner which was hosted at the South African High Commissioner Mzolisi Mabude’s residence at Dalriach on Wednesday night.”

There is no word from Bono’s camp about offering funding at this time.

As part of the apparent Product Red launch, Bono and Oprah went shopping along Michigan Ave. in Chicago late this morning.

An atU2 stringer reports Bono and Oprah visited the GAP store (which was decked out in red), then took a walk down Michigan Ave. (possibly stopping at Armani) to the Apple store.
After leaving the Apple store, Oprah shook some hands with on-lookers, then the two got into a red Ford Thunderbird. Always the gentleman, Bono opened the car door for Oprah.
Camera’s were everywhere following the two-some, so I assume you’ll see footage of the trip on tomorrow’s Oprah show. In fact, as you entered the area on Michigan Avenue, signs were posted saying that by entering the area, you gave consent to be filmed.

Bono, Oprah, Kanye West, and Penelope Cruz appeared shortly thereafter at the Motorola store. The celebrities posed for pictures outside the store. Oprah left first (waving to her fans). Followed by Bono in an SUV, and Kanye. Penelope stayed behind.

Check back later, we may have videotaped footage of part of the event.

Well it’s that time of year again, when U2 fans the world over turn their attention to the announcement of the winners of the Nobel Peace Prize. *insert chuckle here* It seems kind of odd to me that we, as fans of a rock band, would be watching year after year to see if our favorite front man has scored the big prize - but here we are again with Bono and Bob Geldof both in the running, if you believe media reports. I took a look at what the odds are of either of them winning (not that we encourage any wagering, mind you) and here are the favorites of the bookies: Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is the favorite at 3 to 1, and former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari, known for his brokering of a treaty in Aceh is at 4 to 1. If you have to go with Bono, he’s currently running 20 to 1. At least they took home Best Live International Act at the Vodafone Live Music Awards last night… something new and sparkly in the living room this week at any rate.