News: March 2002 Archives

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March 28, 2002

Bono At Peter Buck's Trial: 'This Is Ridiculous'

3.28.02 - Sonicnet

U2 frontman provides character reference for R.E.M. guitarist at air rage trial.

This report is from MTV News

Accused of drunken debauchery on an international flight last April, Peter Buck was painted a saint in his air rage trial Monday (March 25) by someone who would be considered a powerful witness in any courtroom: U2 singer and worldwide philanthropist Bono.

Providing character reference for the R.E.M. guitarist, who has pleaded not guilty to assault charges and all other allegations, Bono took the stand at Isleworth Crown Court for five minutes and testified that his friend "is famously known for being a peaceable person."

"I have never ever seen him drunk," Bono told the jury, according to reports. "I have absolutely never seen him taking drugs."

Bono said he couldn't believe his eyes when he read about the incident, in which Buck allegedly assaulted members of a British Airways flight crew and damaged crockery after they refused to continue serving him alcohol on a flight from Seattle to Heathrow Airport in London (see "Peter Buck Arrested For Busting Up First Class").

Buck's first trial was called off after one day in December (see "R.E.M.'s Buck To Be Retried For Air Rage Incident"). In the re-trial, which began March 18, prosecutors have claimed the guitarist drank about 15 glasses of wine in the first three hours of the flight before proceeding to mistake a hostess trolley for a CD player, claim a stranger was his wife and cover crew members with yogurt.

"This is ridiculous," Bono testified. "I just wanted to stand up and be counted. I don't know what must have happened to him. It is certainly a bizarre event and unusual. He is a very quiet man. It is hard to get him to go on tour because he loves his kids so much. I had to twist his arm to get him to a boxing match once because he thought it was too aggressive a sport."

Bono said he met Buck in 1985 when R.E.M. and U2 played at the Milton Keynes Bowl and has seen the guitarist yearly since then. "Our groups' work have been parallel for the same amount of years," he said. "They are one of the only groups who have had the same longevity as our group."

Buck testified last week that he downed a sleeping pill with a glass of wine and does not remember the events that occurred afterward.

The guitarist was flying overseas April 20 on his way to an R.E.M. performance at the South Africa Freedom Day Concert in London's Trafalgar Square on April 29. The other members of R.E.M. were on a different flight.

Buck's trial is scheduled to conclude later this week.

- Corey Moss

Posted by Jonathan at 04:14 PM | Comments (0)

March 25, 2002

The Edge Wins Wife & Loses Ride

3.25.02 - ShowBiz Ireland

U2 guitarist The Edge was left red faced on Wednesday night last in Dublin after he left a fashion show he was attending with his fellow band mate Bono.

After the duo left Dublin Castle where the show was taking place The Edge walked to the band's hotel The Clarence nearby.

The Edge had parked his vintage green Mercedes outside the hotel but before he got there the local Dublin council had taken his car away as it was illegally parked.

The star did not have to wait to long to get his car back as he was spotted in it around Dublin the next day.

However, more news came out about the Edge this week. News leaked that the couple plan to marry in Ireland in June of this year (yet to be confirmed). The couple live between Morleigh's homeland of California and the couple's home in Kiliney, Dublin. They also own a home in Morocco.

Posted by Jonathan at 04:16 PM | Comments (0)

March 20, 2002

U2 Recording, Possible Release 2002

3.20.02 - U2.com

U2's manager Paul McGuinness issued a short statement today, revealing that the band are in the studio and working on new material.

"U2 would like to clarify that, contrary to certain speculation in the press, they will be neither touring Europe this summer, nor splitting up," said the statement. "Instead, they are spending time in the studio working on new material for a possible release later this year."

That's all for now, more as we get it.

Posted by Jonathan at 04:18 PM | Comments (0)

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