Recently in the Miscellaneous News Category

Singer and actor Jared Leto has said that he would love to collaborate with U2.

Speaking to RTÉ.ie, the 30 Seconds to Mars frontman said: "Yeah, I'd love to do something with U2."

"To do a song with Bono would be great."

He also spoke about working with Kanye West recently, saying: "It was great."

"He was fun, easy, professional, creative and I think he did a great job on the song [Hurricane]."

© RTÉ 2010

By Candace Jackson, The Wall Street Journal

Of the dozens of art world events happening as part of Armory Arts Week in New York right now, one of the most buzzed about was last night's New Museum's opening of a controversial show that features highlights from the personal collection of Greek billionaire Dakis Joannou, curated by artist Jeff Koons.

At last night's opening party Koons, wearing a crisp black suit, wandered the galleries with his daughter. Speakeasy caught up with him on the fourth floor of the museum, which featured an eclectic mix of works including brown gouache paintings by Kara Walker and a sparkling sculpture called "Super Sister" by Liza Lou of an oversized bejeweled woman with an afro wearing short-shorts, platform red heels. "Skin Fruit: Selections from the Dakis Joannou Collection" marks the first time Koons has taken on the role of curator.

"I think I ended up dealing mostly with the body, inside and out," Koons said of his approach. But as for making a career out of putting together art exhibits in the future, Koons says his plan now is to "to focus on my own work."

Bono insisted on specially-prepared food when dining out recently, it has been claimed.

The U2 frontman amazed fellow diners at New York eatery Butter on Tuesday (23.02.10) when he made a string of requests to restaurant staff - and then made sure they were carried out.

A source said: "He demanded that his salad be chopped. And he made sure it was when it arrived."

The 'One' singer - who was eating with his bandmate The Edge - sent staff into a panic when he asked for a specific type of bottled water not stocked by the eatery.

By Jennifer Steinhauer, The New York Times

MALIBU, Calif. -- The house that the U2 guitarist longs to build here would have a copper roof, fashioned to resemble fluttering leaves. Boulders that dot the property would be left in place and assigned charming names like Dinosaur Vertebrae and Cistern. The dirt dug up to build would be reused, when possible.

Yes there would be a pool, but its central purpose would be to ward off fire should the local native plants not do the job. And every imaginable green building technique would be used.

But all of this does not mollify those who police the mountainside along one of the most gorgeous stretches of American coastline, where public access versus exclusive seclusion is an ever-raging debate that even a member of the most vocally earth-hugging rock band on the planet cannot escape.

James Boyce, The Huffington Post

AC/DC's lead singer Brian Johnson gave an interview in Australia where he stood up and criticized both Sir Bob Geldof and Bono for the unforgivable sin of trying to make the world a better place and for helping those less fortunate than themselves. Or Brian, for that matter.

Certainly, Brian has a right to make his opinion, however, moronic it may be.

Any grown man willing to share a stage with a man in his 60s dressed as a school boy has more courage than most. Any man who, at the age of 62, can still claim to being knocked out by American thighs might also be worthy of respect on some levels.

However, when it comes to criticizing celebrities who stand up for causes and charities and especially when it comes to criticizing Geldof and Bono, Brian Johnson proves to be as ignorant as those music critics who don't recognize "Back In The Black" as a truly great song.

First, let's look at what Brian Johnson actually said:

The Huffington Post

AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson is taking on Bono and Bob Geldof for their public displays of charity work.

"When I was a working man I didn't want to go to a concert for some bastard to talk down to me that I should be thinking of some kid in Africa," he told Melbourne's Herald Sun. "I'm sorry mate, do it yourself, spend some of your own money and get it done. It just makes me angry. I become all tyrannical."

Johnson said that his own band prefers to make their charitable contributions in private.

"Do a charity gig, fair enough, but not on worldwide television," he said.

Example of the U2=BBC ad campaign from March of 2009

AFP

LONDON -- A BBC editorial watchdog body criticised the British broadcaster Thursday for breaching its own guidelines by appearing to promote the bands U2 and Coldplay in its coverage of them.

The BBC's Editorial Complaints Unit slammed an on-screen slogan "U2=BBC" used during its coverage of U2's last album as "inappropriate," while a "Radio 1 presents Coldplay" website broke guidelines about links to external sites.

The findings came after RadioCentre, the trade body for commercial radio firms in Britain, complained about the BBC's coverage of a Coldplay tour and U2's launch of its "No Line On The Horizon."

BBC's editorial complaints unit says promotion, which included concert on roof of Broadcasting House, breached guidelines

John Plunkett, The Guardian UK

The BBC today admitted that it breached its guidelines in promoting U2's latest album, No Line on the Horizon, and that altering its logo to "U2=BBC" was inappropriate.

The corporation's editorial complaints unit said coverage of last year's album launch, which included a concert on the roof of Broadcasting House, amounted to "undue prominence for commercial products or organisations" and breached BBC editorial guidelines.

It said the use of the slogan U2=BBC "gave an inappropriate impression of endorsement", and said a reference to the BBC being "part of launching this new album", in an interview between Zane Lowe and U2's Bono on BBC Radio 1, was inappropriate.

The U2 guitarist is lining up political muscle and environmentalist star power to support constructing his eco-friendly castles on a pristine ridge near Malibu. What's greener? Not building at all.

By Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times

Just so you know, it's not easy for me to refer to U2 guitarist David Evans as "The Edge." Sure, there was a time when I referred to myself as S. Lo. But I quickly realized that once you've gone gray, it's hard to get away with anything other than what's on the birth certificate.

And I can't keep a straight face when I tell you that the five eco-friendly castles Mr. Edge wants to carve into the top of a pristine ridge near Malibu already have names. There's "Clouds Rest" and "Panorama," "Shell House" and "Blue Clouds." And my personal favorite, "Leaves in the Wind."

The latter is also the name of a website (www.leavesinthewind.com) promoting the controversial project, which would sit high above the Malibu pier, with a sweeping, miles-long view of spectacular coastline. You'd think a guy from one of the greatest bands in history could come up with a name that was a bit, shall we say, edgier, for a rock 'n' roll compound.

Mary Carolan, Irish Times

U2 BASS guitarist Adam Clayton has secured a temporary court order restraining his former personal assistant from reducing her assets below €1.8 million after alleging she may have misappropriated funds in that amount.

The musician last month terminated the employment of Carol Hawkins, Crannagh Road, Dublin 14, after she confessed to using his debit and credit cards for her own use and for her family's benefit, the High Court heard yesterday.

It appeared an apartment had been bought in New York and an investigation had also revealed some €900 per month was spent on a syndicate which maintained horses, the court was told.