This just came through the U2 GTA board
Toronto Star
U2 surprises at Cannes
May 19, 2007 08:12 PM
Peter Howell
Movie Critic
CANNES--Some people offer a simple "I'm sorry" when they turn up
late for an important occasion.
Others might write a formal note of apology.
But when the superstars of rock band U2 arrived late for the Cannes
Film Festival early Sunday morning local time, they made up for it
with a grand gesture: a mini-concert on the red carpet of the Palais
des Festivals, the main theatre here.
The unscheduled show before thousands of cheering onlookers on the
Croisette beachfront promenade in front of the Palais came just
prior to the 1 a.m. world premiere of U2 3D, a concert documentary
of the band's recent Vertigo world tour, filmed using advanced 3D
technology.
The Irish band had been forced to miss an afternoon press conference
and other festival events, when their flight to France out of Dublin
was delayed.
Rumours quickly spread that they were planning to make up for it --
and they sure did.
Band members Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr.
arrived at the foot of the red carpet just after 12:30 a.m. local
time (6:30 p.m. Saturday in Toronto).
"Merci, Cannes!" singer Bono said to the cheering throng.
With a nod to the festival's 60th anniversary, currently being
celebrated, he added, "Bon anniversaire!"
The band members marched to the top of the steps, where their
instruments awaited -- the crowd could see and hear roadies doing
sound checks earlier -- and launched into their recent big
hit "Vertigo."
The crowd danced and sang along with Bono's "uno, dos, tres,
catorce" intro, and also the "Hello, hello!" refrain.
The performance was projected onto giant screens outside the theatre.
U2 followed that with "Where The Streets Have No Name," one of their
biggest hits from the 1980s.
The crowd danced and sang along with that number, too, quite a sight
when you consider that many of the people there were dressed in
tuxedos and evening dresses, as per Cannes festival protocol. Even
the paparazzi in this town wear tuxes during festival.
But the band certainly wasn't dressed up, an indulgence Cannes
officials happily allowed one of the world's most popular rock bands.
Bono was dressed in military style fatigues and cap, doing his best
Che Guevara but with his trademark shades added.
Guitarist The Edge sported his eternal black toque, even though the
night air still had much of the day's heat.
And with that, the band disappeared inside the Palais, arriving late
yet again for was was originally supposed to be a 12:30 a.m.
screening.
But no one was complaining, and no one will soon forget the night U2
rocked the Croisette.
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