By Colm Kavanagh
Once described by Time magazine as “Rock’s Hottest Ticket”, U2’s popularity remains as strong as ever, if recent demand for tickets at their upcoming concert in Croke Park is any form of indication to the band’s hold upon the concert-going public. U2 will play one show at GAA headquarters this summer, to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the album, “The Joshua Tree” – an album that elevated U2 to the higher echelons amongst the rock and roll glitterati.
Rumours from earlier this year were confirmed this week with the news that the Dublin quartet has been busy working alongside long-time producer Steve Lillywhite, remixing a song from the classic album.
For Wicklow-based fans, comes news that the song chosen is none other than “Red Hill Mining Town”, the opening track on Side Two (that should confuse the kids!) which featured the Arklow Silver Band when originally released back in 1987.
Singer Bono confirmed the news in a recent interview with UK magazine Mojo, stating that “we’ve also brought out the brass band which was recorded at the time.
You can’t hear it in the original mix.” The song itself is unique in that it was the only song on “The Joshua Tree” that the band have never performed live, and with Bono’s re-recording of the lyrics it is being widely rumoured to make its debut on the forthcoming tour. Will we see some Arklow-based musicians joining U2 onstage in Croke Park this July?
The new single is scheduled for an early March release.
