U2 played a surprise gig in PARIS last night (October 20) before 150 fans and their guests who thought they were just going to an album playback of the band’s new offering ‘ALL THAT YOU CAN’T LEAVE BEHIND’.
The fans, who’d won a competition won through French radio station LRJ, heard the album at the city’s trendy Manray nightspot, owned by Simply Red singer Mick Hucknall and Johnny Depp, and were stunned when the band walked onstage afterwards.
U2 then launched into ‘Elevation’, ‘New York’, ‘Stuck In A Moment That You Can?t Get Out Of’ and recent Number One single ‘Beautiful Day’ from their new album, plus old favourites ‘Bad’, ‘Mysterious Ways’ and ‘Even Better Than The Real Thing’. Celebrities in the audience included Mick Hucknall himself, plus actress Beatrice ‘Betty Blue’ Dalle and supermodel Naomi Campbell, a former girlfriend of U2 bassist Adam Clayton.
The band last played on September 27 on top of The Clarence Hotel, the hotel that they own in Dublin. A spokesperson for the band said they would be touring in the new year and that dates would be announced soon.
‘All That You Can’t Leave Behind’ is released on October 30 Universal/Island.