The fact that many top artists — like Coldplay‘s Chris Martin and Beyonce — are available to hire for weddings and birthday parties if the price is right is one of the worst-kept secrets in the music industry. But some artists just flat-out refuse to do them, even if the money is insane. Case in point: U2.
Jay Siegan, whose company specializes in organizing private gigs by big stars, tells The Times of London, “We recently made an offer to U2 of $10 million to perform on an island in the Caribbean for a private client. They quickly declined.” Other acts who “never” do private shows include Bruce Springsteen, AC/DC, Taylor Swift, The Cure and Depeche Mode.
Of course, those acts don’t exactly need the money. Just think of how much U2 must have raked in during their recent residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas, which grossed some $256 million.
In other U2 news, the group has just released the 10th edition of its ongoing digital playlist series, To Love and Only Love — Deep Dives and B-Sides. The remastered collection is comprised of songs that until now were only available on vinyl, CD or cassette.
The latest playlist is centered around “Elevation,” from their 2000 album, All That You Can’t Leave Behind. The 10 tracks include six different mixes of “Elevation,” including the “Tomb Raider Mix” from the 2001 film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. There are also live versions of “New York,” “I Will Follow” and the Ramones cover “I Remember You,” plus a remake of Johnny Cash‘s “Don’t Take Your Guns to Town,” which was the original B-side of “Elevation.”
