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San Francisco Chronicle
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Can a rock star also be humble? Bono's ‘Stories of Surrender' will surprise you
Reading Bono's 2022 memoir ' Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story,' you might be struck by an intriguing juxtaposition: For a rock star often accused of harboring a messiah complex, this guy also, somehow, seems admirably humble. That same spirit guides the new performance documentary 'Bono: Stories of Surrender,' adapted from the U2 leader's one-man stage show inspired by that book. Given stark cinematic life by director Andrew Dominik, the film — which streams on Apple TV+ starting Friday, May 30, after premiering at the Cannes Film Festival earlier in the month — features paradoxes worthy of its subject. It is both stripped-down and grandiose, over-the-top and understated. 'Stories of Surrender' was shot before an adoring live audience at the Beacon Theatre in New York and enhanced with filmic touches provided in post-production. While it sometimes struggles with the transition from stage to screen, it ultimately succeeds due to its star's unassuming charisma and effortless storytelling. 'It is preposterous to think others might be as interested in your own story as you are,' the Irish rock star, born Paul David Hewson, tells his audience from the stage. But we know that he knows his story is worth hearing, and it's clear that he relishes the opportunity. That story is about a rebellious Dublin teen who at 14, his mother, Iris, dies from an aneurysm, and his already-reticent father (or 'the da,' as Bono consistently calls him) grows even more distant. Under the sway of punk acts like the Ramones, dreaming of forming his own band, young Paul rounds up some friends — Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr. and the Edge — and, through force of will and talent, make the climb from sparsely populated pub gigs to sold-out stadiums. At only 86 minutes, 'Stories of Surrender' makes no pretense of telling the full Bono story. But it picks its spots with artful precision and with keen cinematic instincts. Dominik (2007's ' The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford ' and 2022's ' Blonde ') and cinematographer Erik Messerschmidt use black-and-white imagery shot with chiaroscuro lighting to set an intimate but poetic tone. At times we see multiple Bonos talking to each other. The occasional blast of pyrotechnics tends to be muted. The music itself is presented with a minimalist touch. Music supervisor Jacknife Lee, working with cellist Kate Ellis and harpist Gemma Doherty, provide the backbone, with the occasional prerecorded blast of a familiar anthem. The songs provide autobiographical background and heft, as when Bono recalls the sense of purpose and thrill that came with belting out 'Pride (In the Name of Love)' at the 1985 Live Aid benefit concert — then notes ruefully that the $250 million that concert raised for Ethiopia was a mere drop in the bucket of the country's desperate need. Wearing a suit jacket, pinstriped vest and beads, Bono uses empty chairs and spotlights to recreate key moments of his tale. Three simple kitchen chairs placed in a row represent Clayton, Mullen and the Edge as the aspiring rock stars who try to piece together what would become the early hit 'I Will Follow.' More poignantly, Bono sits in a plush lounge chair as he imagines the pub conversations he used to have with his father, who would begin every conversation with the same question: 'Anything strange or startling?' One day, well into U2's run of stardom, the son decides to turn the question on the father, only to receive the devastating news that the old man has cancer. 'Stories of Surrender' is a disarming portrait of a self-aware megastar with an authentically personal demeanor, the kind of guy you might want to join for one of those pub conversations. If you do think Bono has a god complex, he comes across here as someone eager to sit down, laugh about it and perhaps tip a couple of pints.
Irish Independent
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Bono – Stories of Surrender review: The life and times of this gifted raconteur is an elegant affair
We might add to this list a night in late 2022 when Bono brought the debut show of his all-singing, all-sharing book tour to the Olympia Theatre. Marking the release of his memoir Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, the night was attended by a who's-who of Irish life; everyone from heads of state to broadcasting giants. What greeted them was a side to the U2 frontman perhaps less seen, part opera star, part seanchaí, relating the knots of his extraordinary life from a stage of rare intimacy. Stripped-down versions of songs would helix through stories about his parents, his upbringing in Dublin, meeting wife Ali and his eventual bandmates (in the same week), and the globe-gobbling stardom that would eventually come. Two things seemed to strike anyone lucky enough to get a ticket or an invite that night – the stagecraft of the entire performance, and the sheer dexterity and control of the then 62-year-old's vocal cords. One music industry friend of mine, someone who has seen all the greats down through the years, put it in the top five things he had ever seen staged anywhere in our capital. That show's beguiling format of yarns and renditions from one of the most famous people on the planet has been captured on camera without too much in the way of reverence or pomp. Andrew Dominik's film brings just a slick monochrome sheen and some light digital trickery to proceedings as it swoops about New York's Beacon Theatre. Accompaniment is provided by producer and occasional U2 collaborator Jacknife Lee, who strips those arena-filling compositions back to their essence with vocal and instrumental help from Crash Ensemble cellist Kate Ellis and harpist Gemma Doherty (of Saint Sister). That aside, it's just a table, a few chairs, a bit of a lighting rig and a gifted raconteur cherry-picking from his bestselling memoir. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more As with the book, the 'eccentric heart' trouble that hospitalised him in New York in 2016 is a jumping-off point for what is essentially a scenic route through a newfound sense of mortality. And then it's right into Cedarwood Road, The Ramones and a complicated parental dynamic. More than in the print memoir, Bono's over-arching niggle in Dominik's film is father Bob, the opera-lover who married protestant Iris (much to his own family's disapproval). Following Iris's death when then Paul Hewson was just 14, much head-butting went on between the punkish teenager and the nonchalant, old-school Bob. All good frontmen carry the 'look at me, Mum' gene, but while Iris's death certainly played a role, it was Bob's reluctance to really acknowledge his pride in the rising superstar that provides the emotional cornerstone for these stories. By the time Bono is re-enacting their stunted Sunday afternoon conversations in Finnegan's pub, the delicate dynamic is tangible but somehow never mawkish or self-pitying. Always there is a sense of forward momentum, a dance that, much like the operas his father would sing along to, have their ebbs and flows. A brilliant mimic who is naturally predisposed to physical showmanship and far-reaching activism, you come to appreciate just what a rare and unusual creature Bono is and how wide of the mark are those tiresome slurs on his character (he does pay taxes, by the way, as do all members of U2 – find a new hobby). And what of the songs chosen from that imperious back catalogue? Well, there are moments in this show where a classic track bubbles up to the surface of an anecdote – see the penning of debut single Out of Control or Pride (In the Name of Love) – that are so cannily timed they arrive like goosebumps exploding. Hate them all you like, but there can be no denying that U2 and their singular frontman push buttons that no one else has really found access to. While an early Christmas present for fans, for everyone else this is an elegant, classy, fun and often poignant one-man opera that revels in the limitations of its setting. Four stars
Extra.ie
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
'Zero respect' -- Bono under fire over Netanyahu comments
U2 frontman Bono is under fire following his calls for Israel to be 'released from Benjamin Netanyahu,' with many feeling the musician is 'late to the party'. The 65-year-old made the comments last week at London's Grosvenor House. It was the first time the human rights activist spoke out in public against Israel since October 2023. U2 frontman Bono is under fire following his calls for Israel to be 'released from Benjamin Netanyahu,' with many feeling the musician is a little late to the party. Pic: Dave Hogan/Hogan Media/REX/Shutterstock The lead singer said: 'Peace creates possibilities in the most intractable situations. Lord knows there's a few of them there right now. 'Hamas, release the hostages. Stop the war. Israel, be released from Benjamin Netanyahu and the far-right fundamentalists that twist your sacred text.' He added: 'All of you protect our aid workers, they are the best of us.' U2 singer Bono is awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by U.S. President Joe Biden. Pic:The speech came as the musician received an award from Ed Sheeran alongside his bandmates. The band were awarded an academy fellowship at the 70th year of the annual awards. While Bono's speech has circulated online, many have reacted negatively as they hit out at the musician for remaining silent for more than a year and a half. While the speech circulated online, many have reacted negatively as they hit out at the musician for remaining silent for more than a year and a half. Pic: Anthony Harvey/REX/Shutterstock One person wrote: 'After nearly 20 months of blatant genocide and thousands upon thousands of civilians pulped by Israeli bombing, including a high proportion of children and babies, Bono decides it's safe enough to criticise Netanyahu. F*** off.' Another echoed: 'F*** off Bono.' A third added: 'He 'forgot' the most important part; STOP THE GENOCIDE!! Zero respect for Bono, it was a p**s weak speech.' He "forgot" the most important part; STOP THE GENOCIDE!! Zero respect for Bono, it was a piss weak speech. — Domestic Godmess (@Melanieakroyd) May 25, 2025 Someone else took to the comments to point out: 'Great to hear from Bono again, he's such a champion of human rights, coincidentally, he has a documentary out at the moment!' Bono: Stories of Surrender is set for release on Apple TV on Friday, May 30, and is a one-man show by the same name of his memoir, Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story. The film is set to feature never-before-seen exclusive footage from the Stories of Surrender Beacon Theatre shows, as well as Bono performing a number of U2 hits. An updated paperback edition of his bestselling memoir is set to be released concurrently.
Irish Post
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Post
Memoir and music collide as Bono faces mortality and finds renewed purpose
NEVER before in the history of humankind has one small man so largely self-promoted his life. That's the theory, anyway, as U2's frontman Bono prepares to unleash yet another chapter of his life at the end of this month. 'I was born with my fists up. Surrender does not come easy to me. This is my story. I'm stuck with it.' So says the man who manages to mix self-deprecation with self-aggrandisement all too well. We will see examples of this in the forthcoming Apple TV+ original documentary Bono: Stories of Surrender, which debuts on the streaming platform on Friday, May 30th. In fairness, Paul Hewson's flagrant self-promotion has some depth to it. We can safely guess that this virtually solo proactivity began with the brace of U2's most personal and confessional albums: Songs of Innocence (2014) and Songs of Experience (2017). Bono Stories of Surrender airs on Apple TV+ this month The first album revisits the band members' early days in Ireland of the 1970s, referencing childhood memories, personal loves and losses, all the while tipping a hat to their first musical inspirations of glam rock, David Bowie, and various pop, rock, and punk groups. Bono once described the album as the most personal the band had written. Subsequently, in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, he said the album was about trying to figure out 'why we wanted to be in a band, the relationships around the band, our friendships, our lovers, our family. The whole album is first journeys - first journeys geographically, spiritually, sexually…' Songs of Experience, meanwhile, was even more personal to Bono. In December 2016, as the album was being worked on, he had a near-death experience. At the time, what occurred wasn't identified, but the Edge referred to it as a 'brush with mortality.' Bono later revealed in his 2022 memoir Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, that he had undergone open-heart surgery, an eight-hour operation. After some time recuperating, a fully recovered Bono decided to rework lyrics on some of the album's new songs. He subsequently admitted that death was already going to be a theme on the album, as he thought the subject had been infrequently addressed in rock music, and felt it was logically fitting for an album with the title of Songs of Experience. Inevitably, the incident influenced the general theme and atmosphere of the album. It made him realise, he said, that not 'surrendering to melancholy is the most important thing if you are going to fight your way out of whatever corner you are in.' Cue Covid-19, and the time available to dig deep not only into what happened to him a few years previously but also to finally drill down into his life story. Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story was the result of such drilling. To say it surprised people is an understatement. To say it most surprised people whose antipathy towards Bono bordered on irrationality was an even greater understatement. How did he change minds, then? A review of the memoir in the New Statesman gets it right. 'The only thing anyone else really has to say about U2 is that they don't like Bono, the band's frontman, because he is smug and evangelical. Bono addresses this charge early in his memoir: there is no criticism anyone could make of him that is worse than the criticism he gives himself, up there on stage, every night. On stage, he has a devil on his shoulder, he says. But while he may have a devil, he also has faith and God on his side. Thus insulated, Bono can begin his story.' Similarly, Irish writer Colm Tóibín's review in the Irish Times outlines why some people are irked by Bono: he gets carried away. ('This is what I do,' explains the singer. 'This is the me you wouldn't want to be in a band with.') Tóibín gets to the heart of the subject when he writes that what makes the memoir so intriguing is that the singer's overarching melancholy 'is overwhelmed by a desperate, frenzied desire to use life more richly since it has proved to be so fragile. Sadness is replaced here by an extraordinary and breathless zeal for friendship, but also for love.' Which is all well and good, but what does the documentary Bono: Stories of Surrender tell us? In tandem with the publication of his memoir in the closing months of 2022, something odd occurred in the world of U2. Announcing theatre shows with the title of Stories of Surrender: An Evening of Words, Music and Some Mischief, Bono announced that these shows would be the first time he would sing U2 songs without the other three band members. There was no problem with this, he soothingly remarked, perhaps keen to downplay (if not completely sabotage) any thoughts of discord within the band. The 'solo' tour dates were few and far between, but as the shows were to be held in theatres (the capacity of which ranged from anywhere between 1,000-3,000), the demand for tickets was stratospheric. Curiosity, however, was also central to the demand. In the end, the wait in the online ticket queue was worth it. Reviews of the show were unanimously positive. 'One of rock's biggest voices laid himself bare', said Variety, and 'unquestionable professionalism' noted The Times. The Irish Times, meanwhile, viewed Dublin's 3Olympia Theatre show as a 'musical photo album, the singer flicking through memories of his life with songs. It gives him the chance to flex his talents as a singer, a storyteller, a mimic, a comic and, ultimately, the tenor his father said he never was. This is 'my quarter-of-a-band' show, he says. But what a quarter.' You can expect the Apple TV+ documentary to deliver a view of the show (actually, two shows, both filmed at New York's famed Beacon Theatre) that not many in the stalls witnessed. Directed in sharp, stylish monochrome by Andrew Dominik, the documentary had its world premiere at this year's Cannes Film Festival and received suitably enthusiastic reviews. Previously unseen footage from the Beacon shows presents a very confessional Bono in a way you might have previously been unaware of, while numerous U2 songs are performed in a subtle, stripped-down and textured manner that places them in entirely new light (and shade). The Irish musicians on stage (cellist Kate Ellis, multi-instrumentalist Gemma Doherty, and jack-of-all-music-trades Jacknife Lee) reshape the songs that will more than likely influence forthcoming U2 material. The visual aspects, meanwhile, are softened versions of the usual blitz of U2's arena/Sphere shows, with supremely eye-catching lighting design that never makes you turn your head away. Is the film yet another self-promotion device, another look-at-me tool? Of course it is, but even the most toughened anti-U2/Bono detractor will surely admit there is a sincere heart beating throughout it that neuters the obvious hard sell. 'The Story of a Showman' is how the trailer for the documentary starts. It now looks likely that until Bono hangs up his boots, or until his boots are hung up for him, the story of this particular showman will continue. A revised edition of Stories of Surrender is published on May 27. The documentary of the same name premieres on Apple TV+ on May 30. See More: Apple TV+, Bono, Bono: Stories Of Surrender
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bono Delivers First Look at Highly Anticipated ‘Magical, Amazing' Project
First there was the book and the audiobook. Then the stage show. Now, U2 frontman Bono is coming to your house with the new Apple TV+ film Bono: Stories of Surrender, which will debut on the streaming service on May 30. The film is described as a 'bold and lyrical visual exploration of Bono's one-man show.' 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 It's the latest evolution in the project that began as the singer's acclaimed memoir, Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, which evolved into the one-man stage production, Stories of Surrender: And Evening of Words, Music, and Some Mischief. The film will include previously unreleased footage from the 'Beautiful Day' singer's April and May 2023 11-show run at the Beacon Theatre in New York City, where he shared stories of his life and performed songs from the U2 catalog backed by sparse instrumentation rather than his usual U2 bandmates. In the video preview, released Wednesday, April 30, Bono is heard introducing the show by saying, 'These are the tall tales of a short rock star.' Fans are thrilled that the film will soon be released. Others, not so much. 'The 28th of April was 2 years since we caught this show at the Beacon (which was being filmed). So happy this is almost here. Magical!' wrote one, while another added, 'Saw this in NYC. Amazing.' However, one commenter was quick to bring up U2's famous previous flop with Apple, when the band's 2014 album, Songs of Innocence, was automatically downloaded into the iTunes accounts of millions of Apple customers, much to the displeasure of some. 'What dirt does Bono have on Apple Execs? The U2 iPod, the album no one wanted, now this,' they wrote. 'Who is he ? Cant Apple+ keep bringing things like Silo or Severance ?' another wrote. Speaking of Apple TV+ dramatic series. There is a Bono connection there as well. Bono's daughter, Eve Hewson, is one of the stars of the series Bad Sisters.
