MAY 18: text images in Spanish / 'Staring at the Sun' / Bono stumps on Capitol Hill for AIDS funding / 23rd VERTIGO show / In Rwanda, U2's Bono denounces 'dehumanization' of Africans!

"ZOOTV - Zooropa" - may 18, 1992. U2 perform in Barcelona, Spain at Palau Sant Jordi. At the second of two shows in Barcelona, Spain, many of the text images shown during "The Fly" are translated into Spanish. Translations will also be done for later shows in Italy and Germany.

"Staring At The Sun" - may 18, 1998. U2 win an ASCAP award for "Staring at the Sun" for one of the Most Performed Songs.

"Bono stumps on Capitol Hill for AIDS funding" - may 18, 2004. Bono takes the case for increased funding to fight AIDS and poverty in Africa to Capitol Hill, where he speaks before the Senate Appropriations Committee. The hearing is not without incident. According to Reuters, "several protestors calling for more global availability of generic AIDS medicines disrupted the hearing and were ejected as the U.S.'s global AIDS coordinator Randall Tobias made remarks."

23rd 'VERTIGO' show - may 18, 2005 - E. Rutherford, NJ - Continental Airlines Arena - Kings of Leon - premiere of 'ISHFWILF' played with The Bank Robbers (Edge plays an acoustic) / Edge´s killer version of ABOY / Elvis Costello, Sammy Hagar and Joe McEnroe were in the audience / "Bad-40" finished the show! Bono sings a bit of 'Pump It Up' for Elvis Costello, who is in the building tonight. 'I Still Haven't Found...' is performed with a local band, The Bank Robbers, on stage. Members of that band borrow U2's instruments to perform the song, though the drummer uses Larry's tom from 'Love and Peace...", not the main drum kit. Additional celebrity sightings: Sammy Hagar, John McEnroe. Elevation - It was refreshing to see Larry sing along w/o a mic, just singing and enjoying himself. Gloria - Bono said "this song is off of out first album, no, wait, our second album". The Ocean - Lyrics were changed to incorporate "The Jersey Shore" and "The Atlantic Ocean"...Miracle Drug - dedicated to a friend of the bands' sick infant. Bono also praised doctors and nurses (especially nurses because they don't get paid enough). Running to Stand Still - Was suprisingly georgous, complete w/ Edge on piano and Bono w/ harmonica. The Fly - Edge went f---ng bananas in this song. He was dancing and just ripping the guitar to shreads. It sounded like an angry man letting out all of his frustrations through musical notes. Mysterious Ways (Mysterious Ways, Bono changed the line towards the end of the song "She Moves w/ it" and changed it to "He's Handsome"....as he was huggin Adam Clayton) - great crowd reaction. Bono brought up a girl to dance. All Beacsue of You - AWESOME live. Edge is a madman. He has never sounded better. Killer version. ...ISHFWILF - Bono brought up 3 YOUNG guys (maybe early 20s), to play a song w/ them. Turns out to be ISHFWILF. These guys sung into same mic w/ Bono, playing distorted guitar version, hamming it up w/ the crowd. They called themselves the Bank Robbers. Larry went to a much quicker pace to keep up w/ them and the song turned into a punk version The Bank Robbers didn't want to leave the stage. It was quite a scene. Edge is in his prime. He is loving being out there, he's dancing, and is playing the guitar like a man possessed. Adam's smile never left his face. Larry was singing along, playing keboards etc. Bank Robbers say about the show here. Some photos on Interference

In Rwanda, U2's Bono denounces 'dehumanization' of Africans - May 18, 2006 - Irish rock star and activist Bono decried western portrayals of Africans as "dehumanizing" and urged greater efforts to battle poverty and disease on the continent...."The thing I'm learning is breaking with cliches," he said. "We see this pattern of Africans displayed as supplicants. We need to start portraying Africans as noble, entrepreneurial, very handsome, beautiful, smart. "Break the cliches," Bono told a crowd at the school in Mayange. "As people dehumanize African people it's very easy to turn away from them."..."I come from a culture where people think that pop stars and rock stars are heroes, which is preposterous," he said. "The hospital workers here should be the heroes." Read more, here