U2 might split up at some point... and that warrants a front page spread in the Irish Daily Mirror. Yep, in the future, there is a chance U2 might not try and emulate the Rolling Stones, carting their bones around the world for the rest of their days. So, some day, U2 might split up. Just like Westlife - after a greatest hits album and a year long run in Croke Park, along with some intimate gigs in the O2.
Here's the quote that started the furore (it's worth pointing out that it comes a week after Westlife made the front pages with their "split"). It, of course, comes from Bono: "I'm not so sure the future hasn't dried up. It's quite likely you might hear from us next year - but it's equally possible that you won't. We have so many new songs, some of our best. But I'm putting some time aside to just go and get lost in the music. I want to take my young boys and my wife and just disappear with my iPod Nano and some books and an acoustic guitar." Anyone else being burdened with an unfortunate mental image of Bono busting out some moves to Sister Sledge via his iPod...
Naturally enough, Bono is now laying the seeds of doubt in his bandmates brains: "The band are like 'Will you shut up about being irrelevant?'"
Fear not, though, avid fans, the re-issue of Actung Baby (plug, plug, plug) has inspired Bono towards another bout of reinvention: "Being forced to look back at this period reminds me of how we might re-emerge for the next phase. And that doesn't mean that you have to wear some mad welder's goggles or dress up in women's clothing (thank Christ for that). Reinvention is much deeper than that."
Dig deep, Bono, dig deep. For if you don't our greatest musical export - in the absence of Westlife and U2 - will be f***in' Daniel O'Donnell.
