U2 play surprise rooftop concert

Rock band U2 have played a surprise gig on top of BBC Broadcasting House, in central London.

A crowd of around 5,000 watched the rooftop show, which capped off a day of promotion for the Irish band’s 12th studio album No Line On The Horizon.

U2 had been special guests on BBC Radio 1 and rumours of the gig appeared on internet message boards during the day.

The band performed four tracks during the 20-minute gig, including new songs Get On Your Boots and Magnificent.

Bono told the crowd: “This is a great honour. This is the first time we’ve played these songs to people, so we hope we don’t screw it up.”

U2 also performed Beautiful Day and Vertigo, as onlookers danced, clapped and sang along in the street below.

‘Great honour’

The BBC’s Darryl Chamberlain, who was at the scene, said: “Some people tried to crowd on to traffic islands to see them… the crowd was screaming and cheering.

“Others were spilling out of pubs and shops to see it, and looking out of windows. It was a good natured crowd and people really seemed to be enjoying it.”

Police closed Portland Place in Westminster to divert traffic away from the area.

The band all wrapped up against the cold, except The Edge who wore a short-sleeved lumberjack shirt and hat.

The performance was also broadcast live on DJ Chris Evans’ BBC Radio 2 show.

U2’s impromptu gig echoed The Beatles’ 1969 rooftop performance at record label Apple’s London headquarters.

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Bruce Lee

Bruce Jun Fan Lee was a Chinese martial artist, philosopher, instructor, martial arts actor and the founder of the Jeet Kune Do combat form. He is widely regarded as the most influential martial artist of the twentieth century and a cultural icon. He was also the father of actor Brandon Lee and of actress Shannon Lee.

Lee was born in San Francisco, California, and raised in Hong Kong until his late teens. His Hong Kong and Hollywood-produced films elevated the traditional Hong Kong martial arts film to a new level of popularity and acclaim, and sparked the first major surge of interest in Chinese martial arts in the West. The direction and tone of his films changed and influenced martial arts and martial arts films in Hong Kong and the rest of the world as well.

Lee became an iconic figure particularly to the Chinese, as he portrayed Chinese national pride and Chinese nationalism in his movies. He primarily practiced Chinese martial arts (Kung fu), particularly Wing Chun.

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Bullitt GT Mustang

The Ford Mustang is an automobile manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was initially based on the Ford Falcon, a compact car. Production began in Dearborn, Michigan on 9 March, 1964 and the car was introduced to the public on 17 April 1964 at the New York World’s Fair. It is Ford’s oldest nameplate currently in production, although the F-Series has undergone major nameplate changes over the years (most recently to F-150). It was Ford’s most successful launch since the Model A. Executive stylist John Najjar, who was a fan of the World War II P-51 Mustang fighter plane, suggested the name. The Mustang created the “pony car” class of American automobile — sports car-like sedans with long hoods and short rear decks —and gave rise to competitors such as GM’s Camaro, AMC’s Javelin, and Chrysler’s revamped Barracuda. It also inspired coupés such as the Toyota Celica and Ford Capri, which were exported to America. Mustangs grew larger and heavier with each model year until, in response to the 1971-1973 models, fans of the original 1964 design wrote to Ford urging a return to its size and concept. Although some other pony cars have seen a revival, the Mustang is the only original pony car that has remained in production without interruption after four decades of development and revision.

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Franz Ferdinand Canvas Art

Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish rock band that formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 2002. Named after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, the band comprises Alex Kapranos (lead vocals and guitar), Bob Hardy (bass guitar), Nick McCarthy (rhythm guitar, keyboards and backing vocals), and Paul Thomson (drums, percussion and backing vocals). The band first experienced chart success when their second single “Take Me Out” reached #3 in the UK Charts, followed by their debut album Franz Ferdinand which debuted on the UK album chart at #3. The band went on to win the 2004 Mercury Music Prize and two BRIT Awards in 2005 for Best British Group and Best British Rock Act. NME named Franz Ferdinand as their Album of the Year. From the album, three top-ten singles were released, “Take Me Out”, “The Dark of the Matinée” and “This Fire”.

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Arctic Monkeys

Arctic Monkeys are an English indie rock band from High Green, a suburb of Sheffield. Formed in 2002, the band currently consists of Alex Turner on lead vocals and guitar, Jamie Cook on guitar, Matt Helders on drums and backing vocals and Nick O’Malley on bass guitar and backing vocals, who replaced Andy Nicholson.

Arctic Monkeys achieved chart success with their first single, “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor”, which reached number one in the UK Singles Chart. Their debut album Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, released in January 2006, became the fastest-selling debut album in British music history, surpassing Oasis’ Definitely Maybe. It remains the fastest-selling debut album for a band. It received critical acclaim, winning both the 2006 Mercury Prize and the 2007 BRIT Award for Best British Album. The band’s second album, Favourite Worst Nightmare, was released on 23 April 2007, sold over 225,000 copies in its debut week, and was nominated for the 2007 Mercury Prize. The group also picked up the award for Best British Album and Best British Group at the BRIT Awards in 2008.

Arctic Monkeys achieved their success through fan-made demo tapes and online file sharing. They were heralded as one of the first acts to come to the public attention via the Internet, with commentators suggesting they represented the possibility of a change in the way in which new bands are promoted and marketed. The band eventually signed to the independent record label Domino Records.

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Government plans travel database

The government is compiling a database to track and store the international travel records of millions of Britons.

Computerised records of all 250 million journeys made by individuals in and out of the UK each year will be kept for up to 10 years.

The government says the database is essential in the fight against crime, illegal immigration and terrorism.

But opposition MPs and privacy campaigners fear it is a significant step towards a surveillance society.

The intelligence centre will store names, addresses, telephone numbers, seat reservations, travel itineraries and credit card details of travellers.

Big Brother

Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling said: “The government seems to be building databases to track more and more of our lives.

“The justification is always about security or personal protection. But the truth is that we have a government that just can’t be trusted over these highly sensitive issues. We must not allow ourselves to become a Big Brother society.”

A spokesman for campaign group NO2ID said: “When your travel plans, who you are travelling with, where you are going to and when are being recorded you have to ask yourself just how free is this country?”

The e-Borders scheme covers flights, ferries and rail journeys and the Home Office says similar schemes run in other countries including the US, Canada, Spain and Australia.

Minister of State for borders and immigration Phil Woolas said the government was determined to ensure the UK’s border remained one of the toughest in the world.

“Our hi-tech electronic borders system will allow us to count all passengers in and out of the UK and [it] targets those who aren’t willing to play by our rules,” he said.

“Already e-Borders has screened over 75 million passengers against immigration, customs and police watch-lists, leading to over 2,700 arrests for crimes such as murder, rape and assault.”

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Britain awaits more snow as councils run out of grit

More transport chaos and school closures are expected, as councils warn they are running out of grit.

The Met Office expects parts of central Britain to be affected overnight and during the day on Thursday bringing the risk of disruption across an area stretching from Somerset and South Wales to Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

Road safety organisations said conditions for motorists were “on a knife edge”.

One man died and 16 others were injured yesterday after a van collided head on with a double decker bus on an icy road in Devon.

Temperatures were expected to dip as low as 25F (-4C) overnight with up to 10 inches of snow expected to fall on high ground and several inches across low ground in Wales, the Midlands, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire.

Forecasters said the UK faced a “pincer movement” with another band of snow moving across Scotland and into Northern Ireland.

A Met Office spokesman said: “It’s the second significant snow of the week. Through the weekend it’s going to be wintry with a mix of rain, sleet and snow.”

The bad weather will sweep across south-east England again on Friday bringing sporadic snowfalls in the Home Counties.

As Britain prepares for more snow chaos, the family of Francesca Anobile, 16, who died following a sledging accident yesterday in Rother Valley Country Park, Rotherham, have paid tributed to their daughter, describing her as “a beautiful, witty, intelligent and popular young woman with everything to live for”.

In a statement released through South Yorkshire Police, the family said: “She was set for an outstanding academic career and had an unbelievable work ethic.”

Her best friend Laura Simpson, who watched the crash as it unfolded, described Francesca, from Sheffield, as “amazing”.

And her former headteacher at Westfield Sports College, Sothall, Sheffield, also paid tribute to the talented student.

Estimates said the weather disruption, caused by some of the heaviest snowfall to hit the UK in almost two decades, could cost the country as much as £3.5 billion.

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Robbie spotted … in Swindon

ROBBIE WILLIAMS is back on the UK but he’s already on his bike.

The reclusive singer was yesterday pictured leaving a bicycle shop in Swindon, close by to the £7million rural mansion he’s reportedly purchased.

The former TAKE THAT singer was desperate not to be recognised, wearing a black balaclava, shades and puffer jacket.

It’s the first time Robbie has been seen on these shores since it was revealed he was moving back from LA.

Word soon got round that Robbie was inside the shop and a number of female fans gathered outside hoping to get a picture with the Angels star.

However, they were left disappointed when one of the Red Planet bike shop staff politely asked them not to “hassle him so he could have his first day back in peace”.

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