’To-hell-with-genre’
’To-hell-with-genre’
’To-hell-with-genre’

'To-hell-with-genre'

'Riotous three-hour party...' Great reviews coming in for An Evening With Gavin Friday and Friends.

06 Oct 2009
Rolling Stone was suitably wowed by Sunday's show which it reports was 'curated with eclectic bravura by Hal Willner' and turned into 'a riotous three-hour party, with a to-hell-with-genre rollcall of the many friends Friday has made in his art-rock pop-art film-score and noir-theater travels.'

And the members of U2 were all over the show: 'Bono the Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. were on and off stage half a dozen times; U2's Friday covers included 'I Want to Live' (done with techno drive and Joshua Tree-like space) and the crusted-glam bomb 'King of Trash.' Bono also took a solo spot, turning on his Irish Sinatra for the Shag Tobacco elegy 'The Last Song I'll Ever Sing.'

Jon Pareles in the New York Timesfound 'the concert juxtaposed delicacy and brute force, intimacy and irony. It had tender moments, like Mr. Friday's opening 'Apologia'; duets with Antony Hegarty (of Antony and the Johnsons) on 'He Got What He Wanted' and 'Angel'; and Mr. Friday's desolate 'You Take Away the Sun,' with the shimmering backup of Bill Frisell on guitar, Hank Roberts on cello and Mr. Seezer on piano.

'Martha Wainwright gave a luminous performance of 'You Made Me the Thief of Your Heart,' a ballad steeped in Irish tradition that was written by Mr. Friday, Mr. Seezer and Bono; Andrea Corr, of the Irish pop group the Corrs, was poised and gentle in 'Time Enough for Tears.'

Spinner said the show was 'a dream for fans as the hallowed hall saw incredible pairings, performances and different sides of well-known artists.

'Early in the night, after Friday and Courtney Love rocked their way through a steamy cover of Magazine's 'The Light Pours Out of Me,' Friday said, 'Only one thing can follow that,' and brought out Scarlett Johansson and Rufus Wainwright. That one-upmanship kept going until the end of the night, when after a magnificent solo turn by Bono, Laurie Anderson and Lou Reed came out to join Friday, the Edge and Bono for a raucous post-modern 'Sweet Jane.' How do you improve on that?'

MORE NEWS

ALL NEWS
Carnaval De Luz Indie Record Store Edition
CARNAVAL DE LUZ

Limited Edition Third Man Records Yellow Vinyl of New Album Arrives November 13 at Independent Record Stores

30 SEP 2026
Central Bank Deputy Governor Vasileios Madouros presented the coin to Larry Mullen Jr.
50TH ANNIVERSARY

Central Bank of Ireland launches U2 commemorative coin marking 50 years since the band's formation.

28 SEP 2026
Fifty
50TH ANNIVERSARY

Live in Dublin fifty years on. Pat Carty was there for U2.com.

27 SEP 2026
'CARNAVAL DE LUZ' - New Album In November.
CARNAVAL DE LUZ

The band's first studio album in nine years will be released on November 13th. Silencio, second track from...

24 SEP 2026
It’s Arrived (with a surprise)
SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVES

The Days of Ash Propaganda Magazine & EP bundle is here… complete with a bonus Easter Lily edition...

17 SEP 2026
'2027 Persons of the Year'
HEARTS + MINDS

Band to be honoured by Musicares for 'five decades of musical achievement and humanitarian service'

10 SEP 2026
’Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah’
COMPILATIONS

Release of Pogues cover today, Friday, from stellar line up for '20th Century Paddy - The Songs Of...

28 AUG 2026
'Fireflies'
COLLABORATIONS

Out today!  Martin Garrix teams up with U2 on new track 'Fireflies', debuted live with Edge at Tomorrowland...

24 JUL 2026
'In a place called Mexico…'

Behind-the-scenes with band and crew on the shoot for 'Street of Dreams'.

17 JUL 2026
Street Of Dreams - The New Single is Here.
SINGLES

Listen to Street of Dreams, the first single from the band's upcoming studio album.

07 JUL 2026
’BALLROOM BOOM’
TV

'Ballroom Boom' screening at the Galway Film Fleadh this Thursday.

07 JUL 2026
What a wonder. They're calling it "The Obamalisk"
BONO

Bono and Edge performing City of Blinding Lights at the grand opening of the Obama Presidential Center in...

22 JUN 2026
SHOWING 12 OF 4770 STORIES KEEP SCROLLING FOR MORE ↓

Related Topic

LATEST COMMENTS

THE NEW ALBUM
CARNAVAL DE LUZ

The new album. Out 13 November 2026.

PRE-ORDER

SUBSCRIBE TO U2.COM

Special editorial and video, exclusive newsletters and events, 25% coupon for the shop and first access to ticket sales when the band tour.