Registration Opens August 1 for U2 Conference

Public officials in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina might as well officially declare October 2-4 as “U2 Weekend.” U2: The Hype and The Feedback, the first academic conference devoted to exploring the music, work and influence of the Irish band, is set for that weekend at North Carolina Central University in Durham – the same weekend U2 is set to be in concert in Raleigh.

Online registration for the conference opens on Saturday, Aug. 1, and will remain active until it reaches capacity. It features a rolling rate schedule that offers benefits for early sign-ups, students, and one-day or opening-event only attendees.

In spite of the scholarly location and angle, however, the conference isn’t just for ‘academic types,’ says organizer Scott Calhoun. With more than 40 sessions, the event should provide something of interest to U2 fans from all walks of life.

“U2 fans are a bright bunch who put their hearts and heads into what they do. You don’t need a Ph.D. to enjoy U2 and talk to other fans about how the band’s music has influenced your life. I think everyone who comes is going to find ways to connect with fans. We’re all fans, really, and the whole weekend is about listening, sharing and learning from each other,” said Calhoun, who is also an English professor and a U2 academic.

The conference kicks off at 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 2, with the showing of a new documentary film, Meet Me in the Sound, by first-time Melbourne filmmaker Natalie Baker, followed by a reception to welcome the featured speakers.

They include to date Rolling Stone contributing editor Anthony DeCurtis; the United Kingdom’s Telegraph columnist Neil McCormick (pictured), who was also a schoolmate of the band members; Matt McGee, founder of @U2 and author of U2-A Diary; and Ugandan AIDS activist Agnes Nyamawaro, who has worked with Bono’s ONE Campaign.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Curator Jim Henke will speak via video.

“An international line-up of presenters will talk about topics … addressing U2’s influence in rock history, the entertainment industry, and on humanitarian and social justice initiatives,” Calhoun said.

Titles of some of the conference’s topics include:

• U2, Salman Rushdie and the Political Frontiers of Artistic Collaboration
• Pro Bono: Translating and Transforming Africa for the Consumerist West
• Common Aspirations: Media Theory and U2’s Zoo TV Tour
• The Meme of Surrender: Bono’s Lyrics of Recovery and Revelation

With NCCU celebrating its centennial anniversary in the fall as a historically black university, the campus and the conference seemed to be a perfect fit, said Calhoun.

“[The university has] a rich heritage as the nation’s first state supported liberal arts college founded for African Americans, and [it has served the] Durham community for many years in highlighting the role[s] art and music play in our lives,” he continued.

“In that respect, the institution closely parallels U2’s history, which has been to create music that inspires everyone and honors the overlooked, the oppressed and the champions of freedom for all people, from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to Central America’s Mothers of the Disappeared, and more recently from Nelson Mandela to Aung San Suu Kyi. I’m thrilled that the music and work of U2 will be a topic of exploration on the campus this fall,” Calhoun concluded.

Early bird registration fees, which run from Aug. 1 through Sept. 7, are $129 for students with active identifications and $179 for the public. Standard registration fees, which run from Sept. 8 until the conference reaches capacity, are $149 for students and $209 for the public. Both early and standard conference registrations include costs for a reception on Friday and lunch on Saturday and Sunday.

One-day registrations, for either Saturday or Sunday and includes lunch for that day, is $89 for students and $129 for the public. A ticket for the Friday evening kick-off event and reception only is $25.

Conference registration does not include the cost of lodging or purchase of a ticket to U2’s Raleigh concert.

The cost of registering for the conference can be paid for by check, PayPal account, or credit card via PayPal.

For more information and registration for the conference, log onto its web site at www.U2conference.com.

–Tracey Hackett, Editor