Fanning gives new U2 single first airing online

THOUSANDS OF online listeners around the world tuned into RTÉ 2FM yesterday morning when the radio station was the first to play the new U2 single.

The song, Get On Your Boots, was introduced by DJ Dave Fanning on the Colm and Jim-Jim Breakfast Show.

The single goes on release on February 13th, two weeks in advance of the new U2 album, No Line on the Horizon, which will be released in Ireland on February 27th and worldwide on March 2nd.

A prominent early supporter of the band, Dave Fanning has always been given the first play of any new U2 single, and the Colm and Jim-Jim Breakfast Showwas chosen as it was the programme Bono rang into in March last year after the two DJs had been joking on air about his vocal ability.

Following the RTÉ exclusive, the song was aired on a host of European radio stations.

The online reviews of Get On Your Bootshave been generally positive.

Musically adventurous, the song features a quickly paced vocal delivery from Bono over polyrhythmic percussion and a skuzzy guitar riff.

Sonically more like The Fly, off the band's Achtung Babyalbum, than anything they have released of late, already people are comparing the song to Elvis Costello's Pump It Upand Bob Dylan's Subterranean Homesick Blues. Lyrically, it alludes to the turmoil in the Middle East.

For Dave Fanning, it is “a big song with lots of layers but not overproduced”.

The band's No Line on the Horizonalbum, their 12th studio album and their first in five years, is expected to be this year's biggest music seller. It was recorded in Morocco, London and Dublin with producers Brian Eno, Daniel Lanois and Steve Lillywhite. The band is expected to embark on a lengthy worldwide tour to promote the album.

The Irish shows will most likely take place in Croke Park some time in August/September of this year.

Uniquely the album will be released in five different physical formats: as a standard CD, a vinyl LP, a limited-edition CD with additional content, with a 60-page magazine and in a box format featuring a hardback book.