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Bono Comes Out as a ‘Swiftie’

Bono has declared himself a “Swiftie,” or fan of Taylor Swift, in an appearance on The Graham Norton Show. The U2 frontman and the popular singer-songwriter were part of the…

Taylor Swift and Bono
Charley Gallay/Getty Images

Bono has declared himself a "Swiftie," or fan of Taylor Swift, in an appearance on The Graham Norton Show.

The U2 frontman and the popular singer-songwriter were part of the panel of guests that appeared on the latest episode of the long-running BBC talk show. According to Billboard, host Norton asked Bono and Swift if they ever worked together. Swift playfully responded, "Not yet. We're gonna talk about it later." Bono followed up saying, "I'm a Swiftie."

Swift added about Bono, "He’s so nice he sent me roses when I played in Dublin. He doesn’t want to take credit … He’s a truly great person. He’s just that great and thoughtful, just the best there is." Bono coyly responded, "I better have a drink."

Bono is deep in the promotional cycle for his new memoir Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, which comes out tomorrow (November 1.) The book is available at SurrenderMemoir.com. Bono announced a 14-date book tour earlier this month, with seven dates set for North America and seven dates set for Europe. These shows are being dubbed "Bono: An Evening of Words, Music and Some Mischief..." A full list of tour dates is below.

Bono: An Evening of Words, Music and Some Mischief... - Tour Dates

11/2 - Beacon Theatre - New York, NY
11/4 - Orpheum Theatre - Boston, MA
11/6 - Meridian Hall - Toronto, ON
11/8 - The Chicago Theatre - Chicago, IL
11/9 - Ryman Auditorium - Nashville, TN
11/12 - Orpheum Theatre - San Francisco, CA
11/13 - The Orpheum Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
11/16 - The London Palladium - London, England
11/17 - Sec Armadillo - Glasglow, Scotland
11/19 - O2 Apollo Manchester - Manchester, UK
11/21 - 3Olympia Theatre - Dublin IE
11/23 - Admiralspalast - Berlin, DE
11/25 - Le Grand Rex - Paris, FR
11/28 - Teatro Coliseum - Madrid, ES

Bono turns 60 today (May 10), and after being active with U2 for 40 years, he remains one of the best frontmen in rock.

While traditional concerts are currently on hold, that doesn't mean we can't go back and enjoy some of Bono's best live moments. In honor of Bono's birthday, enjoy these seven performances below.

“Bad” – Live Aid (1985)

U2 is able to make a stadium show feel like a club show. They proved that during their now-legendary set at Live Aid in 1985 where Bono jumped from the massive stage to dance with one lucky audience member.

“Where The Streets Have No Name” – 1987 Joshua Tree Tour

This performance from the first Joshua Tree tour was prominently featured in U2 concert/documentary film Rattle & Hum. Simply put, Bono’s vocals here are perfection.

“Even Better Than The Real Thing” – 1992 MTV Video Music Awards

In the thick of their ZooTV tour, U2 performed live via satellite with Dana Carvey as Garth Algar during the 1992 MTV VMAs. It was both comically and technologically awesome.

“Lemon” – ZooTV (1993)

If you’re making a list about live Bono and you don’t bring up any of the personas from the ZooTV tour, frankly, your list is incomplete. This writer’s personal favorite was MacPhisto, a gold-clad demon of sorts that liked to prank call the White House. Here he is performing “Lemon.”

“With Or Without You” – Elevation Tour (2001)

Remember how we said U2 has a way of making big concert settings feel intimate? For this one fan picked from the crowd, Bono made this performance of “With Or Without You” really intimate.

“Beautiful Day/MLK/Where The Streets Have No Name” – 2002 Super Bowl Halftime Show

With 9/11 still fresh in the minds of all Americans, U2 took to the Super Bowl Halftime Show and gave one of the most moving performances of their career. From Bono emerging from the crowd to him running laps on the heart stage, it’s a moment fans certainly haven’t forgotten over the years.

“I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For/Desire” – NYC Subway (2015)

If only more bands busked on subway platforms!  In perhaps one of the coziest sets U2 performed in recent years, Bono has no shame in mugging for all the cell phones out capturing this once-in-a-lifetime performance.

U2 and Other Band Origin Stories

Erica Banas is a news blogger who's been covering the rock/classic rock world since 2014. The coolest event she's ever covered in person was the 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. (Sir Paul McCartney inducting Foo Fighters? C'mon now!) She's also well-versed in etiquette and extraordinarily nice. #TransRightsAreHumanRights