AUCTION AT NEW YORKS HARD ROCK CAFE NETS $2.4 MILLION TO HURRICANE VICTIMS

A fundraising auction of music memorabilia from the likes of Jimi Hendrix, The Edge, Bono and Paul McCartney smashed pre-sale expectations and brought in $2.4 million, a portion of which will go to a charity that replaces musical equipment lost or destroyed by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. "It was the best sale we've ever done," said Darren Julien, president and CEO of Julien's Auctions, which ran the event benefiting Music Rising. The event on Saturday night at the Hard Rock Cafe was so popular, Julien said, that bidding went on for three hours after it had been supposed to stop. Music Rising was co-founded by The Edge, the U2 guitarist who donated his favorite instrument, a 1975 Gibson Les Paul that he has played on for years. Pre-sale estimates put the guitar at $60,000 to $80,000—it sold for $288,000, including the commission. Other highlights included a guitar owned by Jimi Hendrix that went for $480,000; a pair of sunglasses donated by Bono that went for $24,000; a guitar from Bob Dylan that sold for $192,000 and a guitar from Paul McCartney that brought in $81,600. Julien said the entire auction slate, 204 items, was sold. For some items, the total selling price was going to Music Rising, while other items were giving a portion of the proceeds. The final amount going to the charity had not been tallied yet, he said.

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BONO DEFENDS HIS RED AIDS CAMPAIGN

At Least Bono Is Trying. What Are You Doing ?

Bono is furious at claims his RED campaign to raise money for AIDS sufferers has failed.It was reported yesterday the U2 singer's campaign has raised just 18 per cent of what was spent on promotion, but these claims have been denied. A RED source said: "First of all, RED didn't launch its products until mid-October. And they raised $25 million. Before that, the fund had taken in about $5 million over a four-year period. Before that, they had one T-shirt out and a pair of sunglasses."Advertising Age magazine claimed RED raised just $18 million in a year for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS in Africa, while The Gap, Apple and Motorola spent an estimated $100 million on marketing.The source added: "Bono's RED campaign didn't spend anything on marketing."The companies they work with spent a few million each. The Gap spent $7.8million. The $100 million is a phantom number Ad Age pulled out of thin air.It's off by tens of millions of dollars."Now, Motorola has a RED phone, Apple a RED Nano iPod, Converse has RED All Star sneakers, and The Gap has a full line of RED clothing. Bobby Shriver, director of the RED fund, said: "These companies are talking about the AIDS emergency in their marketing and in their stores. This can only help us all stay focused on the fact that 5,500 Africans are still dying needlessly of AIDS every day."

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NOEL GALLAGHER TELLS U2 BONO TO "SHUT THE FUCK UP" ABOUT AFRICA

Noel Gallagher has told Bono to "shut the fuck up" about Africa.The Oasis guitarist is sick of the U2 frontman campaigning to end Third World debt in the continent, and insists Bono's fans don't want to be constantly lectured by their idol. Noel told Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper: "With U2 it's like play 'One', shut the fuck up about Africa. People don't want to hear about it all the time."The outspoken songwriter has also blasted Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke for brow-beating his fans with his political beliefs. He has urged him to ditch his serious attitude to music and write a 'proper' rock song. He said: "Thom Yorke sat at a piano singing, 'This is fucked up', for half-an-hour. We all know that, Mr Yorke. Who wants to sing the news? No matter how much you sit there twiddling, going, 'We're all doomed', at the end of the day people will always want to hear him play 'Creep'. Get over it."Noel - who along with brother Liam and the rest of the band will collect the prestigious Outstanding Contribution To Music award at next week's BRIT AWARDS -has no intention to stop writing hit songs.The rocker - whose band has scored an incredible eight UK number singles, including 'Lyla' and 'Don't Look Back In Anger' - added: "Somehow I don't ever see myself on stage playing a mouth organ to 150 people on a Wednesday. Every time I write a song, I envisage them in football stadiums with loads of people going fucking mental - that's Oasis."

Fucked Up Noel Gallagher