U2be

Every few months a friend of mine rents out a hall in Pasadena and holds a swanky singles party. She's been doing it for years and each time the attendance seems a little higher than the last time. Except this last Saturday! Attendence was down, and the speculation was that the other big event in town, U2 playing the Rose Bowl, was eating into sales.

If YOUR event was a little slow Saturday, perhaps you have this to blame.

Irish rock group U2 have broadcast an entire live show via the video sharing website YouTube.

Although 96,000 people turned up to see the show at the Pasadena Rose Bowl in California, many times that number were expected to have watched it online.

As he took to the stage, lead singer Bono said: "Thank you Los Angeles. Thanks to everyone watching on YouTube all over the world - seven continents."

The entire show, which Bono described as a "space adventure", is being repeated on YouTube.

God knows it's a good way to beat that traffic. And Bono on a computer screen would look about as tiny as he does from the back rows of the Rose Bowl.

This is an interesting development. In the past U2 would have made a deal with a broadcast network or HBO or some pay-per-view outfit. I wonder where they think they're going to make their money back from?

(PS regarding the singles party - I lost your number, Amy Sue! Call me!)