On Bourbon Street….

Remember we mentioned Edge was making some special plans for a Music Rising auction?

Today you can see for yourself. 

Take a visit to Edge's on-line world of 'Bourbon St' where you can view a host of historic instruments and memorabilia, talk guitars and songs and all things U2, and zoom in on a very special virtual experience.

Once you've ridden an atmospheric trolley bus to Bourbon St, you'll be met by virtual Edge who'll say a bit more about Music Rising, before guiding you into the world he's helped to create via the cutting-edge on-line design platform ohyay.

It's all fan-centric, interactive and immersive - but don't just take our word for it. 

Yesterday, ahead of the global launch, our U2.com subscribers got a special preview… and even met up with the real and non-virtual The Edge. Seemed to go quite well...

'Did we really stacked hats on Edge's head and chit-chat with him all dressed up as him last night?' asked @madfl3a. 'For real #U2Fam, you DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS ! I'm having the time of my life seriously. #BourbonSt is amazing and so well thought It's soooooo cool to hang out with friends in that virtual space and just discover all those rooms and chit chat about music and just have the best fun really....
...AND THEN THE EDGE SHOWS UP AND YOU TRY VERY HARD NOT TO DIE.'

'You need to check out the new @musicrising virtual experience,' posted  @ScoobyGangKid. 'I am not kidding at all, it's AMAZING - there is so much to explore! Plus you never know who is going to join the room to say hi… YES THAT IS MR THE EDGE, NO NOT IN THE SHIRT THAT'S ME. UNDER THE HAT PILE
That was the best craic I've had in so long. Today was my last day of isolation, I didn't expect to spend it in a virtual world trying on cowboy hats and converse but here we are! I didn't even get to see half the guitars yet, that is for tomorrow's exploring...'

You could make straight for U2's 'dressing room nook' to catch a pre-gig vibe and chat face-to-face with other fans - or head to Edge's personal room where he'll wax lyrical about the custom Strat he played on 'Bad' and 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For' (but please, no feet on the coffee table - he's just painted it …).

Bono can fill you in on the Gibson he played on the Zoo TV tour … or head to Adam's room to study his Precision bass, up close and personal.

Remember, some of the world's greatest artists - from Springsteen to Elton John via Joan Jett and Paul McCartney! - have given instruments and memorabilia for Music Rising, and they've left personal introductions about their stuff for you to savour while you're there.

The auction itself is on December 11. If you've some spare cash you can bid on Springsteen's signed Americana Original '50s Fender Telecaster, but if you're not quite in the running for that, or Elton John's pre-loved keyboard, don't worry - you can still play your part for the Music Rising cause by grabbing a highly collectable Music Rising t-shirt, or other limited edition memorabilia in the virtual merch store over on ohyay.

When you're logging in remember to invite friends so that you can all hang out together in the same space…..

Ohyay works best on a laptop or desktop computer (not mobile devices, like a cell phone or tablet) and runs the fastest on Google Chrome. We also recommend using headphones for a better auditory experience. Please reference this guide for more info on setting up. 

(Oh… and if you're a U2.com subscriber, this will be the best link for you to visit  as you'll find yourself hanging out with loads of other fans straight off.)

See you on Bourbon St.