Bono Rattles and Hums in Court

Tue., Oct. 17, 2006 8:34 PM PDT by Natalie Finn

Bono knows how it works: Stylists are hired to outfit the band, not themselves.

The U2 frontman applied his knowledge on the witness stand Tuesday, testifying in Dublin High Court that stylist Lola Cashman, who worked for the Irish rockers for nine months nearly two decades ago, pilfered a handful of items from their career-making Joshua Tree world tour in 1987.

U2 sued Cashman last year, accusing her of trying to sell gear that shouldn't have been in her possession in the first place. A lower Irish District Court ruled for the band last year, ordering Cashman to return a pair of black trousers, metal hoop earrings, a green sweatshirt and the black Stetson hat Bono rocked onstage and on the cover of Rattle and Hum.

But Cashman appealed the decision and Bono found himself back in court today, calling his ex-stylist "unusual," albeit good at what she did.

"She had a very good eye, but it was very clear that she wasn't good in dealing with personal relationships," the Nobel Peace Prize nominee said, adding that the Stetson was his long before Cashman joined U2's 150-person crew.

"It was eccentric behavior," he continued. "She wore my clothes all the time and the other band members' clothes. We went a very great distance to keep Lola Cashman because she was very good at her job."

Bono testified that he and his band mates--The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr.--first found out that Cashman had the goods in 1992, when an employee visited her to pick up other items, including video equipment, rosary beads and photographs.

Cashman, meanwhile, has maintained that she was given the clothing and accessories, including the iconic cowboy hat.

The author of the unauthorized 2003 memoir Inside the Zoo with U2 stated that she auctioned off some of the memorabilia through Sotheby's in 2000 and no one batted an eye, but when she placed the rest of the items up for sale at Christie's in 2002, she received two letters from U2's attorneys, requesting the stuff be returned.

Claiming the legal communiqués were defamatory, Cashman has set the ball rolling on legal proceedings in the High Court of London, according to Britain's Times newspaper.

"We have tried to avoid this bizarre situation for many years," Bono said in court. "She likes this. We don't. It's our stuff, she has it, and a lot more besides. We want our stuff back. We want her to stop selling it."

Don't worry, U2 doesn't want to profit from the apparel, either. Bono, whose real name is Paul Hewson, explained that the band merely wants to keep track of all of its artifacts for archiving purposes and charity donations.

"We thought it would have some importance of the history of the band," the All that You Can't Leave Behind artist said. "We hoped we would be around long enough to be part of that."