(02-02-2005) U2 Bono 'Sucks Up To Creeps' - The Mirror*

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In case anyone's interested - here's a transcript of precisely what Jim Kerr had to say about U2 back in November... hope this clears up any misunderstanding that might still exist :)

Wednesday 17 November 2004 : Ali Ooops!!
In a world of little certainty one of the only things that you safely can bet on right now is that the new album released by U2 will command an untold amount of worldwide media exposure. Oh, you can also bet that millions upon millions of dollars will have been spent on a marketing campaign to make sure that this is so, but that is a cynical thought and besides the point.

I have not heard this new album yet, I have not heard their pre-released single yet either. In fact as I recall I doubt that I have heard any of their last four or five albums the whole way thru. But that was more to do with the fact that for a long time I was uninterested in the sound of most rock records regardless of who made them. As much as I am however looking forward to hearing this new record, one thing for sure is that due to liking both Bono and Edge so much, (loving ‘em actually) I will lack any real capacity to judge the music fairly. My feelings for this group are very partisan and to be honest it has been like this since I first came across them when we played together in a field in Belgium a heck of a long time ago.

It was the two day Tourhout and Werchter festival that brought us together actually. Prior to that I had noticed the rave press that they were getting, but I had not bought any of their albums, feeling that it would be too "rockist" for me despite quite liking some of the singles. Interestingly, my brother was a massive fan and had seen them a couple of times when they played in Glasgow Tiffanys ballroom. He said that they were the proverbial bees knees, maybe even as good as us!!! Forgive him he was my wee brother after all.

Apart from that Charlie had met these "great Irish guys, in a band" previously. Least that was how he described them on the night both bands stayed in the same cheap Mancunian B&B, literally passing each other in the corridor and politely saying hello. Charlie did however catch up with both the singer and guitar player later on in the evening and chatted to them for about five minutes, chuffed with the praise that they were giving to our then new single "The American".

It would be a while before we would meet up again, although everyone who either knew or worked for both of us had at varying times commented on how we would really like these people. That we had so much in common, same sort of spirit, similar energy etc. I did not pay much attention, to be frank I was absorbed in our thing and our thing only.

And so to Tourhourt where in all truth we had a great show that day. It rained heavily when we went on but the sun then came out as we were peaking emotionally. We were blinding that day, or so everyone seemed to think. I thought we could have done better and got a little moody as I recall, all because Mick seemed to be blasting out way too loud, killing all subtleties. Childish really. Me, not Mick! Next up, U2 followed us, and by their own admission they were a little under par. Impressive for sure but maybe a little tired having flown in just the previous day from America.

Afterwards their little lead singer Bono (yes, even littler than me) was showing no sign of fatigue as we talked enthusiastically about our dreams and hopes. Generosity of spirit was pouring out of him, and we instantly got to striking up a friendship that lasts to this day. He was great company and just so fired up about...well just about everything. It left me in no doubt that with a fire like that going on inside their lead singer, they would achieve their even then self declared goal of becoming the biggest band in the world.

Afterwards I agreed to ride back to the hotel with Bono and his beautiful young wife Ali. A wonderful girl. Unfortunately for her, it had been a long boiling hot July day and we were crammed into a tiny mini bus for the ride back to Bruxelles. Equally I remember how both Bono and I stank really badly of stale sweat. We were rancid actually, as a result of performing earlier and having had no opportunity to shower. Even now I still blush and feel sorry for what poor Ali had to endure as she sat sandwiched between us in the backseat on that musky evening!


The next day at Werchter was a different story. They put on a set that was electrifying. Out of this world in fact. So strong it was like nothing I had previously witnessed, the kind of set that is impossible to follow. Yet, in our own way we did just that. Both acts went down an absolute storm in front of a festival audience that matched us for energy and enthusiasm. Afterwards although totally drained, everyone involved was flush with a great feeling of satisfaction. Ever since then and continuing to the present I have had no doubt as to the thorough greatness of U2, both as a band and as people. Good on them then, and congratulations with their continued success that they have worked so hard for!

Good luck to Bob Geldolf also with Band Aid 20. I just admire Geldolf so much for his global commitment that has never waned. Differing views exist of course as to how effective Band Aid was twenty years ago when it was formed to seek relief for the famine victims in Ethiopia. Personally I have no doubt that once the dust had settled and all the hype and hot air faded, the proceeds of the campaign would still have helped to save millions of lives at least. Surely that has to be a positive thing. Regarding the bigger question of how to solve world hunger, well only politicians and not pop stars can answer that! The responsibility lies with them but they can be influenced by all of us. Let us hope that Band Aid again can be like an ignition key for the political "bandwagon" to get mobile and moving in the right direction. God speed!

JK

(from www.simpleminds.com)
 
There have been some petty ignorant views made about Jim Kerr's recent comments, you don't have to be 'someone' to air views, or to have a more successful band (although musically I prefer Simple Minds to U2) but I have been uncomfortable with Bono's recent meeting s with Blair since his speech at last years Labour Party. I understand that in order to try and solve problems with poverty you may have to hold discussions with War Criminals such as Blair & Bush, but Bono being such a worldwide media figure perhaps could have taken the opportunity to have criticised the War over Iraq. It is after all a separate issue which should not hinder any progress in Africa.

For those who are interested in Kerr's more recent comments on Bono, here they are:


In Response!
Anyone who knows me knows that I hold Bono in the highest esteem, both as an artist and for being the warm hearted and generous man that he is. In recent months here and on national television I have praised him and his glorious rock and roll band abundantly for their sound and vision.

Easy for me to do, I am a fan and therefore my admiration for both U2’s music and their unending humanitarian campaigns is total. No more than in the current crusade to make the governments of the worlds richest countries heed the desperate call of the poorest.

However as reflected in some of our songs, since early adulthood I have been and remain a passionate, politically committed individual. Despite recent hysterical tabloid headlines, I am not the world’s biggest loudmouth or attention seeker, but I am still occasionally vociferous with regards to my values and insights. Incidentally I support no political party and neither am I religious.

I am however very much my own man, and therefore I call things as I see them regardless as to how unpopular that may then make me with those I rub the wrong way, friend or foe. As a result I have been criticized plenty but that is okay, having the tenacity of a streetfighter, I am hardly thin skinned.

More to the point, due to the corruption of the modern political process, I find myself monitoring the words and actions of politicians very carefully as I think we all should. As a result I leave nothing unquestioned and over the years have come to believe very little of what I hear or see.

All of which leads me to the thought that no matter the scale of positive concessions especially bloodthirsty politicians might make, after the event. They will never bring back the already innocent dead and hopelessly annihilated that they themselves condemned. Obviously it is too late for that.

For this I suggest that the guilty are worthy of our collective wrath at least, and not the one-sided praise dished out for reasons at the Labour Party conference and at the Davos Forum. That was the point I was originally trying to make in What Gives?

But let me make clear that despite differing on best methods, in fact the Dubliner will always be cool in my book. So cool in fact that sadly, when he endorses Blair and his ilk without reservation, he even makes them seem kind of cool also! In the political framework of the world that we now live in, that is probably both the pay-off and the pity.

In ending, like most dreamers and idealists I hope that today’s breakthrough promise of concessions made by our leaders materialise! Because if so, then the great work done over these years by so many activists and debt campaigners will have succeeded. Much more importantly millions of lives will be saved and much devastation and misery avoided.

If so, then all of us can rejoice that this perceived light at the end of the tunnel is not merely the light of an on coming train.

We live in hope always!

JK
 
DrZemf said:
Bono being such a worldwide media figure perhaps could have taken the opportunity to have criticised the War over Iraq.

actually bono did bring up his opposition to the iraq war during his speech at the labour party. and on several other occasions, he has come out against it. i understand that people feel that even by rubbing shoulders with blair, bono is giving him "cool" that he does not deserve, but it is just not true to say that bono has not come out against blair's role in the war. he has.
obviously he has decided that being anti-war is not the same as being anti-blair. and clearly this rankles some people.
 
sue4u2 said:


Same here. Broke my own rule of getting the facts and reading the real article or source. and of just 'considering the source' actually. :eyebrow:

I think that sometimes, when you feel as strongly about a person and their chosen causes as many of us do about Bono and his, a rush of indignant righteousness will occasionally beat logic. When I read what Jim had supposedly said, it put my back up straight away... even though I knew that Jim is a good man and an activist, that he and Bono had been close for a long time, and that there must be more to the story than some report from a worthless tabloid dishrag.

I guess that's part of being human. :( I do find it scary that the media has so much power that even a classless piece of crap like The Mirror can turn perfectly sensible people into judgemental fools, however briefly (yes, I'm including myself in that of course - unfortunately). :eek:
 
What makes our Bono so endearing is his willingness to live with his own contradictions, and if anyone knows that Blair is wrong about some things, like the war, Bono would acknowledge that. So why all the Kerr-bashing?
Bono has made, what I hope, is a strategic move that will save lives--that's why he hob-nobs with these scum; Blair isn't the worst: he hangs out with all these hypocrite Republikans like Frist and Bush.
Jim Kerr is absolutely correct in his critique, about the issues, about the disgust concerning Blair. I've been a U2 devotee since 1983, and if it weren't for songs on this new record like "Love and Peace or Else" that make the message clear, I might not have recovered from my post 9-11 bonophobia brought on by seeing him pose with Bush.
Support Bono and Kerr's right to criticize Bono!!!
 
Anu said:
What makes our Bono so endearing is his willingness to live with his own contradictions, and if anyone knows that Blair is wrong about some things, like the war, Bono would acknowledge that. So why all the Kerr-bashing?
Bono has made, what I hope, is a strategic move that will save lives--that's why he hob-nobs with these scum; Blair isn't the worst: he hangs out with all these hypocrite Republikans like Frist and Bush.
Jim Kerr is absolutely correct in his critique, about the issues, about the disgust concerning Blair. I've been a U2 devotee since 1983, and if it weren't for songs on this new record like "Love and Peace or Else" that make the message clear, I might not have recovered from my post 9-11 bonophobia brought on by seeing him pose with Bush.
Support Bono and Kerr's right to criticize Bono!!!

Agreed. :yes:
 
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