Africa during Streets?

[wolfwill23]

Ok, first of all let me say that I think it's great what Bono is doing for poor people and poor countries around the world. I also think he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for his work.

That said, I cringe every time I hear the new beginning of Streets with the Africa stuff. There is a time and a place for everything. Some of you may say 'well, ISHFWILF is a gospel song so why should he sing that?' Easy, because the message is cleverly disguised behind a great song! He's not hitting us over the head with the religious bat.

IMHO, the Africa stuff almost ruins Streets.

Please start the flaming here.

 

[KUEFC09U2]

quite like the new start to it, but hey thats just me i guess

 

[Axver]

I think this is one of the best intros to Streets. Love the Africa stuff.

 

[redsox04]

wolfwill23, I agree. I know we'll get flamed by people stating that U2 have always been a political band, they its great they take on these noble causes, that its get a serious message across, blah, blah, blah. I'm not an impressionable teen anymore, and I don't rely on a rock band to inform me of important things going on in the world. If it takes U2 to make people aware of what is going on in Africa, then that itself is a sad statement.

Streets has always been the one of the highlights of their concerts. Not this tour. IMO, the Africa stuff just weighs it down.

OK, now I'm ready to take my beating

 

[corner]

I don't actually mind the infamous introductory speeches that Bono makes for some of the live songs that U2 do...but I think I can understand the frustration of the people that do.
In this case though, the song is inspired by Africa's situation and Bono's visit with Ali in the mid 80s so it's hardly irrelevant to the general theme.
Every band needs to establish some kind of contact with the audience and this is how Bono achieves that, in his long winded usual way. Otherwise, if each show was devoid of chat, U2's live shows would be pretty similar apart from the rotating setlists.
It's a blessing and a curse I guess...but it shouldn't detract too much from the overall experience. If it does, sell your ticket(s) and use the money to buy the live videos and dvds: never underestimate the power of the "fast forward" button

 

[nbcrusader]

I believe this opening will get better over time. The less it is "scripted" and the more it comes from Bono's heart, the more engaging the message will become.

 

[timothius]

, the Africa stuff just weighs it down.

IMO thats the perfect description of this tour for me. It just seemed weighed down.

I like many am intrigued and at times enjoy Bono's rants at the beginnings of songs, normally theyre pretty good - but I particularly hate anything, anything thats pre-concieved. Then repeated, again, and again.

For some reason, I have no problem with the One campaign speeches, but the Africa diatribe really irrits me. For me, it ruins Streets.

U2 built its sphere of influence upon cleverly disguising thoughts and beliefs within a semi-ambigious lyric, or concept (ZooTV, PopMart). This isn't clever - this is an instance of U2 getting a bit cocky and getting too preachy - just like the Sarajevo link ups, generally people don't like it and it weighs down the musical experience.

I hope that this Africa appreciation section is eased out by the end of the tour.

 

[RademR]

wolfwill23, agree with your post.

All for the Africa stuff, but not during "streets" please.

 

[ahmad]

i agree too, i cringe when i hear it. not because i don't like when u2 takes a stand. it's just, there's something oddly missionary-esque about the whole gesture. dead prez, on the other hand...

 

[ahmad]

i should say, i don't think bono is playing missionary. his concern is genuine, and his address of the economics is really, laudable. still.

 

[Stingray]

I have only seen a short video clip of the beginning of the song, and I have mixed feelings about it. I'll wait until I have a bootleg until I make any judgements

 

[Utoo]

[BIn this case though, the song is inspired by Africa's situation and Bono's visit with Ali in the mid 80s so it's hardly irrelevant to the general theme.
[/B]

Actually, Bono's been quoted several times (i.e., in the biography "Unforgettable Fire") as saying that Streets was based on the fact that in some areas of Ireland, the street you live on practically determines who you are and what your future will be. You would be able to tell a person's socioeconomic status by the name of the street on which they lived, and that person's options in life would be similarly pre-destined. Therefore, the dream of a place "where the streets have no name" is one in which everyone has an equal chance of succeeding in life.

Although I haven't heard the boots yet, in theory I don't have a problem with the attachment of the Africa work to the song. Many of U2's songs can be applied to several political/social/personal meanings & purposes. My understanding is that "One," for example, wasn't originally written to be a song about people with AIDS, but it took on that meaning by the time the video was shot. Later on in the Zooropa tour, it took on new meanings in the face of a Europe changed by the reunification of East & West Germany.

The beauty of U2's music is that it is so universal, it can be applied to so many different purposes--on both personal and global fronts--and carry similar but distinct messages each time.

 

[Miroslava]

IMHO, the Africa stuff almost ruins Streets.

Please start the flaming here.

Start here?

Wonder what this is then...

http://forum.interference.com/t120714.html

 

[Lancemc]

I acctually love the new intro. I'm just not sure it fits too well right after Pride (Streets I mean, not the Africa intro). But yeah, just in the same way the Psalm 116 was used at the beginning on Streets last tour, this new Africa speech is used here. Right now it's still a little shakey, but I'm sure it will only improve with time. Hearing Bono scream AFRICAAAAA as the band rips into the song is really great.

 

[Chizip]

i think it wouldnt be so bad if he didnt feel the need to chant africa, africa, africa!

if he just said the other stuff it would be cool, but when he starts chanting africa it makes him almost sound like a cheerleader at a sporting event

Gooooo Africa!!!

it's a little cheesy, even for bono

and i do miss the bright lights at the beginning

 

[mistafadedglory]

Anyone see the movie "State of Grace".
There is a scene where these two guys walk into a bar
in Hell's Kitchen and start talking politics.
Gary Oldman has the bartender by the guys two drinks-
compliments of Gary oldman and tells them- keep religion
and politics out of the bar. MSG is not far from Hell's Kitchen-
hope those rules apply.
are you serious does he really chant Africa, Africa, Africa!?
The UN is 10 minutes from MSG - when he is NYC he should go there and chant AFRICA! AFRICA! AFRICA! until he is blue in the
face.

 

[R8drgurl]

I acctually love the new intro. I'm just not sure it fits too well right after Pride (Streets I mean, not the Africa intro). But yeah, just in the same way the Psalm 116 was used at the beginning on Streets last tour, this new Africa speech is used here. Right now it's still a little shakey, but I'm sure it will only improve with time. Hearing Bono scream AFRICAAAAA as the band rips into the song is really great.

Totally agree! Africa! Africa! Africa! I love the new version and can't wait to listen to it while I'm on the bus traveling across Tanzania this summer.

Whether people like it or not, it's creating some great debates (i.e. this isn't African Awareness Tour thread).

 

[Iskra]

Truth doesn't worry about being cool

 

[ultrraviolette]

I have mixed feelings about it.

 

[Jamila]

Wasn't the reason that Bono said several years ago that he would NEVER sell the rights to "Streets" being used for advertising (cars, I think it was) was that "Streets" was a very special song to him because he wrote it after his and Ali's trip to Ethiopia in an attempt to explain the expanse of the land and the beauty of the people they met there?

That would explain the Africa link and it wouldn't bother me at all.

I GO THERE WITH YOU....

 

[corner]

Wasn't the reason that Bono said several years ago that he would NEVER sell the rights to "Streets" being used for advertising (cars, I think it was) was that "Streets" was a very special song to him because he wrote it after his and Ali's trip to Ethiopia in an attempt to explain the expanse of the land and the beauty of the people they met there?

That would explain the Africa link and it wouldn't bother me at all.

I GO THERE WITH YOU....

I think there's a bit of both these influences in the song. From the version I've heard though, it's not as if Bono is making a huge speech at the EXPENSE of music being played. The chant is made in the build-up of the song and because it is so pertinent, I don't think it takes away from the live performance at all.

 

[LuvandPeace1980]

I have an interview where Bono was asked what the song was about and he said both Ireland and Africa.
Bono said the song came about when he went to Africa with Ali and they met all of these children who were on the edge of dying of starvation/disease. He said these children were just full of life and happy, they didn't care what was going on and they just appreciated everything. He also said what really affected him is how when he came back to Ireland everyone just appeared to be like spoilt brats whinging and moaning compared to these people. He then quoted saying that he 'felt like the first world is the one really living in poverty'..

The presentation of this song is very relevant on this tour because it's first what the song is about and two because Bono is the head of the One Campaign. I mean one tour they do with Streets something meaningful and charitable and everyone starts complaining.. thats the kind of attitude that got africa where it is today and also the exact attitude which Bono was refferring to in that interview.

I am sure Streets will be fantastic live on this tour as it was in the past 4!

Cheers

 

[dezmaas]

I do wish he would stop going on and on about it. Some is OK, but he's doing it a lot at the moment.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

i think it sucks... and just because i think it sucks doesn't mean that i hate africans. it means i think it sucks and he should tell us about it between songs, not durring a song that needs no introduction.

 

[joyfulgirl]

^ I kinda agree, Headache, and also with Chizip. The song still rocks, though, but why mess with perfection?

i think it wouldnt be so bad if he didnt feel the need to chant africa, africa, africa!

if he just said the other stuff it would be cool, but when he starts chanting africa it makes him almost sound like a cheerleader at a sporting event

Gooooo Africa!!!

it's a little cheesy, even for bono

and i do miss the bright lights at the beginning

 

[U2girl]

Loved the Africa intro.