Easy on our pockets Bono

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bono_gal said:


Yeah, I think it would have helped boost the project a lot, but Edun is an expensive clothes line anyway, so it could also have put people off.

I payed $60 (inc tax) in New York for an Edun T shirt. I only bought it because I made a special trip to Saks after seeing them advertised. To be honest, it looks like its been recycled. It was the cheapest thing in the store though:lol:
 
caragriff said:
i think many of the complaints here are at least reasonable.
but as has been pointed out in this thread:
U2 is NOT asking for people to donate money via text. they are asking you to text your support for a campaign that pressures government to spend the tax money you have ALREADY paid and use that money to support life rather than death.
that is all.

So he is asking for our money then! He's asking our government's to spend OUR money on other countries which means he is asking for our money? I agree with him but he is asking for our money.
 
nickypiemcg said:


So he is asking for our money then! He's asking our government's to spend OUR money on other countries which means he is asking for our money? I agree with him but he is asking for our money.

It's 1% of the war budget, do the math...
 
VertigoGal said:


well, they don't need the money, and it would show they're serious about the Africa thing (justice is more important than charity, I know, but charity doesnt hurt). And it could maybe help those less fortunate? :shrug: I dunno...

It may also help the One Campaign, etc cos it would convince skeptics that their motives are genuine, and they might at least give Bono the time of day when he's on TV.

There's no need to, but it doesn't seem like that outrageous of an idea to me...

Neither DATA nor the One campaign are money-raising charities. They're about raising awareness and getting people the actually care, which hopefully will translate into voting. I think it's a pretty rediculous idea to expect or encourage the band to donate proceeds to charity because for one, they should not be expected to and for two, they wouldn't announce that if they were. This tour is a HUGE production that probaby costs hundreds of thousands of dollars a day just to maintain. I think it's pretty outrageous to say they don't need the money. No band should just be expected to spend all of their own money to tour for the fans and then announce to the world they're giving millions to charity.

Personally, I think when Bono gets up on stage and has the balls to basically preach to his audience...I find that more meaningful and more genuine than just going on with the show and then giving some money away. He's actually making an effort to get people to listen and realizes he's pissing people off in the process. Giving money to charity is so easy, but actually convincing people to care is an entirely different story. I've had the opportunity to work with some of those "less fortunate" people in Africa and they are hard working human beings that deserve the same respect that you and I expect. Just giving them some money like "here....now you can be happy" is actually more hurtful than it is good.
 
I agree with you LivLuv...it's not a requirement. But something in me can't accept him standing there asking for our money (it *is* our money), when theyre making huge profits off tickets that simply don't need to be as expensive as they are. That's the thing. They could pay for the tour and make their piece without having 160 dollar tickets.
 
nickypiemcg said:


So he is asking for our money then! He's asking our government's to spend OUR money on other countries which means he is asking for our money? I agree with him but he is asking for our money.


people in this thread have claimed bono is asking us to "text donations." this is not the case.
he is asking us to text support.
there is a big difference between him asking for us to make private donations and him asking us to pressure our governments to spend tax money in a more just manner.
if you want to mince words, fine, do that.
but there is a difference in the two things. anyone should be able to see that.
 
VertigoGal said:
I agree with you LivLuv...it's not a requirement. But something in me can't accept him standing there asking for our money (it *is* our money), when theyre making huge profits off tickets that simply don't need to be as expensive as they are. That's the thing. They could pay for the tour and make their piece without having 160 dollar tickets.

Hm...well, I guess I dunno then. At the shows I went to, Bono never (nor any other band member) asked for donations....but maybe the European shows are different? I do remember him asking for people to sign the ONE petition, but no one said anything about money or even implied that it was expected. I'm just confused b/c now it sounds like you're saying the band according to you shouldn't be expected to donate to charity (when before you were saying they should) if they charge less for tickets while they still make "their piece". So, where do you draw the line? Honestly, I don't think anyone here knows enough about the costs of this tour's production or what percent of their incomes the band privately donates well enough to make that call.
 
LivLuvAndBootlegMusic said:


Hm...well, I guess I dunno then. At the shows I went to, Bono never (nor any other band member) asked for donations....but maybe the European shows are different? I do remember him asking for people to sign the ONE petition, but no one said anything about money or even implied that it was expected. I'm just confused b/c now it sounds like you're saying the band according to you shouldn't be expected to donate to charity (when before you were saying they should) if they charge less for tickets while they still make "their piece". So, where do you draw the line? Honestly, I don't think anyone here knows enough about the costs of this tour's production or what percent of their incomes the band privately donates well enough to make that call.

I don't live in Europe, but I doubt it's any different there. They aren't asking for donations, but they're asking for us to lobby governments to put more tax money towards it. Which is still our money. Frankly I'd love for our tax dollars to be spent in ways like this, but that's not the point. It's still our money and it's hypocritical to charge 160 dollars for tickets, then make people feel bad about how they aren't giving enough (their country). I think so anyway...
 
LivLuvAndBootlegMusic said:


Hm...well, I guess I dunno then. At the shows I went to, Bono never (nor any other band member) asked for donations....but maybe the European shows are different? I do remember him asking for people to sign the ONE petition, but no one said anything about money or even implied that it was expected. I'm just confused b/c now it sounds like you're saying the band according to you shouldn't be expected to donate to charity (when before you were saying they should) if they charge less for tickets while they still make "their piece". So, where do you draw the line? Honestly, I don't think anyone here knows enough about the costs of this tour's production or what percent of their incomes the band privately donates well enough to make that call.

Yep. I'm not here to get on anyone's case, but where is the line? How much can they make before it's "too much"? Until I see U2 using $100 dollar bills as tissue paper, I don't see anything wrong with them making the money they make. Their charitible work (financial/promotional/other) is their business, we can't say it's not enough (or too much, for that matter).

Furthermore, I'd be willing to wager that the majority of people at a U2 show AREN'T aware of the causes/organizations Bono & Co. support and push. We are in the minority- the diehard, message board posting, weblog posting, U2 surfing fans. Many like/love U2, like/love their music, but don't have the time/resources/nuttiness it takes to follow every move of theirs. I would say Bono's speeches about one.org and other causes are geared toward the general public at these shows. It raises awareness for them (and all of us of course) that while we're enjoying the relative comfort of a rock show, others in this world have it much more difficult. One can agree or disagree with his message (or the solutions to the problems), but I think this is the ultimate goal.
 
VertigoGal said:
I don't live in Europe, but I doubt it's any different there. They aren't asking for donations, but they're asking for us to lobby governments to put more tax money towards it. Which is still our money. Frankly I'd love for our tax dollars to be spent in ways like this, but that's not the point. It's still our money and it's hypocritical to charge 160 dollars for tickets, then make people feel bad about how they aren't giving enough (their country). I think so anyway...

Main Entry: hyp·o·crite
Pronunciation: 'hi-p&-"krit
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English ypocrite, from Old French, from Late Latin hypocrita, from Greek hypokritEs actor, hypocrite, from hypokrinesthai
: a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion
- hypocrite adjective

Maybe you're thinking of another word other than "hypocritical", which is understandable. But unless you KNOW that U2 is putting on a false appearance when addressing their issues (i.e. AIDS in Africa, Debt relief, etc.), then we can't really call them "hypocrites" for charging some cash for a rock concert, can we?
 
Plane ticket from Anchorage to Seattle: $230
Hotel costs: $220
Car rental: $120
Two U2 tickets: $470
U2 tee shirt to prove that I went: $35
Crappy disposable photos: $4
Seeing U2 live in concert, having a great time, and barely being able to afford it....PRICELESS.

It's all about perspectives, people.
 
xtal said:
Plane ticket from Anchorage to Seattle: $230
Hotel costs: $220
Car rental: $120
Two U2 tickets: $470
U2 tee shirt to prove that I went: $35
Crappy disposable photos: $4
Seeing U2 live in concert, having a great time, and barely being able to afford it....PRICELESS.

It's all about perspectives, people.

:applaud:

Thats sooo true and people need to see that!

I'll do the same lol:

Driving from Liverpool to cardiff- £50
Hotel costs- £100
Two u2 tickets- £180
Photos- £120
Seeing U2 live in concert, having a great time, and barely being able to afford it....PRICELESS

no truer words were spoken!
 
caragriff said:



people in this thread have claimed bono is asking us to "text donations." this is not the case.
he is asking us to text support.
there is a big difference between him asking for us to make private donations and him asking us to pressure our governments to spend tax money in a more just manner.
if you want to mince words, fine, do that.
but there is a difference in the two things. anyone should be able to see that.

Why are you quoting my post in your post? My post said nothing like this? I didn't say he was asking for private donations? However I don't think there is any real difference between private donations and the government spending our tax money. The money leaves the economy either way. Don't get me wrong I agree with Bono but it does annoy me (a little bit!) when the stars supporting ONE etc say they are not asking for our money when they clearly are, just in a roundabout way.
 
Thanks for all the comments. I think that whether you agree or not to my original thread It is without doubt that we are all massive fans of the greatest rock group on the planet.

I appologise for sounding like a tight c**t (which I`m not). U2 are a very generous band and its true that every penny we spend going to see the band is worth it.

I also look forward to the DVD when it comes out. So that I can hear exactly what Bono was saying during the tour.

Keep posting your comments

cheers
 
nickypiemcg said:


Why are you quoting my post in your post? My post said nothing like this? I didn't say he was asking for private donations? However I don't think there is any real difference between private donations and the government spending our tax money. The money leaves the economy either way. Don't get me wrong I agree with Bono but it does annoy me (a little bit!) when the stars supporting ONE etc say they are not asking for our money when they clearly are, just in a roundabout way.

i quoted your post because you quoted mine.
i think we are in agreement (in a roundabout sort of way), we are just arguing semantics.
 
You should read what Madonna, Stones and McCartney are charging.

Pearl Jam isn't really a comparison unless they get as popular and have a show as big as U2.

As for price increase, inflation and demand and bigger tour crews to be payed will do that. Not to mention elaborate stage setups.
 
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amniar said:
The programme was £5 in Manchester. You've been had.

Yeah I bought the questionable (as in not official) prog at a fiver too, as well as the official one. I'm such a sucker for memorabilia :wink:
 
bono_gal said:
Where about in the stadium were you?

The queue were i was really wasnt that long

I went to the Brussels gig, was that the one you were at also?
I had a blue zone ticket, we had a separate entrance where around 4000 (not sure exactly) hung out before the show. The line at that t-shirt booth was pretty long and it was overall crowded.
 
nickypiemcg said:


What has that got to do with this?

You're saying he's asking for our money. The money is already out of our pockets. We have billions and billions of dollars being spent on war, without being asked. The amount of US dollars is 1% of what we're spending on this war. So the bitching makes no sense to me, but if you could explain I'd be glad to hear.
 
caragriff said:


i quoted your post because you quoted mine.
i think we are in agreement (in a roundabout sort of way), we are just arguing semantics.

Yeah probably but I love a good argument!
 
BonoVoxSupastar said:


You're saying he's asking for our money. The money is already out of our pockets. We have billions and billions of dollars being spent on war, without being asked. The amount of US dollars is 1% of what we're spending on this war. So the bitching makes no sense to me, but if you could explain I'd be glad to hear.

They are 2 unrelated matters though?
 
VertigoGal said:


I don't live in Europe, but I doubt it's any different there. They aren't asking for donations, but they're asking for us to lobby governments to put more tax money towards it. Which is still our money. Frankly I'd love for our tax dollars to be spent in ways like this, but that's not the point. It's still our money and it's hypocritical to charge 160 dollars for tickets, then make people feel bad about how they aren't giving enough (their country). I think so anyway...

Ok, but what I was asking you is where yhou draw the line. First, you were saying that you think it's not right for the band to be charging so much and not giving to charity (your words, not mine, personally, I believe they donate privately)...but then you said that you would be OK with them not donating if tickets were cheaper. So at what prices do you think the band should be expected to start donating proceeds? And how do you factor in the costs of the tour production, etc? Just curious b/c it seems like every time you post, your opinion changes and I'm having a hard time following the logic....
 
the soul waits said:


I went to the Brussels gig, was that the one you were at also?
I had a blue zone ticket, we had a separate entrance where around 4000 (not sure exactly) hung out before the show. The line at that t-shirt booth was pretty long and it was overall crowded.

No, lol that's probably the reason I'm saying there werent any queues!

I was at the Cardiff gig.

Going off topic but it was...alongside the eclipse the most amazing thing id ever seen!

U2- first time....phenominal!!!
 
This argument doesn't really matter because the donated money is going to be in the hands of corrupted African government officials anyway.
 
U2inBigD said:
This argument doesn't really matter because the donated money is going to be in the hands of corrupted African government officials anyway.

Maybe you should actually research the one organization and the ideas behind live8 and you would see how this isn't true, they aren't just going to hand over the money and leave. People do some research before spouting off shit like this.
 
I'm having a really shitty night at work and I'm very cyncical tonight because of it. But, I have yet to really hear a practical plan for circumventing corruption. Even Bono was wishy-washy on this issue when pressed about it on Meet The Press.
 
So ... what, then? They (and we) should just sit back and do nothing because it's not going to make a difference?

While I agree that no one has yet found an end-all be-all answer to overcome the corruption in some of Africa's countries, I'd like to believe lessons have been learned after the disappointment of Live Aid's aftermath.
 
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