80's Bono-90's Bono

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DevilsShoes

DevilsShoes

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There's no denying that there is a massive difference between Bono's 80's persona and his 90's persona, his whole character seemed to undergo a complete overhaul from the end of the Lovetown tour to the start of Zoo Tv, so much so that I've often found it difficult to believe that they're the same man. 90's Bono did the kind of things on stage 80's Bono wouldn't have dreamed of doing. That was kind of the point. I know alot of fans were upset when the earnest, heartfelt man of the eighties was replaced by the Fly in the nineties. But what do you think informed such a radical change in him? I have my own theories but I want to hear some of yours.
BTW, the modern day Bono is really an amalgamation of these two characters, conscientious and thoughtful about world issues but still the rock star.
 
Yes, Bono was serious in the 80's. In the 90's, he was having more fun. In the 00's, he's a little bit of both. I've liked all aspects of Bono.
 
I've liked all aspects of Bono too, the 90's Bono lyrically really put himself out there. I do feel though that anything we saw on stage at Zoo and POP were a combination of what people thought about him, what he thought about himself at the time, and he didn't want to become and maybe what he did want to become.
 
To me, who's lived through it all as a fan, it's impossible to lump them together like that! Boy-War Bono was different from UF Bono, then there was COH Bono and JT Bono. You have to admit there's a big difference between 'mullet' Bono (UF) and JT! (I love them both!)

In the 90s there is NO comparison between the Fly and Pop Bono- the Fly was sexy and gorgeous and Pop Bono was a skinhead in a stupid outfit with glasses that made him look like a rubber chicken. Each era deserves its own attention, not only decades!
 
Well some of us are comparing hairstyles and some of us are comparing "personas".

Although I agree it's impossible to sum up Bono with a decade. 80's Bono went from an angry adolescent to an activist. In the 90's we saw Bono reject his 80's self for self parody and irony, but later on lost some of the self parody for a more artsy commentary of life. 00's we saw him embrace the fun of the 90's, lose the irony and commentary of the 90's and embrace in a much more mature way the earnest self of the 80's...
 
I think Bono's radical transformation from daggy 80's Americana Bono into The Fly/Mirrorball Man/Macphisto, happened partly because Bono was determined to shed the U2's perception as a "serious" band. The dress sense of the other three is also reflective of this "de-serious-isation" of U2.

And aside from merely dress sense, I find that Bono and the rest of the boys tend to be a little more playful and toungue-in-cheek when being interviewed. They just wanted to have a bit of fun. This whole celebrity thing was a bit of a joke to them. The world had been conquered, and they wanted to mess with the minds of the fans and the critics who expected them to always be the same-old U2. That the music changed also, made the transformation all the more shocking.

Pop-era Bono to me, was merely an extension of the transformation that had already passed, though all the more ludicrous.

The persona of Bono now is somewhat more typical and conservative, yet he is a different man now. Not just an artist, but a campaigner for making poverty history and a regular attendee at offical functions with "important" people such as politicans and businessmen. He has to come off as being "not just another rock and roll star." He is also a family man. I dare say Jordan and Eve in particular would look upon their Dad's Zoo Tv antics as somewhat embarrassing.

I prefer 90's Bono just for the sheer wierdness of it all, though early 80's Bono is pretty cool cause he was just a crazy young kid back then, who did outrageous things without thinking twice about it.
 
I think it's just growing and evolving as a person. I mean all of us here do it. But we live really normal lives compared to people like Bono who is a celebrity and whose life is on display and also picked apart by a fan base and media in general.

I'm sure his change was brought on by personal growth, just like someone normally goes through as well, but also he saw how he was becoming a character and taken apart by the media for being overly earnest and almost self righteous.

The ZooTV tour was an act, a traveling show. Bono created characters and took them on the road. Through the characters he got to downplay and even shoot down his former self. For example when Streets was played live old footage from the Joshua Tree photoshoot was displayed on video screens behind the band and a 32 year old Bono on stage would turn around and look at his 26 year old former self and say "Hey you! I remember you!"
 
I look at 90's Bono and feel that he needed to go outside himself to break out of the mold he created for himself.The persona of The Fly allowed him to be fun.It's kida boring when a band plays a song and at the end the singer says "Thank you"and then i'ts on to the next song.Zoo TV was a great distraction.
 
I adore 80's Bono..... he was full of energy, jumping around, climbing up the stage, waving, jumping in the crowd.... I wish I had seen that live.....
90's Bono was a lot of fun too.... but U2 was so sick of its image of the 80's, so serious.... they invented a new U2. That's actually a reason why they are still relevant..... cause I don't think 80's Bono would have survived the 90's like that.....
00's Bono has calmed down a lot.... it is a little bit of both 80's and 90's but both in a softer way.... a mature, talkative (too much) guy....
 
I liked both Bono's, though in general my favoutite u2 era is between 1990 and 95. i prefer both to 00's Bono.
 
david said:
I think it's just growing and evolving as a person. I mean all of us here do it. But we live really normal lives compared to people like Bono who is a celebrity and whose life is on display and also picked apart by a fan base and media in general.

I'm sure his change was brought on by personal growth, just like someone normally goes through as well, but also he saw how he was becoming a character and taken apart by the media for being overly earnest and almost self righteous.

The ZooTV tour was an act, a traveling show. Bono created characters and took them on the road. Through the characters he got to downplay and even shoot down his former self. For example when Streets was played live old footage from the Joshua Tree photoshoot was displayed on video screens behind the band and a 32 year old Bono on stage would turn around and look at his 26 year old former self and say "Hey you! I remember you!"
Click to expand...
 
For me the 90's Bono owns the 80's one. It was just him.

And btw: POP bono has the fly by the balls really no contest.
 
BonoVoxSupastar said:


I'm curious as to why you chose your avatar. Irony?
Click to expand...

I'm talking about the Pop-Bono on stage, not just "Bono as he looked in 1997" (which is my avatar).
 
90's Bono kicked ass.

I wanted to kick 80's Bono's ass.

Pop Bono was the best. 80's Bono was a complete self important wanker
 
dietcokeofevil said:
90's Bono kicked ass.

I wanted to kick 80's Bono's ass.

Pop Bono was the best. 80's Bono was a complete self important wanker
Click to expand...



I don't think we have seen the same videos and heard the same bootlegs.....:huh:
 
Isn't it strange how we all keep referring to Bono's different incarnations as if they aren't all the same man? It goes back to my original post about having difficulty believing that the Lovetown Bono and The Fly are the same individual, I guess he's always been a chameleon, changing to fit the mood and style of whatever age he finds himself in.

My personal feeling is that the 90's reinvention wasn't all that radical at all really, there were numerous hints over the years that U2 and Bono weren't quite as straight-faced and earnest as they were percieved. By the time they reached the Lovetown tour you can see that a definite change is occuring, photo's of Bono of around that time in particular show that a visual transformation is definitely happening and that he was wanting to explore the more hedonistic side of rock and roll, plus alot of the things he said on stage that tour he later re-used under the guise of the Fly.

So the reinvention was actually far more gradual than it may appear. I think 80's Bono was much more like 90's Bono underneath, self deprecating, more laid back, but felt that he had to uphold the image of him being this humourless, serious front man that the media portrayed him to be. As for all the role playing on Zoo Tv this was nothing new either, as we all know he often used the perform as The Fool as early as the Boy Tour.
 
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