Events of U2/Bono in Japan?

[Val]

In their long history, what activities did U2/ Bono participate in? Any photos? Much appreciated.

 

[JCOSTER]

What do you mean Val? Can you be a little more specific?

 

[Val]

Anything they did in Japan....concerts, tv appearances., funny stories . etc. All taking place in the span of their career.

Thanks, JC.

 

[LMP]

They started recording Passengers in Tokyo.

U2 at the End of the World (the ZooTV Bible) has some good stories about the band in Tokyo.

 

[Val]

I actually just reread the Tokyo scenes from Flanagan's book, and it made me want more. I'll look up the Passengers recording in Toyko. anything else come to mind? Thanks!

 

[If you shout...]

I saw them on TV a few months ago--a program called Music Station. During the broadcast, which culminated with them playing the lyrically embarrassing "Window in the Skies" to an ostensibly indifferent Japanese non-audience, one of the hosts asked if it was indeed their first appearance on a Japanese TV program. Bono said that it was, so there you have it.

However, that doesn't mean that they've not been the subjects of TV programs, before. In August, I was walking through an electronics district and saw through a window a "The Fly"-style wall of thirty TV screens--several of them were playing a Japanese-language recap of U2's early days. There was footage of both the War Tour and The Unforgettable Fire Tour which I'd never seen before.

That's all I've got, at present, other than knowledge of (I think...) a BBC recap of Zoo TV which was filmed in Japan but not broadcast here. Shit was from the ass-end of the tour.

 

[JCOSTER]

There are some stories in U2 by U2, I'm a little busy now, but I will look through it when I get the chance and post some stuff.

 

[Val]

That's all I've got, at present, other than knowledge of (I think...) a BBC recap of Zoo TV which was filmed in Japan but not broadcast here. Shit was from the ass-end of the tour. [/B]

Now that sounds interesting. If you comeup with any more, please give me a shout!

also,
Thank you JC.

 

[Val]

They started recording Passengers in Tokyo.

Can you tell me where you got this info? I've been reading my u2 books all day, and can't find anything about it. I do appreciate your time.

 

[yeter]

Here's an interview from 1983

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_p-UuzKF6kE

 

[Val]

great! thank you!

 

[If you shout...]

You have no idea how much of a fucking idiot Bono looks like in this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFhU3b-Plp0

I showed this to several groups of Japanese students after it first aired, and never before had they been so shocked at a foreigner's complete ignorance and self-inflatedness. I'm just saying.

Here're some more:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onuie7wchpk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ybo3foWlME&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w70HVsa1o-M

 

[rihannsu]

You have no idea how much of a fucking idiot Bono looks like in this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFhU3b-Plp0

I showed this to several groups of Japanese students after it first aired, and never before had they been so shocked at a foreigner's complete ignorance and self-inflatedness. I'm just saying.

Here're some more:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onuie7wchpk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ybo3foWlME&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w70HVsa1o-M

Um, color me stupid but I don't see anything in that first clip that qualifies as ignorant and self-inflated. It is a typical TV promo for the band. Can you explain what you mean by that? I mean how is it Bono's fault that everyone is gushing all over him?

Dana

 

[If you shout...]

Um, color me stupid but I don't see anything in that first clip that qualifies as ignorant and self-inflated. It is a typical TV promo for the band. Can you explain what you mean by that? I mean how is it Bono's fault that everyone is gushing all over him?

Dana

I suppose it's hard to convey without your having been there to witness it. Utterly mangling Japanese probably had something to do with it, though.

They got a kick out of Edge, for what it's worth.

...And they thought Larry was hot and that Adam looked like a dinosaur.

 

[last unicorn]

I actually LOVED the interview Bono was doing on Japanese TV in December.
Didn't care much about the Music Station thing, though, WITS was lip synched and the whole performance was a bit strange, but the TV crew and people around were really embarrassing in their behaviour.

 

[Axver]

... one of the hosts asked if it was indeed their first appearance on a Japanese TV program. Bono said that it was, so there you have it.

Bono really doesn't remember anything, does he? I suppose 1983 is a long time ago (even if that performance of New Year's Day they did is a wee bit odd), but it can go on the list of "Bono's factual accuracy is as bad as U2.com's".

Hey, maybe Bono is the one writing for U2.com!

 

[Axver]

Anything they did in Japan....concerts, tv appearances., funny stories . etc. All taking place in the span of their career.

Thanks, JC.

Concerts? Do you just mean ones they've played, or notable incidents at those concerts?

In any case, here's a list of the gigs they've played in Japan: http://www.u2-vertigo-tour.com/country-Japan.html

Notably, the last performance of A Celebration was in Japan (1983-11-30). The 1989-12-01 concert is famous as the "reverse setlist" gig, as U2 essentially open with the usual conclusion of their main set and the Desire/Watchtower/AIWIY combo that was normally early in the Lovetown main set appears in the encore. Slow Dancing also made its live debut there, nearly four years before its release.

On 1993-12-09, Edge's guitar failed at the start of EBTTRT but the band continue playing the song with just bass and drums. They get at least halfway through it before Edge finally gets a working guitar.

Three of the four (or four of the five if you count the TV show appearance) performances of WITS have taken place in Japan.

So there's some stats for you.

 

[gump]

The 1989-12-01 concert is famous as the "reverse setlist" gig, as U2 essentially open with the usual conclusion of their main set and the Desire/Watchtower/AIWIY combo that was normally early in the Lovetown main set appears in the encore. Slow Dancing also made its live debut there, nearly four years before its release.

One Tree Hill > Where the Streets Have No Name

 

[rihannsu]

I suppose it's hard to convey without your having been there to witness it. Utterly mangling Japanese probably had something to do with it, though.

They got a kick out of Edge, for what it's worth.

...And they thought Larry was hot and that Adam looked like a dinosaur.

Sorry but I still don't get it. I don't remember hearing him try to say anything in Japanese during that clip. I do know he did at the concerts. However, Bono tries to say something in the native lanquage of lots of the countries they play in. That is trying to make a connection. Expecting him to be perfect at it is just ridibulous. At least he makes an effort to communicate in their language. Again how is that ignorant or self-inflated? If you make a statement like that why can't you back it up? Can the students you mentioned tell you what they saw as ignorant or self-inflated?

I'm really trying to understand this because my impression of this video clip is that the people around them are gushing embarassingly and the band is very uncomfortable with it. I'm not saying that Bono never acts self-inflated because he can and does at times, but really that's his job when he is promoting the band. It is one of the reasons that I don't care for most of the POP era interviews, because he really put on that attitude a lot to promote the show. But that is not his personality, it is promotional buildup behaviour.

Dana

 

[Vincent Vega]

Maybe it's just a cultural thing, and the behaviour of Bono leaves another impression with Japanese than with Americans or Europeans.

 

[Val]

Axver... I did want notables, anecdotes... of concerts or tv appearances or just their stay in the city.
I knew about Slow Dancing, but the other tidbits were new to me. I thank you so much and if you think of anything else, please let me know.

 

[JCOSTER]

Um, color me stupid but I don't see anything in that first clip that qualifies as ignorant and self-inflated. It is a typical TV promo for the band. Can you explain what you mean by that? I mean how is it Bono's fault that everyone is gushing all over him?

Dana

As usual I thought he was well spoken and very cute!

 

[Galeongirl]

I actually LOVED the interview Bono was doing on Japanese TV in December.
Didn't care much about the Music Station thing, though, WITS was lip synched and the whole performance was a bit strange, but the TV crew and people around were really embarrassing in their behaviour.

WITS wasn't lip synched, but vertigo had a tape playing with it...