Found this - what do you think?

[U2girl]

From atU2.com's site's forum - under subforum "Bono" and thread "how should Bono look on the next tour". People have mentioned he should be careful about his smoking and drinking and a poster said this:

Bono has been a heavy drinker for years now--I heard the first reports of his ability to booze way back circa the 1987 tour. Back then, he scared The Pogues--not the most abstemious bunch of guys--with his ability (and techniques) for consuming tequila. He also taught it to a couple of U2 fans I was hanging around with on that tour--they were impressed in the worst way possible (e.g., they were glad they didn't wake up the next day with brain damage--only severe hangovers). And I've gotten at least one eyewitness report of Bono drinking until he passed out. Not a good sign.

If you want denial, got to Egypt. Bono's drinking is much heavier and much, much worse than just going down to his local for a few pints. I may be setting myself up as flaming ***** from hell for daring to point out the emperor's nakedness, as it were, but it would be worse to play the stupid star-struck enabler and just giggle and act like it's all just some "cute" thing he does from time to time.

Bah.

-- eaplatt

*edit* and a bit later, same poster

As for Bono and his drinking: It's up to the individual to acknowledge that he/she is an alcoholic. It's hard for anyone else to come up and point the finger at them and make that diagnosis. But certainly just about every interview/profile of Bono that I've read over the years invariably mentions some pretty frightening alcohol intake, and the physical signs of excess drinking have been manifest for some years now (not just in photos, but also in reports from fans who've met the man, for example). I'm sure he can go for a stretch without boozing hard, but that in and of itself doesn't balance out the damage done when he's on the sauce.



-Now I know the band drinks alcohol but I was under the impression only Adam had more serious trouble? First time I hear frightening amount of alcohol mentioned in Bono interviews/profiles, or any physical signs of drinking visible to fans.

 

[bathiu]

But certainly just about every interview/profile of Bono that I've read over the years invariably mentions some pretty frightening alcohol intake

That's interesting, because (like most people from here) I've been reading all possible news since 1995 (when I became a U2 fan) and I don't remeber that much about "drinking"...
There was the famous "Sinatra joke/real incident", maybe a few more... BUT NOT "just about every interview/profile"


To me it's total BS... Ali would never let this kind of behavior to happen... end of story.

 

[HelloAngel]

Culturally, it's common in the UK and Ireland to drink alot when out at night. I find it a bit rich for some fan to assume Bono has a drinking problem. As for reports he has passed out backstage or in restaurants -- he has qualified this by saying red wine produces that effect in him when consumed.

I drink alot when very happy or celebratory and have passed out on occasion and have had alcohol poisoning many times. Does this mean I have a drinking problem? Not quite.

Adam did have a problem, and took care of it years ago. Bono is a jolly Irishman and have never heard of anything remotely near the drama in that poster's comments - and I've heard many things.

 

[bratty_cat]

Bono loves to party, it's been well documented over the years.

Does he have a drinking problem? Only he knows and, ultimately, it's his business not anyone else's (not to say that you can't or shouldn't be concerned but speculation and reality are two very different things).

 

[Muggsy]

if bono sees me drinking... he would be laughing at me... I get drunk just smelling the bottle lol..

 

[Bono's Tart]

I honestly wouldnt take too much notice of this individuals posting eaplatt was always stirring things up on the old zoo. This individual made out on many occassions that they were privvy to certain information regarding the band but never provided any concrete proof!

Bono has always partied hard he has admitted it himself and people have seen it , but is it a problem ? I dont think so!

If B wants to have a wild night its no one else's business but his own (having said that he did say that he wanted to come for a drink with us last year!! if he ever does I'll let you know )

 

[BVS]

This is funny.

A man who's been in one of the most successful bands ever for over 25 years, same wife, 4 kids, never missed a gig, never passed out on stage, writes movies, children books, talks to politicians all over the world, starts charity organizations and still finds time to go to a friend's funeral and sing...this man is the most functional alcoholic I've ever met.

 

[bratty_cat]

Well said, BonoVoxSupastar!

 

[Bono's shades]

This is funny.

A man who's been in one of the most successful bands ever for over 25 years, same wife, 4 kids, never missed a gig, never passed out on stage, writes movies, children books, talks to politicians all over the world, starts charity organizations and still finds time to go to a friend's funeral and sing...this man is the most functional alcoholic I've ever met.

I've known people who are alcoholics. Believe me, when you have a serious drinking problem it negatively impacts every facet of your life and it is evident to everyone around you. There's no way someone in the public eye as much as Bono can be an alcoholic and successfully hide it all these years.

 

[RocknRollKitty]

I agree Bono is not a drunk and not dysfunctional. But what concerns me is that people who are good at 'holding their alcohal' and consuming larger quantities without becoming drunk so soon have a tendency to develop cirrhosis (sp) of the liver more often. This happened to 2 people I know well, one family friend, one relative of my husband's. Both of them passed away from it. These guys were legendary for 'drinking everyone else under the table' and never getting that staggering drunk or puking or passing out the way most others did. It used to be 'funny'- until they got sick One of them told me after he was very sick that he had found out that while he used to make fun of the 'pukers' who couldn't hold it, they didn't get sick because they didn't absorb so much of it into their system as the guy who could 'hold it.' So in the long run it may not be something to be so proud of

 

[najeena]

Being an ex-lush, I can tell you there's no way you can have a serious problem that long and do all of the things that he's done. Some people an drink heavily at times and be OK. Some can't.

 

[u2granny]

Being an ex-lush, I can tell you there's no way you can have a serious problem that long and do all of the things that he's done. Some people an drink heavily at times and be OK. Some can't.

As another ex-lush, I second what najeena said.

 

[ylimeU2]

I agree with a lot of what has been said.

I think it's just fan speculation, until someone from the U2 camp or Bono himself comes out and says he's an alcoholic, which I doubt will happen. Bono is a rockstar. And by saying that, I don't mean to imply that it means he drinks excessively because of it. People are naturally going to pay more attention to what he does, and some will snap pictures after a having a few rounds in the pub. He lives his life under a microscope! If someone took pictures of me every time I walked out of a bar, I?d appear like an alcoholic myself, and I seldom drink.

I would imagine Bono goes to the doctor frequently, and if there were some problem with his liver, it would be discovered. Of course, that's just me speculating.

 

[U2DMfan]

It's about perspective. I'm not saying it's anything to be proud of but some people like myself can drink all day and remain functionable. There are people who never touch a drop who wouldn't be as "functionable" as Bono if they had 100 years to do it.

it's truly laughable for someone to say that. I am one of those people who drinks a lot when I drink because my tolerance level is very high and have had conversations with people who thought I was excessive and at times they were right. But it's about what eyes you are seeing it through, the perspective. I have several friends who have the same high tolerance, it's probably genetic.

But to those who want to be judgemental or have had bad experiences with alcohol themselves or with alcoholics always hold you to a higher standard, when really you are just acting within your own standard of enjoyment and functionability.

If there ever was a case that the stigma about drinking doesn't always apply, it's with Bono. Just because a person can't fathom how someone can do it, doesn't mean it can't be done. Trust me. I haven't accomplished anything near what Bono has and I have been on binges that I should be ashamed of, but I always made it to work and was able to function in society with little problem. It's not the case for most people, I'm sure.

Again, it's about perspective, a night "on the town" to Bono is really just another night, maybe it gets harder on you physically as you get older but it's not neccessarily indiciative of a problem.
Sometime it is, for sure, but I would encourage people to not be so judgemental, often times concerning alcohol people are very judgemental. When you've seen people destroy their lives with alcohol maybe it's hard to look past it. I would just say that not everyone is effected the same by excessive alcohol consumption.
Of course, one person's excess is another's average intake.

 

[JOFO]

an alcoholic is someone who physically cannot abstain from drinking; if a doctor said to you "you cannot have another drink or your health may be in jeopardy" and yet you just could not go without alcohol, then you are an alcoholic.

Bono, I'm sure, is not an alcoholic.

However, he does need to stop smoking; much more dangerous to his health (not to mention voice) than drinking.

 

[partygirl2u]

another slow news week eh?


When fans start preaching from the nose bleed seats about wot Bono should or shouldn't be doing it means one thing,,,,,,,,,,,WE NEED THE NEW ALBUM now.


Good Lord give the man a break .

 

[JOFO]

yeah that's true.

 

[david]

Dude, he's Irish.

I like the funny story from that one U2 book about Bono getting drunk and passing out in someone's house and waking up naked.

 

[Leeloo]

naked? my house next, please!

 

[forbonou2]

LOL @ BonoVox superstar!!! Yup!