Question about Popmart Mexico City

[Zoocoustic]

During the intro of ISHFWILF, Bono comments "We nearly lost a brother last night".

Anybody know who he was talking about?

 

[Lemonator]

Was he talking about Michael Hutchance? Or was he talking about Edge?

 

[Angel]

Michael Hutchence had died already at that point I believe. He died in November 1997, and I think the Mexico City show was in December... I was wondering who was talking about too. Anyone know?


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"I'm staring at the sun, not the only one who's happy to go blind..."

 

[Bonochick]

That was Jerry Mele, right?

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"But you take what you can get,
Cuz it's all that you can find,
But you know there's something more,
Tonight, tonight, tonight...

 

[SkeeK]

right.

it's a really sad story about him, but I don't really know it so someone else can tell it perhaps.

 

[Sperber]

The full story can be read at the "U2mansion.com" in the news section!

BTW very good site

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beLIEve

 

[Bonochick]

Originally posted by Sperber:
The full story can be read at the "U2mansion.com" in the news section!

BTW very good site

I agree! It's a great site...I have always loved it!

Here's the article from there!!!

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The apology never came
by Roberto Zamarripa, Reforma
Mexico City, July 8th, 2001


The apology never came. U2, and particularly Bono, waited for an apology from the Mexican government and President Ernesto Zedillo for an incident where a crew member of an international TV station and the chief of security of the Irish band were injured.


The night of December 2nd, 1997, with two songs to go for U2's first concert to finish, the sons of President Zedillo, Ernesto and Emiliano, accompanied by friends, walked by the stage to leave the Foro Sol. They entered a restricted area, but that did not matter to them.


This first concert served as a rehearsal for the live broadcast to 175 countries that would be transmitted on the second show, the 3rd of December. For that reason there were cranes of five tons that had video cameras on them to follow the show.


The cranes were managed via computer and those controls were very far away from the stage. With their movements the cranes made the cameras descend towards the corners. In that angle, where one of those cameras almost reached the floor, stood one of the sons of the President, who had invaded the restricted area while the concert was ending.


The sons and their friends wanted to leave through that area and not through the same door they had entered.


One of the crew members from the TV station - independent from U2's crew - stopped one of the sons and to protect him from the crane, grabbed him and threw him on the ground, saving his life.
At that moment, several bodyguards of the presidency drew their guns and attacked the member of the TV crew.


On the side of the stage, while U2 was finishing the show, the situation was chaotic because the security team for the band didn't know who had invaded the restricted area, and the presidential bodyguards didn't know who they were fighting with.


The sons of the President got into their truck that tried to drive away. It was then, that U2's head of security tried to stop them, placing himself in front of the car. With his hands on top of the car he tried to restrain them, but the driver, also a member of the presidential bodyguards, accelerated bit by bit until he got rid of him. The bodyguards left the venue. The head of security was left severely injured.


The member of the TV crew, who had a head injury received four stitches, but U2's head of security -hit by the presidency's truck- was put under private care and never filed a complaint. Of the first case, involving the TV crew, there was a complaint.


The next day, President Zedillo asked the band to meet him at Los Pinos. "Are they going to apologize?" Bono asked when he heard of the meeting. "The President wants to talk to you", they were told. The band, accompanied by the promoters, went to the official residency Miguel Alem?n in Los Pinos. Sitting in the living room were the President and his sons.


The conversation was tense. Zedillo defended his children, telling the band that they had that kind of security because they were important. "What would you have done if some stranger grabbed your child and threw him on the ground?" Zedillo would have said.


The members of the band protested the violent action. But Zedillo insisted that the guards that protected his children were the best, trained in Israel and following specific orders for personal protection.


Bono protested angrily telling Zedillo: "you're surrounded by idiots". Seconds later the meeting at Los Pinos finished abruptly.
The Presidency waited for an apology from the band. The band waited for an apology from the Presidency. They left Los Pinos and played the second show. Now they demand compensation from the Mexican government



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"But you take what you can get,
Cuz it's all that you can find,
But you know there's something more,
Tonight, tonight, tonight...

 

[Sperber]

Maybe the incident with the presidents son whose bodyguards injured U2s security chief???

I got my first real six string
bought it at the 5 and dime
played it till my fingers bleed
it was the summer of `69!


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beLIEve

 

[TheU2]

Originally posted by Sperber:
Maybe the incident with the presidents son whose bodyguards injured U2s security chief???

That's exactly what B-man is talking about.

CK



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MSG: I will give you 2 GA's for 2 GC's!! Email or IM me or respond to the multiple threads I have concerning this. Help a desparate man out!!
Email:U2_Kennedy@yahoo.com
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