That David Byrne, always starting controversy

[jimyjazz]

Pitchfork: Echo Chamber: David Byrne

Fuck whoever decided to bump Byrne. With a prawn.

 

[financeguy]

"Those stadium shows may possibly be the most extravagant and expensive (production-wise) ever: $40 million to build the stage and, having done the math, we estimate 200 semi trucks crisscrossing Europe for the duration. It could be professional envy speaking here, but it sure looks like, well, overkill, and just a wee bit out of balance given all the starving people in Africa and all. Or maybe it’s the fact that we were booted off our Letterman spot so U2 could keep their exclusive week-long run that’s making me less than charitable?"

Well, my take on this is I don't see why both worlds can't co-exist. Apart from U2, most of the stuff I am into, especially recently, is the complete antithesis of stadium rock.

Of course, if he got booted off Letterman, he is well entitled to feel less than charitable. If U2 got booted off an Irish chat show for a bigger American band (not that there are any ), I'd imagine they wouldn't be feeling too charitable.

 

[bono_212]

It sounds pretty tongue-in-cheek to me. Though, honestly, I agree with a lot of what he's saying.

 

[mikal]

$40 million will not save Africa, it's a change in policies and ideas that will, so that comment is pretty dumb. otherwise, i like David Byrne quite a bit.

 

[Mrs. Garrison]

$15 Billion, or whatever, has not saved Africa.

At some point people have to realize that u2/Bono's job is not to save Africa, instead it is to make music. If they want to spend $40 million touring then more power to them. Its easy to throw stones....even if he is kidding.....and pitchfork sucks anyway.

 

[indra]

Karma's a bitch, David.

His people have done their fair share of bumping too.

 

[DRay9911]

i had never been to pitchfork, but had read in various places they weren't big u2 fans.

for kicks, i clicked the u2-tag:

Video: U2: "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight"
Remember: This band used to make videos that did not suck. Sad.

Justice to Remix U2
If anyone can make "Get on Your Boots" listenable, it's Justice.

U2 Divulge World Tour Plans
They know how to pull off a spectacle in front of tens of thousands of semi-to-completely wasted fans slurring through "With or Without You" like no other.

safe to say PF aren't big fans

-dan

 

[Ronnie269]

$40 million will not save Africa, it's a change in policies and ideas that will, so that comment is pretty dumb. otherwise, i like David Byrne quite a bit.

Mikal I think his point is that U2 have spent so much money on this tour that they didn't really need too!

 

[AtomicBono]

So U2 shouldn't put on an expensive tour because it contradicts Bono's activism? is that the point here? It was a contradiction from the start, him being a rich rock star and all. U2 is his day job. if U2 put on a minimal production all the fans would be bitching ... people bitched that Vertigo tour's visuals weren't exciting enough! come on.

 

[Mrs. Garrison]

people bitched that Vertigo tour's visuals weren't exciting enough! come on.

i think the only real reason to bitch about the Vertigo tour was because most of the new material sucked.

 

[mikal]

Mikal I think his point is that U2 have spent so much money on this tour that they didn't really need too!

that's not how i read it.

 

[vaz02]

Bono will end up donating more than $40 mill dollars to Africa related to projects anyway so this Byrne guy hasnt spent too long infront of the battery powered calculator.

 

[digitize]

I like Byrne, I really do, but this statement really does come off as just professional envy.

 

[The Sad Punk]

i had never been to pitchfork, but had read in various places they weren't big u2 fans.

for kicks, i clicked the u2-tag:

Video: U2: "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight"
Remember: This band used to make videos that did not suck. Sad.

Justice to Remix U2
If anyone can make "Get on Your Boots" listenable, it's Justice.

U2 Divulge World Tour Plans
They know how to pull off a spectacle in front of tens of thousands of semi-to-completely wasted fans slurring through "With or Without You" like no other.

safe to say PF aren't big fans

-dan

I dunno, that sounds like fan-talk to me.

 

[shart1780]

I can see where he's coming from to a point. Can't say I really agree with him though. I see no problem at all with U2 spending craploads of money on the tour. How is it worse than keeping more money to themselves? It's not like the corporation gives al of the left over tour money to charity or anything.

Either way he makes awesome music.

 

[DRay9911]

I dunno, that sounds like fan-talk to me.

it's a blogger...so yeah, pretty much fan-talk (but he isn't a fan).

-dan

 

[torn vinyl]

it's a blogger...so yeah, pretty much fan-talk (but he isn't a fan).

-dan

It's probably the most influential music magazine (online or in print). But they don't hate U2, they just aren't fans of them now, which isn't uncommon.

 

[LyricalDrug]

Shut it, David Byrne.

...people have throwing this garbage in U2's face their whole career, calling them hypocrites for all sorts of bogus reasons. Let's use the example of carbon offsets, speaking metaphorically. If any band in the world has done more net good, in terms of charitable donations and activism being on the plus side of the equation, with the minus side being any sort of "bad" that they inflict on the world (exhaust emissions from touring trucks, etc.), than U2, then I'd like to meet them

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

It sounds pretty tongue-in-cheek to me. Though, honestly, I agree with a lot of what he's saying.

agreed.

my opinions tend to fall more with what david byrne is saying, but i don't fault u2 for putting on the kind of concerts they do. personally all i care about is a huge screen to see them from the nosebleeds, but i'd be lying if i said i didn't find some of their past stage setups awesome.

 

['RoomOnFire]

safe to say PF aren't big fans

-dan

Of course not, they (U2) arent Radiohead, or Arcade Fire, or some obscure indie band.

 

[Slapnutz]

At some point people have to realize that u2/Bono's job is not to save Africa

Agreed. But when will Bono realise this?

 

[kpod]

I read as mostly - tongue in cheek. Perhaps a Once in a Lifetime snippet to make up for Letterman....

 

[bram]

The obvious retort would be that U2 spend money to make money---this tour is going to gross a gajillion dollars, in part because of the epic scale and scope. Nobody wants to see a stripped down stadium tour. With a little basic logic/reasoning, it becomes clear that the band members will now have more money to donate to various charitable causes...money that wouldn't be available without a monster tour.

 

[torn vinyl]

As for U2 doing more good than bad, well they make a boat load of cash for one of the largest media companies in the world, who in turn control what we read, hear and by extension think and discuss, which perpetuates poverty, environmental destruction and the loss of sovreignty so are they really doing more good?

 

[Mrs. Garrison]

As for U2 doing more good than bad, well they make a boat load of cash for one of the largest media companies in the world, who in turn control what we read, hear and by extension think and discuss, which perpetuates poverty, environmental destruction and the loss of sovreignty so are they really doing more good?

so u2 is to the entertainment industry what Chemical Ali and/or the Republican Guard was to Saddam Hussein?

(we will, we will, Rock You)


____________________________________________

Life is like a penis.
Sometimes its hard and sometimes its not, sometimes its gonna screw you no matter what.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

As for U2 doing more good than bad, well they make a boat load of cash for one of the largest media companies in the world, who in turn control what we read, hear and by extension think and discuss, which perpetuates poverty, environmental destruction and the loss of sovreignty so are they really doing more good?

 

[mikal]

As for U2 doing more good than bad, well they make a boat load of cash for one of the largest media companies in the world, who in turn control what we read, hear and by extension think and discuss, which perpetuates poverty, environmental destruction and the loss of sovreignty so are they really doing more good?

you're definitely one of the more positive new posters here. thank you for your presence.

 

[gman]

It sounds pretty tongue-in-cheek to me.

Thats exactly how i read it!

 

[EmitFlesti]

Selective Quoting...

Mikal I think his point is that U2 have spent so much money on this tour that they didn't really need too!

Well, of course no one "needs to" spend loads of cash putting on a giant tour. But by that rationale, all non-utilitarian activity - all art, all music, all entertainment, all sports - should be banned because no on "needs to" do them and the money could be used for more utilitarian purposes. A silly argument that, if put into effect, would destroy all that is most beautiful, creative, and meaningful in human culture. Utilitarianism is a recipe for cultural death.

That said, it really is necessary to read the whole Byrne post in full. It was indeed quite tongue-in-cheek, and just reading the first couple of posts on this thread makes it out to be more critical than it was by eliminating the entire first paragraph, and the last line of the post.

Here's the whole thing (with key phrases in bold):

Thank You U2!
Mark E pointed out as we prepped for our show last night in Warsaw (at a not so big club/venue called Stodoła) that these undersized dates are in effect being subsidized by U2’s world tour. The promoter of these dates, and of much of the U2 stadium tour, is Live Nation, the global conglomerate. A venue like Stodoła could not possibly afford to pay for us, the catering, or even their local crew given the relatively small number of tickets to be sold here — and it’s not even an “exclusive” VIP-type venue. It’s not like they can charge $200 a seat and make up their losses that way — this is a standing room club… with a floor made of plywood. So in order to book our date, they must (we figure) be losing money now, then making it up with what they expect to earn on the upcoming U2 stadium dates.

Those stadium shows may possibly be the most extravagant and expensive (production-wise) ever: $40 million to build the stage and, having done the math, we estimate 200 semi trucks crisscrossing Europe for the duration. It could be professional envy speaking here, but it sure looks like, well, overkill, and just a wee bit out of balance given all the starving people in Africa and all. Or maybe it’s the fact that we were booted off our Letterman spot so U2 could keep their exclusive week-long run that’s making me less than charitable? Take your pick — but thanks, guys!

So, while teasingly mocking the largeness of U2's tour and the expense - and its depriving Africa of salvation! - Byrne is actually thanking them for effectively providing the financial foundation for Live Nation to even be able to promote Byrne's and his current band's gigs in Warsaw.

Besides, as anyone who's seen Stop Making Sense (a kind of proto-ZooTV), knows, Byrne is no stranger to elaborate and expensive stage shows (at least for the time in which they took place in 1983).

 

[U2FanPeter]

I like Byrne, I really do, but this statement really does come off as just professional envy.

Yet he can fill any arena or possibly bigger venues with a couple phone calls.