Bono and his incessant/inane chatter during concerts

[gareth brown]

Vertigo seems so long ago now, and one of the only lasting memories I have of it is Bono just talking all the damn time! This was the first big gig I'd ever been to in my life and I was still in that stage where I was utterly obsessed with them but it was still so irritating.

Speech after speech, and that really annoying "we'd like to thank all the doctors and nurses....especially the nurses" gag I'd heard him make when the BBC broadcast the London gig a week or so before. It was then I realised what U2 fans had been putting up with for so long haha

I remember during that London broadcast Bono started off on one of his speeches and he went on for so long they had to fade in a DJ to explain what the hell was going on to anyone who might have just tuned in to hear Bono gassing on over the same keyboard part for god knows how long

whoops probably should have just edited that into my last post, figured someone would have posted something else by now

 

[Hewson]

His biggest crime is singing over the NYD solo: "baaa daaa daaa daaa..."

That's what I hate the most. Did it over the Magnificent solo as well on 360 (though that solo is nowhere near as magnificent as NYD), let us listen to the Edge please.

 

[Anu]

Bono is a preacher, and I am a member of his church. His sermons are moving to enough of us, he will keep at it, and some will encourage him.

 

[Outsider]

I loved night 1 at the Rose Bowl lol
*Normally I like some new crap but I didn't wanna hear any on this specific tour

 

[Iggy Fizz]

Lol he's been a member here for 17 years. You're too new to know this is a perfectly normal post for him.

And actually I agree. At my show these people behind me were like JUST SHUT UP AND PLAY MUSIC!!

You do realize that was sarcasm, right?

 

[Zoomerang96]

Hahahahahahaha. You have no idea how many times I've called Bono a gormless cunt. Yet here you are, thinking I kiss his ass every night.

You've gone and had a cry about the first tour Bono has had the decency to shut up.

Good work mate.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

 

[Zoomerang96]

Lol he's been a member here for 17 years. You're too new to know this is a perfectly normal post for him.

And actually I agree. At my show these people behind me were like JUST SHUT UP AND PLAY MUSIC!!

 

[Axver]

Bono is a preacher, and I am a member of his church. His sermons are moving to enough of us, he will keep at it, and some will encourage him.

Sure is a nice club of one you've got there.

 

[Iggy Fizz]

Oh man, you don't even get THIS right.

The definition of sarcasm is widely available if you'd like to check it out. But I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you're having another off day.

 

[Anu]

Sure is a nice club of one you've got there.

Teehee! I know a few other members. But in the lyrics, it's OK? Just not between songs? Or we'd be better as an instrumental band?

 

[Axver]

Teehee! I know a few other members. But in the lyrics, it's OK? Just not between songs? Or we'd be better as an instrumental band?

Well yeah, his speeches are just empty platitudes and inane shoutouts. We don't need a five-minute ramble about "we need to organise, not agonise" or "maybe Dr King's dream is telling us to wake up". I also don't give a shit that super-wealthy businessman X or flashy movie star Y is in the house tonight.

 

[Iggy Fizz]

Well yeah, his speeches are just empty platitudes and inane shoutouts. We don't need a five-minute ramble about "we need to organise, not agonise" or "maybe Dr King's dream is telling us to wake up". I also don't give a shit that super-wealthy businessman X or flashy movie star Y is in the house tonight.

Yup. Or 'Poverty is sexist.'

 

[cobl04]

It is though...

 

[nbelcik]

Bono is a preacher, and I am a member of his church. His sermons are moving to enough of us, he will keep at it, and some will encourage him.

Why does this sound like a dril tweet? (I'm sure very few people will get this reference)

 

[LemonMelon]

This current tour has been OK so far, though oh god the encore really is just an extended speech put to music at this stage.

Yeah, he really makes up for lost time with the soapbox as soon as Beautiful Day starts. Turning Ultraviolet into a love letter to Lena Dunham is the one negative that this tour has given us.

 

[U2girl]

His biggest crime is singing over the NYD solo: "baaa daaa daaa daaa..."

Don't mind that or "___________ is in the house tonight" myself.

Speeches can be a bit long (Vertigo tour) but he's always been talkative.

 

[redhill]

U2 "fans" who don't want the band to stand for anything. It's mind boggling.

 

[BVS]

The definition of sarcasm is widely available if you'd like to check it out. But I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you're having another off day.

But in your attempt at sarcasm, you proved your incessant point of 'I only get called troll because I dare to criticize the band' completely wrong. So yeah, couldn't even get that right.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Vertigo was the low point as far as speech length goes... but the celebrity/politician shout out low point was certainly shouting out Ted Cruz on i/e


Is he doing the whole "see the world I'm Green and blue, [random celebrity who said hi to me backstage before the show] right in front of you" thing this tour? Cause that's gotta stop.

 

[Hewson]

U2 "fans" who don't want the band to stand for anything. It's mind boggling.

God forbid folks want to hear the music at a show.

I think the vast majority are fine with Bono and the band taking stands.
This thread was started about Bono talking over his bandmates during instrumental parts of songs, which some of us would prefer he do less of, cause we "fans" (and I know in your book none of us can be as good a fan as yourself) also like the music the other 3 members create and would like to hear it as intended.
Do try and keep up.

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

The next time Bono starts to make a speech Edge should just start wailing on his guitar, see how he likes it...

 

[miryclayu2]

Well, in Pasadena I watched him not sing over Edge's guitar solo during NYD. This is a first step.

 

[Iggy Fizz]

But in your attempt at sarcasm, you proved your incessant point of 'I only get called troll because I dare to criticize the band' completely wrong. So yeah, couldn't even get that right.

Nice try, but incorrect.

The only thing I see as incessant is your continued patrolling of the forum looking for petty arguments to make. I suppose after 40K posts one should not expect your behavior to change at this point, seems like this is your life. Well done, carry on.

 

[redhill]

God forbid folks want to hear the music at a show.

I think the vast majority are fine with Bono and the band taking stands.
This thread was started about Bono talking over his bandmates during instrumental parts of songs, which some of us would prefer he do less of, cause we "fans" (and I know in your book none of us can be as good a fan as yourself) also like the music the other 3 members create and would like to hear it as intended.
Do try and keep up.

That is usually irritating but occasionally adds to the sound. The speechifying that was mentioned several times I generally don't mind (even if some of it is misguided / hypocritical these days IMO).

Not in the mood for sarcasm at the moment but go for yours, I guess.

 

[popacrobat]

The only time it brought the concert to a screeching halt to me was before One on Vertigo. Brutal.

The name checks are whatever. I don't love it, but it doesn't really ruin things for me. There were times on IE when the story between I Will Follow and Iris took too long, but for the most part it was alright.

I will say, though, that some of my favorite versions of UTEOTW are the 360 versions with the extended middle section, when Bono is going on about freedom and all that. They're not my favorite because Bono is yammering, but because the musical part of that section of the song kicks ass for me. I think there were a few popmart versions where it went on a bit too.

 

[BVS]

Nice try, but incorrect.

The only thing I see as incessant is your continued patrolling of the forum looking for petty arguments to make. I suppose after 40K posts one should not expect your behavior to change at this point, seems like this is your life. Well done, carry on.

 

[brooklynmike]

I will say, though, that some of my favorite versions of UTEOTW are the 360 versions with the extended middle section, when Bono is going on about freedom and all that. They're not my favorite because Bono is yammering, but because the musical part of that section of the song kicks ass for me. I think there were a few popmart versions where it went on a bit too.

The 360 show that has the Strangers in the Night snippet was great. I think they extended it out during the South American POPMART shows too. The Santiago show was great where it was back to back with my favorite version of LNOE.

 

[brooklynmike]

The speeches between songs are one thing. It's a U2 show, we know we're going to hear some sales pitches. Fine. The Vertigo speech fest was indeed brutal- seemed like a full 5 minutes of chatter before One.

It's another thing to make random noises or make a pitch against poverty over a sweet groove the band is laying out. The intro to streets or guitar solos in any number of songs should be Bono-free.

 

[redhill]

The next time Bono starts to make a speech Edge should just start wailing on his guitar, see how he likes it...

 

[kabigon]

Bono's got the balance right this tour. Extra points for keeping JT as seamless as you could hope for.