I'd like to elaborate on what I wrote earlier. I am a big fan of Bono's speeches and an advocate of his cause; I enjoy listening him to the point that I have two DVDs just of him talking! I think his points are important and need to be made, and that the setting of a rock concert is not inappropriate. To add to this, I thoroughly enjoy public speaking and debating myself, and have won awards for it. So as a fan of the speeches and as someone who likes to speak in public, two things are of great concern to me:
1. Effectiveness: what is the best way for Bono to make his point and persuade people?
2. Entertainment: if people are bored, they won't listen, it's as simple as that. If you want people to listen to your points (let alone think about them!), you need to present the points in a manner that is engaging, interesting, and entertaining.
A rock show is an event that is first and foremost viewed as a form of entertainment. For this reason, when presenting his points, Bono must ensure he avoids rambling - he needs to engage and connect with the audience through what he says. To convey his point with the greatest effectiveness, he needs to be concise, clear, and get straight to the point without any rambling on the side that could lose the interest of the audience.
I'm not necessarily advocating the full elimination of speeches here. Just watch Rattle And Hum - Bono's expolsive rant during Sunday Bloody Sunday is one of the most famous and best parts of the entire film. Why? Because of the emotion, because Bono avoids being sidetracked and makes his point with the utmost clarity, and because it is ultimately entertaining. Not every speech can be as powerful as that, but when made, they should strive to be. They certainly should not cause the show to drag or kill the entertainment value or lose the interest of the audience. There should not be people crying out "get on with the music" and "shut up". Such statements are clear signs that the audience is not engaged (remember, not every person thinking "shut up" will actually yell it like some do, so the amount of people who've been lost would be greater than the amount of people vocalising their frustration).
It is my opinion that very simple and clear statements will serve Bono much better, especially when delivered over 'free space' - i.e. where the band is playing, progressing a song, but Bono wouldn't normally be singing. To illustrate this, the band could just play the start of Please, or Bono could say two sentences calling for co-operation and communication over the top. Such statements are worked into the show, do not comprise the entertainment value of the event, make a very clear point, and happen at a time when the audience is engaged and doesn't go so long that they have the opportunity to become disinterested.
At the end of the day, I'm concerned about Bono's cause and would like it presented in a way that communicates best to an audience at a rock concert. It's my belief that except in exceptional and typically emotional cases such as Sunday Bloody Sunday on Rattle And Hum, Bono should stick with short and concise statements rather than lengthy speeches like what we see before Miss Sarajevo and One. An audience that's disengaged and uninterested won't be swayed no matter how good someone's points are.