And when it comes to the "act-your-age" I have to agree just partly.
I think it's great they still try and fiddle around with the latest technology etc... Although I think they could use it even more challenging and experimental IMO in their latest recordings.
I do however get more and more "squeezing my butt together & curling my toes" moments when I see Bono making "rapper-like" movements when performing with, for example Jay-Z and Rihanna. And swaying like a monkey performing "Kids" with Kylie.
I mean: look at some (sad) performances U2 and especially Bono already have on their account: One performed with Mary J. Blige (disgusting!) The way he says: ..."Mary-hhh.." before she starts singing:
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Bono drooling alongside Alicia Keys, Bono and Kylie, Bono and Jay-Z & Rihanna...
I mean, where is this gonna end? Bono dueting with 50 Cent being tough rappers for world peace? Bono making dance moves along-side Justin Timberlake? Bono dueting with Paris Hilton and Ashley Simpson? All to keep up to pace with the "pop kids" but with the excuse: doing it for the good cause? This was probably when he said: "we might lose some of the pop-kids but we don't need them." This is getting more and more like: "we might lose some of our most loyal serious fan-base, but we don't need them.." And the irony is: he is probably right! More and more the real loyal (hardcore) fanbase is thinning out and your "big-joe-average crowd" is growing. So the days U2 starts acting like a real critical band again (WAR, Joshua Tree, Achtung Baby) and don't care what the overall public opinion thinks of them seem long gone...
In 2005 for the Hall of Fame Induction Acceptence Speech, Bono said: "That's what I'd like you to take away from tonight. I would like to ask the music business to look at itself and ask itself some hard questions. Because there would be no U2 the way things are right now. That's a fact." How creadible is he saying this when you see him kissing a.. with Jay-Z, holding hands with Rihanna, etc... who are all representatives for contemporary, throw-away pop tunes made or pop-kids!! Why the hell isn't he dueting with Thom Yorke, David Bowie, Morrissey, Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, and with serious great bands from now: Editors, Keane. When he's pretending to be such a representative for "real" music, why isn't he pulling these kind of artists out of the shadow and into the full spotlights?
The contemporary music by Beyoncé, Rihanna, Mary J. Blige, Lady Gaga, Kelly Clarkson, Pussycat Dolls, Jay-Z, etc, can stand on it's own, sadly we all know that & nobody can avoid it. Everywhere you go you see/hear these "artists".
Bono: stop holding hands and puttting feathers up their a..... and by these means trying to be still hip and cool yourself! Ask yourself some hard questions and ACT as you say...