U2's Glastonbury gig targeted by tax protesters

[zooropop40]

Maybe someone can fill me in on some more of the details about this whole controversy...

I was always under the impression that the decision to move the tax base was a decision of upper level corporate management (U2 Ltd.) but was not one explicitly made by the band itself and rather they just 'went along' with it. To the best of everyone's knowledge, is this true? or did the band have a more active role in this decision making process?

 

[Earnie Shavers]

Umm, 'upper level corporate management'? The 'band would just go along with it'?

For real?

 

[Hollow Island]

They have said that they won’t do anything to disrupt the set for either the band or crowd. They surely would know that to actually disrupt either would very much work against them. They just want to make a highly visual public statement, which will hopefully (for them) become a wider talking point afterwards. It will probably mostly just affect the BBC's use of crowd-wide shots, and that's it.

I do get the basic argument “Here’s a guy telling us how our taxes should be spent, but he’s personally using loopholes to limit how much he pays” and I do think that U2 have not been very good in their reaction to it. It’s been rattling around for years, and only gathering steam in that time.

Their problem is obviously that there’s not really much they can do to change this opinion. Whenever the super wealthy come out complaining about taxation, even if they are subject to some pretty silly rules, they always come off looking like complete twats. And Bono could come out and say, Look, I give *this* much time, put in *this* much effort, I have over time personally given $X amount, and bankrolled my own campaigns to $X, with *these* very real results, and as a band we’ve given *this* much support to *this* many groups in *these* ways and have achieved *these* things as a result, and have you ever even listened to a U2 song or been to a U2 concert? And what would the reaction be? What a fucking WANKER! Who publicises that kind of thing?

So they’re left with simply being mega wealthy individuals who DO play the global tax game to their advantage as best they can, with the added conundrum of having a frontman who DOES lecture others on how they should spend the tax they earn. There’s no escaping that or turning opinion on it around. And if they didn’t see it coming, they’re stupid.

I think the only thing they can do to move this one on is get out there very publicly and at least try and make some sort of argument better than the “We already pay a lot of tax and besides its private” line they use now, and just take the very public pie in the face they no doubt will get in return. Just put themselves right in the firing line, take the shots, and hopefully a bit of respect for at least getting up there and doing that will help it all move on.

Right on.

Also, if the protesters are really pissed about rich people/corporations behaving inappropriately with their finances, there are certainly better targets than U2. It's not like they're the Koch bros or anything.

 

[mobvok]

One thing that consistently sticks out is that Teh Haterz always seem to refer in generalities to some awareness of Bono's activism, rather than specific quotes. I've yet to see the case made that there's any innate hypocrisy in that aspect. As long as you're spending X billion dollars on defense, increasing Y million on African debt relief is actually a good deal for Z reasons is a pretty decent argument.

The more compelling argument in my view is that there's not exactly a bold difference between a multinational corporation camping out in the Bahamas as a tax haven and U2 bolting for the Netherlands. They're certainly taking advantage of the legal opportunities available to them, but it's not really an honorable decision. My understanding is that Ireland's generally screwed for financial bailout-related reasons and not because their native sons went continental, but there's a certain consistency to GE's shamelessness, whereas we've seen it gets a little trickier once moral imperatives come into play.

The flip side on all of that is the MC Hammer argument that this chucklehead band is stupid and blows through all their money. Well, this is what smart businessmen do, right?

 

[mirrorballman]

How many protesters actually have Glasto tickets?! I mean, on their site they ask people who are going to Glasto to "join them," but I can't imagine a big group of 50 people doing that. Not gonna work, so I wouldn't really worry.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

I'm sure the number of people directly involved would be very limited, but the crowd there certainly loves a bit of entertaining madness. If they try to pull this up the front amongst the U2 diehards, I'd say they'll get nowhere fast (and I don't think they will try anything like that, as they have said that they do not intend on actually disrupting the gig, or the crowds enjoyment of it.) But if they do pull off something 'clever' and 'entertaining' further back amongst the general punters, they might well be able to get some momentum going with it.

 

[ozeeko]

They should open with a cover of "Taxman". That would be fuckin awesome.

 

[lemonfly]

I think U2's main worry will be if the set doesn't take off, some of the general punters will be joining the protestors. Not because they have a detailed understanding of the issue and they feel strongly about it, but just because it will be the 'fun' thing to do. That would really kill the mood of the gig. If anything, U2 will try even harder to kick it out of the park because they will be eager to turn the punters' attention away from the protestors. It *could* be an interesting night.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

Well, I can't see the set not taking off, and I really don't think the protest will be anything that will last more then a 'moment'. Only way that will be an awkward/difficult moment would be if it is something highly visual and distracting that holds for some time, and a certain lead singer decides to address it in some way. That could easily go either way. IF he did, I would hope it was only in a respectfully humourous way. Certainly not the time, place, or topic for a confrontational approach. But it really would have to be quite a big deal for them to even notice from stage, I think, let alone deem it worth some sort of reaction. It would have to be noticeably disrupting the gig/crowd for some time, and I really don't think it will.

 

[MikeyJB]

They should open with a cover of "Taxman". That would be fuckin awesome.

Haha, or Pink Floyd's 'Money'. That would be quality. The protesters would be fuming.

 

[coolian2]

YouTube - ‪The O'jays -For the love of money + Lyrics‬‏

 

[mama cass]

Abba!!

 

[U2girl]

there is no issue
the global company U2 have to pay global taxes
and they do

Bono advocates that a fair percentage of the money governments have to spend is spent on helping third world countries

I don't get the implied relation between this


if they want to talk tax avoidance the protestors can send their personal administration + tax returns to me and I will show some true tax avoidance

bunch of losers

The fun only works with rich people.

And if U2's isn't fully compliant with their tax obligations in Ireland, then what is the (Irish version of) IRS doing ?

 

[gareth brown]

if the protesters who actually HAVE a ticket that they dropped just over 200 quid for want to waste their friday night protesting against a band they supposedly hate for their tax 'issues' (which is probably just salt in a wound already created by hating their music/bono's preachiness in the first place) when there's so much else going on, then that's their fucking choice and waste of money

i'll be down at the front (hopefully with some of you guys) after a few drinks, singing my lungs out and enjoying what's probably going to be the best gig ever, not caring in the slightest.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

To be fair, having a crack at winding Bono up probably is worth £200.

Adam, not so much.
Larry, I wouldn't dare.
Edge, dark horse.

 

[U217]

Ha, before I even clicked on that link I knew what it was going to say. I assume this tax arrangement is legal so really, too bad to anyone who lives in a fiscal fantasy world where they imagine that taxing U2 into oblivion could save the budget of an entire country. If it bothers them that much, the protesters need to cook up a business that makes crazy money and then they can pay as much tax as their government is willing to take from them. Bet it gets old fast.

,
17

 

[Tommy WM]

They'll screw up and do it during Coldplay's set before realising

 

[Galeongirl]

They'll screw up and do it during Coldplay's set before realising

I'd pay to see that.



But tax-free right?

 

[mama cass]

should be interesting...

i think the protest is out of order, the band have done nothing illegal, but i do understand a lot of people were disappointed in the tax move - i think it's because the band has always stood for something special, something more, what with their activism and outspokenness on social issues etc... i don't know, but i think that's been a general perception of U2 in the UK over the years... so maybe people just can't reconcile it and so call it hypocrisy, i dunno?

 

[Earnie Shavers]

It's a decent sized story at the moment in the UK. This is pretty reflective of where most people seem to sit with it:

Why Bono should welcome his Glastonbury reckoning | Ros Wynne-Jones | Comment is free | The Guardian

 

[mama cass]

B-Man should cheer the protesters and say "i'm with you mates!" and then point to the rest of the band and say "it was them fuckers that made me do it!"

 

[lemonfly]

wouldn't it be great if he has a 'Liam Gallagher' moment an d says something like "The wankers with the fookin flags can just fook off". That would make my nght.

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Then proceeds to throw the microphone and Larry's snare drum into the crowd, angering Larry in the process.

 

[Galeongirl]

That would end in Larry throwing Bono into the crowd.



So everybody wins right?

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Most likely Bono would flatten some unsuspecting concert-goers, causing earth tremors that can be felt as far as 50 metres away. That should teach 'em.

 

[Galeongirl]

Nah, he'll get caught by a bunch of PLEBAns and dragged off in the distance.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

B-Man should cheer the protesters and say "i'm with you mates!" and then point to the rest of the band and say "it was them fuckers that made me do it!"

Remember the four screens on the Elevation tour? One on each band members face? This is the moment those were designed for.

Although I do love the naivety or blind allegiance to a caricature of those who for some reason actually believe that during a meeting that decided this tax move, Bono was up on the table waving a white flag and screaming about African kids and that the poor man was simply out voted so was forced against all his might and will to go with it, and that he never, ever, ever, ever personally would have ever, ever, ever wanted to save himself several million Euro's a year. Not Bono! NEVER!

 

[Vlad n U 2]

Of course, Bono would not be able to get up on the table anyway.

(Okay, I'll stop with the fat Bono "jokes")

 

[Earnie Shavers]

Well, it was a coffee table, and he already broke the legs off it when he found out Ireland were ditching the completely-tax-free existence for struggling artists who earn over €250,000 a year. He didn't have to climb far.

 

[MikeyJB]

Although I do love the naivety or blind allegiance to a caricature of those who for some reason actually believe that during a meeting that decided this tax move, Bono was up on the table waving a white flag and screaming about African kids and that the poor man was simply out voted so was forced against all his might and will to go with it, and that he never, ever, ever, ever personally would have ever, ever, ever wanted to save himself several million Euro's a year. Not Bono! NEVER!

Well this is the argument I put forward. Although I wasn't suggesting at all that Bono was the one who was against the idea, I'm sure he knew it was an astute business move as much as the others and was fully behind it. However, I still believe his public handling of the situation should have suggested that he was outvoted on the matter, and that he didn't fully agree with it. If only to try and outweigh the mighty cries of hypocrisy.