Dudes, I mentioned this program to Daniel Lanois!
On my way to the cinema, I wondered if Lanois would be there for a Q & A, but it was the second airing and I doubted it. Still, I had some ideas about what I wanted to say. Before the film aired, Lanois came in and the introduced himself and his two producers to the crowd. The woman conducting the proceedings said Mr. Lanois would answer questions after it was over. I kept thinking how I'd formulate my recommendations for the next U2 album. Would he get mad it wasn't a question about his work specifically or the documentary? Would he cut me off mid-statement, saying it wasn't the time and place? I needed to be clear but not take up too much time from other Lanois fans, so I kept thinking about what I had to say, and I was so damn nervous.
The lights came on after it was over and I hesitated, as I was too terrified to ask first. After the first person, I quickly raised my hand. "You, in the back. Blue shirt," Daniel Lanois yelled.
I knew there were a lot of people there who were fans of his, so I thought I'd ask him first if I could make some recommendations about the upcoming U2 album.
He said, "The new U2 album?" "Yes" (some people giggled) "Yeah," he replied calmly.
I couldn't believe it. It was happening. My mind was cluttered, as I stumblingly said something like:
"You're probably familiar with concerns that U2's most recent work has tended to be simpler, less subtle, and more obvious lyrically.... When I listen to a song like "Love and Peace or Else", I think that Bono has missed the point.
(Here's why I think that
http://forum.atu2.com/forum.src?Act...25&SubjStart=26
"Because you guys write political songs, and ...God I feel so nervous," I muttered. "I wanted to suggest Battlestar Galactica as a kind of muse because it's the most politically-insightful show in the history of American pop culture. It's all about the dehumanization and homogenization of the other -- whoever that may be -- and it's about war and terrorism.... and faith. There are no good guys and bad guys, and the conflict comes out of differing interests and perspectives. And I just wanted to suggest that to the band as a kind of muse..."
The whole time, he was a gentleman. Neither he nor his producers smirked or looked annoyed (from what I could see, way up)
He asked, "Well, what did you think about the choir piece?"
I nervously slightly lied and said, "It was pretty good," even though I barely had an opinion, which is not to say it isn't good, but it was hard to tell.
I emphasized, "I mean, I loved Achtung Baby!....But when I hear a song like 'Love and Peace or Else' saying both sides just have to lay down their arms...That's just not the problem." (If I were thinking clearly, I would have said, laying down arms helps the Israelis continue the occupation, but not the Palestinians who only began resisting violently after being ethnically cleansed from their homes and land, and occupied after 1948. I would have also said that "Bullet the Blue Sky" was great for bringing up American mistreatment of Nicaragua, as was "Mothers of the Disappeared" great for discussing the actions of US-supported Latin American dictators who killed leftist activists, and "Silver and Gold" for discussing South African apartheid. I would have also expressed thanks for "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and especially "Please" for illuminating the ego-centric mentality of many terrorists. Yet, I would have said that's only half the problem in this war on terror. State actions of oppression and war are equally morally ambiguous as terrorism.)
He then said something; I can't remember what because I was so nervous, but then said, "Well, I'll pass on the message to them."
"Thank you!" I said.
