Bono Risked Lives To Help Sarajevo

[Niamh_Saoirse]

U2 frontman BONO agreed to do a television interview and concert in the Bosnian capital Sarajevo in 1997 to help the city's war ravaged people, despite knowing it would put him and his bandmates in danger.
The ONE singer made the decision after an emotional plea from US filmmaker BILL CARTER, who felt U2's visit would create good publicity and for the city which was, at that time, under siege from Serbian forces.
Bono, in an extract from the band's self named book, says, "Right on the edge of Europe there was a symbol of tolerance, where three ethnic groups - Croats, Serbs and Bosnians - lived together in peace.
"And this tolerance was being challenged by an appalling siege by Serbian forces.
"So I agreed in an emotional moment to do a gig there. And after I've agreed on Sarajevo Television, I then have to explain to the band why putting our lives at risk is going to help the people of Sarajevo." Bono's decision was not met with approval by all his band members, particularly drummer LARRY MULLEN JR, who felt the plan was immoral.
U2's manager, PAUL McGUINNESS, says, "Larry was pretty much against it. He thought we were exploiting people's misery for entertainment.
"Bono definitely felt that we were shining a light on something important."

 

[kellyahern]

That's a kind of chopped up quote. It makes it seem like Larry objected to going to Sarajevo, but Larry objected to the video link up:

Sarajevo

Bono The very same week Zooropa was released, a young American writer/film-maker called Bill Carter came to see us at our concert in Verona in Italy and asked would we do an interview for Sarajevo Television. Right on the edge of Europe there was a symbol of tolerance, where three ethnic groups — Croats, Serbs and Bosnians — lived together in peace. And this tolerance was being challenged in an appalling siege by Serbian forces.

Edge Bill’s idea was that U2 should go to Sarajevo and that would create a lot of publicity and help maintain the press profile of the siege.

Bono So I agreed in an emotional moment to do a gig there. And after I’ve agreed on Sarajevo Television, I then have to explain to the band why putting our lives at risk is going to help the people of Sarajevo.

Edge We looked at our schedule and tried to work out how to fit in Sarajevo. Logistically, it would have been impossible and Paul McGuinness pointed out that not only would we be risking our own lives, we’d be endangering our crew and our audience.

Paul [McGuinness, manager] Bill Carter went back to Sarajevo, where he managed to get together a little video unit. The European Broadcasting Union had a satellite link out of Sarajevo which we bought time on. And we started to do live satellite connections between U2’s concert and Sarajevo every night. Most of the Zoo show was scripted and highly rehearsed. The Sarajevo links were not.

Edge Some nights it felt like it was part of the concert but a lot of nights it felt like an abrupt interruption. It was hard to get back to something as frivolous as a show having watched five or ten minutes of real human suffering.

Paul Larry was pretty much against it. He thought we were exploiting other people’s misery for entertainment. Bono definitely felt that we were shining a light on something important.

Larry We were playing a rock’n’roll show and it was lots of fun, and though the political stuff was serious it was done with a smile. Then we’d suddenly see video footage of people being bombed and a satellite link-up with people in Sarajevo saying: “We’re being killed, please come and help us.” That was really hard to watch.

Paul The worst night was Wembley Stadium, when three women came up on the screen and said, “We don’t know what we’re doing here. This guy dragged us in. You’re all having a good time. We’re not having a good time. What are you going to do for us?” Bono started to reply but they just cut him off. They said, “We know you’re not going to do anything for us. You’re going to go back to a rock show. You’re going to forget that we even exist. And we’re all going to die.” Right in the middle of the show at Wembley. And the show never really recovered.

Bono Salman Rushdie came on stage at the same concert. Again, tolerance was the subject we were playing with. Freedom of expression was a real issue in music. We tried to leaven the situation with some humour. I was dressed as the Devil and I whispered in Salman’s ear, “It’s inevitable that one always falls out with one’s biographer.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,8802-2357793,00.html

 

[Niamh_Saoirse]

Thanks Kel! I was looking for the whole thing.

 

[kellyahern]

contactmusic at it again, eh?

 

[Galeongirl]

yea they really mess stuff up to make it look bad!

thanks for the whole thing!