Is this true...?

[rjhbonovox]

Pfft. The day U2 brings out midgets to dance around a tiny Stonehenge, I'm so outta here.

... unless they do it to be funny, in which case,

They dont need midgets bono's small enough himself.

 

[Zootomic]

Not to mention going to a concert and seeing some bleeding human rights speech in the middle of a song. Is that entertainment? Is that what we pay £50 a ticket to go and see? I mean does it strike home with the concert goers? I had to bring that up as when I was stood there in a field watching this on a video screen I thought what the fuc#s this all about? Do people really need to see this?

So, you didn't know until you were at a concert that U2 is involved in human rights and political issues? Wow. So, I guess you must also be unaware that U2 took part in a thing called the 'Conspiracy of Hope' tour in 1986. And you probably don't know that U2 had 'Amnesty International' signup tables at their concerts in the late eighties and Bono regularly made speeches during the shows urging fans to sign up. And I'm sure you are clueless that U2 actively protested the Sellafield nuclear power plant in 1992. And I guess you've never seen photos of Bono waving that white flag on the 'War' tour in 1982 - 1983. Or maybe you have and you just didn't realize that he was trying to make a political statement.

U2 as a band, and Bono in particular, have been involved in these types of activities for a couple of decades now. It's a major reason why a lot of us fans care so much about them. Please try and learn something about this band before posting about how surprised you were to hear talk of human rights during a U2 show. It just makes you look foolish.

 

[martha]

Don't forget the activities about Dr. King in Phoenix during the JT tour.

 

[typhoon]

This thread is a pile of steaming excrement. Close it, someone, for the love of all that is holy.

It could get better.

Kidding again, no, it couldn't.

 

[AtomicBono]

I heard Chris Martin had his favourite left shoe shipped to him on a steamboat for $1,573,694.

 

[Zoots]

I heard Chris Martin had his favourite left shoe shipped to him on a steamboat for $1,573,694.

Oh no.. you didn't!!!


Wow... I have to tread cautiously in this thread.

I think the reason Bono is misunderstood by certain people is because his gigantic ego (which by the way we all know exists and it need not be a bad thing, pretty much all rock stars have it and when you're in that position, the center of attention of the whole world, you probably need it for your own survival in the field) starts showing in his outrageous but thoroughly entertaining stunts (like white flag waving or jesus christ poses or reading human rights passages in the middle of a concert etc.)

The thing is if you want to be seen and heard by the whole world to make a change, you have to be different, stand out from the crowd of do-gooders and throw some stunts! It's all good.

 

[Zoots]

And I'm sure I'm echoing many people's sentiments here when I say this... It honestly feels fucking GREAT to be a fan of a band that's so involved in social and political causes and at the same time writes beautiful songs and also rocks like there's no tomorrow! That is why I don't mind listening to those human rights passages at the beginning of One. How many other bands are even close to achieving such a balance?

I'm going to come off a bit cheesy/over the top here.. maybe it's the effect of yesterday's show but... because of the afore-mentioned reasons and because there's happiness and misery, joy and sorrow and so on in life.. and because no other band captures these emotions and makes every single person at a concert feel them in such a surreal way... U2 to me is the perfect band!

 

[Canadiens1131]

DON'T BELIEVE THE HYPE

In other news.... this doesn't really bug me.

 

[martha]

And I'm sure I'm echoing many people's sentiments here when I say this... It honestly feels fucking GREAT to be a fan of a band that's so involved in social and political causes and at the same time writes beautiful songs and also rocks like there's no tomorrow! That is why I don't mind listening to those human rights passages at the beginning of One. How many other bands are even close to achieving such a balance?

I gotta agree here. As I said to my sweetheart at LV1 when the UN Human Rights thing was starting: "It's not embarrassing being a U2 fan." It's so much better than being a fan of a band whose biggest cause might be getting out of rehab yet again.

 

[Liesje]

I gotta agree here. As I said to my sweetheart at LV1 when the UN Human Rights thing was starting: "It's not embarrassing being a U2 fan." It's so much better than being a fan of a band whose biggest cause might be getting out of rehab yet again.

I third this sentiment. When I saw Bono live in person for the first time ever, he was giving a speech and telling the story of when he an Ali were working in Ethiopia and a poor man brought them his child b/c he could not feed the child. Bono said he had to turn that man away, but then he slams his fist and says "never again!". At that moment I could tell he was nothing but completely genuine and I thought "I've never been so proud to be a U2 fan".

 

[david]

You have to admit that Bono loves the limelight and spotlight that his charideeeeeee work gives him. He loves the headline news making and the rubbing shoulders with the worlds most powerful leaders. I admire him for his "hating the whinging rockstar" speeches that he gives but he absolutely adores being the centre of attention. Some of the things U2 and Bono have done these past few years have left me speechless compared to there stance on things a few years ago. Not to mention going to a concert and seeing some bleeding human rights speech in the middle of a song. Is that entertainment? Is that what we pay £50 a ticket to go and see? I mean does it strike home with the concert goers? I had to bring that up as when I was stood there in a field watching this on a video screen I thought what the fuc#s this all about? Do people really need to see this? Anyway thats off topic but something I had to mention after recently seeing it again on the DVD, reminding me of the way I felt at the concert.

I don't have to admit anything. You're the only one making these assumptions and you assume that Bono only does this charity work because of the attention he gets and that he simply loves it. Yeah man, I am sure Bono loves the fact that Africa is a shithole just so he can get some attention.

 

[RedRocksU2]

I heard Chris Martin had his favourite left shoe shipped to him on a steamboat for $1,573,694.

....yeah!....I heard that also...........only it was his right shoe.

 

[Liesje]

You have to admit that Bono loves the limelight and spotlight that his charideeeeeee work gives him.

And what charity work is that? DATA is not a charity, it's a lobby organization. ONE is not a charity, it's a social campaign. And I distinctly remember Bono saying he does not enjoy this work and belongs in a band. As for the spotlight, I'm sure he was loving it so much when he threw up before Oprah b/c he was so nervous.

 

[rjhbonovox]

So, you didn't know until you were at a concert that U2 is involved in human rights and political issues? Wow. So, I guess you must also be unaware that U2 took part in a thing called the 'Conspiracy of Hope' tour in 1986. And you probably don't know that U2 had 'Amnesty International' signup tables at their concerts in the late eighties and Bono regularly made speeches during the shows urging fans to sign up. And I'm sure you are clueless that U2 actively protested the Sellafield nuclear power plant in 1992. And I guess you've never seen photos of Bono waving that white flag on the 'War' tour in 1982 - 1983. Or maybe you have and you just didn't realize that he was trying to make a political statement.

U2 as a band, and Bono in particular, have been involved in these types of activities for a couple of decades now. It's a major reason why a lot of us fans care so much about them. Please try and learn something about this band before posting about how surprised you were to hear talk of human rights during a U2 show. It just makes you look foolish.

All of them things are common knowledge. I have seen all U2 tours since 1987. This is the only tour that I thought when the human rights speech came on that "mmmmmmm too long, and we get the point but shut the fu# up and play a song for gods sake". I didn't pay £50 to get somebody on a video screen reading the full human rights speech to me. Its just too much and too long. Yes we all know that U2 have been involved in Amnesty and blah blah woof woof. But to have that 5 minute speech come on in the middle of a concert is too much. Of course I'm the only one that thinks this on this "all that U2 do is great" forum but thats my opinion. I also think that a lot of the people at the concert I was at were thinking what the fuc#s this all about, except the hardenned "all that U2 do is great" interferencers of course and the ones too pissed to know what was going on!

 

[MsGiggles]

What's wrong with enjoying the spotlight and what celeb doesn't enjoy it? It comes with the business. I think it's pretty cool that Bono doesn't have a "posse" of security and assistants following him around when he's not on tour

 

[Liesje]

I didn't pay £50 to get somebody on a video screen reading the full human rights speech to me. Its just too much and too long. Yes we all know that U2 have been involved in Amnesty and blah blah woof woof. But to have that 5 minute speech come on in the middle of a concert is too much.

"Them things" are common knowledge too...

That's not the full human rights speech. It's just a few lines, Articles 3-6 I believe, out of 30.

It does not take 5 minutes of the concert.



I DID pay $50 to hear it so if you don't like the concerts, bugger off

Just because you don't like a part of the concert that lasts about two minutes doesn't give you any grounds to question whether or not Bono is genuine. Grow up.

 

[GibsonGirl]

But to have that 5 minute speech come on in the middle of a concert is too much. Of course I'm the only one that thinks this on this "all that U2 do is great" forum but thats my opinion. I also think that a lot of the people at the concert I was at were thinking what the fuc#s this all about, except the hardenned "all that U2 do is great" interferencers of course and the ones too pissed to know what was going on!

This just makes me sick.

Look, rjhbonovox, it matters to some people. Want to hear the story from the point of view of a real African - my father? Even if you don't, I'm going to tell you anyway because I think you need to hear it. My father and I went to see U2 in Toronto, and I was extremely worried that he might get pissed off by the speeches. He isn't usually the type to support "bleeding heart hippies" as he calls them - not that I think that's what Bono is, but I was worried my father might think so as he can sometimes be quick to judge when it comes to celebrities. Anyway, when Bono was about halfway through the speech before One, I cast a sidelong glance at him. He was thoroughly engrossed, agreeing with every word, even had that sad expression on his face I've only seen a few times before. My father, due to his line of work, has seen things in South Africa that people in first world countries have only seen in their worst nightmares. But he's always said that the absolute worst was the things he didn't see...the people who were so sick and living in such extreme poverty, that they couldn't even get the help they needed. The sad thing is, South Africa is about a hundred times better off than most other African countries.

So I think a five minute speech is justified. Sometimes I do think Bono takes a little too long to get to the point, but hey, it's not a big deal. The important thing is that it matters to people that Bono is taking the time to address these issues. And I know you know this, but while he's making those speeches, there are people dying in Africa for the stupidest of reasons.

If you think Bono's doing this for the "attention," then I don't know what to say to you.

 

[Liesje]

GibsonGirl, that story reminds me of when I was at one of the Chicago shows, along the rail, and the guy doing security facing out towards the crowd was about my age. He was nice to us before and after the show, but remained completely stone-faced during the show (part of the job) until the Pride-Streets-One sequence where he was nodding his head, smiling, and saying "Amen" "yeah brother!" the entire time.

 

[Carmelu2fan]

To Gibson and LivLuv

 

[Bono's shades]

I believe the fact that Bono is willing to risk alienating the "shut up and sing" element in the crowd with his speeches shows he's sincere about what he's doing.

 

[Zoots]

I also think that a lot of the people at the concert I was at were thinking what the fuc#s this all about, except the hardenned "all that U2 do is great" interferencers of course and the ones too pissed to know what was going on!

What you said here tells me that you're one of them... a casual fan or fairweather fan. I mean... nothing wrong with that! But you're making an assumption that those who like the human rights speeches and actually don't mind waiting till the next song are U2 worshippers who think they can do no wrong. Where did you get that from?

For example, I love the social and political side of U2 and how their concerts stand out because of such things like human rights speeches and diatribes like Fuck The Revolution etc. But I'm, not under the 'they can do no wrong' camp! How many times have you seen me here criticizing ATYCLB and HTDAAB??? I still love their serious side though.

 

[Jamila]

My only question is:

if people are so fed up with U2 and sick of Bono blahblah: ) then why are you still here?

I'm not saying that everyone has to feel the same way about everything U2 but if you're THAT tired of Bono simply being Bono then why don't you find a musician that you can be happy with?

Unless you like to complain and be miserable?

I just can't figure negative people out.


Do all things without complaining or disputing. (Philippians 2:14)

 

[U2Kitten]

NO this is NOT TRUE!!

It was a lame story in the Sun, the same rag that had the fake Bono, Ali and John who weren't really them. The hat they showed in the pic was like the "Sweetest Thing" hat, which he hadn't worn in years! It was referred to in the story as a 'fedora.' The hat he had on at the show in question was a plain green army cap. We had pics on PLEBA

The story is FALSE.

 

[U2Kitten]

Just bumping in case anyone missed that the hat story is fake