A pro-U2 post. On this site.
Say what you like about them postponing the Paris shows, I think this is great. They asked Eagles of Death Metal onstage to perform Patti Smith’s People Have the Power, then left the stage allowing EODM to perform their own song the close the gig.
I’ve read the previous post and peoples’ responses to the WSJ (?) article, I realise peoples opinions here differ on how U2 have handled their role in the whole thing, but they do this kind of gesture like no one else and I admire them for it.
*ducks*
Paging Mr Sprocket. Mr Sprocket to the blog please……….
This will flush him out.
?
Apart from scale, I don’t see any difference between what U2 and Madonna (also taking flak here) did, and the rather self-aware shows of support and solidarity that half the world put on Facebook and Twitter. Everyone made their gesture on the biggest stage available to them.
I think it’s about context.
What U2 did, taken in isolation, is actually pretty classy. It’s just that people are suspicious of them because they’re perceived to always be “first to the scene” on things like this, they famously don’t pay their taxes, Bono made some bellendish statements at the time of the attacks and he has a tendency to refract tragedy through his Bonolens.
I actually think what Madonna did is pretty cool. Her voice sounded in good nick too.
This is closer to my view than others. I’ll be honest though and say part of me looks at it and just goes, “well of course you would. How very Bono* of you”
*patronizing
I’m not a U2 fan but I don’t have a problem with it. It might be a bit cheezy (subjectively) but it’s not something I can be arsed getting angry about.
I don’t think it’s completely cynical; I’d imagine it’s a bit of ego, a bit of wanting to be relevant and plenty of genuine good intention. Yes it’s a tad messianic but if my rock ‘n’ roll dreams had come true in my teens and I’d spent my life being worshipped in stadiums, I’d probably also think that what the people need to “heal,” is me. Rock stars aren’t supposed to have a realistic sense of proportion about themselves or anything else, and I’d imagine there are more people who get comfort from it than there are people get annoyed about it.
For me there are plenty other elements of the story that are worth expending your anger on than Bono’s & Co’s efforts – like the attack itself.
Very many good points made there. I believe music has many ‘magical’ properties and its power to unite people is one of these. That it also infuriates the joyless fucks who would perpetrate massacres of innocents is a welcome bonus.
People are far too ready to criticise gestures that are made with the best of intentions.
What do you mean by that?
No, seriously. I don’t see why people are complaining about U2. What Stiff Little Fingers did (showing that life goes on) was great, but realistically SLF played to what 1000? and U2 are an actual target playing to 50 000?
So U2 had to cancel, and then brought on EDM to play (to one of their biggest ever audiences?)
Bono is sanctimonious. There are worse sins. Really, there are.
And I haven’t bought a U2 record since Live at Red Rocks
U2s show was cancelled due to ban on mass gatherings, the SLF show went ahead (as did others I believe) because they were of a smaller scale.
The issue for me is not one of one-upmanship (who played, who cancelled etc), but the way that it was turned into a media-frenzy. Inviting EODM on stage just seemed to smack of a photo opportunity.
I doubt it was U2s intention to milk the publicity (maybe? maybe not?), but echoeing Jake Burn’s stance, people had paid to see U2 so it was only right that at the first opportunity they should go back there.
U2 played one of the best gigs I’ve ever seen. That was in 1990. They have been irrelevant ever since.
My learned friend Mr Bingo above has it spot on.
This was a classy gesture. More meaningful and uplifting than playing Le Marseillaise before Premier League games.
Nope. Bono, as ever, takes a tragedy and makes it about him. That is all. I have no problem with U2 cancelling shows in the aftermath, chances are they would have broken the assembly laws during the state of emergency anyway, so they had no choice. I also have no problem with them mentioning the event, or paying tribute to the people who died because anyone who plays Paris should do so. Music fans were killed for no reason, musicians should speak, comment, whatever they can, because this is genuinely important and tragic. Even shit musicians have the right to respond and comment here.
But bringing the EODM onto their stage smacks to me of taking their tragedy and making it about themselves. I don’t like it at all. Privately I hoped that the Bataclan would reopen, the EODM would play their show and anyone who wished to support them, be it Bono, Madonna, or anyone, could do it from the audience. As is appropriate and supportive. As it is that didn’t happen, and frankly, if EODM got some headspace, support, whatever, than I’ll happily stand corrected.
But no, I did not like this at all.
Nice post Dan.
Bono, Madonna and Co are damned if they do nothing and damned if they try to do something. So let’s give them some respect for this classy two fingers up to Daesh.
And I bet it meant a lot to the EODM who could do with some positive energy after the horrors they went through.
A big thumbs up to U2 from me.
I am with you, @danp
Following their cancelled show in Paris on Saturday November 14, U2’s next stop was Belfast the following Wednesday and Thursday. I was fortunate enough to get a last minute ticket for the Thursday in Belfast.
“From the chaos of Paris to the PEACE of Belfast” says yer man a few songs in. People cheered. Overall I thought it was a fantastic show. Their greatest asset is the fact that it’s the same four guys. Next year will be the 40th anniversary of the four of them playing in a room together for the first time. I took a picture at one point, and even though it was blurred and out of focus, it was undeniably them.
Having the EODM on is *exactly* the thing I’d expect them to do. As outlined above, I don’t think U2 are the enemy. I’m not a huge fan, but I’ve seen almost every tour since 1989 and being from Dublin, and of a certain age, I’m terribly fond of them. They’re also funny, I wish they’d be funny more often.
I wish they’d stop doing Bullet The Blue Sky though. That’s a stinker of a song.
Presumably Eagles of Death Metal had the right to say “No”. If they thought it was the right thing to do, then fair play to U2 for giving them the opportunity. I don’t think anyone else’s opinion is particularly relevant, apart from the people in the Bataclan on that unfortunate night or their families.
I make no judgement on EODM, they need to do what they need to do and no scrubber like me on a message board has the right to condemn them.
But yes, I do doubt U2’s motives here. But I repeat, if EODM say that this was exactly what they needed then, fair enough.
Chill pill mate!
Condemned if they do, condemned if they don’t…hmmmm
U2 don’t have to be social commentators on everything.
They can just say ,yes terrible thing ,if asked ,end of story but that’s not the brand Bono has created for them.
But as above if the EODM were cool with it then fine.
As for the idea of EODM back at the Bataclan I’m not sure their heads could cope with that.