gaps in U2's just announced June 2010 dates

[Wooderson]

Change the face of stadium rock. What a crock.

[sifi]

Maybe changed the face of stadium rock is pushing it regarding Live Aid. Queen did steal the show.

However in defense of U2:

The Zoo tour was a big leap in audio & visual terms.

The scale of the Pop tour was huge for it's time.

The current 360⁰ tour is a IMO a "Concorde" moment that is likely never to be matched (unless U2 try to outdo it which i really can't see happening.

Other than the Stones (their Bigger Bang show with the moving stage in particular) no-one has come close to the above three tours by U2. Not in terms of longevity or global reach.

[paulo999]

Maybe changed the face of stadium rock is pushing it regarding Live Aid. Queen did steal the show.

However in defense of U2:

The Zoo tour was a big leap in audio & visual terms.

The scale of the Pop tour was huge for it's time.

The current 360⁰ tour is a IMO a "Concorde" moment that is likely never to be matched (unless U2 try to outdo it which i really can't see happening.

Other than the Stones (their Bigger Bang show with the moving stage in particular) no-one has come close to the above three tours by U2. Not in terms of longevity or global reach.

[Wooderson]

Not a comparison most people would entertain, but on a individual event basis, they've not come anywhere near close to Jean Michel Jarre's 80s events. I think the estimated audience for Houston was 1.5 million. U2's stage sets would simply vanish if plonked in the middle of that particular performance.

Maybe one day U2 will think big.

[sifi]

If they do play Glasto, do you think they'll want the Oxfam and Wateraid signs pulled down and Blackberry ones put up?

[sifi]

As regards the current U2 tour it has three times the average attendance of the Stone's record holder.

[Crouchie]

Evertime I clap my hands someone is slagging off Bono...

arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

HORRIBLE MAN

[Crouchie]

more reasons to hate bono

* In the year since it was founded, his Red campaign (licensed to Gap, Motorola, Apple etc) has raised $18 million - but companies have spent $100 million to market it.

* Bono doesn't invest his own money in Red.

* Apple sells a Special Edition U2 iPod. Its profits are not donated to Red.

[st00ka]

I'm watching some footage of their gig at the Nou Camp. Can somebody tell me what they've exactly spent the money on? All I can see is a round stage with a few flashy lights around the top. Is that it?

[Wooderson]

That's a bit meaningless, as the Stones played some really small venues, for the heck of it. I mean even the film that Martin Scorcesse did of them was at the Beacon, and that's not a big venue at all. I'm guessing U2 have been just playing stadia and nothing more?

[Wooderson]

more reasons to hate bono

* In the year since it was founded, his Red campaign (licensed to Gap, Motorola, Apple etc) has raised $18 million - but companies have spent $100 million to market it.

* Bono doesn't invest his own money in Red.

* Apple sells a Special Edition U2 iPod. Its profits are not donated to Red.

[VCK]

Meh, if this is true then I'm hoping for someone decent on elsewhere.

[bigal9]

sorry i forgot to mention i actually dont like U2s music either (waits for a hurl of abuse)

i do think in all serious tho, the mixed press that they have been getting recently might want them to play Glasto more now than in recent years!

[tevaburger]

U2 are perfectly entitled to market themselves any way they want alongside (mainly Bono's) political and social awareness campaigns.

Bono is to be admired for his work in these areas. His attempts to bring issues to light gets under peoples skin but he is clearly doing more good than bad.

I dont particularly like the Blackberry or Ipod sponsorship campaigns & I think their "No Tax on the Horizon" management in Ireland is also questionable and a little tough to deal with. But they are running a business within the law and seek to maximise their bottom line like everyone else.

- - -

Anway - are you Bono's accountant now? How do you know what Bono donates anyway? I fail to see how any of this crap deviates from your enjoyment of hearing them sing "Desire" or "In a little while" just like the personal lives of 1000's of other artists and performers don't detract from my enjoyment.

The whole Bono=cu nt cadre on here are just showing themselves to be small minded and bitter.

[sifi]

The "Claw" aint gonna fit in the Finsbury Park Astoria now is it?

[bigal9]

"small-minded and bitter" - exactly...

Bono has done far more good than bad for Planet Earth. His mind is in the right place. Give him credit for recognizing having the patience to sit down with a complete utter w*nker like george w bush to explain some of the problems in africa. and if the Bono-slaggers don't give a hoot about aung san suu kyi or any of his other causes, you are all a bit shallow. he's trying to broaden your minds a bit, as difficult a task as that seems to be...

stay away from the pyramid if they play. there'll be so much else to do...daft punk headlining the queens head stage or the silent disco for example...what contributions are the likes of Daft Punk doing for the planet's good?

[ralph250]

If it were the case that U2 wouldn't play without "the claw", then I'd have to question any band not willing to just turn up with their instruments and let their music do the talking, instead needing a stageshow to divert attention/add a wow factor to a performance.

£20m! Geez Louise!

Edited October 28, 2009 by ralph250

[ralph250]

...what contributions are the likes of Daft Punk doing for the planet's good?

[danbailey80]

But that's just it..He doesn't actually ever say 'I've done this, I've donated that' never..He does however have to bang on about the causes he supports in order for those such causes to be given airtime and the support they need...

It amazes me some of the pathetic arguments on here..

"If they do play Glasto, do you think they'll want the Oxfam and Wateraid signs pulled down and Blackberry ones put up?"

Some of the 'evidence' for bono's evil here (the red campaign for example) are nothing more than 'pub talk' sound-bites where the truth has been twisted...

Nick Hornby writes this in an book introduction - it may hopefully give you some perspective and explain his 'ranting'..

...."I read an interview with Bono in the Guardian, in which he talked about the Jubilee 2000 campaign, aimed at reducing the Third World's debt to the West.

It's bigger than anything I will ever have anything to do with again as long as I live,' he said. 'So if I can open doors simply because I'm a celebrity, then I'll use that for all it's worth.' So far, his effort have helped to remove $100 billion from the tab. The interview brought me up shot. I'm not Bono, of course, and I suspect that it would be considerably harder for me to open the door of the Oval office than it was for him, but even so... Third World Debt! $100 billion..."

[jameshunt]

...

I dont particularly like the Blackberry or Ipod sponsorship campaigns & I think their "No Tax on the Horizon" management in Ireland is also questionable and a little tough to deal with. But they are running a business within the law and seek to maximise their bottom line like everyone else.

...

[CardiffWanderer]

Nah you either hate them or you are a moron.

[Wooderson]

Glad to see some positive comments from that glacier of common sense tevaburger and of course martpol and danbailey. Good work gents.

However...

I'm beginning to hope Emily is reading this.

Although U2 at Glasto could be a hugely positive and celebratory event, by the sounds of the majority on here not a welcome one. Strange that.

I've been reading Neil's forums for 6 years and havent seen this kind of spiteful and small minded nonsense in such volumes before. Im not diggin out the post but last year I said on eFests that theres a lot of jealous BS spouted by the UK media about Bono. Basically that he is knocked for trying to make a difference. He is not from England. We do things differently over here!

I think people here have been drinking deep at this well of negativity... pity, cuz U2 are a superb outfit that would bring anthem after anthem to that Pyramid.

Maybe give it a miss lads. Let the masses here sing along to "Yellow" like every other year.

[bigjontour]

well said wooderson !!! i for one have witnessed the 'i hate u2' bandwagon , i think a bit like coldplay its very cool to not like them both, yet when i got 9 of my mates in the pub last week and put on sunday bloody sunday on the jukebox, everyone of them said what an awsome track it was !!!!!! i for one would bloody love u2 to play the pyramid stage!!!!! and i would welcome lots of people to go see one of the, many other amazing acts on the other stages , as it would make it that little bit easier for me to get a little closer

[sifi]

U2 are enormously popular and would probably attract the largest ever Pyramid audience. Just because you don't like them doesn't change that.

Edited October 29, 2009 by sifimaster

[Langdale Wolf]

I've been reading Neil's forums for 6 years and havent seen this kind of spiteful and small minded nonsense in such volumes before.