Bono slags off Chris Martin live on Radio 1

[charlesr]

Radio1 called U2 the "biggest band in the world". Do they mean physical size?

This thread isn't really going anywhere is it....

[abigsmurf]

There's countless ways marketing people can spin a band as being "the biggest in the world". Cumulative sales, current sales, fanbase size, number of sellout locations in a tour, amount of money they have, amount of money they have coming in etc.

It's why every 3 months you hear about some new album or single which is "the highest selling debut solo act by a female singer who has a cat named puddles!". It's even easier then hyping movies (inflation means that box office records will keep being broken endlessly)

[merf]

'the biggest band in the world' subject only matters if you work for NME, Radio 1 or are one of those earnest types who thinks such literal judging of art is appropriate.

[JP]

Bono's whole existence is focused on monetary gain.

Phew, that was lucky! Your statement ended up being an in depth psychological evaluation of him as a person rather than the pointless sweeping statement that I originally thought it was going to be when I started reading it.

I always hate it every time everybody posts sweeping statements which everybody does all of the time, nobody ever understands anything any of the time about any of it though!

[Shez]

U2 use the Netherlands to horde away some of their 900 million fortune for tax evasion purposes and then Bono tells world leaders they should forgo third world debt because we need to help poverty stricken country's

Ermmm one of the main ways the 'rich' country's can aid the poorer country's is through taxation of it's people - The guy is a hypocrite, and one of the worst kind.

I dislike the guy based purely on that + his music is ****e too

[Baseley09]

Bono & chris martin both have serious penis breath.

[thetrooper]

The big problem is that, although the west feels good about Live Aid, it really did make Africa worse.

Bono's a hypocrite because he calls for people to be charitable yet charges a fortune for concert tickets. He calls for people to take climate change seriously yet lights up his huge house when he isn't there.

The simple fact is, lots of people dislike him because they don't want to be lectured by someone rich and famous.

I do agree that Live Aid did some harm but you have to put the whole thing within the context that it was a spontaneous effort to feed people that were starving. It did bring out a certain kind of empathy in average western people which can only be positive.

Was the short term relief cancelled out by the long term economic effects? Maybe, but it's true to say that any culture, person or country learns by it's mistakes and if Live Aid was one of the first steps towards structured and intelligent aid then the movement must get some credit.

U2 ticket prices can be high but in all fairness they are not the only ones guilty of that. I saw them live in Belfast on the Popmart tour and I can honestly say that it was worth every penny; the energy of they put into the set list was fantastic and the whole show visually amazing (where else will I see a giant spinning lemon and 100ft tall screens?). There's a reason why people don't hold back their money when a U2 tour is announced.

No one has mentioned the publicity U2 have given to situations like the plight of Sarajevo and they were one of the few bands to play in that region during the Bosnian conflict. During another Popmart show mothers of dissappeared took to the stage in Chile to protest their cause against the legacy of Pinocet's regime. I'm not saying that U2 resolved these issues but they did act with some kind of conscience which is rare in a mainstream music world that is becoming increasingly vapid and throw away. It could be argued that these could never be truly selfless acts as they essentially promoted an ongoing tour. But when you have records like The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby put out and a global reputation for being a truly great live act, how much more self promotion do you really need?

The tax avoidance point is valid but he's hardly the first sucessful person to use that tactic. Who can say how he lights his house or what he consumes but he isn't the type of person to show up on that MTV "Fabulous life of..." program.

I admit that I do find him big headed and his words do seem at times like a glorified lecture but I can't say he's hypocrite or take the dim South Park view of him.

[JazzFunk]

Main problem with U2 is, they're boring. Vastly boring - I mean, did anyone see/hear their 'new single' on Jonathan Ross? It was the epitome of flaccid wank, impotence, tedium, and they've been getting away with it for eons, I'm being serious now when I say that they make the current incarnation of Take That seem as thrilling as Public Enemy in their heyday.

God, I hate music you're supposed to like, when it has no actual value, no thrills, no funk, no spark, absolutely nothing special whatsoever, just loads of execs chucking cash at it.

Occasionally, at work, I use an industrial compactor, and I get to crush things, and I crave for one day maybe to chuck Bonio's severed head in there, watch it burst like a pomegranate under an iron fist.

[Howiee]

Occasionally, at work, I use an industrial compactor, and I get to crush things, and I crave for one day maybe to chuck Bonio's severed head in there, watch it burst like a pomegranate under an iron fist.

And to think of all the useful and nice things you could focus your mental energy on...

[Dirty Sanchez]

Never been a fan of U2, I just find them a bit plastic.

This comment is surely just a publicity stunt, a new album out so let's say samething nasty to get people talking. Looks like it's working.

[Number45]

Irrespective of my opinion of Bono, the man has a point. All we need is for Chris Martin to retaliate, then we can all agree that they're both right and move on.

[captain binman]

Personally, I dislike both of them, but Bono is a massive prick who's head seems constantly stuck up his own arse.

Get a life you stupid Irish deadbeat!

F***ing Racist

It was a tad racist tho...

[Ady]

I'm completely indifferent to U2, and apart from a slight dalliance I had with their music when I was about 16 and didn't know any better (I was just starting to get into music, if you get my meaning...), I don't really care anything for them, and certainly wouldn't choose to listen to them now at all.

That being said, I'm not going to judge Bono on his perceived hypocrisy (tool-like stage persona notwithstanding), but all I will ask of the rabid haters it this; what have YOU ever done for impoverished nations or 3rd world debt?

That is all.

[Space Monkey]

Are you talking specifically about people who hate him because of the perceived hypocrisy? Someone can still have justifiable dislike for a person (leather clad prick or not) without having first done charitable works or helped to try solve 3rd world debt issues.

I dislike him for reasons that aren't justifiable.

[Ady]

Are you talking specifically about people who hate him because of the perceived hypocrisy?

Well, yeah.

But I do understand someone disliking him for other reasons (hence why I mentioned his stage persona).