Having been discussing this at length with Gerard and Casper on another topic, I felt it was worth opening another topic for fear of taking up space in the wrong topic. The issue was what is it that the more recent tours lack compared to the tours of the past, where there was always a sense of something going off, be it Edge going into an extended solo or Bono included some unrehearsed snippet, some on-the-spot speech about the troubles in Ireland etc., and I think I may have hit upon something - fear.
Circa PopMart onwards, Bono started taking an active role in global politics & activism, what with the Good Friday Referendum of 1998 etc., and since then he's realised that he can influence his charity work and so forth through politics. However, unlike ZooTV, where he'd be liable to go off on the mother of all rants against the arms trade etc. (see the Wembley Zooropa shows as prime examples) because he wasn't worried about upsetting people because he felt he had a point to make, I think he's in a rut where he now has to be careful about what he says in public for fear it jeopardises his work in places like Africa etc. - Drop The Debt and the ONE Campaign would have pretty limited without the help he sought from government figures the world over. I mean, can you imagine if, before One on the last tour, Bono started saying "I'm sick of greedy fucking politicians across the Western world not willing to stick to show a bit of humanity and leniency towards people far worse off than themselves!" or something? Africa would be even more worse off than it is now, and that's saying something, I reckon...
Perhaps the new album & tour may be different, who knows, but it would be a shame to think that we're may never the Bono of yesteryear again, and no more moments like the MacPhisto speech from the Sydney DVD; throughout The Joshua Tree tour, where if he had a gripe, he'd damn well tell the world about it, e.g. the "Fuck the revolution" speech...or Santiago '98, where he got the actual mothers of the Disappeared on stage in front of Chilean TV, and really gave Pinochet a grilling in the face of millions of people...
This may not be anything new to some people who may have already hit on this theory before, but it was just something I felt was worth putting out there for consideration...
I don't think it's a case of being too political these days. Political isn't the word for it. Bono is more humanitarian.
As I was saying in a different topic, that One speech last tour was just way too long and he even snuck in a speech in the middle of a song - EVERY NIGHT! Last tour was a lot more scripted and produced.
Also, there was a certain "aura" around the boys in the 80's or 90's. They are still legendary, but I think the old Bono assumed a different character when on stage whereas today the "real Bono" and the "show Bono" are pretty much one and the same. The line is very blurred.
Still not sure its his political self holding self back these days but somethings at work. Maybe its his lack of voice. Elevation vocals were saw, cracked, sometimes broke and he had no range. It was either quiet or loud. Maybe that held him back and maybe knocked his confidence. Vertigo was better but still rough and he only really got it back for the final leg and you can just feel the change in atmosphere amongst the band when listening to those gigs. Who knows
I don't think it's a case of being too political these days. Political isn't the word for it. Bono is more humanitarian.
As I was saying in a different topic, that One speech last tour was just way too long and he even snuck in a speech in the middle of a song - EVERY NIGHT! Last tour was a lot more scripted and produced.
Also, there was a certain "aura" around the boys in the 80's or 90's. They are still legendary, but I think the old Bono assumed a different character when on stage whereas today the "real Bono" and the "show Bono" are pretty much one and the same. The line is very blurred.
Couldn't agree with you more on everything you said. I can't even say anything else, I would just be repeating you.
Being the chief-critic of modern U2, this should be my topic. I'll keep it short, though.
I actually think that U2 isn't the main aspect in the lifes of their members these days. Everyone is busy with other stuff, from time to time they release an album, go on tour, make another 100 million$ and get back to their other projects.
As WojBhoy said, Bono devotes his work to Africa now (One could argue about him doing good or making it worse, but that's another topic) - being on that crusade, he became part part of the system. He just doesn't risk being openly critical anymore. Just compare his MTV Awards speech from Paris 1995 with his Liberty medal speech.
Spending a lot of his time with his political mates, there isn't that much time to rehearse material or work on new things- one of the reasons why the live concerts got worse.
Also, a bunch of the new material just doesn't work live, most are either ballads or mid-tempo poppers that Bono would have written in 5 minutes 15 years ago.
I touched the main reason why I think that U2 lost it in my first sentence. Every live concert from them I have seen in the last years just lacked something - I have the impression that they just don't go fully-hearted on stage. Everything seems to be routine...
I touched the main reason why I think that U2 lost it in my first sentence. Every live concert from them I have seen in the last years just lacked something - I have the impression that they just don't go fully-hearted on stage. Everything seems to be routine...
exactly the point i made last night almost word for word. I think its mostly Bono though. He is alwayr elsewhere and we very rarely get a glimpse nowadays of what hes capable of if his heads in the right place. Who knows what the future will bring. Some good songs hopefully.
exactly the point i made last night almost word for word. I think its mostly Bono though. He is alwayr elsewhere and we very rarely get a glimpse nowadays of what hes capable of if his heads in the right place. Who knows what the future will bring. Some good songs hopefully.
I guess we should also entertain the possibility that the boys are, dare I say, not boys anymore. Maybe they're simply too old to rock everyones socks off every night of a 150+ show tour anymore. Hell I remember my old man when he was pushing 50 and he'd be flat out running a block let alone jetsetting around the world and turning it on for 60,000+ audiences. Sorry I don't mean to be a doomsayer. Here's hoping they still have the stamina to rock very hard.
I guess we should also entertain the possibility that the boys are, dare I say, not boys anymore. Maybe they're simply too old to rock everyones socks off every night of a 150+ show tour anymore. Hell I remember my old man when he was pushing 50 and he'd be flat out running a block let alone jetsetting around the world and turning it on for 60,000+ audiences. Sorry I don't mean to be a doomsayer. Here's hoping they still have the stamina to rock very hard.
do less shows then. Not every tour has to be massive and rake in millions. The tour length is most likely to be the work of big Paul trying to rake it in. The boys can still rock, of that there is no question. Id rather see more quality than quantity.
I guess we should also entertain the possibility that the boys are, dare I say, not boys anymore. Maybe they're simply too old to rock everyones socks off every night of a 150+ show tour anymore. Hell I remember my old man when he was pushing 50 and he'd be flat out running a block let alone jetsetting around the world and turning it on for 60,000+ audiences. Sorry I don't mean to be a doomsayer. Here's hoping they still have the stamina to rock very hard.
Good topic...we don't expect Bono to climb stages like he did in the early periods. But a bit of energy isn't that band. I saw some of it at the end of Vertigo Tour, but it was nothing compared to Lovetown/Zoo TV and parts of Popmart. It definately seems routine, and they rock the place, don't get me wrong, but it was better in the past.
I read U2 by U2 these days, I'm at UF now, and you can see how devoted they were. Writing songs, working their ass off, touring with a van from one place to another...these were the days. It's more work now instead of a joyful hobby.
If the Stones can go on 200-show stadium tours while being eligible for Medicare, there's no reason U2 can't put on an amazing stadium show, being fifteen years younger.
U2 aren't that old.
I rather agree with the first poster... but if this is the direction the band want to take, I'm fine with it. Although I've never seen U2 live, I absolutely love the Vertigo Tour, via bootlegs, and would be fine seeing another tour like it.
I would also say it's mostly Bono though. I mean Edge has his music rising charity and stuff, but that's well on its way and Edge doesn't need to attend a presentation everyday with politicians and such. He auctions off old U2 merchandise, and he sells his guitar. You don't seem him parading around the world with the world leaders. I think when it comes to the music, the band is like "lets do this, this is what we were born for" but Bono is like "ill be like 20 minutes late I'm meeting with Bill Clinton". I mean I think Bono is still about the music too, but his passion is probably split now between U2 and saving the world. (if you can call it that)
On that subject, apparently there was a petition going around (saw this on MuchMusic) about people wanting Bono to stop doing political and humanitarian things. I thought
1) Wow, screw you all that signed it, way to be a supporting fan, if you are one
2) If you don't know Bono and you aren't a fan, don't worry about it and why don't you try helping starving children one day?
3) Even if they got like 100,000 signatures, Bono would never stop helping anyway, it's who he is.
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"In some ways, success is a lot easier to achieve than relevance. Being 40, we have to come up with extra reasons for people to put us on the radio."
- Bono
I'll keep it short, though.
