MAKE BONO HISTORY

[Greg]

Every three seconds, someone listens to a U2 record unnecessarily.



There's someone's daughter.



There's someone's son.



Let's stop it. Now.



MAKE BONO HISTORY

Join the campaign.

[drbastard]

Yes!

And while you're at it, throw in that filthy (alleged) adulterer Brad Pitt who is seemingly about to announce his relationship with Angelina Jolie at Live8 today.

[diamond doggie bag]

Yes! Yesss! Yeeeeeeeeesssssssssss!

***has an agreement orgasm***

[Jade]

I think you should make bands for it, they'd definitley catch on.

[helen0888]

signed

is his man ever going to retire?

[:D]

makebonohistory - a worthy cause if ever i saw one.

one of my neighbours is really obsessed with him - to the point where she tried to get petition together to get him knighted. this was 3 years ago; nobody signed it. thank god.

one of my favourite bono jokes is "what's the difference between bono and the pope?"

"the pope doesn't walk around dublin thinking he's bono"

[Mike]

helen0888 said:

signed

is his man ever going to retire?

Once you've told us who his man is, I'm sure someone will be able to hazard a guess.

Unless of course, you meant 'this' man - in which case, it must be soon. After selling a trifling 10 million copies of the last U2 album and being reduced to playing such sorry shoeboxes as the Millennium Stadium and the Barcelona Nou Camp on tour, the revelation that six people on an internet messageboard hate him must surely be the final straw.

[Greg]

thisisnotatest said:

the revelation that six people on an internet messageboard hate him must surely be the final straw.

I'm not saying he's unpopular. Infact, I'm saying that that's the problem. I'm saying his music is shit. Which it is. But that's standard procedure nowadays. His music has always been shit, or at most sub-standard, never anything to warrant a twenty-odd year long career.

He's like a leech. Latching onto Geldof and McCartney with delusions of been as inspirational, talented or important as them.

He just needs to go away.

[Ronald Parisi]

Bono is to pop what stale milk is to my fridge. Old, Smelly, Lumpy, and worst of all, sounds like shit when you put a microphone near it.

[Mike]

greg said:

He's like a leech. Latching onto Geldof and McCartney with delusions of been as inspirational, talented or important as them.

Sorry, but that's a crock of shit. Of course he's important - why else are world leaders so interested in what he has to say? As for talented - subjective, of course, but songs like With Or Without You, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, One etc. are considered classics for a reason.

If you find Bob Geldof so 'inspirational' why not get off your arse and actually do something that might help the cause he's promoting, instead of sitting on it writing vacuous and unfunny threads? You don't like his music - fair enough. Even as a fan, I don't like all of it. But questioning his contribution to the fight against poverty, or attributing it to him being a 'leech' is just ludicrous.

[Ronald Parisi]

NOTE OF CREDIBILITY TO BONO: I give total respect to Bono's causes, I just really REALLY hate his collaberations

[drbastard]

thisisnotatest said:

helen0888 said:

signed

is his man ever going to retire?

Once you've told us who his man is, I'm sure someone will be able to hazard a guess.

Unless of course, you meant 'this' man - in which case, it must be soon.

There is no need to be so pedantic.

[spankyplugs]

The Edge is still great though, right?

[Greg]

thisisnotatest said:

Of course he's important - why else are world leaders so interested in what he has to say?

Because he tells them he's important. Because he leeches onto Geldof, who is actually genuinally important, with his delusions of significance.

As for talented - subjective, of course

Well no, actually. You can identify someone as talented without actually liking their music. Talent isn't subjective. For example, I'm not really a Coldplay fan, yet I can still appreciate that Chris Martin is a talented singer/songwriter. Believe me, I've tried to see it - I really have tried. But whichever way I look at it/listen to it, U2 are just shit.

With Or Without You, I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, One are considered classics for a reason.

This is subjective. Even if it was true, three songs in twenty years? And when was last one made? Only some thirteen years ago. If Bono gets the right to swagger around like he's the best thing that ever happened to humanity, why can't Tamsin Archer. And why didn't Shakespeare's Sister open Live 8 with Sir Paul? 'Stay' is arguably a classic, and that was thirteen years ago.

Also:- 'Wonderwall' and 'Live Forever' are 'classics'. So do you really want Oasis to be around forever plaguing the world with their crappy, irrelevant music for another ten/fifteen years, just like Bono & U2 have?

If you find Bob Geldof so 'inspirational' why not get off your arse and actually do something that might help the cause he's promoting, instead of sitting on it writing vacuous and unfunny threads?

Again this is subjective. But I wasn't refering to Geldof as inspirational, I was talking about McCartney. I seriously doubt anyone with much sense would listen to a U2 reocrd and be inspired to pick up a guitar and start songwriting. Unless of course they were thinking, "My god, if this crock of shit can sell, any crock of shit can, being a rock star must be easy."

But questioning his contribution to the fight against poverty, or attributing it to him being a 'leech' is just ludicrous.

Notice how it's not MAKE MADONNA HISTORY or MAKE STING HISTORY or MAKE PINK FLOYD HISTORY or MAKE COLDPLAY HISTORY? Because they did their bit and left the stage. They didn't try to act like Our Saviour. It's not that Bono's 'fighting' poverty, it's that he's using the fact that he's fighting poverty to promote U2.

U2 are now, musically, like the Emperor's New Clothes. People keep saying "they're great" so eventually you think "hmm, U2, yes, they're great, Chris Moyles said so so it must be true."

MAKE BONO HISTORY

[Ronald Parisi]

Interesting point Best Week Ever Made: These Live8 Concerts that happened this past weekend: guess how much money they raised? GUESS!?!?!?

NOTHING!!! WTF! It was all about "raising awareness". BULLSHIT! The fucking kids in Africa dying of poverty will be so happy to know that a concert was held for people to know who they are and that they are poor. -Oh, and all the artists got gift bags full of $20,000 goodies. Yay for Awareness and Starving Children! Now that I know they exist, I'm going to go have a bag of popcorn and watch Pet Shop Boys.

[SuperFunTastic]

I am a U2 fan. I enjoy listening to their records. So Bono (and the rest of the band, including the amazing Edge) is talented. He has a talent for making music that I (and millions of others) enjoy listening to. Some other people may not enjoy it - that's not his fault is it? Do you think that artists have to make music that every single human on Earth enjoys, in order to justify its success? Let's face it - Bono has done a damn sight more to help people in Africa than you have.

[AugustMoon]

greg said:

It's not that Bono's 'fighting' poverty, it's that he's using the fact that he's fighting poverty to promote U2.

Now you're unfair.You can't know that for sure. And soon he might have to pay even more in taxes on his publishing incomes than the 0% he pays now:
www.atu2.com/news/article.src?ID=3949

Then you have to start to love him, like the rest of us. And stop your silly campaigns.

Nice choice of pictures though.

[:D]

thisemptybrain said:

Interesting point Best Week Ever Made: These Live8 Concerts that happened this past weekend: guess how much money they raised? GUESS!?!?!?

NOTHING!!! WTF! It was all about "raising awareness". BULLSHIT! The fucking kids in Africa dying of poverty will be so happy to know that a concert was held for people to know who they are and that they are poor. -Oh, and all the artists got gift bags full of $20,000 goodies. Yay for Awareness and Starving Children! Now that I know they exist, I'm going to go have a bag of popcorn and watch Pet Shop Boys.

christ, do you not realise the actual reason the live 8 events were staged?

[Ronald Parisi]

To make awareness. Not money... I thought I made that clear oh, about 4 posts ago.

[mrdiscopop]

As an aside, U2 donated 1/3 of the profits of their last tour to Africa...

Personally, I like their music. Greg is wrong (and must know he is wrong) to say the band aren't talented - particularly when he argues talent isn't subjective. I'm sorry, but you can't sustain a 20-year career without being talented. U2 are responsible for enitre musical movements - from the wide, open sound of stadium rock in the 80s to the popularisation (but not invention) of dance music in rock in the 90s.

If you don't like Bono, that's a separate issue - and a completely understandable point of view. Try Roy Orbison's "Mystery Girl" to hear just how good a U2 song can be without the weight of ego (or a hair transplant).

Finally, I think it's fairly safe to say that Bono isn't using "fighting poverty" to sell U2 albums. I'd wager that more people are put off U2 than are turned on to the band's music by Bono's pronouncements. Even the rest of the band say they get fed up with him (his campaigning interfered with the recording of the last album, and caused some pretty fractious moments in the studio by all accounts). But, to his credit, he sticks by his beliefs - and freely admits he wouldn't have taken an interest in Africa without Geldof's encouragement.

Now, what about poor Midge Ure? Has anyone seen him since Saturday?

[:D]

thisemptybrain said:

To make awareness. Not money... I thought I made that clear oh, about 4 posts ago.

not entirely - the concerts were there to make the G8 leaders realise that africa needs to have it's debts lifted. they were there to bring about change, to end debt in africa, which will do a hell of a lot more than a few million quid will.

i remember reading that the original live aid raised around £8 for every person in africa (or maybe even just one country - i can't remember). that's bugger all in the grand scheme of things.

[Ronald Parisi]

Well especially when the artists weren't doing free concerts, they got paid too... THAT annoys me now. I did hear on FUSE NEWS that Green Day, Madonna, and some other band, I hadn't heard of them before, refused to accept the paycheck nor the giftbag from the Live8 Promotors

[Mike]

greg said:

Because he tells them he's important. Because he leeches onto Geldof, who is actually genuinally important, with his delusions of significance.

Christ almighty. The likes of Nelson Mandela, Kofi Annan etc. did not get where they are today by listening to any old idiot. They're world leaders for a reason, and if they are influenced by Bono, that's because he has something to say that's worth listening to. It's as simple as that.

This is subjective. Even if it was true, three songs in twenty years? And when was last one made? Only some thirteen years ago. If Bono gets the right to swagger around like he's the best thing that ever happened to humanity, why can't Tamsin Archer. And why didn't Shakespeare's Sister open Live 8 with Sir Paul? 'Stay' is arguably a classic, and that was thirteen years ago.

Oh for God's sake. I gave three examples, hence the use of 'etc' immediately thereafter. I don't think any of the millions of U2 fans around the world have stuck by them all these years on the strength of three songs. I went to see them live two weeks ago, in a 50,000-strong audience of ages ranging from mid-teens to 50 and over. Such is the strength of their back catalogue that they played Running To Stand Still, a track off the 18-year-old Joshua Tree album which was never a single - and everyone sang along. As for Tasmin Archer - the opening of Live 8 would have been a tiny bit bizarre if it included someone whose sole major hit was over a decade ago. It was, after all, a global event.

Also:- 'Wonderwall' and 'Live Forever' are 'classics'. So do you really want Oasis to be around forever plaguing the world with their crappy, irrelevant music for another ten/fifteen years

Personally, no. But even as someone who hasn't been an Oasis fan for the best part of a decade, I still view their absence from the lineup as a glaring omission. Pink Floyd don't do much for me either, but I can still appreciate while they were there. Your entire argument seems to be based around the fact that you, personally, didn't want them to be there. It's a lazy argument, disappointingly so from someone whose contributions on here are usually far stronger than this.

Again this is subjective. But I wasn't refering to Geldof as inspirational, I was talking about McCartney. I seriously doubt anyone with much sense would listen to a U2 reocrd and be inspired to pick up a guitar and start songwriting.

Then I suggest you start to believe it, because I've known a good few people who have done precisely that.

Notice how it's not MAKE MADONNA HISTORY or MAKE STING HISTORY or MAKE PINK FLOYD HISTORY or MAKE COLDPLAY HISTORY? Because they did their bit and left the stage. They didn't try to act like Our Saviour. It's not that Bono's 'fighting' poverty, it's that he's using the fact that he's fighting poverty to promote U2.

This simply isn't true - or at least, no more so than of any other act on the bill. In any case, it works both ways. U2 have consistently promoted Greenpeace, Amnesty International and latterly the Make Poverty History campaign on their own tours.

U2 are now, musically, like the Emperor's New Clothes. People keep saying "they're great" so eventually you think "hmm, U2, yes, they're great, Chris Moyles said so so it must be true

You and I obviously move in very different circles. For my part, I've been a fan ever since I heard Desire on the radio some 16 years ago, before anyone had even heard of Chris Moyles. Not that it matters, since the winter Olympics will be staged in hell before said gratingly unfunny tosspot has any influence whatsoever over my taste in music. Or, indeed, that of anyone I know.

[Jon]

greg said:

Because he tells them he's important. Because he leeches onto Geldof, who is actually genuinally important, with his delusions of significance.

Bono instigated Live8 this year - Geldof wasn't even up for it until Bono had pressed and pressed and pressed for him to do it.
That's slightly significant.

Greg, I heart your posts usually - but this thread is going nowhere, and making you look such the fool.

[jode]

greg said:

thisisnotatest said:

Of course he's important - why else are world leaders so interested in what he has to say?

Because he tells them he's important. Because he leeches onto Geldof, who is actually genuinally important, with his delusions of significance.


Well no, actually. You can identify someone as talented without actually liking their music. Talent isn't subjective. For example, I'm not really a Coldplay fan, yet I can still appreciate that Chris Martin is a talented singer/songwriter. Believe me, I've tried to see it - I really have tried. But whichever way I look at it/listen to it, U2 are just shit.


This is subjective. Even if it was true, three songs in twenty years? And when was last one made? Only some thirteen years ago. If Bono gets the right to swagger around like he's the best thing that ever happened to humanity, why can't Tamsin Archer. And why didn't Shakespeare's Sister open Live 8 with Sir Paul? 'Stay' is arguably a classic, and that was thirteen years ago.

Also:- 'Wonderwall' and 'Live Forever' are 'classics'. So do you really want Oasis to be around forever plaguing the world with their crappy, irrelevant music for another ten/fifteen years, just like Bono & U2 have?


Again this is subjective. But I wasn't refering to Geldof as inspirational, I was talking about McCartney. I seriously doubt anyone with much sense would listen to a U2 reocrd and be inspired to pick up a guitar and start songwriting. Unless of course they were thinking, "My god, if this crock of shit can sell, any crock of shit can, being a rock star must be easy."

But questioning his contribution to the fight against poverty, or attributing it to him being a 'leech' is just ludicrous.

Notice how it's not MAKE MADONNA HISTORY or MAKE STING HISTORY or MAKE PINK FLOYD HISTORY or MAKE COLDPLAY HISTORY? Because they did their bit and left the stage. They didn't try to act like Our Saviour. It's not that Bono's 'fighting' poverty, it's that he's using the fact that he's fighting poverty to promote U2.

U2 are now, musically, like the Emperor's New Clothes. People keep saying "they're great" so eventually you think "hmm, U2, yes, they're great, Chris Moyles said so so it must be true."

MAKE BONO HISTORY

I'm sorry but I agree with all of this. I appreciate all that Bono has done for the numerous charities he represents, but whenever he tries to make an inspirational speech I have a little chuckle. I cannot take him seriously in any way.

Make Bono History

[Jen]

Greg, your reasons for disliking Bono are your own and I won't take argument with them, (I think Mr Test has done that more then succesfully) what does bother me is you using a incredibly worthy and desperately important campaign twisted into a joke vendetta againt a rock star you dislike. It's rather below the belt.

Thisisnotatest- I would really like to see Hell Olympics.

[queenclare]

I used to watch Beavis and Butthead and whenever they watched a U2 video they would go on about what a cool name "Boner" was and how "The Hedge" was a crap name...

He he

[Scruffy]

I heard 2 Radio DJ's talking about the new Make Bono History t-shirts the other day. Were you inspired this Greg or did you come up with yourself and make the shirts?

[Busted-Obsessive]

greg said:

Because they did their bit and left the stage. They didn't try to act like Our Saviour. It's not that Bono's 'fighting' poverty, it's that he's using the fact that he's fighting poverty to promote U2.

so let me get this straight:

You are using (in a form) the Make Poverty History slogan to promote the fact that you don't like Bono because he is using the Make Poverty History campaign to promote U2.

Hhmm ... no comment, I think.

[puffpower]

Ooh controversy rages!

I like U2, but Bono himself makes me feel a bit eew. I'm not talking his politics or anything- good work as far as I'm concerned- but he looks all slimy. And his choice of skin tight trousers, straw hats and sunglasses make him look beyond repulsive ESPECIALLY when combined with his greasy great mop of slicked back hair.

I'm happy for him to try and help Africa. I'm happy to listen to a lot of U2s stuff. Just don't make me look at the man.