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Bono admits: U2 are ‘on the verge of irrelevance’
Posted by admin on Sep 10, 2011 in News & Rumors | Comments Off
U2 FRONTMAN BONO has admitted that he feels his band are “really close to the edge of irrelevance” – saying they need to play music “for radio” again “if we are to survive”.
Speaking at the Toronto International Film Festival last night – where a documentary on the band was shown on the opening night – the singer appeared to give a rare acknowledgement that the band could soon call it a day.
“There’s a giant chasm between the very good and the great, and U2 right now has a danger of surrendering to the very good,” music website Spinner quotes the 51-year-old as saying.
“20 years ago and before that, we were crap and we were great. There wasn’t much very good and I think that I was reminded of how crap we were, watching the film… When it gets comfortable, it’s not as interesting. So there may be more crap coming up.”
The U2 documentary opening the festival, ‘From The Sky Down’, deals with the making of Achtung Baby in Berlin in 1991 – with Bono saying the band had agreed to allow the film be released because the band were “at that moment again where U2 has dodged being irrelevant”.
But the singer – real name Paul Hewson – appeared to now have second thoughts about this:
This moment where we’re at, to me, feels really close to the edge of irrelevance.
We can be successful, we can play big music in big places, but whether we can play small music, for radio or clubs, remains to be seen. And we have to get to that place again, if we are to survive.
The LA Times summarises that ‘From The Sky Down’ deals with how the Dublin fourpiece clashed over how experimental the music of Achtung Baby should be – and whether the experimental failure of Rattle Hum should be jilted in favour of ‘traditional’ work like The Joshua Tree.
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8 hours ago #
My God bono has woken up. There will be world peace after all.
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8 hours ago #
I think it’s just post tour depression
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8 hours ago #
Great, he figured it out.
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Obviously none of the above have been to u2 concert. Best live band on the planet by a long shot. They’ll always be great!
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Simply because he is a showman does not mean he has a brain. Imagine one of the most famous sports people like Phil Taylor giving his opinions on world issues – he wouldn’t as he is too smart. He is the best in the world at his trade and bono is probably in the top ten of his chosen career. He would be better if he committed to paying his tax in Ireland. I hope if he or his family need a hospital, a policeman , a teacher, a road to drive on, etc. he calls up the country he supports. The fact that the Irish taxpayer subsidised all of the public services for his family use and that they the band was tax exempt for years is really a bad reflection on the people who decided to deny other services suffer while these privileged few just kept taking it. Bono thanks for showing us normal people by example how the greedy and the cheats just keep being such great citizens. I hope you don’t behave at home like this and your poor children have the same value system.
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7 hours ago #
Well said Frank, ignore the D4 hero worshippers! its a well known fact that one of the biggest problems that the third world faces is in the area of tax evasion/avoidance, of course all these people are been set a great example by the tax avoiding members of U2. Perhaps they should change their name to ME2, more suited to their me fein ideology
7 hours ago #
the mealy mouthed morons are out in force. Thank you U2 for helping to save Ireland form morons. See above
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Where are all the miserable tax whingers, I didn’t think they’d miss an opportunity
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Tax bandit!
Happy now?7 hours ago #
He probabaly meant irreverence …..
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Uwho?
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2 hours ago #
Very camp.
u2 are a corparation at this stage, they changed there country they pay tax too so they pay less, isnt google, ebay, amoung others doing the exact same thing by locating in ireland
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5 hours ago #
Adore them, but wish he’d put a sock in it!
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4 hours ago #
Love U2.But please bono.SHUT UP and keep to the great music.
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3 hours ago #
Bye bye
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Bye bye Bono
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Achtung Bono.. that was ur finest moment since War and the rest was just (un) forgetable crap Pop…
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11 mins ago #
If only he’d slip into irrelevance quietly “yawn”
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