More questions! For the curious everywhere, I've come up with a series! It probably wont be every single day though because this "swirly" thing is heading my way this weekend. But we shall take it day by day. Tonight, BOY!
U2 singer Bono is never photographed without his trademark sunglasses because he suffers from an eye condition. The star is aware his ever-present shades have given him a reputation as a poser, while the initial 'B' engraved on the side of them - which he claims stands for the brand, Bulgari - doesn't help either. He tells the New York Daily News, "(I have) very sensitive eyes to light. If somebody takes my photograph, I will see the flash for the rest of the day. My right eye swells up. A lot of people think that, when they see a 'B' on the side, that it's just my own megalomania. Only half the time it is. I'm the (former Filipino first lady) Imelda Marcos of sunglasses."
People. Sad to say I have seen this mistruth making its way through our community again - it's a favorite pastime of the 'disaffected' on both sides of the political spectrum to razz U2 and Bono for "claiming to represent the poorest and neediest of the world while they don't even pay taxes!"
That is categorically untrue, and here's why:
The ATE (Artists Tax Exemption) scheme in Ireland only allows artists to write off income related directly to what they write and create-- that is, publish.
"Millionaire rock star residents such as U2, the Corrs, Enya and others can avail of a section of the Taxes Consolidation Act which allows them tax-free earnings from musical "composition." But as Irish residents, they have to pay tax on millions earned from concert tours and CD sales.
"People think that artists in Ireland are tax free. Our publishing, which is about one third of our income, we have tax breaks on, and that's great and that's encouraged us to stay in Ireland..." --Bono
So. CD sales? Taxed. Revenue from touring? Taxed. Property and residential taxes? (In multiple countries mind you) You bet. Income from the various incorporated factions of the different "official business" aspects of U2? Oh hell yes. Investment and shareholder's income? ....I could go on but I hope there's no need to at this point.
My depression's back with a vengeance today, kids. So humour me with this one. ;)
Which would you pick as the sexiest songs U2 has done? I don't necessarily mean the lyrics, or the performance. It could be either of those or just a mysterious quality that gives a song that extra spice. It doesn't even have to be sexy in a sexual way (yeah, I know what I mean, lol!).
My most obvious is of course HMTMKMKM. The end part (I'm in uni, can't be too explicit!) is not even the whole story. It's the music, the sex is in the music... And I'm sorry but the way Edge handles that guitar on Popmart Mexico is downright unsuitable for me to view when I'm not expecting it. ;)
Other than that, I think Until The End Of The World is incredibly sexy. That riff is the hottest thing Edge has ever played and every time I hear it, I want to kidnap him. Watching it on DVD is just as bad. But so good. And oh yeah, Bono's singing isn't bad, either. ;)
*thinks* Actually most of AB is, seeing as the subject matter is usually along those lines... But yeah, those are my top 2. :D
EDIT: Heh. The Fly. Your Blue Room. Love and Peace. Fast Cars (ole!), Mysterious Ways. Silver and Gold. Walk To The Water. With Or Without You. All I Want Is You. Discotheque.
I generally find what Edge does with a guitar is what makes a song sexy for me. Just thought about it there. Bono helps, though, when he sings all sexy. ;)
Okay, I ditched the theme, perhaps I was getting a little too obscure.
This is a standout track on October, for me. Which is odd, because I'm as irreligious as they come, agnostic to the fullest. At the time of recording this album, Larry, Edge, and Bono were heavy into the Shalom group and dissecting the Scriptures. Bono goes so far as to say that during this period, the rock thing was just a day job, and that their Shalom meetings were what it was all about.
I love the energetic guitar part, especially towards the latter part of the track, when it almost seems to become a live track and the boys just imrpovise it. Bono screaming, Edge wailing on the guitar, and Larry's drumrolls (2:03 = LOVE).
The lyrics are limited, but wonderful. I love the line "I can't change the world / but I can change the world in me," even if it is naive. Bono was distressed with the idea of music, especially punk, being the way to enlightenment, or the heart of the revolution. You can sense his frustrations with half of the lines being pleading questions like "What am I to do?" or "what am I supposed to say?" Some of his best lyric work on October, IMO. And apparently this song was entirely imrpovised on the mike, much to producer's chagrin.
Ok. I have gone from complete euphoria over seeing U2 into some sort of state of shock, where I am actually completely calm...it is in nine days. I have the occasional butterflies, but overall the whole thing is surreal..
Did anyone else have this experience? Of course this is my first concert in general, so maybe that is it..
I hope it isn't so surreal that the whole experience is a blur! LOL
If anyone's an AOL member, click on the "Most Stylish Men" thing that's on today's welcome screen - you can vote for your favourite out of 10 stylish male celebrities, of which Bono is one. :) He's only getting 4% of the vote at the moment!! Being beaten by Jude Law, Orlando Bloom, Tom Ford, Amir Khan, Andrew Flintoff, David Bowie and Ewan McGregor...
Step 1: Pick a Band [Using U2 :-)] Step 2: Answer the Questions using only song titles by that band.
01- Are you male or female: Two Hearts Beat As One 02- Describe yourself: Original of the Species 03- How do some people feel about you: Bad 04- How do you feel about yourself: Out of Control 05- Describe your ex-boyfriend / girlfriend: Even Better Than the Real Thing 06- Describe current boyfriend / girlfriend: With or Without You 07- Describe where you want to be: Stranger in a Strange Land 08- Describe how you live: Like A Song... 09- Describe how you love: When Love Comes To Town 10- What would you ask for, if you had just one wish: Miracle Drug 11- Share a few words of wisdom: I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For 12- Favorite thing: When I Look at the World 13- Describe your day: Some Days Are Better than Others 14- Now say good-bye: Gone
Does anyone need tickets for the 10/24 U2 show in Detroit? My aunt has two extras that I'm trying to sell for her. They're relatively good seats (lower deck of seating at the Palace, opposite the stage).
Right now I have them on eBay... and I'm not trying to use this post as an advertisement for my auction, but putting them on eBay and spreading the word here seems like the best way to help my aunt cut her losses. I'll sell them immediately at face value ($325 for the pair), or you can make me an offer. Feel free to comment or e-mail me at mrslat at gmail dot com if you might be interested or have any questions.
If you e-mail me with a reasonable offer, I might just pull the eBay listing and just let you have them.
Hi! I was wondering if anyone knew what U2 set lists have been like on the tour. I'm finding no info on their official site since I'm not a member. I remember reading a while back that they were doing a lot of their older material from Boy...but I assumed they may have changed it up a bit during the tour.
So, if anyone knows what the set lists have been like recently I'd really appreciate to know. I'm seeing them in the coming weeks, and I kind of like to know in advance what to expect.
Thanks for your help! :)
And for those who have been recently, do they allow one-time use cameras?
irritated
curious