Last night.
Bono and The Edge played live in front of an adoring audience and faced tax free questioning from host Ryan Tubridy on the Late Late Show.
The only bum note? iTunes and the ‘blogosphere’.
*cough*
Bono: “You know what, it’s a funny thing… you know, to walk up Grafton Street and see all those buskers and think, are you sure we can do that, to eventually get to a place where we can…”
[cheers from audience]
Ryan Tubridy: [taking mike from Bono] “I don’t think you need that any more. Okay, Not to put on a dampener but we need to talk about iTunes for a second…”
Bono: “What’s the dampener about?
[booing from audience]
Tubridy: “Well done, that’ s what they’re saying, well done.”
Bono: “Thank you.”
Tubridy: “But obviously, the iTunes scenario was an enormous success in terms of downloading that album to all those people. [Bono reaches across him for water] What’s that? The water? You want my water?”
Bono: “We share everything.”
[The Edge laughs]
Tubridy: “How are you with the reaction to how it all went down, the iTunes?”
The Edge: “What reaction?”
Tubridy: “You tell me. What did you think of the reaction?”
Bono: “If there was any bad reaction we’d we’d definitely have heard about it on the internet.”
Tubridy: “And you didn’t hear anything?”
Bono: “I don’t know what you’re on about.”
Tubridy: [laughing] “That’s very bold. That’s bold.”
[audience cheers]
Bono: “Here’s the thing, here’s the thing. If you go into your local bar and you, you know, just check this because years ago you go into the gents this may not be true of the ladies but it’s certainly true of the gents you go into the stalls close the door there’s all manner of invective and graffiti and pictures that you don’t want to see again and if you go there now there’s none of it, there’s nothing on the walls…”
Tubridy: “Where are they gone?”
Bono: “They are in the blogosphere now and you know, just, you know, you can avoid it.”
Tubridy: “Do you let any of it in, the Bono bashing?”
Bono: “You know, I’ve got an umbrella and when the shitstorm happens I just.. put up me umbrella”
[Cheering from audience]
Bono: “You must like it that’s the thing you must like an argument we, we, I like it and Irish people don’t mind an argument we don’t mind stirring it up and’s what’s the point of being in a band like U2 if you can’t stir it up and, the truth of it is is, the music business, the model’s broken and the charts don’t really reflect what people are listening to, they reflect what good people… who are still paying for music and they’re the people also who support iTunes, so, you know, the idea that Apple would reward people who actually pay for music with a gift from them, not from us, was, was great, and, and we got to get it out there, I think there’s like whatever there is, like 80, like I think it’s nearly 100 million people now have checked out one or two of the tracks and it’s nearly 30 have taken the whole album…”
Tubridy: “That’s a million..”
The Edge: “I was going to say…”
Bono: “Thanks Edge, I’m glad you’re here. What’s a few noughts before breakfast?”
The Edge [laughing]: “Thanks for the clarification.”
Bono: “30 million people have taken this into their hearts and what took us 30 years for the Joshua Tree we did in 3 weeks with Songs of Innocence.”
Meanwhile…
a) Bono fan?
b) Aghast hairdresser?
c) International tax lawyer?
We may never know.
Watch show in full here
Saps
Bono lives in the bonosphere which is located in the outer reaches of his own hole
Good man Bono
Rather than this nonsense. Broadsheet should have focused on Des O’Malley’ broadside at Gerry Adams in his pre-recorded interview. Calling him ‘an abnormal democrat’ with no right to reply from Adams or Sinn Fein. This showed a sinister bias in RTE. Shameful stuff
While I’m no fan of O’Malley’s politics he’s absolutely right about the twisted nature of SF “democracy”. What makes you think Adams and SF have no right to reply? Paranoia? Narrow mindedness?
O’Malley made accusations towards Adams and other Sinn Fein members of the Dáil. They had no right to reply. They were denied that because it was O’Malleys opinion and Adams or a Sinn Fein representative wasn’t present to answer these accusations. Also the piece was pre-recorded so no right thinking member of the audience could ask O’Malley to qualify such a scurrilous accusation. Tubridy allowed this mud slinging, indeed, he teed O’Malley up.
Is it fair I’d say on the Late Late show during an interview with you sitting at home, that Bacchus is ‘I’m sure’ involved in criminal activities and leave it at that with a warm round of applause.
If you think that’s ok you need to examine how democratic your views are
They can reply any time they like. They are denied nothing.
Adams was denied the right to reply. You’re a halfwit
he is not even a half wit. tubridy is a dishrag
I have filed a complaint. http://www.bai.ie/index.php/broadcasting-complaints/
What was wrong with ‘abnormal democrat’… he’s supposed to be a socialist anyway…
I missed the interview btw
That is precisely the point. What is an ‘abnormal democrat’? And why should anyone be allowed on television levelling vague and unsubstantiated accusations at an individual not present to answer such. Further, if one does label an individual ‘abnormal’ is it not the presenters job to ask for a qualification or distance themselves from an accusation patently intended to smear
Is that it, your apparent ….offence, a reaction to a vague expression that you cannot even explain yourself.
And you’re asking for a complaint to be upheld on that basis….
…aaahhhh ffs, grow up! that’s nonsense knee jerk stuff…
It’s not for me to explain. When casting a negative assertion at an absent individual one would hope decency would hold the assertion up for inspection. This was not the case. O’Malley was allowed unchecked to slur Adams and Sinn Fein. That’s disgraceful conduct. This doesn’t ‘offend’ me. It alarms me.
The IRA had a hit out on Des O’Malley and you want him to have warm fuzzy feelings about Adams?
Think again.
If you, Anne or Des O’Malley, have information that links Gerry Adams to an attempt on O’Malleys life you should contact the Guards. Otherwise what you’re saying is utterly false and without substance and you should be held responsible for disseminating false, misleading and damaging lies
are you saying Gerry Adams was in the IRA?
Sorry now Francis, what’s utterly false about what I said there? –
The IRA had a hit out on Des O’Malley and you want him to have warm fuzzy feelings about Adams?
Think again
A reply without the aghast indignation will suffice, thanks.
According to Des O’Malley the IRA had a ‘hit’ on him. To link that to Gerry Adams without a shred of supporting evidence is totally without claim. If you do know something then let it be know to the relevant authorities, the same goes for O’Malley. An accusation does not confer guilt.
Why you keep on about ‘warm fuzzy feelings’ I have no idea. I never mentioned anything of the sort. What’s escaping you here Anne is that it’s unacceptable to cast aspersions about a persons character simply because you don’t like the look of them. It’s unacceptable in conversation and its wholly unacceptable at 10 o’clock on a Friday night on RTE to an audience of hundreds of thousands.
No, it was according to the Gardaí who arrived at his door and told him to get on the floor as a sniper was positioned on a building across from it.
O’Malley spoke from his experience, and I’ll qualify it for you – at that time.
It has nothing to do with not liking “the look” of him.
If Tubridy asked him to qualify any remarks in relation to Adams, it would have most definitely been less favourable for Adams, than what he had already said.
By the way, that mantra you keep repeating of ‘if anyone has any information go to the authorities’ that’s also coming from Sinn Fein lately does not give them any credibility.
It’s rubbing peoples’ noses in it.
Nice advice for the families of missing loved ones isn’t it?
Let us know how you get on with your complaint anyway, won’t you?
Regardless if the anecdote came from O’Malley or the Guards any connection to Adams is without any fact and if O’Malley, the guards or you Anne have some information that proves otherwise let it be known. The reason Anne that ‘mantra’ keeps on been repeated is because people like you and even figures like O’Malley try to hang smears and accusations on members of Sinn Fein without a shred of proof and then pass it off with a wink and a nod. That’s not good enough anymore. Asking people to produce facts isn’t ‘rubbing someones nose in it’. We live within a system where the burden of proof lies on the accuser.
Also Anne you’ve put your finger on the very point of the argument “If Tubridy asked him to qualify any remarks in relation to Adams,”. You’re quite right “if”, Tubridy asked him. Tubridy allowed O’Malley to make these aspersions against Adams unchecked. That is wholly unacceptable. You go on and say “it would have most definitely been less favourable for Adams, than what he had already said”. Again Anne, what does this imply? Other than another baseless smear.
I think the dogs on the street know Adams was a key figure in the IRA.
Numerous former members of the IRA have said this of Adams.
Take it up with them. Personally, I don’t think they’re all lying.
Vincent Browne, who’s had a lot of positive things to say about Adams, stated a few weeks back on his show, he knows for a fact Adams was in the IRA.
Adams can word play it all he likes, with him saying he doesn’t disassociate himself from them, but for Des O’Malley to say Adams was an abnormal democrat considering the organisation he at the least had links to, is putting it very kindly, if you ask me.
I really have nothing further to add. Good luck with your complaint.
Anne you had nothing to add from the outset. The basis for the complaint isn’t if Adams is or was in the IRA. It’s whether an individual (O’Malley) can go on TV and make unverified, ambiguous and veiled aspersions about an another individual. I’ve listened for too long to the likes of you ‘suggesting’ Sinn Fein are bogey men and when it boils down to it all you have is ‘the dogs in the street know’. That simply isn’t good enough. If Adams or other members of Sinn Fein are guilty of IRA crimes try them and lock them up.
As an aside… if An Garda Síochána the British security services, Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and indeed Vincent Browne can’t link Adams to crimes committed by the IRA. Perhaps he’s not.
Trying to give the impression that SF are the victims here is just pathetic. Have they complained to RTE? Has Adams denied the story? It seems you’re in a big hurry to be a SF bitch. I can’t imagine SF will take you anymore seriously than the posters here do. Have you tried politics.ie or The Journal?
Yes, perhaps…
They’ve just all been picking on wee Gerry coz they don’t like the look of him.
Now, go on away and shite would you.
I don’t give a tuppenny fupp what you think I’ve added.
“Anne you had nothing to add from the outset. The basis for the complaint isn’t if Adams is or was in the IRA. It’s whether an individual (O’Malley) can go on TV and make unverified, ambiguous and veiled aspersions about an another individual.” (with the obvious implication that this is not ok)
= winning an argument.
“Now, go on away and shite would you.”
= losing an argument
In case you’re under illusions otherwise Anne.
Ah Tom, don’t be so nasty.
We can’t all be winners on the internet like you.
Bacchus and Anne you’ve both exposed yourselves for what you are, trolls. You have nothing sensible to say, no argument to make. Try and school yourselves. It’s never too late.
You have nothing sensible to say, no argument to make
Ok, ding ding ding, it’s all over. We have a definite winner.
shameful is conducting a 30 year murder campaign and covering up for child abusers
get real. stop chatting rubbish
Who are you referring to? The Guards? Fianna Fáil? Fine Gael? They all covered up decades of murder and child abuse
no I mean Sinn Féin/IRA. their murders and their cover ups
I think I know why you`re called Almond, as your long meandering comments and circular logic indicate that you sir are indeed a nut!
I suppose you disagree with the Good Friday Agreement also then? Things aren’t so black and white when it comes to the Troubles.
yeah they should totally be allowed to rape kids and then lie about it. that was what good friday was all about.
I doubt you know what Good Friday was about.
I can’t stand that Good Friday gobshite…
oh wait, I’m thinking of Gavin Friday, as you were.
Bono’s full of sh*t… he apologised in another video… with the band…. he’s a sap, like some poser kid whose Mammy has bought everything for him and now he just talks sh*t with a grin, thinking everyone is lapping it up and those that don’t, don’t get it… haha!
Jesus… KYJelly and a crowbar stat, Bono’s gone full immersion up his own ring! ;)
He needs stringing up with a good length of the ol’ Conor Pope, in fairness m8.
who cares about bonobo one way or the other
I think bonobo is pretty good myself.
haha monkey business
He’s a DJ!
i know that buddy :)
At least Graham Norton a week ago was given the ahem, glaucoma exclusive. Box-ticking interview which just about meets the record company contract stipulation to promote the latest ditties.
They were pretty good on Later With Jools. looking forward to seeing them on Loose Women and Fifteen To One next.
Don’t forget Jeremy Kyle.
At one stage last night while flicking channels, Bono was on Jools Holland, the Late Late AND a repeat of Graham Norton at the same time, saying the same things… He’s trying very hard to get us to like him. It’s too late Bono, you’re still a pox
What’s a few noughts before breakfast. Says it all really.
A complete bore of a man
I couldn’t get onto Netflix last night to watch Southcliffe…I reckon Bono was messing with the system.
broadsheet that is very pro not paying water and home tax goes on about bono and “tax” as per usual, total nonsense.
You know there are days when I miss ABM.
lol
We need to talk about Kevin
For all his faults, I still like Bono more than Rubbery.
There. I said it.
I wrote the following before reading any other comments so as not to be influenced by them. Clampers and Scooperman have pretty much said the same thing:
Honest to God, if someone was presenting a flawed argument (full of s**t in other words), I would start to call him/her on it by pointing out all those flaws in their argument.
But with this…
I wouldn’t even know where to start. It’s clear he’s living on Planet Bono. But I reckon that could happen if you’ve been a mega-successful and mega-rich musician for the past 2 or 3 decades. Nobody to say no to you. Nobody to call you on your bullsh**. So you can just choose to believe what you want to believe. Planet Bono.
The only thing more tedious than U2 fawning is U2 bashing. Don’t like them? Don’t listen to it.
People moaning over getting a free album, tough life you have.
+1
It’s incredibly annoying reading these pointless rants
The only thing more tedious than both is the new album.
I dunno, after a second listen, there’s 2 decent songs on it.
Not the Joshua Tree, but hey, its free
Not sure what all this ‘good people pay for music’ is about.
That’s pretty sanctimonious really, coming from someone who’s made what? Billions from people paying for music.
Thought they weren’t too bad though in fairness.
Didn’t realise he was so tiny either.
You’re aware that Ryan Tubridy is a veritable beast of a man, right?
The politics of chat shows have changed now . . . Late late wouldn’t get any guests unless agreements about questions were struck… Fair play to Bono for controlling the cashflow in U2 inc by controlling each public exposure/interview.
Wondering why that ridiculous American dumb down rag ‘Irish Central’ is now being linked to on Broadsheet?
They’re not Irish, they’re not central and they’re idiots.
Seriously, can any trash get linked to? Just reading their article on Mairia Cahill. Joke.
That’s me buddy, or shall I call you BODGER the Keyboard Warrior, No I’m not a Lawyer, nor a Hairdresser or a Bono fan, but my wife and I had a fabulous time..
Oh look! you have another reply to your completely irrelevant article but hey, I guess it does wonders for your self esteem.
Sorry Liam.
bodger correctly pointed you out as a potential gobshite?
Polite gobshite
Id rather Tubs interview bands as opposed to Pat “hey you get off of my land” Kenny.
I once witnessed Kenny interview Liam Gallagher. The former using phrases like “cool, man!”
Makes me sick!
Tubridy is a tool.
Nialler9 should host the Late Late.