Monthly Archives: June 2011

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMlqD4xvlfE

U2 on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury last night. A messianic performance (if you like that sort of thing, and Ewok certainly does) but did that ‘tax dodge’ protest leave a bad taste in the collective mouth?

As Bono and the band were coming onto the Stage, protesters from Art Uncut inflated a 20ft balloon printed with the the slogan “U Pay Tax 2”.

The activists tried to display it over the crowd, but a team of security guards pounced on them, deflating the balloon and confiscating it. The heavy handed tactics by security guards took place just after U2’s opening song “Until The End Of The World”. Clashes with around 50 protesters carried on until they were kettled against a fence for the rest of the performance.. Michael Eavis, Glastonbury founder, said that while he encourages political activism at his festival, he believes the planned protest against U2’s tax status was unfair because of all of their generous charity work.

u2 Tax Protest: 50 Protestors Kettled (Artlyst)

U2 At Glastonbury – Review (Darian Lynskey, Guardian)

Rough Weather And Protest Fail To Rain Down On U2’s Debut Glastonbury Parade (Brian Boyd, Irish Times)

Meanwhile, they say ‘potato’…


We say ”taters gonna hate’.

And the post-gig interview…

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLdvfrikaUQ

A lot of love for the boys from the BBC but (cue sinister music) no mention of the tax protest at all.

Also: Jo Whiley and Adam Clayton? Respectably groovy older couple? Jus’ throwing it out there.

Bonus Feature: Watch Bono Sing ‘Jerusalem’


Champagne corks popped, rainbow flags flapped and crowds embraced and danced in the streets of Manhattan’s Greenwich Village as New York became the sixth and largest state in the U.S. to legalize same-sex marriage.

Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the bill shortly before midnight Friday, almost 42 years to the day that the modern-day gay rights movement was born amid violent encounters between police and gay activists at the Stonewall Inn.

Hundreds who gathered inside and outside the landmark Stonewall Inn (bottom pic) erupted in celebration after the Republican-led state Senate cast the decisive vote.

NY Legalises Gay Marriage 42 Years After Stonewall (AP)

New York Passes Gay Marriage (Gawker)

Stonewall riots?

‘Vanessa and Marcus’
Princess Chasity Virtue in an outfit designed by Fionnuala Bourke
‘Diana’, the people’s drag queen.
“He fixed the bend in the road.”
Unknown lifeguard.
Chrinta Sweeney,Matha Cleary and Amy Walsh
Unknown trio, possibly gym members.
Unknown masked man. We’re calling him the ‘Gay Lantern’

Taken literally within the last hour at the Gay Pride 2011 parade in Dublin.

Even the sun came out.

Badum. Tish.

Dublin Pride 2011
(Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland)
Myles Masuku (1) from Stepaside with Cpt Declan Whitston
Lee-Ann Ford from South Africa with her husband Ronan Glynn and daughter Aela (3 months)

The Irish Oath Of Allegience

“I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Ireland ; that I will endure rain, cronyism, the tin whistle, casual racism, asshat “entrepreneurs”, cankles, and the collective weight of 800 years of self-pity and morbid drinking; that I take this obligation freely without any (pause here) mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God (or ‘sky person’ of your choosing).”

Context

‘After 11 Years In This Country It’s Good To Finally Belong In A Real Way’ (Roisin Ingle, Irish Times)

(Sasko Lazarov/Photocall ireland)