Billy Joel Outs U2 For Using A Secret Backing Band
SatansFuton
Posts: 5,399
I don't know how much validity there is to this, but I thought it was funny at least. It is just his word against theirs, and with Billy you never know, he could have been drunk. Also I don't see why they would have a band under the stage as opposed to a backing track or something. But for what it's worth here's the story. And it could all be BS so you U2 superfans don't climb all over my ass about it.
Billy Joel performed with a lucky fan on Wednesday night (December 14th) during his latest "an evening of questions and answers. . . and a little music" lecture at the University of Massachusetts. The Boston Herald reported that Billy, who played the 900-seat Durgin Hall as part of his three lecture stops -- including Cornell University and the University of Connecticut -- took time out to perform "Leningrad" with 22-year-old student, David Schockett, and treated the crowd to a few killer imitations, including Bob Dylan, Elton John, and Ronald Reagan.
In the night's most notable moment, he outed U2 for deceiving fans who believe that the band is creating all the sounds they hear onstage, saying, "Bono's gonna kill me for this. . . " before recalling the tale of attending a U2 gig in New York City and discovering "an additional band of musicians bolstering the sound from beneath the stage."
He revealed, among other things, that the 1989 ballad "And So It Goes" was written about his failed brief romance with Elle Macpherson just prior to his marriage to Christie Brinkley. He called the tryst a "doomed relationship," explaining, "She was 19, I was 30, she's 6'2" and I'm 5'7. I saw a picture of us walking on the beach and I looked like Bubbles the Chimp."
He tossed aside one fan's question about him ever considering recording a Christmas album, saying that everybody does it without shame, jokingly adding, "Besides -- I'm a Jew!" He went on to perform a heartfelt version of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," along with such other classics as "An Innocent Man," and "Piano Man," among others.
Billy Joel performed with a lucky fan on Wednesday night (December 14th) during his latest "an evening of questions and answers. . . and a little music" lecture at the University of Massachusetts. The Boston Herald reported that Billy, who played the 900-seat Durgin Hall as part of his three lecture stops -- including Cornell University and the University of Connecticut -- took time out to perform "Leningrad" with 22-year-old student, David Schockett, and treated the crowd to a few killer imitations, including Bob Dylan, Elton John, and Ronald Reagan.
In the night's most notable moment, he outed U2 for deceiving fans who believe that the band is creating all the sounds they hear onstage, saying, "Bono's gonna kill me for this. . . " before recalling the tale of attending a U2 gig in New York City and discovering "an additional band of musicians bolstering the sound from beneath the stage."
He revealed, among other things, that the 1989 ballad "And So It Goes" was written about his failed brief romance with Elle Macpherson just prior to his marriage to Christie Brinkley. He called the tryst a "doomed relationship," explaining, "She was 19, I was 30, she's 6'2" and I'm 5'7. I saw a picture of us walking on the beach and I looked like Bubbles the Chimp."
He tossed aside one fan's question about him ever considering recording a Christmas album, saying that everybody does it without shame, jokingly adding, "Besides -- I'm a Jew!" He went on to perform a heartfelt version of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," along with such other classics as "An Innocent Man," and "Piano Man," among others.
"See a broad to get dat booty yak 'em, leg 'er down, a smack 'em yak 'em!"
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ive heard this too... and not from billy joel.
take a good look
this could be the day
hold my hand
lie beside me
i just need to say
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2v4OH39UgM
Well, they do have a keyboardist named Terry Lawless that plays beneath the stage, behind it, or wherever (maybe sometimes on, I don't know) depending on the setup, but he's not always acknowledged, but he's also not really a secret, although it's kind of low key, and not always credited as an additional musician. Though he is credited on the Rose Bowl DVD. Billy Joel is saying there are more musicians than just that.
That's really low :evil: how in the world Bono is capable of raising his level of doucheness!
Neil deGrasse Tyson
Why not (V) (°,,,,°) (V) ?
either way, the 2 best bands of the past 30 years.
rock all the doucheness u want BONO!! just leave oprah at home please.
but it gives the irrational haters of bono more fuel for their fire :roll:
A whole band beneath the stage doesn't bother you? Whats the point of paying their high ticket prices if half of what you're listening to is actually comin from some no name schmucks under the stage?
I love Zeppelin and would cut off all 4 limbs and pull out my eyes to see them, but if I knew they were gonna have a different band under the stage to cover for the missteps it wouldn't be worth my time, imo.
so if they are on the stage then it's ok but since they're below it's not worth it? ok, whatever you say...i go to concerts to hear music i like and i like u2's music
If it is like this particular scenario sounds then no. I'd rather go see the band from under the stage as a tribute band at a local bar for $5.
If the U2 was under the stage b/c the stage was taken up by some sort of theatrics I would be fine with it.
And I'm fine with a band augmenting their sound with outside musicians, but it seems like U2 is taking it several steps farther than that.
Am I misunderstanding what they're doing?
And the comparison to Boom is a little different, doesn't he at least get introduced every night? Isn't he ALWAYS on the stage?
I've seen bands that use additional musicians. The Rolling Stones for example have about 10 additional people (including the backup singer ladies), but they are on the stage, get introduced every night, and often when they are playing in one of their home towns/states/country they are allowed to show off a little, get additional solos or whatever, and introduced to the crowd as the hometown boy/girl. I wouldn't have a problem with U2 having additional musicians (if this is true mind you) but I think it would be lame to hide them away and keep the spotlight to themselves. If the Stones can put their considerable egos aside to acknowledge the people that make them sound presentable, then I would think anybody can.
I have also heard rumors that Pink Floyd used to do this some back in the day, but I can't find anymore evidence for that than I can find for this, which is essentially Bill Joel's accusation and some message board posts that "confirm" it, or at least confirm suspicion.
IC....Then that's not really a big deal to me. As choreographed as I would think their shows need to be for the show maybe it's necessary.
I was thinking they had a band playing along with them under the stage and any for any mishaps the sound guy would mix in the other band.
I know Waters definitely uses a backing track for trouble vocal spots, nowadays.
Didn't Floyd have a "surrogate band" for The Wall tour back in 80 that would mime along while the actual band was playing?
I've listened to some of live Floyd and I don't really see how they could've done it, judging from what you can hear. Was Snowy White ever credited or introduced on their later tours?
oh god i hope not...however, i'm sure there have been times where things have been "fixed" during a show by the gremlins underneath the stage...but i think that's usually bono's guitar tech helping out
http://www.last.fm/user/merkinball/
spotify:user:merkinball
No, there's not a full band playing along with U2. Trust me, they would not fit under the stage, with all the other (mixing) equipment that is there. Yes, Terry Lawless did augment the sound with keyboards on the last tour, but as noted that was not being kept secret. In fact, Bono often gave a shout out to him when some prominent keyboard part was coming on (mostly during Unknown Caller).
And the truth is even better (than a pun I'm not going to make)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHlU2ukrCoU
"Don't let it get you down, you know, still give your love, just give it away...I love singin' that part." - EV
Goddammit so much...
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Yeah, that's from "It Might Get Loud", good movie. I would probably be a little more put off by The Edge if he actually acted like he were some guitar god, but he's pretty humble and honest about the fact that he's about 20% talent and 80% technology/effects.
Well I'm not talking about originality, ingenuity, etc. He's not completely worthless, and he is unique. I'm just talking about technical skill, which admittedly is not all it takes to be a guitarist. He's a good composer/songwriter, but isn't the most skilled player. On the opposite side of the spectrum you have guitarists like Eric Clapton or Mick Taylor who are extremely skilled players, but have next to no songwriting skills.
Translating songs live is alot different than creating songs in studio, as anyone who has ever been to a concert and seen a band play a song different than they played it on the cd can attest to.
This is a non issue. Its cool now to dislike u2. This isnt milli vanilli. They all can sing and write and play.
Plus, the whole "band under the floor" idea sounds crackpot conspiracy to me. If people know about it, and videotaped it and put it on youtube, its hardly a coverup. Its not like you cant see or talk to these musicians. They arent being flown away on jets after the show so as to prevent them from spilling the beans on this thing. If it was some sort of coverup, no one would know about it and no one would be able to film it. Plus, you really think if they wanted to keep this a secret, which if it were some coverup, they would, why would they show an organ player on the 360 screen, those are images i assume approved if not by the band, then their managers at the show, and then to have it be broadcast on a DVD?
Plus their live shows are legendary for being pretty out there and over the top. The whole 360 idea, the winding stage where fans and the band are mingling basically, maybe the musicians "under the floor" didnt want to be up top, maybe they felt it would be better to be "under ground" for these types of shows and the stage setup?
Non issue.
Totally agree. And there is no secret band under the stage. As already mentioned, they do have an extra keyboard player who plays on the occasional song and programs backing tracks, etc... They actually showed part of the guy's setup on some show (can't remember when I saw it exactly) where a camera crew was doing a tour of the 360 stage with all the computers and mixing equipment below and backstage. But there's no "secret band". It's a myth created by people who hate U2 and want desperately to find some idiotic reason to crap on them.
-Tom Waits
Hell, they even fake pregnancies.
Who did that?
Beyonce...She was on some show and when she bent over to sit down her "baby bump" sorta folded in half, and her due date has mysteriously moved up a few months.