There are several million "pretty good guitarists". It means absolutely nothing.
So if you want to say Eddie is a better songwriter because he is a better mediocre guitarist than another songwriter than....well... that's a pathetic argument.
From what you write, it's clear you have little grasp of Bono's writing.
I never said Ed being a better guitarist had anything to do with him being a better songwriter. That's just your own fabricated stupidty. I have a grasp on Bono's songwriting and I don't like it. Get over it and go listen to U2 if it gets your rocks off.
"The Wild is chasing after me. Hot on my trail won't leave me alone. All I can see is your blood right in front of me, and I can't kill The Wild." Me
They also all have developed that special , feel good relationship with their fanbase(s)
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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Are Virtual U2 Concerts Even Better Than The Real Thing?
06.26.2006 6:35 PM EDT
Tech-savvy superfans set up elaborate gigs starring their favorite
band for online gamers.
There are some key rules for attendees of a virtual U2 concert. Among
them:
"No hoochie hair" ("So that this concert may be enjoyed by the
maximum number of people").
"No particle poofs or particles of any kind."
And ... "DO NOT IM the band while the concert is in progress."
Failure to obey these edicts doesn't get anyone physically kicked out
because no one is really at the concert. It's all taking place
through computers: a massively multiplayer musical experience created
and enjoyed by people logging into the virtual world "Second Life"
Since last year, a small group of players has taken advantage of the
blank slate and creative flexibility of "Second Life" to create the
stage sets, the bodies and the moves of their favorite band: U2.
They've helped pioneer the concept of virtual concerts — shows that
are attended not at a stadium or club but in front of a monitor and
keyboard.
Since 2005, four members of the U2inSL crew (U2inSL.com), living in
locations as distant as California, Connecticut and Germany, have
logged onto their computers and into the shared landscape of "Second
Life" in order to steer digital replicas of Bono, the Edge, Adam
Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. Running their characters through a
series of stage moves and piping in audio recorded from an actual
concert, they are able to create a virtual performance. Other "Second
Life" citizens can attend as members of a character-packed audience.
The anonymous players behind the virtual band said they've tried to
contact U2 management to make sure this is all OK. They're not making
any money off of it, and they adorn their concert area with signs
urging people to donate to the real U2's One Foundation charity. But
the real band has yet to respond. U2 management also did not comment
on the virtual U2 for MTV News.
A virtual — and unauthorized — U2 might be the most provocative
example, but independent musicians and big-label acts are also
getting involved, potentially making multiplayer video game worlds
the next frontier of touring. Musicians can channel audio into game
worlds and set up characters to be their puppet personas — a way to
go on tour without leaving their keyboard, be they the "SL" musician
Frogg Marlowe or, if Universal Music's official plans continue to
take shape, Chamillionaire and the rock band Hinder.
"It's really a rush, like being in a real-world concert," the virtual
Bono told MTV News. The members of U2inSL prefer not to use their
real names in public "to keep the mystique and excitement," according
to the unreal Bono. "This is role-play after all."
The group gathered for a concert this past weekend after two months
of inactivity due to an injury suffered by one of the members. In
April, MTV News attended a small invitation-only concert where the
U2inSL crew provided an education on how a virtual concert works.
Physically it requires nothing more than logging onto a computer
running "Second Life" and digitally walking — or flying — to the
concert's location. In April, that locale was a tropical island
called Dragon Moon. The concert organizers can block unwanted guests
by requiring a digital ticket, without which an approaching player
will see their character run into an invisible wall.
Before the April concert began, the virtual bandmembers hung out in
the band room. "Second Life" doesn't support voice chat, so Bono was
text-chatting with the Edge.
Next to their building was a large concert stage. On the far side
were two porta-potties. The concert area was about 100 virtual feet
from the edge of a beach, the stage facing the water. Behind the
audience pit, just out of reach of a lapping tide, was a concession
stand, a T-shirt booth and a bar. A mouse click on those spots would
generate virtual hot dogs and beer or a U2 outfit that can be zapped
onto a character's body.
"Second Life" is different than other massively multiplayer games
like "World of Warcraft" and "EverQuest," not just because it doesn't
actually contain any game-oriented goal but because it allows players
to create everything in the world. Players can create characters that
look like monsters, supermodels, Bono or whatever else they can think
of while messing with the program's modeling tools.
Everything a player creates is stored on servers at "Second Life"'s
parent company, Linden Labs, and has to be transmitted back out to
any other players who would need to see it, say, because they're
walking past the Bono character or watching him perform onstage. This
presents a problem if too many people are standing around in the game
trying to watch Bono at the same time. The Linden Labs server begins
to feel the strain of sending the same graphics out to more and more
attendees. So if too many people come to a virtual concert in "Second
Life," the world is going to stutter. Popularity can cause a slowdown.
That didn't happen during the April concert, in part because people
followed the rules. The ban on "hoochie hair" and "particles" was
really a ban on attendees bringing graphically elaborate hairdos and
special effects that would put more strain on Linden Labs' servers.
Until the audio feed is activated, the virtual concert is practically
silent. But once it was on, the band "played" a 14-track set, which
included streamed audio of the real U2 playing "Vertigo," "Elevation"
and "Where the Streets Have No Name."
The final cued track of the evening was real-life crowd applause. The
members of U2inSL don't have to sing, but they have to make sure
their characters hit their marks and make the appropriate motions
(hold microphone to mouth, throw arms in the air, spin around, etc.)
"I rehearse steady for about a week," the fake Bono told MTV News.
The concert in April went smoothly, though not without at least one
kink. "I missed hopping at the keyboard for 'Miss Sarajevo,' " the
virtual Edge confessed.
A "Second Life" concert is an odd place. A mysterious object in front
of the stage proves, with a curious mouse click, to be a dance
machine. It immediately causes the player's character to start
dancing with energetic spasms. Anyone else clicking winds up with
their character also dancing, in perfect unison with everyone else.
Dancing doesn't take any sustained effort. It just happens — and
keeps happening long after some of the people too busy text-chatting
remember they're still doing it. It's all done with computers, after
all.
After the April concert, the fake Bono demonstrated how a few mouse
clicks can generate a complete wardrobe change. But those Linden Labs
servers aren't so fast that one shirt just swaps for another. " 'Zip'
ain't a word when changing clothes," he said, as a red-and-black
tunic faded in to replace a black leather jacket.
Another weird touch: People wanted to hug goodbye, but one of them
hadn't set his character up properly to do it: "Sorry, dear, took hug
attachment off. I'll have to dig it out of inventory later," he
responded.
Virtual concerts — even better than the real thing? Well, a bit
different at least.
— Stephen Totilo
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
With all due respect to Eddie and Pearl Jam but they are not amazing lyricist. I don't think they ever claim to be either. Their writing is perhaps the weakest part of the band. Their "protest songs" and anti-bush/war songs could be written by a grade school student. Neil Young showed with Living with War how to write a real antiwar/bush album. Pearl Jam were given a strong lesson in song writing.
Bono is a significantly better songwriter than anyone in PearlJam. The last Pearl Jam album that had strongly written emotional content all the way through was Ten. Every album since has had lyrical highlights sporadically sprinkled throughout.
Also, claiming Eddie is a superior "musician" is just stupid. When did musicianship become a competition? From my perspective they both pretty much suck at guitar and anything else they play. They are singers and songwriters. Bono has written so many good songs that they probably outnumber every song Eddie has ever written... good and bad.
See, you called someone else for entering a thread to bash U2, which was fair enough. It does beg the question, though ... Why are you on this board? You don't sound like a Pearl Jam fan, at all.
An uncanny resemblance to Bono is paying off -- in some strange ways
for one man. asap's CHELSEA J. CARTER spends some time with the man
who would be Bono.
Rob Kemp does a double-take. Then he does a triple-take.
Bono? The lead singer of the biggest band in the world, U2?
He races up and introduces himself, shaking his hand and rattling off
his adoration at a mile-a-minute pace.
Kemp, 23, doesn't notice that the man has no Irish accent. Or that
he's carrying his own bag down the street. All Kemp of Abbotsford,
Canada, sees is the legendary singer -- from the straw hat to the
glasses to the jacket.
"I'm not Bono," the man says.
This is the man who would be Bono. asap spent some time with Bono
impersonator Geoffrey Knight -- a man who is such a ringer for the
rock star that he eclipses other look-a-likes, and we found out that
adoration comes in all forms, including human form.
___
BECOMING BONO
Knight, 32, a long time U2 fan, came to Bono late in life. It began
with a U2 concert in Seattle when his wife encouraged him to wear a
pair of sunglasses, which he says looked nothing like the ones that
Bono is famous for wearing.
"You know how people stare at you, and you get this feeling in the
back of your head that someone is looking at you?" Knight said.
Stares -- they happened during the concert and again at the
merchandise stand.
"This one girl had a little bit too much to drink, and she wrapped her
arms around me. And then she stepped back and said 'You're not him,'"
he said.
But it was a trip to Ireland to see a U2 concert a few months later in
June 2005 that set him on his path to becoming Bono. In Dublin, where
Bono can be seen sometimes walking the streets, the people who live
there did more than a double-take. Some of them approached him.
___
BEING BONO
It started when he returned to Washington and related the experience
to a friend, who in turn told him that celebrity impersonators can
make a lot of money. Out of curiosity, Knight said, he logged on and
looked at a few Bono impersonator sites. None of the impersonators
looked a lot like Bono, he says.
Most people emulate their idols earlier in life, with their choice of
clothing or a hairstyle. Sometimes they replicate a celebrity's tattoo
or adopt their nickname. But Knight had never subscribed to that. He
was a guy who liked the music, the man and the man's message about
helping those less fortunate.
Knight sent some pictures of himself to an impersonation Web site. A
month later, Boston radio station Mix 98.5 FM contacted him -- and
flew him out to do promotions for the station in the days leading up
to a U2 concert.
For a few days, Knight lived like a rock star. He took no money for
the gig but did enjoy the perks -- from the use of limo to a suite in
an upscale hotel.
"I would pop my head up out of the limousine. It was like magnet. The
limo couldn't move and people were asking to take their pictures," he
said.
___
LIVING BONO
There is little about Knight's personal life that resembles the rock
star. Knight and his wife own a Pilates studio in the sleepy
university town of Bellingham; Bono owns several houses, globe trots
for social causes and, of course, fronts the biggest rock band in the
world.
But Knight does believe in some of Bono's causes, such as "One: The
Campaign To Make Poverty History. He donates most of the money he
makes as a look-a-like to One, and lent his Bono-likeness to a video
produced by his daughter, who was promoting the campaign at her school.
Being Bono has become a family affair as well.
His wife manages his impersonation career and keeps an eye on his
wardrobe. His daughter helps him keep up with the latest Bono news,
and Knight studies recent photos of Bono to keep up with his appearance.
There's also the clothing and accessory price tag. A pair of designer
sunglasses can run upward of $500 to $1,000, and the getting a custom
hat made can cost hundreds of dollars.
"I'm so good at holding up the morale end of the package. I don't try
to abuse this thing, this gift I guess you can call it," Knight said.
"I was born this way. I don't have any Irish in me at all. So yes, I
guess it's a gift."
Their are a few physical challenges to impersonating the rock star.
"He has terrible posture. I would love to get him in a Pilates
studio," Knight said.
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
THE world's richest countries are falling short on pledges made to
Africa a year ago on providing life-saving AIDS drugs, expanding trade
and boosting aid, said activist rock star Bono.
Bono and fellow Irish rocker Bob Geldof have used their fame to fuel a
global campaign for more aid to Africa, organising Live 8 concerts
around the world last year to press Group of Eight industrial leaders
meeting in Gleneagles, Scotland, to wipe out poverty.
"They started to climb an Everest but over the past year they got lost
at base camp," Bono said in an interview after the release of a
progress report by his lobby group Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa group, or
DATA.
"I'd like to think that the DATA report is a kind of a GPS system for
how to get back on track and back up the mountain," said Bono, who
formed DATA with Geldof.
The report said wealthy countries had delivered on their promise to
cancel the debts of 19 poor countries, most of them in Africa, with a
total of 44 countries eligible under programs of the International
Monetary Fund and World Bank.
"Overall, there is one cheer on debt, half a cheer on AIDS and boos
and wolf-whistles for what is happening on trade," Bono said.
The report said relief from burdensome debt payments in Cameroon,
Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia has already swelled spending
on education, health and the battle against HIV/AIDS.
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
i am a huge fan of both pearl jam and U2, but the idea that pearl jam or eddie is a better song writer then bono is just wrong. there are some songs that i love from eddie and co and there are songs from u2 that i love. just compare one song from bono and co abotu addictions and eddie and co about the same thing. U2 has BAD while Pearl jam has habit. i personally rank Bad as a better song. on teh other hand, i think that Given to fly is way better than say Beautiful day. some songs are better then others. let just say that one band is not always better then another.
another band that just dosn't know when enough is enough.
Wouldn't we all be happier if U2, Metallica, Aerosmith and The Rolling Stones
stoped making music?
Unlike pearl jam, some bands can not keep up with the quality of music they made when they were younger.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. So you're implying Riot Act and Avocado compare to Ten and Vs.? Pearl Jam's not the same, sorry to break it to you. Still amazing, and the live shows are incredible... but not the same quality.
Current Favorite PJ Studio Albums:
1) Vitalogy
2) Yield
3) Ten
4) No Code
5) Riot Act
6) Vs.
7) Pearl Jam
8) Binaural
Whoa, whoa, whoa. So you're implying Riot Act and Avocado compare to Ten and Vs.? Pearl Jam's not the same, sorry to break it to you. Still amazing, and the live shows are incredible... but not the same quality.
I disagree. I think Avocado is as good as anything that PJ have ever done. It just shows that bands can still come up with the goods 10 or 15 years after their first record - Bono and U2 should remember that and stop releasing the same regurgitated crap on every record. Pop was their last real record in 1997
"...though my problems are meaningless....that don't make them go away...."
I disagree. I think Avocado is as good as anything that PJ have ever done. It just shows that bands can still come up with the goods 10 or 15 years after their first record - Bono and U2 should remember that and stop releasing the same regurgitated crap on every record. Pop was their last real record in 1997
Pearl Jam put out 2 crap albums (Binaural and Riot) before they were even 10 years old.
Pearl Jam put out 2 crap albums (Binaural and Riot) before they were even 10 years old.
You cna't compare catalogs. It's simply stupid.
i think both binaural and riot act crap all over U2 albums like Unforgettable Fire and Zooropa. You cant compare catalogues cos PJ have never put out a bad album. Bono recently said that U2 would continue till they put out three bad records in a row - they'd better do somethin good with the next one
"...though my problems are meaningless....that don't make them go away...."
I'm guessing with all the sales, sweep of the Grammy's, completely sold out world tour and critical accolades, Bono and co. don't look at HTDAAB as a "bad record".
i think both binaural and riot act crap all over U2 albums like Unforgettable Fire and Zooropa. You cant compare catalogues cos PJ have never put out a bad album. Bono recently said that U2 would continue till they put out three bad records in a row - they'd better do somethin good with the next one
I disagree. I think Avocado is as good as anything that PJ have ever done. It just shows that bands can still come up with the goods 10 or 15 years after their first record - Bono and U2 should remember that and stop releasing the same regurgitated crap on every record. Pop was their last real record in 1997
which was released 10-15 years after their first record. then they returned to their roots for the next two albums.
pearl jam, at 10-15 years after their first record, released 2 albums that were a bit weird and idiosynchratic (like zooropa and pop) before returning to their roots (even stone has said there's nothing new on the latest album) with avacado.
not too many bands could pull of an album like zooropa....have to give them props 4 sure....
That's very true...I think it's a masterpiece and sadly it is often either overlooked or bashed quite too much.
I also think that soulsinging has a very good point...although, even though I do love all of U2's stuff, I'm looking for something a bit different on the next one, maybe a bit more atmospheric than their last few outings.
I've faced it, a life wasted, and I'm never going back again.
Rare Recording Featuring Three-Fourths of U2 for Sale
Message from 1981 described as 'fresh and relevant' @U2, July 03, 2006
by Scott Calhoun
A company in Littlehampton, England, offering an eclectic line of
products, from holiday packages to financial advising to books and CDs,
is selling copies of a presentation Bono, the Edge and Larry Mullen Jr.
made 25 years ago to a weekend retreat for Christian musicians.
Dream Depot advertises its U2's Vision CD as a "never before available"
recording. Its Web site says: "Be inspired by Bono, the Edge and Larry
talking about the spiritual roots of U2 at a music seminar in 1981.
Drawing heavily on Old Testament prophets, they explain their vision
for the band and sound a warning to the Christian music scene."
The January 1981 retreat was held at the Gaines Christian Center in
Worcester, England, and organized by Laurie Mellor as a Ghettout Music
event. Mellor started Ghettout Music in 1980 as a recording and
management company for motivating Christian musicians to leave the
Christian music sub-culture behind for the mainstream music world.
Now a director of Dream Depot, Mellor said he met Bono, Edge, and Larry
in the summer of 1980, just prior to the release of U2's debut album,
Boy. After getting to know them later that year, he asked them to come
speak at his retreat.
"I invited the band because I felt their presence would be
inspirational, and so it proved," Mellor said. "The invitation to speak
was accepted at once, and I believe the three felt their presence was
very beneficial."
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES http://www.UNOS.org
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1) Bono's hinted about the band working on new material over the
summer, and now there's confirmation from the latest U2.com member
email which was sent out Tuesday: "U2 are off the road and spending
some time working on new songs in the recording studio, so it's a
chance for us to mail you one of our occasional U2.Com updates."
2) The current issue of Rolling Stone hints that a "Certain Band from
Ireland" will be doing a "year-end blowout" in Hawaii with Pearl Jam
and Kings of Leon. From what we're hearing on the street, this one has
legs. Stay tuned....
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
2) The current issue of Rolling Stone hints that a "Certain Band from
Ireland" will be doing a "year-end blowout" in Hawaii with Pearl Jam
and Kings of Leon. From what we're hearing on the street, this one has
legs. Stay tuned....
u mean after u pay $200 list price for a gold circle ticket :(
u2 is all about money. nothing else
10 C presale:
60 bucks
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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i might be crazy, but far from rich. no, either one by themselves in cleveland or detroit is not worth $100. but both of them together in one show in hawaii... that's quite an experience.
u mean after u pay $200 list price for a gold circle ticket :(
u2 is all about money. nothing else
Before the April Honoloulu show got postponed, $49.50 GA field tix were readily available on Ticketmaster.
So the biggest obstacle for this show will be travel costs.
Love U2 but surely about time they produced another half decent album. Since Zooropa albums have been frankly shite, but maybe that's just me.
HTDAAB was the worst of the lot - at least POP and All That You Can't Leave Behin was interesting (even if you didn't like it). The last one was just boring.
Comments
I never said Ed being a better guitarist had anything to do with him being a better songwriter. That's just your own fabricated stupidty. I have a grasp on Bono's songwriting and I don't like it. Get over it and go listen to U2 if it gets your rocks off.
I love U2
I love Bruce
( not necc in that order )
While they all are different ;
they all are great .
They also all have developed that special , feel good relationship with their fanbase(s)
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES
http://www.UNOS.org
Donate Organs and Save a Life
Are Virtual U2 Concerts Even Better Than The Real Thing?
06.26.2006 6:35 PM EDT
Tech-savvy superfans set up elaborate gigs starring their favorite
band for online gamers.
There are some key rules for attendees of a virtual U2 concert. Among
them:
"No hoochie hair" ("So that this concert may be enjoyed by the
maximum number of people").
"No particle poofs or particles of any kind."
And ... "DO NOT IM the band while the concert is in progress."
Failure to obey these edicts doesn't get anyone physically kicked out
because no one is really at the concert. It's all taking place
through computers: a massively multiplayer musical experience created
and enjoyed by people logging into the virtual world "Second Life"
Since last year, a small group of players has taken advantage of the
blank slate and creative flexibility of "Second Life" to create the
stage sets, the bodies and the moves of their favorite band: U2.
They've helped pioneer the concept of virtual concerts — shows that
are attended not at a stadium or club but in front of a monitor and
keyboard.
Since 2005, four members of the U2inSL crew (U2inSL.com), living in
locations as distant as California, Connecticut and Germany, have
logged onto their computers and into the shared landscape of "Second
Life" in order to steer digital replicas of Bono, the Edge, Adam
Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. Running their characters through a
series of stage moves and piping in audio recorded from an actual
concert, they are able to create a virtual performance. Other "Second
Life" citizens can attend as members of a character-packed audience.
The anonymous players behind the virtual band said they've tried to
contact U2 management to make sure this is all OK. They're not making
any money off of it, and they adorn their concert area with signs
urging people to donate to the real U2's One Foundation charity. But
the real band has yet to respond. U2 management also did not comment
on the virtual U2 for MTV News.
A virtual — and unauthorized — U2 might be the most provocative
example, but independent musicians and big-label acts are also
getting involved, potentially making multiplayer video game worlds
the next frontier of touring. Musicians can channel audio into game
worlds and set up characters to be their puppet personas — a way to
go on tour without leaving their keyboard, be they the "SL" musician
Frogg Marlowe or, if Universal Music's official plans continue to
take shape, Chamillionaire and the rock band Hinder.
"It's really a rush, like being in a real-world concert," the virtual
Bono told MTV News. The members of U2inSL prefer not to use their
real names in public "to keep the mystique and excitement," according
to the unreal Bono. "This is role-play after all."
The group gathered for a concert this past weekend after two months
of inactivity due to an injury suffered by one of the members. In
April, MTV News attended a small invitation-only concert where the
U2inSL crew provided an education on how a virtual concert works.
Physically it requires nothing more than logging onto a computer
running "Second Life" and digitally walking — or flying — to the
concert's location. In April, that locale was a tropical island
called Dragon Moon. The concert organizers can block unwanted guests
by requiring a digital ticket, without which an approaching player
will see their character run into an invisible wall.
Before the April concert began, the virtual bandmembers hung out in
the band room. "Second Life" doesn't support voice chat, so Bono was
text-chatting with the Edge.
Next to their building was a large concert stage. On the far side
were two porta-potties. The concert area was about 100 virtual feet
from the edge of a beach, the stage facing the water. Behind the
audience pit, just out of reach of a lapping tide, was a concession
stand, a T-shirt booth and a bar. A mouse click on those spots would
generate virtual hot dogs and beer or a U2 outfit that can be zapped
onto a character's body.
"Second Life" is different than other massively multiplayer games
like "World of Warcraft" and "EverQuest," not just because it doesn't
actually contain any game-oriented goal but because it allows players
to create everything in the world. Players can create characters that
look like monsters, supermodels, Bono or whatever else they can think
of while messing with the program's modeling tools.
Everything a player creates is stored on servers at "Second Life"'s
parent company, Linden Labs, and has to be transmitted back out to
any other players who would need to see it, say, because they're
walking past the Bono character or watching him perform onstage. This
presents a problem if too many people are standing around in the game
trying to watch Bono at the same time. The Linden Labs server begins
to feel the strain of sending the same graphics out to more and more
attendees. So if too many people come to a virtual concert in "Second
Life," the world is going to stutter. Popularity can cause a slowdown.
That didn't happen during the April concert, in part because people
followed the rules. The ban on "hoochie hair" and "particles" was
really a ban on attendees bringing graphically elaborate hairdos and
special effects that would put more strain on Linden Labs' servers.
Until the audio feed is activated, the virtual concert is practically
silent. But once it was on, the band "played" a 14-track set, which
included streamed audio of the real U2 playing "Vertigo," "Elevation"
and "Where the Streets Have No Name."
The final cued track of the evening was real-life crowd applause. The
members of U2inSL don't have to sing, but they have to make sure
their characters hit their marks and make the appropriate motions
(hold microphone to mouth, throw arms in the air, spin around, etc.)
"I rehearse steady for about a week," the fake Bono told MTV News.
The concert in April went smoothly, though not without at least one
kink. "I missed hopping at the keyboard for 'Miss Sarajevo,' " the
virtual Edge confessed.
A "Second Life" concert is an odd place. A mysterious object in front
of the stage proves, with a curious mouse click, to be a dance
machine. It immediately causes the player's character to start
dancing with energetic spasms. Anyone else clicking winds up with
their character also dancing, in perfect unison with everyone else.
Dancing doesn't take any sustained effort. It just happens — and
keeps happening long after some of the people too busy text-chatting
remember they're still doing it. It's all done with computers, after
all.
After the April concert, the fake Bono demonstrated how a few mouse
clicks can generate a complete wardrobe change. But those Linden Labs
servers aren't so fast that one shirt just swaps for another. " 'Zip'
ain't a word when changing clothes," he said, as a red-and-black
tunic faded in to replace a black leather jacket.
Another weird touch: People wanted to hug goodbye, but one of them
hadn't set his character up properly to do it: "Sorry, dear, took hug
attachment off. I'll have to dig it out of inventory later," he
responded.
Virtual concerts — even better than the real thing? Well, a bit
different at least.
— Stephen Totilo
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
ORGAN DONATION SAVES LIVES
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And to everyone bashing Binaural and Riot Act in a thread that has nothing to do with Pearl Jam, go blow yourselves. Thanks!
See, you called someone else for entering a thread to bash U2, which was fair enough. It does beg the question, though ... Why are you on this board? You don't sound like a Pearl Jam fan, at all.
for one man. asap's CHELSEA J. CARTER spends some time with the man
who would be Bono.
Rob Kemp does a double-take. Then he does a triple-take.
Bono? The lead singer of the biggest band in the world, U2?
He races up and introduces himself, shaking his hand and rattling off
his adoration at a mile-a-minute pace.
Kemp, 23, doesn't notice that the man has no Irish accent. Or that
he's carrying his own bag down the street. All Kemp of Abbotsford,
Canada, sees is the legendary singer -- from the straw hat to the
glasses to the jacket.
"I'm not Bono," the man says.
This is the man who would be Bono. asap spent some time with Bono
impersonator Geoffrey Knight -- a man who is such a ringer for the
rock star that he eclipses other look-a-likes, and we found out that
adoration comes in all forms, including human form.
___
BECOMING BONO
Knight, 32, a long time U2 fan, came to Bono late in life. It began
with a U2 concert in Seattle when his wife encouraged him to wear a
pair of sunglasses, which he says looked nothing like the ones that
Bono is famous for wearing.
"You know how people stare at you, and you get this feeling in the
back of your head that someone is looking at you?" Knight said.
Stares -- they happened during the concert and again at the
merchandise stand.
"This one girl had a little bit too much to drink, and she wrapped her
arms around me. And then she stepped back and said 'You're not him,'"
he said.
But it was a trip to Ireland to see a U2 concert a few months later in
June 2005 that set him on his path to becoming Bono. In Dublin, where
Bono can be seen sometimes walking the streets, the people who live
there did more than a double-take. Some of them approached him.
___
BEING BONO
It started when he returned to Washington and related the experience
to a friend, who in turn told him that celebrity impersonators can
make a lot of money. Out of curiosity, Knight said, he logged on and
looked at a few Bono impersonator sites. None of the impersonators
looked a lot like Bono, he says.
Most people emulate their idols earlier in life, with their choice of
clothing or a hairstyle. Sometimes they replicate a celebrity's tattoo
or adopt their nickname. But Knight had never subscribed to that. He
was a guy who liked the music, the man and the man's message about
helping those less fortunate.
Knight sent some pictures of himself to an impersonation Web site. A
month later, Boston radio station Mix 98.5 FM contacted him -- and
flew him out to do promotions for the station in the days leading up
to a U2 concert.
For a few days, Knight lived like a rock star. He took no money for
the gig but did enjoy the perks -- from the use of limo to a suite in
an upscale hotel.
"I would pop my head up out of the limousine. It was like magnet. The
limo couldn't move and people were asking to take their pictures," he
said.
___
LIVING BONO
There is little about Knight's personal life that resembles the rock
star. Knight and his wife own a Pilates studio in the sleepy
university town of Bellingham; Bono owns several houses, globe trots
for social causes and, of course, fronts the biggest rock band in the
world.
But Knight does believe in some of Bono's causes, such as "One: The
Campaign To Make Poverty History. He donates most of the money he
makes as a look-a-like to One, and lent his Bono-likeness to a video
produced by his daughter, who was promoting the campaign at her school.
Being Bono has become a family affair as well.
His wife manages his impersonation career and keeps an eye on his
wardrobe. His daughter helps him keep up with the latest Bono news,
and Knight studies recent photos of Bono to keep up with his appearance.
There's also the clothing and accessory price tag. A pair of designer
sunglasses can run upward of $500 to $1,000, and the getting a custom
hat made can cost hundreds of dollars.
"I'm so good at holding up the morale end of the package. I don't try
to abuse this thing, this gift I guess you can call it," Knight said.
"I was born this way. I don't have any Irish in me at all. So yes, I
guess it's a gift."
Their are a few physical challenges to impersonating the rock star.
"He has terrible posture. I would love to get him in a Pilates
studio," Knight said.
(photos of Knight can be found here:
http://asap.ap.org/stories/693393.s)
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Africa a year ago on providing life-saving AIDS drugs, expanding trade
and boosting aid, said activist rock star Bono.
Bono and fellow Irish rocker Bob Geldof have used their fame to fuel a
global campaign for more aid to Africa, organising Live 8 concerts
around the world last year to press Group of Eight industrial leaders
meeting in Gleneagles, Scotland, to wipe out poverty.
"They started to climb an Everest but over the past year they got lost
at base camp," Bono said in an interview after the release of a
progress report by his lobby group Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa group, or
DATA.
"I'd like to think that the DATA report is a kind of a GPS system for
how to get back on track and back up the mountain," said Bono, who
formed DATA with Geldof.
The report said wealthy countries had delivered on their promise to
cancel the debts of 19 poor countries, most of them in Africa, with a
total of 44 countries eligible under programs of the International
Monetary Fund and World Bank.
"Overall, there is one cheer on debt, half a cheer on AIDS and boos
and wolf-whistles for what is happening on trade," Bono said.
The report said relief from burdensome debt payments in Cameroon,
Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia has already swelled spending
on education, health and the battle against HIV/AIDS.
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Whoa, whoa, whoa. So you're implying Riot Act and Avocado compare to Ten and Vs.? Pearl Jam's not the same, sorry to break it to you. Still amazing, and the live shows are incredible... but not the same quality.
1) Vitalogy
2) Yield
3) Ten
4) No Code
5) Riot Act
6) Vs.
7) Pearl Jam
8) Binaural
I disagree. I think Avocado is as good as anything that PJ have ever done. It just shows that bands can still come up with the goods 10 or 15 years after their first record - Bono and U2 should remember that and stop releasing the same regurgitated crap on every record. Pop was their last real record in 1997
Pearl Jam put out 2 crap albums (Binaural and Riot) before they were even 10 years old.
You cna't compare catalogs. It's simply stupid.
i think both binaural and riot act crap all over U2 albums like Unforgettable Fire and Zooropa. You cant compare catalogues cos PJ have never put out a bad album. Bono recently said that U2 would continue till they put out three bad records in a row - they'd better do somethin good with the next one
Your Pearl Jam bias hurts your argument.
No one outside of this forum agrees with you.
Have we lost our way tonight?
Have we lost our hope to sorrow?
Feels like were all alone
Running further from what’s right
And there are no more heroes to follow
So what are we becoming?
Where did we go wrong?
which was released 10-15 years after their first record. then they returned to their roots for the next two albums.
pearl jam, at 10-15 years after their first record, released 2 albums that were a bit weird and idiosynchratic (like zooropa and pop) before returning to their roots (even stone has said there's nothing new on the latest album) with avacado.
it's the same career arc.
That's very true...I think it's a masterpiece and sadly it is often either overlooked or bashed quite too much.
I also think that soulsinging has a very good point...although, even though I do love all of U2's stuff, I'm looking for something a bit different on the next one, maybe a bit more atmospheric than their last few outings.
Some die just to live.
Message from 1981 described as 'fresh and relevant'
@U2, July 03, 2006
by Scott Calhoun
A company in Littlehampton, England, offering an eclectic line of
products, from holiday packages to financial advising to books and CDs,
is selling copies of a presentation Bono, the Edge and Larry Mullen Jr.
made 25 years ago to a weekend retreat for Christian musicians.
Dream Depot advertises its U2's Vision CD as a "never before available"
recording. Its Web site says: "Be inspired by Bono, the Edge and Larry
talking about the spiritual roots of U2 at a music seminar in 1981.
Drawing heavily on Old Testament prophets, they explain their vision
for the band and sound a warning to the Christian music scene."
The January 1981 retreat was held at the Gaines Christian Center in
Worcester, England, and organized by Laurie Mellor as a Ghettout Music
event. Mellor started Ghettout Music in 1980 as a recording and
management company for motivating Christian musicians to leave the
Christian music sub-culture behind for the mainstream music world.
Now a director of Dream Depot, Mellor said he met Bono, Edge, and Larry
in the summer of 1980, just prior to the release of U2's debut album,
Boy. After getting to know them later that year, he asked them to come
speak at his retreat.
"I invited the band because I felt their presence would be
inspirational, and so it proved," Mellor said. "The invitation to speak
was accepted at once, and I believe the three felt their presence was
very beneficial."
Full story:
http://www.atu2.com/news/article.src?ID=4320
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
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July 05, 2006
posted by: m2
Couple bits worth passing along....
1) Bono's hinted about the band working on new material over the
summer, and now there's confirmation from the latest U2.com member
email which was sent out Tuesday: "U2 are off the road and spending
some time working on new songs in the recording studio, so it's a
chance for us to mail you one of our occasional U2.Com updates."
2) The current issue of Rolling Stone hints that a "Certain Band from
Ireland" will be doing a "year-end blowout" in Hawaii with Pearl Jam
and Kings of Leon. From what we're hearing on the street, this one has
legs. Stay tuned....
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oh my god... i just messed my pants.
how much is a ticket to hawaii?
u mean after u pay $200 list price for a gold circle ticket :(
u2 is all about money. nothing else
10 C presale:
60 bucks
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to see u2 and pearl jam? id pay it.
then u r freakin crazy...or, rich
u2 isn't worth $100...neither is pearl jam
i might be crazy, but far from rich. no, either one by themselves in cleveland or detroit is not worth $100. but both of them together in one show in hawaii... that's quite an experience.
So the biggest obstacle for this show will be travel costs.
HTDAAB was the worst of the lot - at least POP and All That You Can't Leave Behin was interesting (even if you didn't like it). The last one was just boring.