By Christopher Stokum
March 31, 2009
Source: The Pitt News, U. Pittsburgh
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The people of Chicago will see all sides of U2 on Sept. 12.
They’ll see the politics and the anthems, the graying hair and the sweat of the legendary rock group, as U2 embarks on the U.S. leg of their “U2 360°” tour, which officially begins on June 30 in Barcelona, Spain.
They’ll also see the tour’s extravagant centerpiece, a four-armed hulk of steel, speakers and video screens affectionately dubbed “The Claw” by the band. The set will straddle a circular stage and allow ravenous fans to view the band from all angles.
Designed by U2’s show director, a man with the distinct misfortune to be named Willie Williams, and reportedly inspired by a similar spindly building at Los Angeles International Airport, The Claw will be twice as tall as the previous record holder for the largest stadium set, from The Rolling Stones’ 2005 “A Bigger Bang” tour.
The 164-foot-tall set will be made of solid steel, with each arm housing 18 subwoofers and requiring the amount of electricity needed to power an entire arena. Fans will be mercilessly assaulted by The Edge’s jangling guitars and Bono’s great sunglassed activism.
But speaking of Bono’s activism, what happened to Africa?
He’s well-known for his philanthropy and advocacy. As the cofounder of multiple humanitarian organizations and brands like Product Red and the ONE Campaign, he’s been nominated for a Nobel Prize and awarded an honorary knighthood. He’s brought millions of dollars to the African continent to help with AIDS relief, fair wages, labor ethics and refugee support.
Bono seems, surprisingly, like a rock star with a conscience, like someone who hasn’t forgotten about people with two names or their problems.
But as much as Bono has tried to model himself and, more importantly, his image after the socially aware musicians of the past — big fish who fought for the guppies of the world like Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger — he can’t seem to shake the idea of being Bono. And The Claw is the most recent and colossal example.
The estimated cost of The Claw hasn’t been released, but one can safely assume it doesn’t fall in the three- or four-digit range. Money will undoubtedly be poured into it, and in large amounts. They’ll have to pay for the steel framework and the scores of speakers, plus the electricity needed to power the set and the fuel for the 120 trucks required to transport it between cities, not to mention the personnel needed to design, manufacture, move, assemble, disassemble and oversee the behemoth, which appears to have been styled after either a crab or one of Isaac Asimov’s nightmares.
Taking this into account, Bono appears to be the worst kind of hypocrite – one who isn’t at all aware that he is one. His band is spending untold thousands on something designed purely to make them look cool, all as he supposedly crusades to rescue a continent.
I’m not the first to bash Bono. He has attracted criticism for his humanitarian work over the past few decades from those who think rock stars should stick to drugs, sex and writing music about select subjects, namely drugs and sex.
But there’s no need for him to abandon his efforts. I am not suggesting that he play to the stereotype of the musician, and I have no qualms with a celebrity using their fame to benefit others. Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam and the powerhouse duo that is Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie seem to manage without sacrificing their stardom. Bono is simply attempting to live two lives that do not get along well, and soon, one of them will have to end.
Singers rely on their audience believing the words they warble. If Bono wants his listeners to take kindly to tunes about life in Dublin, he shouldn’t drop his Irish accent. If he wants them to tolerate the idealistic ramblings of songs like “One,” he should continue blathering about the mystery and magic of rock ’n’ roll in countless interviews.
And if he wants anyone to believe that he actually cares about Africa and its people, he should stop spending extraordinary amounts of money on gargantuan and, in all honesty, absurd concert sets.
Bono has a choice. He can cement himself as a humanitarian hero by continuing to champion human rights and global awareness. Or he can keep on crooning under soaring sets and join Kiss and Spinal Tap in the realm of the ridiculous.
Unless The Claw has a cure for AIDS, poverty, hunger and war, he can’t choose both.
This story was originally published by The Pitt News
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