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  1. I know that this is a negative take and that may bother people, but the Sphere (and U2's involvement) really bums me out. Such an empty bauble that contributes absolutely nothing of value to the world! Ugly, soulless, the antithesis of art. A idol to the devouring god of modernity.

    Am I the only one old enough here to remember that U2 came of age/defined themselves in opposition to the glitz of 80s pop culture? That they embodied substance and soul as opposed to image and flash?

    I loved 90s U2 and the massive tours--but they were staged ironically. "Mock the devil and he will flee from you" Bono liked to say then.

    Where has that irony gone? In recent times they seem to believe that technological advances are inherently good (see Bono's bromance with Steve Jobs and everything Apple, see this Vegas residency).

    But a billion dollar entertainment sphere (and so much of what the i-phone has wrought) is obviously the devil's not the Lord's.

    Bono played the televangelist in America, a devil in Europe to represent the spirit of celebrity in a technological pop-culture wasteland--the empty promises of fame and power in the alienating age of everything all of the time (and that was BEFORE the internet was a reality for most of us!).

    Where has that gift of prophetic judgment gone?

    It is my growing, sinking suspicion that this band I've loved so long has long been becoming a bit of mockery themselves. A mockery of themselves.

    The final section of John Lennon's "God" keeps playing in my head.
  2. I wouldn't call this negative. Bono hasn't been walking with God for a long, long time.
  3. nothing wrong with a bit of negativity - free speech an' all

    but you've followed a false idol if you think bono - and the rest of the band - have been nothing but god-fearing christians

    they follow a christian faith that suits their own agendas

    the drinking, the smoking, rock and roll, the 'slices of the pizza'

    bono mostly, has been an attention seeking brat since the day his mother died - and most probably before that too!

    i think the 'irony' all along has been their 'faith'

    but as i am not religious myself, this has not been a problem with me and i've just accepted and applauded the iconography, the lyrics and the whole religious angle as one of performance and artistic licence

    but don't hold up john lennon as some kind of saint - an adulterer, a wife-beater and a drug taker, he ain't no hero either

    as fantastic as the joshua tree is - it didn't once cause me to find my faith

    my views on the sphere is just that it's a massive sell out - but they really sold out years ago when the dirty fingers of wealth took them down that path
  4. Such detailed knowledge of their faith.. .
  5. I wasn't talking about their personal faith. I was talking about their essential qualities as a band and their relationship to the spirit of the age.

    It doesn't take a person of faith to see that the Sphere is a temple to emptiness--that it is literally nothing but surface and contributes absolutely nothing of real value to anyone's life.

    Two billion dollars for what? So wealthy people can be entertained for an hour or two?

    U2 used to have a complex, if not totally adversarial, relationship to wealth, glitz, and power. U2 were a band who strove to say something, to make an impact.

    "Don't believe in excess/Success is to give..."

    I would be shocked if the real reason Larry is sitting this thing out is his health problems. I would bet he wants nothing to do with this version of the band.

    Macphisto, the vain, aging, celebrity-devil, was a warning from Bono to himself. That character was always part of him. Now, with this sphere-thing, he is unwittingly becoming Macphisto.
  6. We should just rename this whole site to “Warning: A Negative Take” at this point.
  7. Did this really deserve it's own thread?! Could you not have just posted it in the Sphere discussion thread??
  8. Originally posted by ric:Did this really deserve it's own thread?! Could you not have just posted it in the Sphere discussion thread??
    He probably could of but then youll get somecunt moaning about how negative its making them feel
  9. Hahahah. So true.
  10. U2 are always on the forefront of the new technology when it comes to the live show. This is just the next step in that evolution. I'm excited about it. Is the Sphere necessary? Absolutely not. Is it cool? Absolutely. And again it's only 25 shows and I highly doubt Larry backed out because he didn't want to play.
  11. U2 our first and foremost pioneers, and they decided back in the 90s that they wanted to be the first to introduce new tech to live audiences, a way of immersion for their fans like no other band was doing. That’s why you end up with the b-stages , and the ramps that envelop the GA audience, it’s a way of being closer to your audience, but also wanting to immerse them in a complete experience, not just a concert. A live show.. That’s easy for U2, the challenge is always “ What can we do to push the envelope this time?” And that’s something I admire her, because most bands in their 60s are more than content to just sit on their ass and enjoy what they’ve already accomplished. This is what makes U2 different.
  12. Instead of pushing the envelope, they could push themselves to release some new music. It's almost 6 years since they released a new album. They can't seriously be considered as a going concern when they're not producing anything new or worthwhile. The reality is that they are finished.