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  1. For those interested RTE 1 are screening a documentary on Christy Dignam from Aslan tonight at 9.35pm local time.
  4. Ah, that's better - I was getting worried when they posted a 5-star review

    I don't mind the article per se in so far as exploring the issues as to why some people do hate them and some people don't.

    That said, I do have issues with brushstroke journalism, and indeed what feels like the modern desire to treat social groups as monoliths, e.g. '..so why are they so unloved in their home country?', 'why do THE IRISH hate U2'.

    Such massive assumptions that generalise particulars annoy me immensely - if a journalist surveyed every person in the country and got their responses and based a feature on that, fine, there's substantial evidence to back up the assertion, but this isn't it.

    Such broad assertions just smack of intellectual laziness and, to my mind, help no one but reinforce lazy thinking.

    THE IRISH don't - doubtless, many people who identify as Irish do, many people who identify as Irish don't, and many who identify as Irish probably don't care either way. To make the point, change 'The Irish' to any other social grouping, e.g. Newcastle United fans (just to go for something completely unrelated / out of context) - a group of football fans rarely agree on anything, so why would an entire nation achieve any kind of consensus?

    I'm sure this isn't a new phenomenon (whether it be the mass media or just social analysis as a whole), but from what I've seen, it seems to be far more pervasive in the modern era where modern comms give us so much instant access to information at the click of a button, but with that comes the whole instant digestion and gratification process - the world seems to have speeded up, but the analytical capacity for such consumption appears to have inversely decreased.

    Alas.

    (I grant that I'm positing some assertions above, but I'm writing on the fly unlike our journalist friend - happy to try and elaborate if needed!)

  6. Originally posted by WojBhoy:[..]
    Ah, that's better - I was getting worried when they posted a 5-star review

    I don't mind the article per se in so far as exploring the issues as to why some people do hate them and some people don't.

    That said, I do have issues with brushstroke journalism, and indeed what feels like the modern desire to treat social groups as monoliths, e.g. '..so why are they so unloved in their home country?', 'why do THE IRISH hate U2'.

    Such massive assumptions that generalise particulars annoy me immensely - if a journalist surveyed every person in the country and got their responses and based a feature on that, fine, there's substantial evidence to back up the assertion, but this isn't it.

    Such broad assertions just smack of intellectual laziness and, to my mind, help no one but reinforce lazy thinking.

    THE IRISH don't - doubtless, many people who identify as Irish do, many people who identify as Irish don't, and many who identify as Irish probably don't care either way. To make the point, change 'The Irish' to any other social grouping, e.g. Newcastle United fans (just to go for something completely unrelated / out of context) - a group of football fans rarely agree on anything, so why would an entire nation achieve any kind of consensus?

    I'm sure this isn't a new phenomenon (whether it be the mass media or just social analysis as a whole), but from what I've seen, it seems to be far more pervasive in the modern era where modern comms give us so much instant access to information at the click of a button, but with that comes the whole instant digestion and gratification process - the world seems to have speeded up, but the analytical capacity for such consumption appears to have inversely decreased.

    Alas.

    (I grant that I'm positing some assertions above, but I'm writing on the fly unlike our journalist friend - happy to try and elaborate if needed!)
    From my (uneducated) assertions of talking to actual Irish folks in actual pubs around Ireland, the general opinion is of a positive nature. Most of the hate comes from Dublin itself, and most who view U2 in a favorable light are of the opinion that the fact the band give back to the city and actually still reside there, that there is some kind of jealousy or disregard for someone has actually made something of themselves... Again, this is based on random bar chat from nearly 20 years ago when I was last there... I'd love to hear what badirishcharlie, daymo or germcevoy (or any other Irish brothers and sisters here I missed) have to say...
  7. Originally posted by blueeyedboy:[..]
    From my (uneducated) assertions of talking to actual Irish folks in actual pubs around Ireland, the general opinion is of a positive nature. Most of the hate comes from Dublin itself, and most who view U2 in a favorable light are of the opinion that the fact the band give back to the city and actually still reside there, that there is some kind of jealousy or disregard for someone has actually made something of themselves... Again, this is based on random bar chat from nearly 20 years ago when I was last there... I'd love to hear what badirishcharlie, daymo or germcevoy (or any other Irish brothers and sisters here I missed) have to say...
    Agreed - from my experience, aside of our Irish friends here, the Irish guys and gals I know are either casual fans or just don't mind them.

    As it happens, I was over for a stag-do (for my sins!) in Dublin at the beginning of June, and granted we spent most time of the time in Temple so it's tourist central so maybe to be expected, but there were signed pics / paintings of the boys in a couple of pubs and virtually all the musicians playing here and there s all played a U2 cover or two (including a rather splendid WOWY singalong in Temple Bar itself), and locals and tourists alike were having a fine old time singing along.

    The only people I know who have any fervent dislike (or hatred) for U2 are friends from high school, uni, work etc. here in the UK. My friends from elsewhere (rest of Europe, US, Canada etc.) are again either casual fans or not that fussed.
  8. Originally posted by WojBhoy:[..]
    Agreed - from my experience, aside of our Irish friends here, the Irish guys and gals I know are either casual fans or just don't mind them.

    As it happens, I was over for a stag-do (for my sins!) in Dublin at the beginning of June, and granted we spent most time of the time in Temple so it's tourist central so maybe to be expected, but there were signed pics / paintings of the boys in a couple of pubs and virtually all the musicians playing here and there s all played a U2 cover or two (including a rather splendid WOWY singalong in Temple Bar itself), and locals and tourists alike were having a fine old time singing along.

    The only people I know who have any fervent dislike (or hatred) for U2 are friends from high school, uni, work etc. here in the UK. My friends from elsewhere (rest of Europe, US, Canada etc.) are again either casual fans or not that fussed.
    This quote kinda says it all. And this was the feeling I got from people I actually spoke to...

    “We don’t like them because they did well,” adds Karl Devereux. “They’re not the Dubliners, the Pogues, even the Cranberries – they all weren’t that big. But U2 did very well.”
  9. Originally posted by blueeyedboy:[..]
    This quote kinda says it all. And this was the feeling I got from people I actually spoke to...

    “We don’t like them because they did well,” adds Karl Devereux. “They’re not the Dubliners, the Pogues, even the Cranberries – they all weren’t that big. But U2 did very well.”
    Just following on from that, I think their current choice of PA intro song is a perfect choice for many reasons.

    Firstly it's just a great great song. Secondly it works so well as a PA Intro to get everyone revved up.

    Beyond that I think it's also very cleverly chosen.

    I kinda feel that it's maybe U2 tipping their hats and bowing down somewhat to all those really talented bands and artists that were also around in the 80's who either fell by the wayside, or never really had the kind of level of success or acclaim that they perhaps should have done. And it's probably specifically Bono knowing how he can be, saying "we got a bit lucky" cos effectively they did see the whole of the moon - not that they didn't deserve to see it, or not that they didn't work hard for it - but it's typical Bono to show that kind of humility.
  10. Originally posted by Caledonia:[..]
    Just following on from that, I think their current choice of PA intro song is a perfect choice for many reasons.

    Firstly it's just a great great song. Secondly it works so well as a PA Intro to get everyone revved up.

    Beyond that I think it's also very cleverly chosen.

    I kinda feel that it's maybe U2 tipping their hats and bowing down somewhat to all those really talented bands and artists that were also around in the 80's who either fell by the wayside, or never really had the kind of level of success or acclaim that they perhaps should have done. And it's probably specifically Bono knowing how he can be, saying "we got a bit lucky" cos effectively they did see the whole of the moon - not that they didn't deserve to see it, or not that they didn't work hard for it - but it's typical Bono to show that kind of humility.
    i met the band backstage in 2001. they had a humble aire to them but mixed with quiet confidence. and all were very cordial but bono was overly nice. i think they know how fortunate they were and have been, and have usually shown humility during their careers. when the haven't shown humility, it's been more kind of being charatures of themselves. self mockingly, it seems to me.
  11. Originally posted by thet1000:[..]
    i met the band backstage in 2001. they had a humble aire to them but mixed with quiet confidence. and all were very cordial but bono was overly nice. i think they know how fortunate they were and have been, and have usually shown humility during their careers. when the haven't shown humility, it's been more kind of being charatures of themselves. self mockingly, it seems to me.
    Nice! I absolutely agree with you. Even Bono saying the whole, you know... "Did we get the job?" thing that he kept saying circa 2000 / 2001 - I thought that was quite telling.
  12. Originally posted by Caledonia:[..]
    Just following on from that, I think their current choice of PA intro song is a perfect choice for many reasons.

    Firstly it's just a great great song. Secondly it works so well as a PA Intro to get everyone revved up.

    Beyond that I think it's also very cleverly chosen.

    I kinda feel that it's maybe U2 tipping their hats and bowing down somewhat to all those really talented bands and artists that were also around in the 80's who either fell by the wayside, or never really had the kind of level of success or acclaim that they perhaps should have done. And it's probably specifically Bono knowing how he can be, saying "we got a bit lucky" cos effectively they did see the whole of the moon - not that they didn't deserve to see it, or not that they didn't work hard for it - but it's typical Bono to show that kind of humility.
    Agreed. Although, Mike Scott kind of chose to drop out of the spotlight and immerse himself in his art instead of press junkets and interviews in every town!