AC/DC singer Brian Johnson blasts Bob Geldof, Bono

[Ratrod]

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/acdc-singer-brian-johnson-blasts-bob-geldof-bono/story-e6frewyr-1225826175157

[Will]

Sounds reasonable enough to me. When he was on Top Gear, he also explained his preference for privacy.
Also, he did a great lap on their track!

[Ian Price]

I absolutely agree with everything he is saying. I went to a Madonna concert a few years ago and she did some protest about some war (can't remember which one). She basically preached about it for a while, played a terrible cover of 'Imagine' and had images of children that had either been killed or maimed during the war projected onto the backdrop.

The result? She got loudly booed by pretty much everyone in attendance.

[Afghan Dave]

We about to rock salute you!!

[Ted 'N' Leo]

Nice to know theres somebody out there who can talk sense.

My favourite Bono moment (if this is even true) has to be when he was doing a concert, and started a slow clap. To which he said seriously 'Every time I clap my hands, a child in Africa dies'

To which a punter shouts out 'Well stop clapping your hands!'

[Philly Q]

I think Brian Johnson has a point, but we're talking about two different things.  There's standing on stage just pontificating, which up-his-own-arse, holier-than-thou, humourless tax dodger Bono is particularly good at.

But something like Live Aid was Geldof using his position and "celebrity" (admittedly in a pontificating, holier-than-thou sort of way) to actually get other people to donate money for a cause.  That's money which wouldn't have been raised if he'd taken the "I do it myself, I don't tell everybody I'm doing it" approach.

I don't know if Live Aid "worked" or not, but it must have done some good, at least in the short term.

[fbloke]

Well done Brian Johnson.  The po-faces of the entertainers who lecture us on all the ills in the world as if they're all our fault need to be slapped very hard indeed.  What influence does the average punter have on the day-to-day problems in Africa? Very little unless you're wealthy enough to send big charity donations.  The rest of us just want to be entertained.  To quote Dave Lee Roth - "If you want to send as message, use Western Union". 

I suggest we impose a new super- income tax of 90% on Bono, Chris Martin, Madonna and Sting.  That might shut them up and get them to start making good records again.  Madonna aside of course, who never made any good records in the first place.

[Ratrod]

Geldof gets on my nerves even more than Bono.

He had one hit "I don't like mondays". After that he's become a professional activist. He lives like a prince. his daughter is the Paris Hilton of Ireland.

If you ask me, this guy made his fame and fortune on Africa.

[nfe]

Nice to know theres somebody out there who can talk sense.

My favourite Bono moment (if this is even true) has to be when he was doing a concert, and started a slow clap. To which he said seriously 'Every time I clap my hands, a child in Africa dies'

To which a punter shouts out 'Well stop clapping your hands!'

I've heard of that before, so it may well be true.

My favourite Bono moment, which I sadly can't find on youtube, was when Cat Deeley interviewed him on a bridge and he gave her the rosary beads given to him by the Pope. Which she promptly broke and they tumbled off the string and bounced off said bridge.

[tomjackson]

I like the way Bono demands that the Irish government do more to fight poverty, paid for by the taxes of the Irish, then moves a big chunk of his business out of Ireland to avoid paying the Tax.

Joan Burton, Irish Labour’s finance spokesman, said: “Having listened to Bono on the necessity for the Irish Government to give more money to Ireland Aid, of which I approve, I am surprised that U2 are not prepared to contribute to the Exchequer on a fair basis along with the bulk of Irish taxpayers.

Sell your private Jet Bono and use up U2's £700 million before you ask your hard working fans for more money over your inflated ticket prices.

Well said Brian!

[AndyR]

He had one hit "I don't like mondays".

I dunno, "Rat Trap" was pretty good... in fact, better, as far as I was concerned. Can't remember how long each was No 1 in the UK, but I can still see Rat Trap being performed several weeks running on Top of the Pops in my mind's eye. But my memory of "I don't like Mondays", other than an initial "that's quite clever", is that it's the annoying single my sister bought! :lol:

Thinking about it, I probably find it annoying because it's a preachy thing about a news item he read...

Yeah, he kinda gets on my nerves, but I must admit I have more respect for his activism stuff than Mr Bono.

I'm very much in the "I want to be entertained" bracket, I don't want my entertainers wittering at me about guff between songs/performances. Yeah, write a moving song about it, but shut up otherwise.

I have to agree with Philly though, if Mr Geldof hadn't got all @rsey, Live Aid wouldn't have happened.

And here's my big confession - I watched ALL of it... every single minute... and I didn't give 'em a f***ng bean, because there was some hairy git shouting at me every five minutes, and the whole thing, other than the music, felt like it was designed to make me feel guilty if I didn't join in and contribute. And ever since then I have NEVER given anything to ANY charity that tries to sell itself like that - let's all join in and have fun, don't be a stingy spoilsport... Comic Relief, Children in Need, etc, they've never had a penny from Mr Scrooge here ... (mind you, not watched them in many years neither!)

I do actually give to various charities, not as many as my missus, but these big guilt-fest things leave me utterly cold...

And rockstars spouting about their pet thing fits very firmly in the "leave me alone" bracket :lol:

EDIT: Just read the actual article now - right on Brian! :lol: Didn't know AC/DC turned it down. Queen did it for the publicity, and almost admitted it. Yeah, we can't not be in this, and if it makes money for the cause, fine, but we're doing it for our careers, let's not be silly about it... was roughly their approach. I've got big respect for both approaches :D (and to give him his due, I seem to remember that Queen's attitude to it was the approach that Mr Geldof wanted - I need your fame, you get publicity)

[Fourth Feline]

Nice one Mr. Johnson.  :)

I think that statement summed up neatly what many people are thinking / feeling on the whole " I do a lot of work for charity mate ....  :mrgreen:"  Circus.

Speaking of which ....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAIWTLal9e4&feature=related

[dave_mc]

I think Brian Johnson has a point, but we're talking about two different things.  There's standing on stage just pontificating, which up-his-own-arse, holier-than-thou, humourless tax dodger Bono is particularly good at.

But something like Live Aid was Geldof using his position and "celebrity" (admittedly in a pontificating, holier-than-thou sort of way) to actually get other people to donate money for a cause.  That's money which wouldn't have been raised if he'd taken the "I do it myself, I don't tell everybody I'm doing it" approach.

I don't know if Live Aid "worked" or not, but it must have done some good, at least in the short term.

agreed.

that being said,

Geldof gets on my nerves even more than Bono.

He had one hit "I don't like mondays". After that he's become a professional activist. He lives like a prince. his daughter is the Paris Hilton of Ireland.

If you ask me, this guy made his fame and fortune on Africa.

+1, he is still really annoying. :lol: I think his daughter (and he, too) lives in england. I was going to say I thought ireland had laws against being such a prat, but then bono is irish... :oops:

EDIT: actually, bono gets on my nerves more than geldof.

EDIT #2: having actually read the article now, I agree with what brian johnson is saying.

[Afghan Dave]

Geldof & his family, Peaches et al, are Tax registered as Non-domicile

His companies are registered offshore.

Though he earns millions he avoids as much tax as possible in the UK.

I can tell you this as a fact because I know of a Tax accountant / political activist who is researching such invividuals to expose them.

[Philly Q]

I can tell you this as a fact because I know of a Tax accountant / political activist who is researching such invividuals to expose them.

I've always found it an interesting paradox that the only people who can afford to avoid tax are those who can best afford to pay it.

Does this chap have a successful career as a tax accountant?  Presumably his advice is "keep your money in the UK and pay all the $%&#ing tax you ought to".   :?