Another Iran-Iraq war scenario.

I wonder if it’s gonna be a Dirty Day for U2.

How to loose public support in one easy move, lesson 72.

Find a popular rock band, playing for the enjoyment of paying customers. Interrupt the performance with some stunt, reducing the enjoyment of said customers and also alienating large chunks of said rock band’s fanbase.

Net result – some publicity (of you appearing as selfish pricks). More hostile name recognition for your organisation. Oh, and perhaps less willingness by said rock band to support movements you also support, with a huge loss of awareness as a result.

Could someone tell me the upside to this idea?

Well it does kinda highlight U2′s hypocrisy… at least uncut are showing some consistency in who they are targeting.

Will the stunt involve snorkels?
http://flypostershow.com/files/2009/06/glastonbury-mud.jpg

@watchman

You think if Uncut interrupted U2′s set at Glastonbury it would backfire because the Glastonbury audience would protest that they were enjoying the show and turn against the tax protestors in favour of the giant international rock band?

You don’t know much about the festival, do you?

The festival audience isn’t U2′s paying audience, you know?
And the less said about your torturous argument that this stunt would lead to “loss of awareness” because past-their-prime U2 would withdraw their obviously non-existent support for UK Uncut, the better.

Granted Watchman, if it’s bangers or loudspeakers, yeah that’s going to piss off the cocooned privileged and you raise a fair point. It could be that it’s an entirely visual display, which does have me wondering. An 80ft hologram of animation-Bono jacking off to a Vodafone advert? Images are cool, probably they wouldn’t use that one.

Will they also be denouncing AiWeiWei for his admitted criminal tax evasion?

Someone enjoy U2 performing? Is that possible?

Robert,

You don’t know much about the festival, do you?

Enough to know that as at all festivals, people do not want others choosing to interrupt their enjoyment.

And my argument was not that tortuous – I was suggesting U2 might decide it was not worth backing any charities if this was what they got in return. I don’t think U2 are as deluded as to think UK Uncut are worth backing…

Good on Art Uncut.

Bono has always been telling everyone how we should pay more tax to fund more foreign aid, then we find out that he offshores his own tax.

William Brown had a word for this – hacapiprocy!

[9] “Someone enjoy U2 performing” – Bono and his clever accountants, perhaps?

“Enough to know that as at all festivals, people do not want others choosing to interrupt their enjoyment.”

Then I guess UK Uncut had better make the interruption more enjoyable than the set!
(shouldn’t be that hard?)

“And my argument was not that tortuous – I was suggesting U2 might decide it was not worth backing any charities if this was what they got in return.”

U2 won’t stop backing charities, it’s part of their brand.

Anyway, it’s pretty academic. They have no chance of actually stopping the band performing – though if they somehow did, they’d get a bunch of publicity and, I guarantee you, very little bad feeling from the attendees. Again, they’re not U2′s audience and will generally see that band in particular as, at the very least, a legitimate target of free protest.

It’s about time Bono’s disgusting hypocrisy is exposed on a mainstream, national level. All power to the org that can pull it off.

@8. botzarelli: “Will they also be denouncing AiWeiWei for his admitted criminal tax evasion?”

What a revolting idea. Ai Weiwei offended China’s government elite and was banged up to silence him. If he admitted tax evasion to escape imprisonment, that would be unsurprising. Accused people in countries like China, Cuba, Iran, some former USSR nations confess to non-existent crimes to buy time or to receive a lesser punishment.

15. Charlieman

Ai Weiwei offended China’s government elite and was banged up to silence him. If he admitted tax evasion to escape imprisonment, that would be unsurprising. Accused people in countries like China, Cuba, Iran, some former USSR nations confess to non-existent crimes to buy time or to receive a lesser punishment.

Actually, in all fairness, Chinese tax law is a mess. No one has any idea of what is allowed or not allowed. No one pays anything like the rates set out on paper. The law makes virtually everything illegal. So Mr. Ai was almost certainly guilty.

But of course the charges are a nonsense.

U2 have been shit for over 20 years, anyway. I don’t think the ‘uncut’ crowd will have much joy with anyone stupid enough to pay to see them – unless, of course, said patrons are just waiting for the legit bands like Coldplay to come on.

[/sarcasm]

@16. So Much For Subtlety: “But of course the charges are a nonsense.”

I was trying to avoid this discussion.

In the Chinese economy, it is almost impossible to get rich without a bit of ducking and diving. And it is challenging to convert Yuan into exchange currency.

Ai Weiwei is not a poor man. His wealth is impertinent. His human rights matter

It’s stories like this that sometimes make it truly embarrassing to be on the left.

“Explain once more dear, you want 200 pounds to go to a pop concert and disrupt it and it’s for the poor?”

@jimmy
You think people who pay £200 to go see some bands are hypocrites for wanting everyone to pay taxes?

You think paying taxes is about the poor?

@ Watchman / 3:

Are you kidding? EVERYBODY hates Bono. He’s a total hypocrite. He probably even hates himself. He certainly should.

No issue with Art Uncut pissing off Bono, he is a fucking hypocrite. But instead, why not get a few left-leaning bands to perform a rival gig, covering U2′s entire body of work. A free performance, with a good session of ripping the piss out of a man with the ego of a god, and the humility of a peacock!

Weren’t tickets 200 quid or something? Protest is futile, especially when rocking to U2. Much better for protestors to send that 200 quid to the entirely competent Irish government and public sector. Whose with me?