Love To Hate

There are certain bands whose music some of my music making friends would dismiss or mock. Particularly popular bands, who have gone beyond their remit of simply Making Music, and who delve into the world of politics, large scale social involvement, and such like.

U2 being the prime example.

There can undoubtedly be a certain amount of hypocrisy, grandiosing, and histrionics in some of the large scale do-gooding, which can stick in the craw and appear pharisaical alongside their A-List celebrity lifestyles. Irritating, regardless of how much good intent was involved.

I love the story about U2 at the Barrowlands in Glasgow. Bono steps to the mic, clicks his fingers every couple of seconds for a while, and then proclaims:

”Everytime I click my fingers a child in Africa dies”.

After a quiet moment, a reply comes back, shouted out by a caustically witted Glasgow punter:

”Well stop clicking your f*******g fingers then!”

But what about the music?

Of course some may genuinely hate this or that band or artist. Our tastes are not for sale.

But I’m pretty sure that, for some of the haters, it has nothing to do with the songs, and everything to do with the seismic sense of disconnection between them and the performers. A need to believe in the story-teller, in order to buy into the music.

Personally I’ve never got religiously attached to an artist, even though I’ve got ones that I admire greatly. And in the world of popular music it’s hard to know what is genuine and what is for show. Often it’s a mix of everything.

At heart I’m a song by song person. That’s all. I just want hear your song. Whoever you are. The rest is a factor, but not a game changer.

So here’s one I love from that band who some love to hate.