I was just listening to U2’s “Sunday Bloody Sunday” (1983) and wondered if partisans on either side of The Troubles in Ireland ever tried to lean on, recruit or extort the band? No mention in the Wiki article on the group.
Interesting question.
“This song is not a rebel song. This song is ‘Sunday, Bloody Sunday’.” Isn’t that the introduction on “Under a Blood Red Sky: Live at Red Rocks?”
The song seems to accept both sides “How long can we sing this song? How long?”
Thankfully the newer generations have put all this shit behind them.
Well they are Protestants (three of them are) from Dublin’s north side. Bono and the a Edge had very middle class backgrounds and went to Mount Temple high school which was unlike most secondsy schools in Irelans in that it was like a USA higj school or a comprehensive in the UK (co-ed, no uniforms). Also it had a large CofI student body. Point is, they were never directly connected to the situation in the north and, given their background, were unlikely to have particularly strong nationalist sentiments (highly unlikely they were pro-unionist though). They skilfully avoided any involvement really and became the brand we know today.
Seems unlikely, for the reasons** Lochdale** states. I always found that U2 were adept at taking on the cloak of being from a troubled land* without actually being directly involved (like the vast majority of people who grew up in Dublin or the rest of the Republic during the same era). They used titles/iconography that echoed war/troubles but explicitly distanced themselves for supporting or condemning what was going on with that live pronouncement that Leaffan notes. Wiki states that lyrics were jettisoned that “explicitly spoke out against violent rebels” for fear of reprisal.
It seems it was assumed in Irish-American circles that U2 and the song were pro-IRA and it came to a head just after the Remembrance Day massacre of Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh in 1987. On November 8th, at the McNichols Arena in Denver, Colorado, Bono gave this preamble to the song, which is included in the Rattle & Hum film:
[Quote=Bono]
“And let me tell you somethin’. I’ve had enough of Irish Americans who haven’t been back to their country in twenty or thirty years come up to me and talk about the resistance, the revolution back home…and the glory of the revolution…and the glory of dying for the revolution. Fuck the revolution! They don’t talk about the glory of killing for the revolution. What’s the glory in taking a man from his bed and gunning him down in front of his wife and his children? Where’s the glory in that? Where’s the glory in bombing a Remembrance Day parade of old age pensioners, their medals taken out and polished up for the day. Where’s the glory in that? To leave them dying or crippled for life or dead under the rubble of the revolution, that the majority of the people in my country don’t want. No more”
[/quote]
*They also claimed to be from more modest circumstances than they really were.
Didn’t know that about the Remembrance Day bombing - thanks. Very interesting.
I wonder if there were two versions of “Rattle and Hum”?
I’ve heard the album maybe a half dozen times and have seen the film a couple of times and have no recollection of Bono’s rant?
It’s not a preamble as I stated, starts 2:40 into this clip which I presume is from the film.
That was great. It’s been a couple of decades since I’ve seen the flick. I don’t recall that, but booze was usually involved when we watched R&H back in the day!
I was thinking about this today and the only instance I can recall of a pop/rock band being directly involved in the Troubles was the Miami Showband Massacre. The Miami Showband were essentially a pub band but were popular throughout Ireland at the time.
What about Stiff Little Fingers? Whilst not being directly involved (though several of the members had run ins with the local terrorists on both sides) their songs were directly related to the Troubles.
I’m not a big fan of Bono as a person (not that I know hm) but I am from very near where they are from and the band grew up in a decidedly middle class area with middle class families (though the drummer, Larry Mullen’s Mam died in odd circumstances I have been told but never confirmed. Not suspicious but odd).
I think his comment in Rattle & Hum is very accurate and to their credit, they stayed out that particular aspect of Irish politics. I don’t think was a cynical choice either but a genuine point of view.
Now as to why they live in Ireland now…might be a bit more cynicism there.
I suppose but as regards the Troubles as history I meant. SLF were probably the band that wrote most about the Troubles but there are dozens of one off examples amongst Irish and British acts of the era and some examples from farther afield.
Few who were as directly connected though or who had members from both sides (and I believe were threatened by both sides). Not sure I know of a better song about the Troubles then Suspect Device.
As regards bands being directly connected I imagine some of the republican and loyalist ballad groups had some involvement but none are known beyond their circles nor have an ounce of the talent SLF displayed.
Suspect Device is an absolute cracker, one of my favourite songs. Did you see “Good Vibrations” yet?
I have not and it looks brilliant!
Thank you! This is now on my must-see list.