Music and Social Action

Following on from yesterday's post, what role does Music play? Should musicians speak about political issues from the stage, or actors speaking from the screen – do they have the right to speak. What value is there in artists running partisan concerts? I wonder what provokes people to go – I guess perhaps its in part is because they like bands who are socially and politically aware.

Bono, since the Vertigo tour began in March this year has been spending a few moments from the stage, during the introduction to the bands hit One talking about “Making Poverty History”, asking the audience to text their support to their nations leader, concluding by saying ‘We are more powerful when we work together’.

Which I guess prompted Nana Mouskouri comments in Thursday’s [SM] Herald that; "I think that you cannot force the G8 to decide by having thousands of people in front of them”. And I want to say that there is a degree of truth here, but it does say to the government that this is an issue the people feel strongly about, and that’s not a bad thing.

U2 though are no stranger to controversy here, having recorded Sunday Bloody Sunday, and during the Joshua Tree Tour, making comment about the bombing of Einskillen in 1987, including satellite links to Sarajevo on their Zoo TV tour, and more recently during the bands 1998 PopMart tour on stage in Santiago, Chile, Bono spoke to Pinochet calling him to account for the actions of his regime, and in Assayas's book Bono comments that while some booed, others cheered. At the end of the concert, they crowd were all cheering, suggesting that U2's fans may be politcal they don't necessarily share the bands politics.

I think, it is great to see bands with a political conscience – yes, in the end they may not be listened to, but its valuable that they air their views. Celebrity’s have a currency, and I would like to see them use it.

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And on the concerts: the highlights were Pink Floyd's set (Wish You Were Here, and Comfortably Numb stood out), R.E.M., Coldplay, Madonna and U2 were great (especially One).