logo
U2 is true democracy, says Bono

U2 is true democracy, says Bono

U2 frontman Bono has described the band as a 'democracy'.
The 65-year-old rocker explained how the iconic group – which also comprises The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr – all chip in with ideas for new music.
However, the Beautiful Day singer added that it is usually the lead guitarist's suggestions that are given preference.
Asked how U2 work after more than 40 years in the industry, Bono said: 'Bloody democracy. Thom Yorke from Radiohead says, 'A band is like the United Nations, except I'm America'.
'But U2 is an actual democracy. We all listen to each other, and then do what Edge says.'
Bono takes centre stage in the new Apple TV+ documentary film Stories Of Surrender which documents a one-man performance he gave in New York in 2023 – although he doubts that his U2 bandmates are that interested in the project.
He said: 'I think Larry only likes Westerns, Adam said he liked the moonwalk, so I think perhaps he was looking at a different film. Edge is always there. He's so supportive, especially when he sees me be open or be vulnerable, which is our definition of art.'
The Dubliner describes the film as 'very intimate' and revealed that he took inspiration from the late Beatles icon John Lennon for the project.
Father-of-four Bono explained: 'It was always, 'Break open the ribcage, show what's the heart, let it bleed'.
'That was the John Lennon way. So it starts with heart surgery.'
Meanwhile, the singer recently teased that he wants U2 to make 'the sound of the future' on their next album.
The With Or Without You artist said on Jimmy Kimmel! Live: 'We've been in the studio and you've sometimes got to deal with the past to get to the present, in order to make the sound of the future. That's what we want to do.'
Bono also insisted that U2 continue to be very ambitious despite their long and successful career in music.
He said: 'It's the sound of four men, who feel like their lives depend on it. I remind them, they do.
'Nobody needs a new U2 album unless it's an extraordinary one. I'm feeling very strong about it.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

‘Our greatest blessing has arrived' – Rob Lipsett celebrates birth of first child with wife
‘Our greatest blessing has arrived' – Rob Lipsett celebrates birth of first child with wife

Irish Independent

time20 hours ago

  • Irish Independent

‘Our greatest blessing has arrived' – Rob Lipsett celebrates birth of first child with wife

In a series of touching snaps, the influencer declared 'our greatest blessing has arrived' in the form of Isabelle Lipsett. The pair, who tied the knot in Marbella last year, had announced that they were expecting their first child together in December. Rob joked: '17 years of bicep curls. All for this moment,' as he posted a picture of him carrying Isabelle in a baby car seat. 'Appreciate all the kind messages, me and Linda are honestly blown away. Grateful doesn't even cover it!' Rob's friends and fans flooded the comment section with Love Island star Greg O'Shea writing: "Beautiful. Winning at life." RTÉ star Laura Nolan added: "Huge congratulations guys." Influencer Louis Cooney said: "Huge congrats guys. She is beautiful." The Dubliner appeared on the dating show in 2017 and later met wife Linda through mutual friends. They shared the exciting news that they were expecting with their Instagram followers with a sweet photo of the couple standing on the beach as Rob holds up a photo of a baby scan. They captioned the joint post, which features Linda showing off her baby bump, by writing: 'Our greatest adventure begins. Baby Lipsett, we already love you more than words'. Rob and Linda later shared a video of themselves decorating their Christmas tree in their swanky Marbella pad, which they captioned: 'Next Christmas will look a little different.' They reminded their social media followers it was their 'last Christmas as just the two of us' as Rob planted a kiss on his other half's baby bump. The pair wed at the Boho Beach Club in Marbella, where they're currently based, the previous September. Rob, who co-owns the Dublin Raw Gym chain and appeared on an early season of Love Island UK, proposed to his girlfriend of five years in August. The fitness guru briefly appeared on Love Island in 2017, previously told the Sunday World that it was 'a great laugh' and he enjoyed the experience in the famous villa. "They asked me to go on, which is really nice. I had a fond experience, even going in before and afterwards," he said. "In total it was actually about 10 days, it was a few days in the hotel before and also hanging out with other contestants who got the boot afterwards. Even seeing the reaction online, and my friends. It was a great experience, a great laugh and I really enjoyed it. "Linda didn't see it as she was in Australia when I was on it and we met maybe a year-and-a-half later. But all her friends saw it and she does think it's funny." Rob and Linda relocated to Marbella, Spain, during the pandemic. But with property prices through the roof back home in Ireland, Rob revealed he bought a house abroad because he dreaded getting a 'bad deal' back home. He explained: 'Of course I love Ireland, I wanted to buy there first, but I can get a detached villa with four beds and a pool in Marbella versus what I can get an apartment for in Dublin, and you just feel like you're getting a bad deal. "I looked at a few apartments two or three years ago in Rathgar and a development in Foxrock, and they are really nice, but I would just feel I could fly two hours away to a hot country and get a house instead for the same price. 'As much as I love Dublin, the housing market is a bit strange, to say the least, so I feel I've got a good deal at the moment, and in a few years hopefully I'll look at Dublin again.'

Love Island's Billykiss unrecognisable in old snaps alongside famous friends
Love Island's Billykiss unrecognisable in old snaps alongside famous friends

Irish Daily Mirror

timea day ago

  • Irish Daily Mirror

Love Island's Billykiss unrecognisable in old snaps alongside famous friends

Love Island bombshell Billykiss Azeez looks unrecognisable in old photographs, as her famous friends have been revealed. The Dublin beauty, 28, was turning heads long before she entered the villa as she's been spotted with some of Ireland's biggest stars. Before gracing our small screens, Billykiss had over 100,000 followers between TikTok and Instagram. She has been on the influencer scene in Dublin for years after creating her fashion and beauty Instagram account in 2016. In photos dating back almost 10 years, Bilikis looks unrecognisable as she experimented with her hair and clothes. One snap shows the reality star with a bright red short bob, while she shows off chic grey hair in another. In more recent years, the beauty has been photographed with many Irish celebrities. She posed alongside singer Erica Cody at the listening party for her most recent album and attended an event at The Curragh Racecourse with Virgin Media's Brian Dowling and Arthur Gourounlian from Dancing with the Stars. Last month, she attended influencer Lauren Whelan's jewellery collection launch. The 23-year-old is one of Ireland's biggest internet stars at the moment, with almost two million followers on TikTok. Her other famous influencer friends include Charleen Murphy, Ellie Kelly, Aideen Kate, Chloe Koyce and Keilidh Cashell. The stunner has starred in campaigns, including for Keilidh's makeup brand KASH beauty. And while she may be hoping that her stint on Love Island will boost her profile, the Dubliner has her heart set on finding love. She's hoping Limerick rugby hunk Conor Phillips, 25, will fall for her, as they enjoyed a cheeky date together on her first night. Before entering the villa, Bilikis said she was looking for someone 'tall, who's good looking but not too good looking and that's confident, assertive, knows what they want and is serious about me'. The beauty has been single for 10 years, and is hoping that this unconventional way of finding a man will work for her. However, she is picky, and says it's a red flag when a 'guy has too many female friends', 'or a guy that can't take accountability, listen or communicate". "A green flag is a guy who is a great listener and committed.' The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week

Shane Lynch accuses pop stars of performing ‘live witchcraft' on stage to children
Shane Lynch accuses pop stars of performing ‘live witchcraft' on stage to children

Sunday World

timea day ago

  • Sunday World

Shane Lynch accuses pop stars of performing ‘live witchcraft' on stage to children

The Dublin figure believes children are being subjected to dark spiritualism through pop music. Taylor Swift performing on stage at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin (Liam McBurney/PA) Boyzone star Shane Lynch has accused pop stars like Beyoncé and Taylor Swift of performing 'live witchcraft' when performing on stage. The Dubliner, who has previously opened up about the role of 'demonic' Satanism in the music industry, feels the pop world is 'dark' in terms of spiritualism. He also believes figures like P Diddy, who is currently on trial in the US over an alleged sex trafficking operation, convinced a generation of young people that material objects are what matter most in the world. In a lengthy YouTube interview with Liam Tuffs, the singer criticised the music industry for allowing 'undertones of sexuality' to be displayed in front of children. "The spiritual side of the industry is dark,' he explained. Taylor Swift performing on stage at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin (Liam McBurney/PA) "Pop music is about taking characters into a darker world. Not only for the artist themselves but the followers, the people, who are listening to those songs. "The music industry going on today, I find it very difficult for kids. We had a great innocence with Boyzone; pencil cases, rubbers, rulers, and nice music. "There was no undertone of sexuality or violence or anything. It's lovely music. "But then you go to the other side with your Beyoncés and your Taylor Swifts and all that, but it's right in front of you. You're looking at people doing live witchcraft on stage; live spiritual performances on stage. Live demonic performances on stage to all of our children. "It's just a pentagon on the ground, what's the problem? They're doing live stuff in front of us; it's a big problem but we're just going 'ah it's a performance isn't it?" Shane continued and stated his belief that withcraft 'comes demonically from the top' from powerful figures in the industry. Shane Lynch Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 2nd The 48-year-old says that while pop artists don't start off looking to perform witchcraft, they end up being pressured into the practice. "They didn't decide to be straight out the box, devil horns and craziness,' he continued. 'They were brought into this more and more because it sells and they want to make sales. "You sell your soul to the devil and a lot of them talk about it but it's generally witchcraft. "They get into witchcraft and once you're inside that kind of witchcraft scenario, it's hard to come back. I was there and that's the only reason. I can really talk about it because the dark times I was talking about is when I was into witchcraft. "I was into all the dark stuff that all of the industry was in. From 1997 to 1999, I got darker and darker into spritualism stuff and the dark nature of the industry. That's how I know it's real. "I was just talking off the cuff having not experienced it, fair enough but I was deeply involved in witchcraft in those days." Read more American country star reveals two of her favourite men are famous Irish exports Shane has previously spoken about how he became a born-again Christian after going off the rails during Boyzone's success. He became a Christian in 2003 after being been involved with clairvoyants and ouija boards. Shane has also spoken about being visited by demonic forces as a young man However, he was was persuaded to convert to Christianity by close friend Ben Ofoedu, who was his colleague in the band REDhill which Lynch joined after Boyzone. In a previous interview in 2023, he told Premier Christian Radio: 'We have the Holy Spirit that guides us and protects us in the name of Christ, but the demonic side of the music industry is very real too. "That's how I came to God; through understanding the demonic side.' Speaking earlier this year, Shane became emotional declared that Boyzone will 'never be a band again' as he admitted crying while watch the new documentary about their time together. 'I don't think we'll never make music again,' the 48-year-old said. 'It's not our territory as a world.' The Sky Documentaries programme Boyzone: No Matter What was released earlier this year.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store