Defending U2’s PopMart* - Page 2

EdgeVox · 11-22-2005, 10:53 PM

excellent article, I really look forward to reading some more, really

Xavier

pepokiss · 11-23-2005, 09:00 AM

amazing article...

I don't like U2 fans taht didn't like Popmart... but not just for that, but because they can't see outside the box... and francly, you CANNOT like ZooTv and DON'T like PopMart... it's has no sense at all...

and I can assure you, if you love Popmart, you also love ZooTv... that's sense.

Popmart... my first concert ever... 13 years old...

reptile · 11-23-2005, 09:09 AM

didnt read it...no time...no need.....wish i could post my review of popmart Melbourne which apeared in on dit local adelaide uni. mag which i wrote....but A i cant find it and B i wouldnt know how to post it anyway!!!!....have just wathced vertigo dvd and think popmart may be better....love moments of vertigo but.....popmart was the last time U2 where still 'on the outside' yet popular...cant explain...pop and popmart brill...hope they go back there soon....reading interview with edge in local adelaide paper last weekend make s me think...maybe they will...soon...

gump · 11-23-2005, 05:02 PM

Wonderful article. I just hope they start to be more experimental again. After ATYCLB and HTDAAB, I think it's time to think it all over again!

To-Ho · 11-23-2005, 06:02 PM

Good work.the pop album and or cd was wonderful.I saw the live broadcast from mexico and thought it was a great show.Keep up the good work and keep the faith.

Hawk269 · 11-24-2005, 12:59 AM

Great article. I would absolutely love it if U2 had the guts to explore more daring themes again. They have played it safe the last two albums and we all know that.

At the same time, though, they should be smarter about the next risk they take. Here was the problem with PopMart - no one could explain it! When people would ask me what the hell all this symbolism meant, I honestly could not explain it to them. Is that because I am not culturally and artistically aware enough to interpret these messages? Maybe. But more likely it is because U2 did not establish a clear *theme* for PopMart. It was all over the place. I wasn't sure if they were mocking capitalism, pop culture, consumerism, or corporate America...and THAT was the problem. They took on too much. There is nothing wrong with being ironic, but geez, make the point clear. With ZooTV, it was all crystal clear - it was mainly about the explosive growth of new media and its effect on society.

What was the point of PopMart? Can you describe and summarize it in one concise statement?

U2 needs to be daring again, but they need to be smart about it next time.

Aaron

cybersyd · 11-24-2005, 03:44 AM

I subscribe every word of the article.

Mr McPhisto · 11-25-2005, 08:22 AM

great work on the article...I love U2's experimental things such as zooropa, pop, even axtung beibi outtakes ^^, but to be fair....these and popmart aren't for a massive audience in terms that music with a context is not what most of ppl want to see to a concert...they just like to listen music and that's it....that's what U2 is doing right now...it's cheaper too, musically, and financially...I feel sad when I remember watching the arch from outside the stadium...getting frenzy with the music+video experience in concert..."seeing trought the eyes of an artist"...those days won't come back

U2bpbear24 · 11-25-2005, 11:37 AM

great article... i just wish i was older than 8 when PopMart was here.

MixingBliss · 11-26-2005, 01:39 AM

Nicely put. I couldn't agree more. Thanks for taking the time to craft such smart commentary.

trabantland · 11-26-2005, 12:15 PM

Awesome article. Agree with it 100%!!!

STING2 · 11-28-2005, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mark-Reed
oh you're lovely! keep it up. Mx

The actual cost per day of the POPMART tour was 214,000 US dollars. The total GROSS for the 93 date POPMART tour was slightly over $171 million dollars. The cost of the tour was just under $70 million US dollars which allowed Michael Cohl(POPMART tour promoter) to pay U2's $100 million dollar guarantee without having to dip into his own stack of wealth to pay the band. U2 back in 1996 had several promotion companies bid on the opportunity to promote the tour, and Michael Cohl won by guaranteeing the band a $100 million dollar profit, which meant he would handle all the risk and cost of the tour himself. Of course, not that that would be very difficult for someone like Michael Cohl to do, promoter of the Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd tours as well as the Joshua Tree tour for U2.

corianderstem · 11-29-2005, 02:34 PM

Really great and interesting article - I wasn't aware of some of the stuff in there.

I loved the PopMart show I saw, but often wonder what my reaction would have been if I'd been in the nosebleeds. I was close enough that I would have enjoyed myself no matter what the show was actually like.

If I'd been far away, I definitely would have gotten a better view of the ginormous stage show, but might have looked at the show a little more objectively.

When I listen to PopMart bootlegs now, they don't hold up so well. Bono's voice isn't that great; the costumes are too much for me. I dislike the PopMart Mexico video, but that's not U2's fault - that's the hard fact that PopMart's visuals were not made for the small screen.

Nonetheless, I think Pop is a great album, and I'm glad I have such good memories of the Madison, WI show I saw.

AtomicBono · 11-30-2005, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by U2bpbear24
great article... i just wish i was older than 8 when PopMart was here.

same here

I was 9 when I first got into U2, Discotheque was the song, Pop was the album...if only I'd been a little more on top of things, maybe I could have actually seen Popmart. Sure woulda blown my mind.

Fantastic article, mate. I learned some things I didn't know and it was written in a way that was interesting to read.

and of course I always love anyone defending my favourite album of all time and its brilliant tour

viv26 · 12-07-2005, 03:09 PM

Great article. Popmart was amazing!! Loved it!!
Those who label it U2's "biggest mistake" are just a bunch of parrots who have absolutely NO idea what they're babbling about!

11-29-2005, 02:34 PM	#28
corianderstem The Rural Juror Premium Gold Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: In the land of hope and dreams. Posts: 17,707 Local Time: 11:30 PM	Really great and interesting article - I wasn't aware of some of the stuff in there. I loved the PopMart show I saw, but often wonder what my reaction would have been if I'd been in the nosebleeds. I was close enough that I would have enjoyed myself no matter what the show was actually like. If I'd been far away, I definitely would have gotten a better view of the ginormous stage show, but might have looked at the show a little more objectively. When I listen to PopMart bootlegs now, they don't hold up so well. Bono's voice isn't that great; the costumes are too much for me. I dislike the PopMart Mexico video, but that's not U2's fault - that's the hard fact that PopMart's visuals were not made for the small screen. Nonetheless, I think Pop is a great album, and I'm glad I have such good memories of the Madison, WI show I saw. __________________ "I'm so mad right now, all I can do is dance!"

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11-22-2005, 10:53 PM	#16
EdgeVox War Child Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Texas/Mexico Posts: 796 Local Time: 01:30 AM	excellent article, I really look forward to reading some more, really Xavier

11-23-2005, 09:00 AM	#17
pepokiss Rock n' Roll Doggie VIP PASS Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Chile Posts: 5,981 Local Time: 04:30 AM	amazing article... I don't like U2 fans taht didn't like Popmart... but not just for that, but because they can't see outside the box... and francly, you CANNOT like ZooTv and DON'T like PopMart... it's has no sense at all... and I can assure you, if you love Popmart, you also love ZooTv... that's sense. Popmart... my first concert ever... 13 years old...

11-23-2005, 09:09 AM	#18
reptile Acrobat Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: australia Posts: 422 Local Time: 05:00 PM	didnt read it...no time...no need.....wish i could post my review of popmart Melbourne which apeared in on dit local adelaide uni. mag which i wrote....but A i cant find it and B i wouldnt know how to post it anyway!!!!....have just wathced vertigo dvd and think popmart may be better....love moments of vertigo but.....popmart was the last time U2 where still 'on the outside' yet popular...cant explain...pop and popmart brill...hope they go back there soon....reading interview with edge in local adelaide paper last weekend make s me think...maybe they will...soon...

11-23-2005, 05:02 PM	#19
gump War Child Join Date: May 2005 Location: Geneva Posts: 719 Local Time: 08:30 AM	Wonderful article. I just hope they start to be more experimental again. After ATYCLB and HTDAAB, I think it's time to think it all over again!

11-23-2005, 06:02 PM	#20
To-Ho Acrobat Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Earth Posts: 477 Local Time: 02:30 AM	Good work.the pop album and or cd was wonderful.I saw the live broadcast from mexico and thought it was a great show.Keep up the good work and keep the faith.

11-24-2005, 12:59 AM	#21
Hawk269 Acrobat Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Bloomington, Indiana, USA Posts: 312 Local Time: 02:30 AM	Great article. I would absolutely love it if U2 had the guts to explore more daring themes again. They have played it safe the last two albums and we all know that. At the same time, though, they should be smarter about the next risk they take. Here was the problem with PopMart - no one could explain it! When people would ask me what the hell all this symbolism meant, I honestly could not explain it to them. Is that because I am not culturally and artistically aware enough to interpret these messages? Maybe. But more likely it is because U2 did not establish a clear theme for PopMart. It was all over the place. I wasn't sure if they were mocking capitalism, pop culture, consumerism, or corporate America...and THAT was the problem. They took on too much. There is nothing wrong with being ironic, but geez, make the point clear. With ZooTV, it was all crystal clear - it was mainly about the explosive growth of new media and its effect on society. What was the point of PopMart? Can you describe and summarize it in one concise statement? U2 needs to be daring again, but they need to be smart about it next time. Aaron

11-24-2005, 03:44 AM	#22
cybersyd The Fly Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: 3rd stone from the sun Posts: 133 Local Time: 08:30 AM	I subscribe every word of the article.

11-25-2005, 08:22 AM	#23
Mr McPhisto Babyface Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: CHILE Posts: 25 Local Time: 07:30 AM	great work on the article...I love U2's experimental things such as zooropa, pop, even axtung beibi outtakes ^^, but to be fair....these and popmart aren't for a massive audience in terms that music with a context is not what most of ppl want to see to a concert...they just like to listen music and that's it....that's what U2 is doing right now...it's cheaper too, musically, and financially...I feel sad when I remember watching the arch from outside the stadium...getting frenzy with the music+video experience in concert..."seeing trought the eyes of an artist"...those days won't come back

11-25-2005, 11:37 AM	#24
U2bpbear24 Acrobat Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 484 Local Time: 02:30 AM	great article... i just wish i was older than 8 when PopMart was here.

11-26-2005, 01:39 AM	#25
MixingBliss The Fly Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Alexandria, Va. USA Posts: 130 Local Time: 07:30 AM	Nicely put. I couldn't agree more. Thanks for taking the time to craft such smart commentary.

11-26-2005, 12:15 PM	#26
trabantland The Fly Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: chicago [...via.melbourne] Posts: 216 Local Time: 01:30 AM	Awesome article. Agree with it 100%!!!

12-07-2005, 03:09 PM	#30
viv26 Babyface Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Amsterdam Posts: 2 Local Time: 07:30 AM	Great article. Popmart was amazing!! Loved it!! Those who label it U2's "biggest mistake" are just a bunch of parrots who have absolutely NO idea what they're babbling about!