bono for president

We all know how much I adore U2. I’m not a groupie. I’m not obsessed. I learned from the inside of the music industry that groupies are sad people with no real purpose. They are often looking for idols. They find them in music. I don’t do this, but there is no better music than that of U2. Even at their worst, they are far and above anything before or that will be. And I can’t explain why. The words, they do a lot of it. Bono’s persona does a lot of it. The guitar riffs do a lot of it. Altogether they could be no better. They are the perfect band, the perfect blend of melody and word.

Bono spoke at the receipt of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame awards that in today’s record business, bands like U2 would not be given a chance. That with today’s push for commercialism, U2 would not exist if it were just starting out. It’s a scary thought, that we could be missing out on another U2. It’s scary to me. And I know it’s true. I’ve seen record contracts be extended, records barely marketed and bands dropped. I’ve been personally affected by the record industry and it’s need for money over talent. It’s a sad thing that true artists are out there with no good outlets, no ways to support their families through their art. My brother has found other outlets, he’s still using his talents. He’s worked with artists and on albums you’ve heard. He’s been a small part of the future musical cannon. But, he never got to realize it for himself. His band’s dreams were squashed by the boy bands of the moment. He’s a backstage player now. He’s a part of the nameless ensemble. It’s OK, he has a life with happy children and he gets his occasional brushes with fame. It’s just hard sometimes to not play the “what if” game. We had at one time, dreamed of rock-n-roll success. So, what if, what if Bono ruled the world?