Lead Vocalist Syndrome

As many of my generation I've done a complete
180 on U2.

I used to love those Irish boys with the white flag, singing out loud of inner and outer conflicts, of growing pains, of doing yours to save your soul.

But that was before they turned into showbiz, fronted by an egomaniac, out to copy a Mick sized thunder - whitout even trying to play the maracas!

As Keith has explained it:
Well, Mick got very big ideas. All lead singers do. It's a known affliction called LVS:
lead vocalist syndrome. [...] If you combine congential LVS with a nonstop
bombardement of flattery every waking moment over years and years, you can start
to believe the incoming.

And as Keith points out; even if you're not flattered by flattery, it will go to your head!

Staging of own importance
With the current U2 Tour grossing in way over $700 million, it's real hard to match the
band with any anti-poverty credibility - since they don't even pay income tax in Ireland,
i.e. don't contribute to the common good of the society they used to be part of.

And this is no "Exile" situation.

U2 hasn't been ripped off by management nor been arrested, once. Besides Mick
has never even hinted at believing The Stones could or would save the world,
as well as he still seem to have a good ol' dry humour. At times.

Bono on the other hand come across as pretentious to me. Taking on a rock God
image and never stop preaching about how he ("we") can save us from the world's
worst wankers.

This staging of own importance has eaten up his personal integrity. His voice doesn't
hold any promise or longing or fear no more. It no longer challenges you.

And if U2 was anything way back, they were challenging.