Bono’s Belt Buckle in Berlin with Jay-Z and U2’s Amazing Technicolor Light Show
U2 was in Berlin today playing a free show for the MTV EMA awards. This was to mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall. And the “Mayor of New York City”, as Bono called him, showed up. Bono apparently thinks the Mayor of New York City is Jay-Z.
Jay-Z joined U2 during Sunday Bloody Sunday. Iran’s election was fixed! Genocide in Rwanda is sick! Don’t make Jay-Z motherfucking build some schools! And other stuff like that, was offered up. Also of note: Bono wore this same belt at Madison Square Garden last week. This fact is near the top of this blog post because it is an important fact.
One/Magnificent on MTV EMAs:
Sunday Bloody Sunday with Jay-Z on MTV EMAs:
Accepting the Best Live Act Award on MTV EMAs:
More video footage from Berlin is here and here.
Hot Press Article:
U2 Unite Berlin
With the crowd having waited patiently through snow, rain and wind on a bitterly cold Berlin night, U2’s arrival on stage was greeted with joy and jubilation, the likes of which have not been seen in the city for almost 20 years. As the lights shone out over the historic city, it felt like a very special occasion indeed. And it was.
Bono took to the microphone like an old time preacher and immediately displayed his German linguistic skills. “Vielen Dank Berlin. Du bist Wunderbar,” he told an appreciative audience. After that, it was down to business.
The opener, ‘One’, recorded 19 years ago in Berlin for the Achtung Baby album, went down a storm, backed by a stunning lightshow projected onto Germany’s most historic landmark. The words WEST and OST were displayed together, then divided, followed by ONE, followed by FREEDOM and LOVE. It was perfect way to open the night.
‘One’ was succeeded by the powerful ‘Magnificent’ from No Line On The Horizon, and if ever there was a joyful noise this was it. The lines “Only love can heal such a scar” and “Only love unites our hearts” took on an added poignancy, as the whole of Berlin sang along.
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However, it was ‘Sunday, Bloody Sunday’, which will go down, for many, as the highlight of the night. The song written about the divide within Northern Ireland could just as easily have been written about Berlin, the yearning for peace and unity amid the slings and arrows of outrageous human conflict seeming as relevant as ever. “Tonight, we can be as one,” Bono sang and the as the mass chorus echoed into the night sky, Jay-Z – ‘The Mayor of New York’ as Bono dubbed him – joined the band to finish the song. Along the way, U2 merged ‘Sunday Bloody Sunday’ with Bob Marley’s ‘Get Up, Stand Up’, minting some original lyrics to fit the moment:
“And all the lovers and hate
That pass these keepers of the gate
And it’s a heavy weight this history
But it’s not too late…”
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dude – whats the buckle like? i too care about such things…
oh, good point, i updated the post above with a link to relevant photos. i believe it is a city skyline on a white background on the belt buckle. obviously we need to get MUCH closer to it to be sure.
It looks like pointy rocks or mountains with an eagle flying in the sky. Interesting…
>>obviously we need to get MUCH closer to it to be sure <<
LOL, you wish…..
Oooooh, yeah, getting closer to that belt buckle … I wouldn’t mind. Really. At all.
your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to get MUCH closer then…
no doubt one day we will know the story behind the belt. knowing the bono it’s unlikely to be just a pants holding up device or a stylist’s find…
Adam wore that same belt for the band’s SPIN magazine photoshoot. Is it the same belt or do they each own one? Hmm…
Hmmm indeed … interesting new factoid added to the mix. Need to check out those Spin shots. But I’d vote that Bono would for sure steal Adam’s belt.