When it comes to using the publicity machine to their advantage, few can beat U2. They’ve garnered headlines worldwide in the last 24 hours with the announcement that they’re to stream a show from the Pasadena Rosebowl in LA, live across YouTube, on Sunday night (3.30am Monday morning Irish time). All the pieces I’ve read have featured comments from the group’s camp on how they’d been looking to do something like this for some time and how it’s a first for YouTube, one of the world’s most popular websites. All the focus has been on it’s free streaming nature, but we all know there’s no such thing as a free meal.
It’s also been mentioned – or rather implied – that all this is to benefit YouTube’s (which is owned by Google) bid to attract more advertising revenue as it bids to move on from showing short video clips to longer features and concerts. In the US it is already showing movies on demand, while it will also host a TV catch-up service on behalf of Channel 4 early next year. So what’s in it for U2?
Well they’ve been quick to prod out the line that sure weren’t they gonna be recording it anyway so why the hell not put it on YouTube? But one would assume they record every show in some form – if even for use on the huge screen they employ during their shows. So a plus for them has to be the assumption that filming costs will be covered by – or at least shared – with Google, as well as any revenue. They’ve also wheeled out the line that Bono will be urging fans to donate to his Red charity. Noble for sure, but then it does make everyone – including the U2 machine – coming up smelling of roses. And yes, in keeping with their status as the world’s biggest band, it gives some kudos to be involved in a project that has garnered global headlines and will appeal to a global audience.
But the real reason they’re doing this YouTube webcast? Well they’ve convieniently got an album coming out on October 27 – two days after the webcast. Yep. that’s the 25th anniversary, remastered, all the bells and whistles version of The Unforgettable Fire. Did you expect anything less? It’ll be interesting to see how many songs from that record just happen to make their way into Sunday night’s setlist.
And as for Glastonbury 2010 – while I’m putting my money on U2 to headline the Saturday night. In fact, I would say the headliners will be Radiohead, U2 and The Rolling Stones. And why U2? Well the reasons given previously for them turning down the festival have been to do with broadcasting rights, as the BBC broadcast much of the headliners show live and U2 had problems with not being able to control and view how and what they were going to broadcast. One would expect that this YouTube live stream has meant they’ve become somewhat less precious about that.
They’re also just announced 2010 European dates for August, none of which are in the UK or Ireland, which opens up the possibility that dates are being kept clear for festival appearances. As such they may do the festival circuit over June and July with Pinkpop, Glastonbury and Roskilde possibilities. They’ve seen their good friend Bruce Springsteen do just that this summer, with great success and it’s unlikely they’d opt to play any other UK festival but Glastonbury given the regard in which it is held and the coverage and publicity such an appearance would generate. Being cynical, they may even choose to release a much talked about new album around that time – which would be their second new record in just over a year.
Crucially, they also apparently want to play. Bono said earlier this year: “I know lots of people who love music want us to play that. It’s something we’re working up our whole life to do. I think that we can commit [to the idea] that we really, really want to do this.” Two of the world’s biggest stars have recently headlined Glasto – Jay z and Springseen. Coldplay rave about it. The stage is now set for U2 to experience it and there’s no doubt, they’d put on a hell of a show.
For The Love of... 