Thursday, December 03, 2009
some days are better than others: reseaching U2
I’ve just emailed a UK music producer, John Reynolds. He is responsible for producing the chant by Sinead O’Connor, that begins the live performance of Bullet the Blue Sky on the U2 Go Home – Live from Slane Castle DVD
Since I’m researching the evolving live performances of U2, and seeking to turn a spoken 2,500 word paper into a 6,000 word book chapter, I am intrigued:
– Is Sinead singing any particular lyrics, or is she just offering a chant, perhaps as some sort of lament?
– What Sinead might have been hoping to communicate with the chant and how she felt about the way U2 incorporated it into their live performance?
– How the production process evolved, including was it initially requested by U2 or offered by Sinead?
I’ve asked for help on the atU2 forums (yep, part of research is reading fan sites!)
Some days, research is fun! (And is also an excellent excuse to keep me away from writing, which is what I am really meant to be doing).
)
Only thought is I really want your job 🙂 I didn’t know that Sinead’s singing featured on the Slane Castle dvd. Love that concert – there is a real depth and rawness to the performance, maybe because of how close in time it is to Bono’s dad’s death, but when he bursts into those Alleluias during Walk On I swear its a worship moment the likes of which I’ve never actually managed to have inside of a church… hope the research and writing both go well…
Comment by Michelle — December 3, 2009 @ 10:34 pm
yep, that walk on is pretty magic – “see you shine like stars in the starry night” – with those projected galaxies rotating over people.
just goes to show that God is inside and outside the building. would it matter if they were allowed to be different – God present in unique ways inside church buildings, and unique ways at concerts, and unique ways in pysch wards – and we don’t feel the need to try and push those ways into other places, simply enjoy what we find?
steve
Comment by steve — December 4, 2009 @ 5:45 pm