Protests Disrupt U2 Concert in Glastonbury – Bono on the Defense after Tax Evasion

Bono From the Band U2

Well, it wasn’t exactly billed as Woodstock, but the band U2 ran into its own kind of violent protest last night.

U2, and its front man Bono, have long been known for their environmental and social issues, but Bono has come under intense pressure this last month when it was discovered he had dodged taxes in Ireland.

Fans have been protesting the band since the news came out and feel that if they have to pay their taxes that Bono should too.

And things turned ugly in Glastonbury when upset vigilantes calling themselves “Art Uncut” blew up a 20 foot balloon inscribed with the words "U Pay Your Tax 2."

Police struggled with the group before beating them to the ground and destroying the balloon. About 35 people were involved in the violent clash but it’s unknown how many arrests were made.

U2’s Bono, guitarist The Edge, bassist Adam Clayton, and drummer Larry Mullen are some of the richest individuals in Ireland and have been criticized for not paying their taxes.

One protestor said,

“U2 and its members have more money than all of us put together and should be paying taxes just like everybody else. Ireland is in the middle of its worst economic downturn and we find out these guys are skipping out. It’s just not fair.”

In a flashback to Woodstock, over 150,000 people had descended on a farm in Glastonbury in southwest England for the concert which includes acts by Morrissey, U2, Mumford & Sons, Coldplay, Beyonce and many others.

While being billed as a humanitarian event many of the fans took the opportunity to protest U2’s hypocrisy.

Another protestor said,

“We know the band has done a lot for not only Ireland but the rest of the people in the World. But when they won’t even pay the taxes in their own country it makes you think they have sold out and it’s really all about the money. They have enough mansions, cars, and toys – now they should make things right at home.”

Many of the fans protested in one way or another and there were thousands of people sporting T-shirts or signs that said “U2 – Bring it home. Pay your taxes.”

Watch U2 Live Performance at Glastonbury


Many of the bands supporters became upset in 2006 when U2 moved its corporate headquarters to the Netherlands where taxes on music royalties are very low. This left many Irish fans feeling like they had been abandoned and betrayed by Bono.

Nobody from U2’s team has commented yet on the incident.

And they say money can’t buy happiness.

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Forbes Announces World’s 100 Most Powerful Celebrities – 2011 Edition

Forbes is known for having its own unique type of clout and power.

They rank not only celebrities, but also powerful business and political figures on their respective top lists.

But this week their focus was on celebrities.

The Celebrity 100, which includes actors, Television personalities, models, athletes, authors, musicians and comedians, is a measure of showbiz related income and media visibility over the last twelve months.

Forbes also measures social media power by looking at each celebrity's presence on Facebook and Twitter. The criteria for being included on the list do NOT fall solely on money.

Today they released their “World’s 100 Most Powerful Celebrity” list and the results… well, aren’t as surprising as you might think - at least for the top 10.

But how powerful are the top 100? The combined earning power of celebs on this elite list tops $4.5 billion in earnings from record sales, concert tours, movies, endorsements, advertising, product sales, playing sports, and modeling.

Lady Gaga came in at #1 with $90 million in earnings and bumped Oprah Winfrey into the #2 spot. But don’t feel bad for Winfrey – she made over $250 million the last 12 months.

Teen pop sensation Justin Bieber came in #3 earning well over $50 million over the last twelve months and an estimated $150 million over the last three years. Bieber’s command of social media like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube pushed him onto the list for the first time in the 17-year-old’s career.

U2 came in as #4. The Bono centric band is well known for their worldwide social awareness and charity work. Singer and AIDS activist Sir Elton John came in #5.

A summary of the top 10 spots is below and you can see the entire list on the Forbes web site.

1 – Lady Gaga - $90 M
2 – Oprah Winfrey - $250 M
3 – Justin Bieber - $53 M
4 – U2 - $195 M
5 – Sir Elton John - $100 M
6 – Tiger Woods - $75 M
7 – Taylor Swift - $45 M
8 – Bon Jovi - $135 M
9 – Simon Cowell - $90
10 – LeBron James - $48 m

A complete list can be seen on the Forbes site here.

There were a few surprises this year including Glenn Beck, Adam Sandler, and Jay Leno. I guess we don’t see exactly how they are among the most powerful, but who are we to argue with Forbes?

And Donald Trump made the list but Charlie Sheen didn’t. Go figure.

It seems the farther down the list you go things become a bit more of a popularity contest, but we congratulate all of them for their efforts and input into the industry.

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