U2’s Bono recently attended a session with Finton O’Toole at the Dalkey Book Festival. During the discussion reported by Irish Times, the singer talked about different topics, including his autobiography, ‘Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story,’ and referred to his writing in the book as ‘narcissistic.’
Comparing his style to that of the ‘We Don’t Know Ourselves’ writer, he jokingly said:
“Fintan has used his story to tell Ireland, and I have used Ireland to tell mine. I write to know the world better a bit, but mostly it’s just narcissism … Everybody knows how singers tune up. It’s an old joke: Me me me me. […] [My book] is taking navel-gazing to a whole new level.”
Further in the chat, O’Toole noted that U2 were the first global names to stay in Ireland during the ’80s when many citizens wanted to leave. Mentioning the ‘psychological breakdown’ the country experienced then, he also added that writing and singing were alternatives to violence.
In response, Bono answered with the story of one of his first gigs, where he lost control on stage and picked a fight. Then, the singer claimed:
“Music is just a much better way of saying f-ck off. Being around in music for some time, you can either be a character or become a caricature.”
In addition to his autobiographical writing, Bono is working on new projects with U2. Following the release of ‘Songs of Surrender’ in March, the band is now getting ready for their Las Vegas Residency, set to start in late September.
