The musician Bono claimed had the charisma of Miles Davis, Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker combined
You have to become accustomed to hyperbole when working in the entertainment industry. In fact, as a journalist myself, I have to be cautious not to slip too far into an exaggerated state too often because ultimately, that is what art can do to us. Great songs, albums and artists can change our mindset in an instant and maybe say something we regret.
That is fine, though, because that’s nothing in comparison to the musicians themselves. Through the rollercoasters of their public-facing careers, they’ve made outlandish statements that have raised the eyebrow of the everyman and perhaps none more so than Bono. From labelling rock and roll as stupid, to claiming he has a “messianic complex”, he’s said various things that have had us questioning the truth that really exists in the eyes behind the tinted glasses.
But to compare one man to the combined genius of Miles Davis, Eric Clapton, and Ginger Baker is lofty indeed. Now, he’s made no bones about professing his love for iconic artists The Beatles, David Bowie and Patti Smith, so you would be forgiven for expecting either of them to be the source of his praise. And with a little bit of wiggle room and an acceptance that the truth can be bent to some degree, you would accept either of those being labelled greater than Davis, Clapton and Baker combined.
But it was neither of those artists who Bono gushed over. It was another name with whom he has been closely linked in recent culture, and when you listen to his explanation as to why, it begins to make sense. Bono knows that Davis, Clapton and Baker’s musical contributions are unrivalled, especially combined, but flipping the idea of their charisma into a more human and personable level. Well, that’s a different thought entirely.
“Bob Geldof was as gifted with words as any virtuoso offering their talents to the main stage on that day in London’s Wembley or Philadelphia’s JFK Stadium,” Bono proudly said. “He is Miles Davis, Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker, and that is just in conversation. His is a genius of vocabulary and communication. The man could puke language and it remains eloquent. On screen and in print, Bob lets off language like a hand grenade, the more explosive the better. Jagged consonants break up the dull thud of vowels landing on some dumbfounded pundit.”
It has helped that Bono’s relationship with Geldof has largely been in a philanthropic context, and so he’s been exposed to his ability to converse deeply and profoundly. Together, the pair have spearheaded the BandAid movement, and so it’s expected for Bono to heap this sort of praise onto Geldof.
In fact, the pair have regularly been accused of exhibiting a ‘white saviour complex’ with Bono since coming out and acknowledging his sensitivity towards that. Geldof, however, removed the sort of eloquence Bono doted over and instead said, “Well yeah, he probably believes it. But there isn’t such a thing. I’m not interested in political correctness, this certain woke stuff.”
