Between the widespread criticism against the free iTunes release of their latest album, Songs of Innocence, and Bono's unfortunate biking accident in New York City, U2 couldn't seem to catch a break this past year, and following a controversial music video shoot last week, matters have only gotten worse. According to The Belfast Telegraph, residents of Belfast, Northern Ireland have accused the legendary rock band of tastelessly "cashing in" on their city's infamous sectarian violence with a music video shoot last Wednesday, Dec. 17, which stirred up plenty of painful memories.
"U2 were apparently trying to stage something like a bomb that happened here in the Troubles," one witness to the video shoot told The Belfast Telegraph, "and I couldn't believe they would do that. They have done various plays and films about the Troubles anyway, and the Troubles did happen."
The video shoot allegedly featured "burning vehicles, actors dressed as soldiers and extras playing traumatised victims." Besides conjuring up images of Belfast's troubled history, some residents complained of the widespread disruption caused by the shoot, with one man even claiming that social workers were prevented from parking next to the home of an elderly couple they were caring for. It is important to note that none of the members were U2 were actually present for the video shoot.
Despite the criticism of the shoot, a spokesman for the production company in charge of the video claim that the situation "has been taken out of all proportion."
Northern Irish actor Dan Gordon came to U2's defense, saying that they "aren't setting out to paint us or themselves in a poor light. They are there to expose stuff and talk about it."
This new music video isn't the first time that U2 has addressed the Troubles in their work. Their classic 1983 single, "Sunday Bloody Sunday," was written about the Bloody Sunday massacre in Derry, Northern Ireland in 1972. You can check out a live performance of that song right here:
