By Bernard Zuel
First they invaded your inbox, now it's your evening commute. Both times for free. Do U2 have no shame continually giving people their music like this?
In a stunt presumed recorded for an upcoming appearance on Jimmy Fallon's late night chat show in the United States, U2 "busked" in the New York subway to a small, surprised but seemingly uncomplaining crowd of commuters and tourists.
Their train's coming in: U2.Credit: Paolo Pellegrin
They sang Angel Of Harlem appropriately enough given they were at Grand Central Station, a crossover point for travellers heading north to Harlem.
In a video posted online by an Italian fansite, Bono, dressed in a blue cowboy hat and ubiquitous sunglasses, is seen singing and sharing the microphone with the crowd as the Edge, Adam Clayton and (we presume, just off camera) Larry Mullen jnr play acoustically.
Photos posted on Twitter by @ShaneAnkeney, taken a little earlier, show the band had attempted to disguise themselves somewhat – Bono in a questionable blonde beard and Edge in a wig – while Fallon also participated, though mostly "disguised" in Bono-style wraparound shades.
Online responses ranged from approval to complaints that the band hadn't warned New York fans in time for them to get there. The latter complaint presumably from fans who hadn't quite grasped the idea of surprise/secret show. No doubt though the army of U2 haters will soon be flooding the interwebs complaining of cheap pr stunt, desperation and blocking the way to the A Train.
The performance may have partly been returning to fulfil a commitment – the Irish band had been scheduled to spend a week on Fallon's show last year but a broken arm for Bono after a bike ride in Central Park put an end to that. It may also have been just another odd promotional exercise for U2 in support of their 13th album, Songs Of Innocence, and the upcoming Innocence + Experience tour.
Nearly 40 years into their career, "odd promotional exercise" may be the new normal for U2 given the massively successful (they got paid a lot of money; the album reached millions; we're still talking about it) and massively unsuccessful (online opprobrium; mixed sales results; we're still bitching about it) iTunes promotion last year where Songs Of Innocence was delivered to millions of iTunes accounts ahead of the album's release.
While the band at first apologised for some of the inconvenience of the surprise inbox drop, a less conciliatory Bono later brushed off complaints, pointing out no one was harmed, the music was free and this was "one of the proudest moments in U2 history".
There is no word yet if the Innocence + Experience tour will include Australia.