In a recent interview with Al Jazeera, Roger Waters openly criticized U2’s Bono, encouraging him to reconsider his behavior and comments.
As an outspoken critic of Israel, the former Pink Floyd member has taken issue with Bono’s tribute to the victims of Hamas’ attack on the Supernova music festival on October 7. Bono made the statements that enraged Waters before U2 played ‘Pride (In the Name of Love).’ The singer spoke to the audience, saying:
“Given what has transpired in Israel and Gaza, a song about nonviolence may appear ludicrous, even funny, but our prayers have always been for peace and nonviolence. But you know where our hearts and wrath are aimed. So sing with us… and those beautiful kids at that music festival.”
Waters’ Lingering Discontent
The performance featured an edited lyric from their 1984 song that referenced the October 7 incident. Months after the occurrence, the bassist remained outraged by Bono’s behavior, as he revealed:
“Anyone who knows Bono should go and pick him up by his ankles and shake him until he stops being such an enormous sh*t.” We must confront those who have such terrible and humiliating opinions. Standing up for the Zionist entity. What he did a few weeks ago at the Sphere in Las Vegas, singing about the Stars of David, was one of the most awful things I’ve ever witnessed.”
Roger Waters also claimed that Bono, among others, had not conducted sufficient research on the conflict. He shared guidance from his mother:
“My mother taught me that when confronted with challenging difficulties, the first thing to do is to read—read, read, read. The next step is simple: “Do the right thing.”
Not The First Clash Between Roger Waters And Bono
This is not Waters’ first public criticism of Bono. In February 2024, during comments on the Eurovision 2024 competitor list, the musician included Bono in his assessment, writing on X:
“If Eurovision does not exclude Israel from Malmo, and Eden Golan does not withdraw, her name will go down in history alongside Bono and the other Genocide deniers. “Love, R.”
In March 2022, Rogers Waters also criticized a poem Bono gave to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, which was delivered at a St. Patrick’s Day luncheon. Waters mocked the poem, which drew links between Irish mythology and the Ukraine crisis, on his social media account, calling Bono and Pelosi “eejits.”
