AC/DC singer blasts Bono and Bob Geldof

AC/DC singer Brian Johnson blasts Bob Geldof, Bono

AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson has lashed out at charity work done by Bono and Bob Geldof.

In his only Australian interview, the outspoken singer said he and his Grammy-winning band prefer to help in private with no press conferences.

"I do it myself, I don't tell everybody I'm doing it," Johnson told The Daily Telegraph.

"I don't tell everybody they should give money - they can't afford it.

"When I was a working man I didn't want to go to a concert for some bastard to talk down to me that I should be thinking of some kid in Africa.

"I'm sorry mate, do it yourself, spend some of your own money and get it done. It just makes me angry. I become all tyrannical."


Johnson said AC/DC's aversion to playing at charity events goes back to turning down a slot at 1985's Live Aid.

"Bob Geldof is a canny lad. He did what he thought was right at the time but it didn't work," he said. "The money didn't go to poor people. It makes me mad when people try to use politics or charity for publicity.

"Do a charity gig, fair enough, but not on worldwide television."

With the band's Australian tour - their first since 2001 - starting in Melbourne next week, Johnson also shot down reports that he was contemplating retirement.

"Of course I don't want to retire," he said. "But I'm telling you if the body or the voice packs in there's nothing I can do. Pride is what it is. You don't want to let yourself, the band or the fans down. I'll go on as long as I can.

"Thankfully the old tubes have held up. They've got a little bluesier, that just happens with life. I'm 62 now and I know it. And I've got another birthday coming, which is a bit of a bugger but what better way to get old?"

Originally posted by Rob1965:
And what the AC/DC-frontman says about the fact that the money generated from Live Aid didn't reach its destination is nonsense.

Originally posted by http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_Aid#Criticisms_and_controversies
Much of the money raised by Live Aid went to NGOs in Ethiopia, some of which were under the influence or control of the Derg military junta. Some journalists have suggested that the Derg was able to use Live Aid and Oxfam money to fund its enforced resettlement and "villagification" programmes, under which at least 3 million people are said to have been displaced and between 50,000 and 100,000 killed.

Originally posted by MirrorballBoy:Well, to put my 2 cents, I think he has a point somewhere. You can't force your fans to give money for charity. So many artists do charity work just to improve their image...

Originally posted by yeah:[..]

not really it seems:

[..]

More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/jun/24/g8.debtrelief

Originally posted by Rob1965:[..]

Well, what can I say?? Not a reason to do nothing, right? There's always money misplaced everywhere.
There's a huge discussion going on in the Netherlands about the managers of charity organizations who earn too much money...generated from charity occasions.

That shouldn't stop us from helping. Maybe less money to warfare, space travelling, etc?
But that's a topic for our general politics discussion forum.

Originally posted by LikeASong:I'm tired of this debate.


· If you donate and are proud of it and tell others to do it, you're doing it wrong, because the charity should be private.

· If you don't donate and pay no attention to charity, you're doing it wrong, because it is something good that should be done.

· If you do charity but privtely, you're doing it wrong because others don't know, and therefore you're not spreading the good message.


Fuck...

Originally posted by LikeASong:I'm tired of this debate.


· If you donate and are proud of it and tell others to do it, you're doing it wrong, because the charity should be private.

· If you don't donate and pay no attention to charity, you're doing it wrong, because it is something good that should be done.

· If you do charity but privtely, you're doing it wrong because others don't know, and therefore you're not spreading the good message.


Fuck...