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U2's The Edge on controversial tax plans: 'Was it fair? Probably not'
The guitarist spoke to the Observer
Foo Fighters: Dave Grohl and co haven't been keeping details of their forthcoming record quiet, with Grohl dubbing it "awesome and explosive". What would be even more explosive, however, would be if they released it as a surprise - eight albums in, you've got to keep things fresh somehow.
Tags: U2
by Andy Morris | Photos by Press
Tags: U2
U2 have discussed their controversial tax avoidance plan, describing it as 'probably not fair'.
Speaking to Dorian Lynskey in The Observer, the Edge discussed the band's decision to move the company's publishing royalties from Ireland to the Netherlands. He explained "Was it totally fair? Probably not."
He went on to explain that the protests that surrounded the band's performance at Glastonbury weren't justified. "The perception is a gross distortion," he said. "We do pay a lot of tax. But if I was [the Glastonbury protesters] I probably would have done the same, so it goes with the territory.”
Bono backed up his bandmate by insisting that the fact that it was in the public domain shows that there was nothing untoward about their financial affairs: "All of our stuff is out in the open. How did people find out about it? Because it’s published. The sneakiness is when you don’t even know what’s going on."
Meanwhile, drummer Larry Mullen said he "couldn't give a shite" about the furore the surprise release of Songs Of Innocence calling caused, with Adam Clayton also wondering "what all the fuss is about."
Speaking with a little more tact, guitarist The Edge said: "It was an opportunity that will only ever come around once for anybody. I don't think anyone would want to do it again."
U2 are set to appear on Later... With Jools Holland later this month, where they'll perform Songs Of Innocence tracks.
As well as promoting their new album, U2's Adam Clayton has also said that the band have finished '70 per cent' of their next album. In this month's Q Magazine Clayton reveals that the band are nearing completion of their 14th studio album, set to be titled 'Songs of Experience', following the conventions of both William Blake and David Axelrod.
Bono recently expressed his interest to play venues such as The O2 Arena in London when the band get around to touring the album, however no dates have been announced yet.
Below: Who will be the next big artist to drop a surprise album on iTunes?
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