Recent CDs bought & your reviews
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Re: Recent CDs bought & your reviews
I have already mentioned why i don't like it.Comment
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Re: Recent CDs bought & your reviews
Irish Times, February 27, 2009
Brian Boyd
U2 singer Bono says he was "stung" and "hurt" by criticism of the band moving part of its business to the Netherlands to lessen its tax burden.
In an interview in The Ticket today, he speaks about the band's 2006 decision to move part of its business out of Ireland following the Government's decision to put a cap on the amount of tax-free earnings available to artists.
U2's move was criticised by politicians and some development groups. "We pay millions and millions of dollars in tax. The thing that stung us [about the criticism] was the accusation of hypocrisy for my work as an activist," the singer says.
He suggests there is a double standard involved in welcoming international investment in financial services in Ireland while criticising Irish entities that operate abroad.
"I can understand how people outside the country wouldn't understand how Ireland got to its prosperity but everybody in Ireland knows that there are some very clever people in the Government and in the Revenue who created a financial architecture that prospered the entire nation -- it was a way of attracting people to this country who wouldn't normally do business here," he says. "And the financial services brought billions of dollars every year directly to the exchequer.
"What's actually hypocritical is the idea that then you couldn't use a financial services centre in Holland. The real question people need to ask about Ireland's tax policy is: 'Was the nation a net gain benefactor?' And of course it was -- hugely so."
The cap of (EU)250,000 on tax-free incomes for artists was introduced in 2006 by then minister for finance Brian Cowen. A tax exemption scheme for artists had originally been introduced in 1969 by the minister for finance at that time, Charles Haughey.
As a very high-grossing act through album sales, tour receipts and publishing/royalties income, the cap imposed in 2006 would have left the band with a multimillion tax bill.
As an activist who has access to world leaders, Bono has called for the developed world to lighten Africa's debt burden, combat poverty, promote fair trade and increase funds in the battle against Africa's AIDS pandemic. His work has been recognised by three nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize and a "Nobel Man of Peace" prize. Two years ago the singer was awarded a knighthood in the British honours list.
Speaking about a Christian Aid report from two years ago which criticised him for "tax avoidance," the singer says: "It hurts when the criticism comes in internationally. But I can't speak up without betraying my relationship with the band -- so you take the shit. People who don't know our music -- it's very easy for them to take a position on us -- they run with the stereotypes and caricature of us."
For the band's guitarist, The Edge, the band's tax affairs are "our own private thing -- we do business all over the world, we pay taxes all over the world and we are totally tax compliant". The guitarist added that due to the recession, the plan by himself and Bono to redevelop their Clarence Hotel in Dublin and the band's plan to build a "U2 Tower" on Britain Quay in the city's docklands were now "on hold" and "being looked at with a much colder eye."
© Irish Times, 2009.Comment
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Re: Recent CDs bought & your reviews
But enough about U2 and James Hardie moving O/S to the Netherlands.
Anyone bought a CD lately?Western Bulldogs: 2016 PremiersComment
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Re: Recent CDs bought & your reviews
Not a fan of any big business that moves heaven & earth to get away from the country of conception to save tax dollars; especially one that had a bill prior to 2006 that they benefitted hugely from.
But enough about U2 and James Hardie moving O/S to the Netherlands.
Anyone bought a CD lately?
Not bad, not great, nowhere near their earlier releases such as Fat Of The Land, a bit too one paced, full of energy that would blow the roof's off stadiums though, although, i probably haven't given it as much time as i could have, along with a few others due to how bloody good U2's record is...i had to slip them in, i just couldn't help myself.Comment
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Re: Recent CDs bought & your reviews
Not a fan of any big business that moves heaven & earth to get away from the country of conception to save tax dollars; especially one that had a bill prior to 2006 that they benefitted hugely from.
But enough about U2 and James Hardie moving O/S to the Netherlands.
Anyone bought a CD lately?
I recently brought two older albums by City and Colour. From what i gather your tastes to be, you would not what you'd like it. It is a side project for a guy called Dallas Greene he is normally in a punk band called Alexisonfire. They are not my cup of tea, and neither are more of the heavier bands you tend to go see and talk about.
My fav bands are probably; Nick Cave, Ryan Adams, Cold War Kids, older albums by Kings of Leon.
Correct me if im wrong do you listen to RRR? If so do you have a fav program?More of an In Bruges guy?Comment
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Re: Recent CDs bought & your reviews
So Mofra, what would be your favourite bands?
I recently brought two older albums by City and Colour. From what i gather your tastes to be, you would not what you'd like it. It is a side project for a guy called Dallas Greene he is normally in a punk band called Alexisonfire. They are not my cup of tea, and neither are more of the heavier bands you tend to go see and talk about.
My fav bands are probably; Nick Cave, Ryan Adams, Cold War Kids, older albums by Kings of Leon.
Correct me if im wrong do you listen to RRR? If so do you have a fav program?Comment
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More of an In Bruges guy?Comment
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Re: Recent CDs bought & your reviews
If you want to keep in jokes going, go heckle The Casanovas, Dallas Crane & Mike Noga and the league of fricken whatever.
Big fan of Clutch, Kyuss, Brant Bjork and sounds of a similar persuasion.
Tool fan, really enjoying Beaches at the moment, FOTL, C W Stoneking, Van Walker I'm hooked on now, some local stoner-type stuff (check out Fort, Ancient Man, My Left Boot, Bob Sledge, Mammoth Mammoth etc) and a heap of other local bluesy/folky/bluegrass type stuff too (our local scene is brilliant).
I'm still annoyed that Warped broke up; Legend of Motorsport were brilliant as well.Western Bulldogs: 2016 PremiersComment
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Re: Recent CDs bought & your reviews
Check out Kev Lobotomi's program on PBS if you get a chance, great guy & really loves his rock.Western Bulldogs: 2016 PremiersComment
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Re: Recent CDs bought & your reviews
Check out (i missed it today) PBS on Tuesday at 5-7pm Fang it with Rory.
On RRR. Ray Graney is very funny. Biggys on Friday, The Ghost, Leapster's show, GVG's show.
The chicks shows have gone down hill.Comment
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Re: Recent CDs bought & your reviews
Gary Seven has moved from RRR to PBS so Smoke em if you gottem changed.
Check out (i missed it today) PBS on Tuesday at 5-7pm Fang it with Rory.
On RRR. Ray Graney is very funny. Biggys on Friday, The Ghost, Leapster's show, GVG's show.
The chicks shows have gone down hill.
For what it's worth I like Incoming with Richard on Weds, The international Pop underground, Kinky afro, The australian mood and off the record on saturday mornings. Dont get to listen as much as I would like to or as I use to.....
Not sure if anyone knows is Ray Graney Dave's brother, and does Dave do a show on RRR during the day or was he a guest one day on Ray's show? Or am i getting my wires totally crossed?More of an In Bruges guy?Comment
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Re: Recent CDs bought & your reviews
Good mix, a few long timers on both lists. The Ghost is insane /sane depending what week. Still struggle with his quiz.
For what it's worth I like Incoming with Richard on Weds, The international Pop underground, Kinky afro, The australian mood and off the record on saturday mornings. Dont get to listen as much as I would like to or as I use to.....
Not sure if anyone knows is Ray Graney Dave's brother, and does Dave do a show on RRR during the day or was he a guest one day on Ray's show? Or am i getting my wires totally crossed?
Australian mood is good too.Comment
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Re: Recent CDs bought & your reviews
If you would like to tell Ernie to ^*%^ Off right now, please be my guest (for the record she is pretty good)
If you want to keep in jokes going, go heckle The Casanovas, Dallas Crane & Mike Noga and the league of fricken whatever.
Big fan of Clutch, Kyuss, Brant Bjork and sounds of a similar persuasion.
Tool fan, really enjoying Beaches at the moment, FOTL, C W Stoneking, Van Walker I'm hooked on now, some local stoner-type stuff (check out Fort, Ancient Man, My Left Boot, Bob Sledge, Mammoth Mammoth etc) and a heap of other local bluesy/folky/bluegrass type stuff too (our local scene is brilliant).
I'm still annoyed that Warped broke up; Legend of Motorsport were brilliant as well.
I saw Van Walker at Purepop on my Buck's afternoon last year. Really enjoyed him.
On other topics, FOTL have a new video for their song "The Hope That House Built". It's up on youtube, new album expected in a few months.
I should be receiving the new Propagandhi record in the mail soon so I'll give my 2 cents then. But it'll most likely be positive. Recently borrowed Spoon's Gimme Fiction from the library which I've been digging and have had various Hold Steady records on rotation for a while now.Park that car
Drop that phone
Sleep on the floor
Dream about meComment
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Re: Recent CDs bought & your reviews
Van Walker is brilliant, definately will see againWestern Bulldogs: 2016 PremiersComment
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