Dubliners Protest Noisy U2

Actually, the protests weren’t against the Emerald Isle’s favorite band. Instead, the uproar was about U2’s crew dismantling the band’s mega-stage, creating a noise that wasn’t music to anyone’s ears.

Turns out local residents didn’t have any problem with U2 playing three shows at Croke Park Stadium, but were more than a little miffed when the Dublin City Council and the Gaelic Athletic Association granted permission for the band’s road crew to begin dismantling the stage and ship it to its next stop only moments after Bono and co. left the stage.

At issue was noise caused by the around-the-clock dismantling of the 390-ton stage and stowing it, along with the rest of the band’s equipment, including TV screens, lighting and sound equipment, on to more than 50 trucks.

So residents took to the streets early this morning protesting the decision allowing the crew to start the 44-hour load-out period at 1 a.m. Tuesday. The result? Truck departures were delayed, and quite possibly might be late for shows in Germany, Sweden and Poland.

“We should all not be talking to you and (should be) on a boat,” production director Jake Berry told reporters as protestors voiced their dissatisfaction at three major traffic junctions near the stadium.

According to Berry, the tour did not want to risk injuring anyone by driving the trucks through streets crowded with protesters. The production director also acted surprised by the protests even though plans of the public outcry began surfacing in local media last week.

Berry said the delays might affect getting the trucks on ferries for transport to Europe. If the tour is forced to book later passage on the boats, dates scheduled later this week might be affected. U2’s next stop is Goteborg, Sweden, where the band is slotted for two shows – Friday and Saturday.

The U2 touring stage, dubbed “The Claw,” is actually three stages. While the crew dismantles the stage at its last stop, another stage is being assembled at another location. The third stage is held in reserve, ready to be used whenever the situation calls for it.

Tour officials did not say whether The Claw being dismantled after the Dublin shows was heading to Sweden for the next concert or stops in Poland and Germany scheduled for next week.

Meanwhile, Croke Park Area Residents’ Committee spokesman David Purdue made it clear the group wasn’t protesting U2’s three concerts in Dublin, but the noise caused by dismantling the stage in the wee hours of the morning.

“This is primarily to get Dublin City Council and the Gaelic Athletic Association to take notice of us and recognize the damage they’re doing to the local community,” Purdue said.

And what does U2 think of it all? The band reportedly didn’t hear of the protests until their plane arrived in Nice, France, where the foursome is staying between shows.

According to Berry, the band felt “pure disappointment.”

“It’s just really put a damp squib (sponge) on something that was a fantastic experience and fantastic show,” the production director said.