Friday, November 6, 2009

MTV, Which No Longer Shows Music Videos, Now Preventing Fans From Seeing Concerts

A U2 performance celebrating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall marked the occasion by building a wall to keep fans out. The free concert was part of the MTV Europe Music Awards show.

"It's a shame that a barrier has been set up. It's stopping many Berliners from hearing the concert," local politician Frank Henkel said. "It would have been so much better if as many Berliners as possible could have taken part. 10,000 people is a lot, but U2 could have had an even bigger audience enjoying their music at this wonderful location."

The 10,000 tickets to the show were given away free online and snapped up within hours. Why U2 would erect a wall to prevent people from getting any glimpse of the free show puzzled and angered many fans.

"It's completely ridiculous that they are blocking the view," said Louis-Pierre Boily, a Canadian fan who travelled to Berlin despite failing to secure tickets for the show. I thought it's a free show, but MTV probably wants people to watch it on TV to get their ratings up."

U2 manager Paul McGuinness said Berliners thought it was "pretty ironic" that an event to mark the falling of the wall has resulted in another one being constructed.

As the controversy raged, MTV maintained a standard line of bullshit, saying the fence was necessary to "ensure the safety and security of the attendees at the event as well as residents and businesses in the area".

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