Did you see all the U2 purists out there in social media land running scared in the valley below the other day when Lady Gaga took the stage with U2 the other night? “How could they?” “Why can’t they bring up a real fan?” “What is she wearing?” All to which I say to the purists, “GROW UP!”

One song, Lady Gaga was up there for one song and people are crying about how their night was ruined! Really? Dragging up Geisha girl in full kimono is ok, but Gaga isn’t? I never knew U2 was so popular in the Far East? The purists were ready to poke her face (see what I did there) with their fists of purity and wave in another deep cut in her stead. Listen, I want to hear Acrobat just as much as the next person, but U2 is trying to regain relevance. If you think playing Acrobat would accomplish what Gaga did the other night, you’re delusional. Let’s be honest, 90 % of the audience are not U2 loyalists, like you and I. They’re not. You think they know every B-side or deep cut in U2’s catalogue? WRONG! They know the hits and that’s it, which is fine. But, everyone knows Lady Gaga. Bringing her on stage got tongues and keyboards wagging across the world. Lady Gaga’s appearance did more for U2’s relevancy than playing Acrobat, Drowning Man & siphoning SOI onto 1/2 a billion iPods, combined. Imagine if U2 played a Gaga song, like Bad Romance? Relevance times infinity.

repost via @miissasiakinney Lady Gaga hanging out with U2 fans in the crowd now ?#U2ieTour

A photo posted by U2 Radio – Kevin (@u2radio) on Jul 27, 2015 at 8:00am PDT

And another thing, if you think wheeling Springsteen onto the stage later this week is going to accomplish the same juice that Gaga did, you, my friend are Born to Run head first into a brick wall. I LOVE Springsteen a billion times more than Gaga and yes, the crowd and social media will drool all over themselves when he shows up, but if you think Springsteen, more than Gaga, has the power of the young people that U2 is so desperately trying to attract, there is no hope for you. Bringing out Springsteen in a New York Minute, is easy. A no brainer. Safe. An, All that you can’t leave behind, kind of move. That’s not what U2 is about. It’s about bringing Gaga on stage in nothing more than her bra and panties and ripping through Ordinary Love in front of 20,000 jaw dropping people. Gaga was a Pop & NLOTH kind of move, combined, except successful. 😉

My advice to U2, give Bruce the night off and find out where Taylor Swift is in the world. It’s time to Shake it off!