Banana Republicca

Spare a thought for poor old Bob Geldof. A man of unparallelled magnanimity (that most recently saw him give free concerts at the Fan Fests at the World Cup), he is unfortunately treated harshly when the concern is something so mundane as his music. Only 45 people turned up for a gig in Milan on Friday, at a 12,000-capacity venue. There have been a number of theories put forward as to why so few people turned up, but my favourite is the claim that Internet gossip erroneously said that it was already sold out. Well, of course, that does happen... Everyone knows the Italian people's love for bad Irish rock: The Cranberries and The Corrs are hugely popular there and Bono and The Edge are probably responsible for 90% of sales of wrap-around shades and bandanas respectively on the peninsula. So it is a bit bewildering that a high-profile friend of McFisted can attract an even smaller crowd than Monaghan United. And it appears he alienated those 45 lost souls by cancelling the gig...