Economic Troubles Trickling Down to DJs, Up to U2

Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.


mojo-photo-downarrow.jpgThis is what I get for gloating. I was just reassuring my family that my work area, DJing and various audio production gigs, is so specialized that it’s generally immune from economic ups and downs. Plus, holidays can be good for DJs, and I typically pick up a couple well-paying gigs for company holiday shindigs. I’d already booked a few, but I just got this e-mail:

To: partyben@yahoo.com

From: [person at event planning company]

Subject: URGENT: [company] Holiday Party

It is with regret we advise you that [company] has cancelled their holiday event scheduled for [date]. We were really looking forward to it, but due to the current economic conditions, it couldn’t be helped.

Things are so bad out there that our workplaces’ annual celebrations of Jesus are being scrubbed, putting our nation’s, uh, guys who are willing to throw on “Play That Funky Music White Boy” when the trashed sales exec demands you play it, out of work? Wow, this is a real recession!

After the jump: Bono feels my pain!

It turns out, though, that I’m not alone in my suffering: a group of investors including the band U2 has been forced to shelve their plans for a 350-foot skyscraper in central Dublin. The mixed-use building would have been Ireland’s tallest, and was to house a new recording studio for Bono in some sort of ridiculous, egg-shaped construction perched on top.

The Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) said on Friday it had suspended negotiations over the tower for up to 12 months due to uncertainty in the property and financial markets. “The objective is to see this landmark project completed,” the DDDA said in a statement. “However, given the current unfavourable economic environment, more time is needed at this juncture.”

Okay, this all looks pretty bad, but you’ll know things have really gotten scary when Kanye suspends recording his new album to focus on the economy.

Fact:

Mother Jones was founded as a nonprofit in 1976 because we knew corporations and billionaires wouldn't fund the type of hard-hitting journalism we set out to do.

Today, reader support makes up about two-thirds of our budget, allows us to dig deep on stories that matter, and lets us keep our reporting free for everyone. If you value what you get from Mother Jones, please join us with a tax-deductible donation today so we can keep on doing the type of journalism 2024 demands.

payment methods

Fact:

Today, reader support makes up about two-thirds of our budget, allows us to dig deep on stories that matter, and lets us keep our reporting free for everyone. If you value what you get from Mother Jones, please join us with a tax-deductible donation today so we can keep on doing the type of journalism 2024 demands.

payment methods

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate