The bands I like but are cool to hate. (And that includes U2!)

I’m a big fan of U2.

I’ve seen them quite a few times and, health permitting, I’ll go and see them again if I can.

I don’t get the hatred thing.

I don’t get the people who rush to Twitter to condemn the band for giving €10m towards the purchase of PPE equipment for medical personnel.

I don’t get the people who get apoplexy every time Bono opens his mouth and who accuse him of preaching if he has the temerity to express an opinion.

I thought, at one time, the kind of begrudgery which inspires U2 haters was a uniquely Irish thing. Well, we are pretty good at knocking our own and the more successful an Irish person is the more likely they are to be despised by begrudgers.

But Coldplay suffer much the same fate.

Their Croker gig a couple of years ago was magnificent. I mean really magnificent. Another band I’ve seen a few times and might see again if I can.

A long time ago there was a similar ‘hate’ thing about the late Clifford T Ward. I’m a fan. Always was.

Some friends couldn’t believe it when I said I liked Joe Dolan. “But he’s in a showband,” they’d say. Maybe so. But I liked him.

And even though I was laughed at, I actually loved bands  like Sweet, Slade and Mud. I even liked Rick Astley who is enjoying a revival having appeared at, of all places, Glastonbury. Who would have predicted that?

I like Mumford and Sons. I used to like The Carpenters.

But there are limits.

Cliff Richard? No. The Bee Gees? No. And as for the likes of Dawn, Brotherhood of Man and Buck’s Fizz.

No.

I’m bad enough.

Oh, by the way.

I like James Blunt.

There. I’ve said it.