Ongoing History Daily: An infamous U2 landmark has been torn down
Back in 1987, U2 was at the beginning of their imperial phase, a period in their career where everything seemed to go their way, even when they were breaking the law. The Joshua Tree album was the biggest record of the year, and U2 was pushing their limits.
On November 11, 1987, the band played a free guerrilla set in front of the Vaillancourt Fountain in San Francisco’s Justin Herman Square. About 20,000 people showed up and saw Bono climb the fountain and spray-paint the words “Rock’n’Roll Stops Traffic” on it. As you might guess, the police got involved. The whole event is captured in the film Rattle and Hum.
That fountain has been torn down, largely because critics have always considered it to be too ugly, and the square would be better served by something a little prettier. Oh, and that its construction involved asbestos and lead. Probably for the best, you know?
