U2 are an Irish band from Dublin that formed in 1976. Their work is broadly classed as rock but they can be further described as an alt/pop-rock band.
“Angel of Harlem” is the tenth track on their 1988 studio album Rattle and Hum. The album soundtracks a film documentary of the same name about the band and their music.
There are scenes from around New York in attempts to help set a scene for the text. These places include the likes of the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, the Harlem Moon Bar and even some child residents of Harlem smiling and having fun.
The video itself was shot whilst the band were in the USA for the premiere of their upcoming film documentary. The video includes footage of the band recording mainly in an empty theatre which we can recognise as the Apollo theatre as suggested by its name popping up now and again throughout. The video predominantly acts as a marketing tool for both the song, their tour at the time and also their film.
The Apollo has been a significant venue for African American popular music and was the central theatre on Harlem's main commercial street - its position reflects its central role in Harlem's culture. The video tries to pay homage to a multitude of famous artists by using old footage and photographs of famous musicians such as Billie Holiday, Elvis Presley, John Coltrane, Miles Davis and others.
Apart from marketing, the music video seems to be an exploration of the various aspects of ‘American Roots. music - a term which embodies many different genres of such as old-time, bluegrass, gospel, folk and Celtic.
Their simplistic black and white styled website is easy to navigate and understand - this potentially could link to their predominantly middle-class/older target audience of fans who have most likely followed them for a long time.
Social media buttons are clearly designed for easy use and accessibility in order for people to move from one of their pages to another and explore their online presence. Having access to different media platforms allows for different audience demographics to engage with the band’s online content.
All recent news on upcoming tours or projects can clearly be found and viewed by the use of the menu bar and individuals can sign up for free to their website in order to view special content and comment on their articles.
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