Bono Loves the Kids from 'Sing Street' : 'U2 Were Not as Good'

Bono has the sweetest things to say about Ireland’s most talked about indie film, Sing Street.

The U2 lead singer posted a statement on Wednesday about the movie, which tells the story of an up and coming young rock band in the ’80s.

“I remember the 1980s with somewhat of a blush. No man s hair should be bigger than his girlfriend’s. But that was the time. Dublin in Technicolor. In reality it was monochrome and in the grip of a recession, But on video tape, you could be transported,” Bono wrote.

“You could wear what you liked, and the more outrageous the better. Anything to wind up the jackbooted skinheads on Dublin’s north side. Make-up on a boy drove rockers wild, and the teachers wilder. Thank God for Bowie, who made all the black eyes okay. And allowed people to find out who they were.”

Sing Street

, written, produced and directed by Dublin native John Carney, tells the story of a young Irish teen who forms a band with his friends in hopes of winning over a girl. The movie premiered at Sundance, opened in the US on April 15 and earned rave reviews while grossing more than $1 million at the box office.

“My brother gave me the gift of music through my first guitar, Bono added in his statement. “We formed a band. In truth, at the same stage, U2 were not as good as the kids in Sing Street. In truth most films you ll see this year won t touch Sing Street ”

Besides geography (both U2 and Sing Street hail from Ireland), there are countless similarities between the creation of U2 and the forming of the film’s fictional band. For instance, just like the kids from Sing Street, Bono and lead U2 guitarist, The Edge, formed a band well before the individual members developed their musical talents.

According to Rolling Stone, none of the members were technically proficient with their instruments when the band was first put together, and The Edge’s “distinctive chording style, for instance, stemmed largely from his inability to play complicated leads.”

Bono was tapped by Carney to help with the music on the film, and it’s not the first time the rocker has worked in the movies. He has received two Oscar nominations – best original song nods for Mandela: A Long Walk to Freedom and The Gangs of New York.

Sing Street is in theaters now.