1. Every month we put a U2 fan in the spotlight. The fan of the month for May 2016 is user Caledonia. Read along for the interview we had with this U2 fan.

    "After 'One', Bono was looking right down at me, [...] I was looking up at him and shouted 'Rain' [...]. I recall him nodding back at me and going straight over to Adam, and they played it, and not just a couple of lines but a full band version!"

    Tell us something about yourself, who are you and what do you do for a living?
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    Hi, I'm Chris, a 43 year old man (though about to turn 44 as I write this - those ever decreasing circles - arrgh!).


    Chris in his man cave

    I'm English, and of Scottish and Welsh descent on my Mums side, and currently live in Grantham, Lincolnshire, though I was born and bred in Nottinghamshire - Robin Hood land - where we rob from the rich, and give to the poor (and wear green tights... but only on Sundays!).

    For a living, I'm a graphic/web designer along with all the other stuff that tends to come with that. I do have to say that as a web designer, I thoroughly appreciate what Remy (and anyone else that has contributed) has pulled off with U2 Start. It's a fantastic website and community that has been built here, and I for one can appreciate how much work must have gone into it down the years. I can't believe I didn't find it a little bit sooner.



    How did you become a fan of U2, tell us how it happened?
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    The first time I recall hearing U2 was 'New Year's Day' probably some point in 1983, so I would be about 10 or 11 years old at that point, I remember liking it at the time, but my love for music hadn't fully ignited at this point so I never followed up on it. I also recall Band-Aid Bono's part in Band-Aid too in 1984 and enjoying it but again never followed up on it. It wasn't until 1987 and 'The Joshua Tree', like many others of my age I'm sure, that I realized U2 were something special, and they were the band for me, and so my fandom was born of that era. You couldn't ignore U2 and those singles in 1987, and all three pulled me in to the album itself. Initially I had a copied cassette of it from a friend (ssshhhh!), and then finally bought my own copy a short while later, and then like many others no doubt, the print on the cassette faded off and the tape got mangled from being overplayed eventually!

    My love for music had really taken off by 1987, I was already a big fan of Simple Minds by this time, one of my other musical passions down the years who I still love to this day also. But my love for U2 soon eclipsed how I felt about Simple Minds. By the time 'Rattle & Hum' had come out I was at college, and had a Saturday job and some spare money to acquire U2's back catalog on CD. You often tend to find when delving into an artists back catalog that the older stuff is sub-par, or at least not as likable, but I found myself thoroughly enjoying everything by U2 though and was particularly enamored with 'Boy' and 'October' right off the bat I recall.

    Their music and Bono's words spoke to me, and still speak to me, in a way that others don't quite manage. And like Bono has said of U2 in the 80's - they were 'out of step' with everything else of that time, there was nothing else around like them really. U2 were so different to anything else of the time (some other bands too of course, such as Simple Minds). I think for me it's because, as Bono has also said, there is blood in their music. It's always been something more than music to tap your feet to, or a bit of music to have on in the background or do the hoovering to - it's music that's been the soundtrack to my life, music that has grabbed me by the throat and said "Shut up, stop what you're doing, and listen to me because I have something to say" - lyrically, musically and spiritually.

    At this point, I'd started collecting both Simple Minds and U2, everything and anything I could get hold of, but mostly my focus was live material, I loved hearing different arrangements and versions of the studio material I'd grown so fond of and hearing anything Bono had to say. I started out picking up live cassettes and vinyl pressings at record fairs, and mail order through ads in Record Collector magazine, and also found a few pen-pals to trade with - this is how it used to work before the internet in case you're not old enough to know! By the time the Point Depot show was broadcast, I'd got maybe about a couple of dozen different live shows by U2, and was thrilled to sit at home and listen to that show - it was quite something in so many respects, even down to a show being played live at midnight to 2am in the morning! Up until this point, whilst I'd seen Simple Minds live a couple of times, I still hadn't seen U2 as I was a bit too young during The Joshua Tree tour to go to any concerts, and the Lovetown tour skipped over the UK. I did however know that I would definitely be making the effort to see U2 the next time they toured as much as I could manage to.




    You've attended 31 shows since ZooTV and traveled to 7 countries to see U2, can you guide us through these shows and share some of your highlights?
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    First show:

    My first show was Zoo TV Sheffield. I had a Propaganda fan club ticket, a seated ticket on the floor (they didn't pull the seats out), it was on Edges side about 9 or 10 rows back or something, fairly close to the catwalk down to the b-stage. The anticipation and excitement was off the scale - something that hasn't subsided nearly 25 years later I can tell you. Out of all the times I have seen them, some of my fondest memories are still of this show. I recall being drenched in champagne as Bono opened a bottle on the catwalk right above me during 'Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World'. Not being especially tall @ 5'7" I found myself standing up on my seat during 'Running To Stand Still' looking at Bono whilst he was on the b-stage who was looking back at Edge, and I remember Bono looking right at me pretty much, either sympathizing at me being vertically challenged and having to stand on my seat to see properly, or thinking "what's this nutjob doing?!". There was the mirror-ball trabant, television monitors all over the place, the phone call, it was like nothing I had ever seen or heard before and at the heart of it the music I had come to love over the last few years. It was the best night of my life at that point and it's right up there still.


    Rest of the Zoo TV tour:

    My next show was an organised coach trip to Cologne in 1993. I remember getting to the venue fairly late in the afternoon, so was lost in the crowd somewhere on Edges side somewhere up near the b-stage. Despite being in the thick of it, and in a really rough GA spot where I could only see bits of the action (other than watching the TV screens) it was still an immensely enjoyable show. I recall after the show being lost outside the venue, and couldn't find my way back to the coach park which was probably a mile away from the stadium - every where outside the venue was park land, trees, and it all looked quite similar and uniform, plus it was dark obviously, I got in quite a panic, as I don't speak a word of German, and had run out of money near enough as I'd spent all I bought with me on t-shirts etc., I was very green and 'wet behind the ears' at that age, and still am. But somehow eventually I made it back after a 2 mile detour in the opposite direction! At this point I knew I enjoyed not only seeing U2 live but the whole experience of it all, the travelling and meeting people, and getting lost in foreign countries! I'd got bitten by the bug of seeing U2 live.

    Like many U2 shows and gigs down the years, I attended alone, I don't have a better half to take along, and whilst I've dragged mates along to the odd show here and there down the years, none of them have been into it really, so it's always been one-offs. I'm quite a shy and retiring sort really, but my love of U2 has always given me some sort of confidence to go out there and go and do it alone if need be, rather than miss out, and thank heavens I did! So I encourage all those that are of a similar nature to not let your confidence or being alone hold you back from doing what you want to do in life - whatever it happens to be.

    The third show was much closer to home at Roundhay Park in Leeds, an amazing spectacle indeed, I think still to this day perhaps one of the biggest attendances I've seen at a concert - it looked phenomenal. I dragged a pal along to that show and he enjoyed it, but I think he was over it by the next day, but for me, this was another memory I would treasure - and probably will do until I shuffle off.

    My fourth and final Zoo TV show was the first night at the RDS in Dublin on another organised coach / ferry trip. I dragged my sister along to this one. We both really enjoyed it. It was my first trip to Ireland, and I can't explain what it was, but being in Dublin kind of felt like being at home, its the exact same feeling I've had whenever I've been to Glasgow as well. Before the show we went to the Dockers pub and had a pint and checked out all the memorabilia, checked out Windmill Lane, and had a walk up to the Point Depot. And despite not queuing early or anything, we got to the venue at about 3 or 4pm or something, and still easily managed to get into the penned off area at the front of the stage. We were on Edges side and had a super clear view of the main stage and the b-stage all throughout the show, it was brilliant. The next day we went to Temple Bar and managed to get cassette bootlegs of the show already in a record shop - plus there was a ton of other U2 stuff - I was in U2 heaven! On the way back to the ferry, we were listening to the live broadcast of the second night on the radio in the coach, and the coach drove past the RDS en route to the ferry, and stopped right outside the venue for 5 minutes or so during 'One' where we could see a bit of the stage through a gap in the corner of the stadium. It was a thrill, but I was also gutted that I wasn't inside at the same - quite a bittersweet feeling.


    Popmart tour:

    Next up would be the Popmart tour, equally as thrilling and enjoyable as Zoo TV in my opinion. Perhaps a slight notch down from the epicness of Zoo TV but it was still out of this world. First show, was my first trip to America to see them at Giants Stadium. I'd always wanted to go to New York and decided to kill two birds with one stone. Had about 5 days out there again on another organised trip, did the whole 'touristy' thing in NYC, which was bewildering, as were the sights and sounds of my first Popmart show.


    Chris in NYC, 1997

    I was high in the stands on Adam's side so took the show in at a distance, but really enjoyed it. I recall low-flying jumbos coming right over the stadium from Newark airport, including one lit up by the upward pointing spots during BTBS, a dizzying spectacle.

    I saw 4 more Popmart shows, including the 2nd gig in Rotterdam (another organised coach trip). This one was almost disastrous as when the organizers got to handing out the concert tickets after the coach arrived at the Feyenoord, they had 'lost' my ticket and that of two other people on the coach! So we had a mad panic trying to find our tickets - being sent on one wild goose chase after another - all to no avail - eventually we ended up getting some off ticket touts outside and I managed to get my money back from the organizers and some compensation eventually. I remember I was near the b-stage at that show, and a guy, who must have been like over 7 foot tall, came right out of nowhere before the show and stood right in front of me, so it wasn't the most enjoyable gig, but I was just glad to be there. Then I saw the second of the 2 Wembley shows, which I recall very little of, again it was an organised coach trip, and we didn't arrive until very late afternoon, so by the time I got in, the place had filled up, so I was quite a distance away from the action on the pitch, but enjoyed the show still.

    Fourth Popmart show was the legendary Leeds Popmart gig - some incredible memories of that show, not least of which was the lightning storm whilst support band Cast were playing, it was spectacular! People were huddled up trying to take shelter and disappearing to find shelter elsewhere, and I just saw it as an opportunity to get a bit closer to the main stage, and I made it from about 10 or 15 people back from the front barrier to being right on the front barrier itself by the time U2 came on, squeezed in right under Bono's mic stand! Still to this day one of the best U2 gigs I've ever seen. I do have a little story from that show... After 'One', Bono was looking right down at me, he was quite emotional I could tell as is often the case, I was looking up at him and shouted 'Rain' - as I knew the band often played it at shows where it's been rainy. I recall him nodding back at me and going straight over to Adam, and they played it, and not just a couple of lines but a full band version!! Now they were probably going to play it anyway I'm sure, maybe, maybe not, maybe I just reminded them. I swear that is what happened anyway. Another memory I will always cherish.

    Final Popmart show was Dublin #1, a few hour's before Diana's death. I queued early and was one person back from the front barrier in front of Bono again pretty much, an awesome experience (I lost my wristwatch during the crowd movement at that show - and as I came away noticed the floor was littered with peoples lost shoes!). I was going to try and get a ticket for the second night off a tout, but with the shock news of Diana on the morning of the second show, my head was in other places, and I just wanted to head home and be with my family. That concluded my Popmart tour but I could have happily have kept going if there were more shows and cash to do so!


    Elevation tour:

    So a long break until the next tour but when it came around the internet was in full flight, E-Bay existed, and cash had been saved, and I managed to see 8 of the UK Elevation shows (all apart from the Glasgow shows which were announced closer to the dates). I booked hotels and made my own travel plans instead of relying on crappy organised coach trips that don't get you to the venue until the venue has filled up! The first two shows in Manchester were slightly disappointing. I'd queued in GA since about 7 or 8am for the first night, and when the doors opened, they held our door up after about a minute or two for like a full 10 minutes for some reason or other, meanwhile all the other queue lines were absolutely streaming through with people who had turned up at 3pm etc! So I missed out on a spot in the heart. I recall being pretty upset at the time, all that queuing and everything, but as we all know, any place inside a venue where U2 is playing is a good one, so I got over it quickly enough. It was obvious Bono was slightly lackluster and tired with the situation with his father that night, and I just remember it not being the most enjoyable of U2 shows, and it felt the same the night after for which I had a seated ticket on Adam's side.

    However, it was all change in Birmingham a couple of nights later. For the first night I had a Propaganda fan club ticket in the seats on Edge's side at the end of the stage looking down on Edge, great view, and a really enjoyable show which seemed much more energized and passionate. Second night in Birmingham was off the scale good though, it was my first time inside the heart. I'd queued from about 7am, and was in the first 10 people in the queue (though amazingly there were about 50-100 people inside the heart when we got inside the venue later that afternoon - VIP's / competition winners we presumed). I got a spot on the rail of the catwalk on Edges side with a great view of the stage and perfect view of the catwalk if I turned around. Before U2 came out, the guy I'd queued with all day spotted Chris Martin out of Coldplay stood right behind us in the walkway of the heart and nudged me. He turned around and asked him upfront... "Are you that bloke out of Coldplay?" lol, to which he replied in deadpan fashion that he wasn't! Ended up taking a picture of him and the guy I'd been queuing with, I wish I'd asked for a picture myself, but to be honest, I was more focused on U2 about to come on stage and what the roadies / techs were up to. I remember it being a blinding show, total contrast to the first two nights in Manchester.

    Next up were all four nights at Earls Court. The first night I had a very similar spot to Birmingham #2, and the show was equally as good. The second night I had a seated ticket on Adams side, electric atmosphere in the audience and I think U2 were on fire that night. I do recall shortly before the band came out two American ladies approaching me and telling me in no uncertain terms to GTFO of 'their' seats!! It was their mistake, not that they apologized for their rudeness - they didn't even say 'Hi, I think you might be in our seats'. Some people eh?!

    Third night at Earls Court was again an unforgettable show for many reasons. We had gotten word in the queue very early morning that Bono's father had passed away, some including myself were thinking the show might possibly get cancelled, but we should have known better really. Met a couple of the girls from U2Exit who had come across from Los Angeles and were in the queue just ahead of us, one had a clock around her neck, Flavor Flav style, with the time at... 11 o'clock - no prizes for guessing which song was played that night! I got a similar GA spot to Birmingham #2 again inside the heart on the rail. I was in awe of Bono all night at this show, an absolute professional of the highest standard. I do have one very special memory of this show. During BTBS after Edge's solo during the setpiece part where Bono walks down the heart catwalk, elbow pressed against forehead, he stops and stands right above me where I am stood and is looking right down at me, but then I notice someone else stood right in front of me in the heart walkway below Bono, facing me and also looking right at me... it's Ali with a couple of the kids, obviously there as support for Bono - it was an absolutely surreal moment that lasted all of 10 seconds or so, but one I'll never forget, I wish I could see how my face looked at that point, it would have probably made a great internet meme had someone gotten a picture of it!

    For the final Elevation show I decided I wanted to experience the show around the tip of the heart, so turned up fairly late, and pretty much got to the tip of the heart, a couple of people back and to the right of it. The intensity in the crowd that night was unreal, after the show I came out absolutely saturated with sweat from head to toe, a sure fire sign of a good gig! I recall a crazy American lady on the barrier in front of me complaining about me 'pushing her' and threatening to have me thrown out by security - of course it had absolutely nothing to do with the other 10,000 people stood behind me, pushing me!! /facepalm I also recall Bono jumped out into the audience during 'The Fly' and I must have been about 2 millimeters away from touching the bottom of his shoe (as you do lol) as he was stood over the people to my left, but I have no shame in telling everyone I managed to touch the bottom of Bono's shoe! What's a couple of millimeters?!


    Vertigo Tour:

    This has been my most viewed tour, seeing 9 shows, including both nights in Manchester (the second was on my 33rd birthday), the first night in Twickenham, which was fabulous, but extremely hot that day and I got a little sunburned. My first U2 show in Glasgow, which definitely had a different atmosphere to other U2 gigs I've seen, almost like when they play in Dublin. Then I saw all three Croke Park shows, the third night of which I think is possibly one of the best U2 gigs I've seen, both in terms of how relaxed they were, how up for it they all were, the setlist, how late they arrived, the crowd, just everything, one of those things where the planets align - it all felt right. Had a great spot on the rail of Edge's b-stage looking towards the main stage. We got 'An Cat Dubh' / 'Into The Heart', 'Bad', 'Original Of The Species', two performances of 'Vertigo' AND '40'... oh AND 'Gloria'! It was like a dream come true. Amazing memories and met some really nice people including an old pal who I often tend to bump into at gigs (Hi Ciaran if you're out there!). Then I flew to Cardiff, and realized I'd incorrectly booked 1 night at the hotel instead of 2, so after the show I had nowhere to sleep, everywhere was fully booked and to be honest I was running low on funds anyway. The hotel kindly let me leave my bags in storage there, and I slept rough in Cardiff city centre, I say slept, I didn't really, I just crashed under some trees near the castle near the venue. The height of summer, so no big deal really, it was quite an experience actually. The show itself was amazing, and it was great to get to see The Killers who I really liked at this point. I recall drops of water from Bono's water bottle flying out at me during 'The Electric Co.' and the sheer size of the venue was impressive, have never been in such an enormous place with a roof over it.

    When that was all wrapped up, I was getting that 'down' feeling as you do when you know it's all over for a few years. But I also knew there were more shows being played overseas so I started hatching a plan to see at least one more show. I think probably late 2005 I was getting leaflets through from a concert trips organizer for U2 playing in Hawaii and also New Zealand circa April 2006, and thought I *have* to do this, I hadn't had a proper holiday for some time, so thought it would be a great idea to marry the two up. As it turns out, I couldn't really afford it at that time, and then the April shows got postponed anyhow.

    But then late in 2006 literally 2 or 3 weeks before the show I was getting more of the leaflets through for the same organizer for the rescheduled Hawaii show. I had some money saved at this point, and decided what the heck! So got it all booked and went to the other side of the planet, on one of the worlds most remote landmasses (if not the most remote) to see our boys. I had a whale of a time! The whole atmosphere was a party one at that show, plus all the surprises and Billie Joe Armstrong and Pearl Jam. Half the cast from 'Lost' were stood right behind me it seems as well. Definitely a highlight of all the shows I have seen, plus I got to have a much needed week away in a fabulous place that I hope I'll return to and explore properly some day.


    360 Tour:

    I caught four 360 shows, starting with both nights at Wembley, the first night seated behind the stage, so got to see much of the spectacle of the claw and the show as a whole. I really recommend doing this for those who attend multiple shows on a tour, to try and see one show from further afield to appreciate the spectacle of it all, it's amazing how much you can miss when you're in the thick of the action all the time. The second night though I had a GA ticket and got in the inner circle area, on the back rail fairly central to Bono, so had a great view all night, a fabulous gig with the band really in fine form again. Then up to Hampden Park in Glasgow where I slept rough overnight once again as all the hotels were booked up with football fans from a big match in town. I didn't mind, summer again, not too cold. The show was great, though it was all a bit surreal when the PA cut out during 'Walk On' for a couple of minutes, and the band continued to play. I was on the front rail of the outside of the claw, and you could hear the band very distantly without any amplification as they continued to play - I'm still not sure if they knew, and just carried on because of timings etc., plus they knew the PA would kick back in eventually, or if they have their IEM's so loud that they can block out the main PA.

    The final gig of my own 360 tour was in Sheffield - back where it all began for me in 1992, I had come a full 360 degrees myself.

    A similar vibe to when U2 play Glasgow or Dublin, it felt like a home town gig of sorts, U2 were very relaxed, Bono in fine form, and Edge cracked everybody up with the "More than you!" line when Bono asked him how many A-levels he'd got, Bono looked genuinely taken aback by Edges brazenness as I recall! Watching the sunset behind Elbow as they played songs such as 'Mirrorball' and 'One Day Like This' was something else I also shall not forget.


    i+e Tour:

    Well, I missed the tickets going on sale for this tour with one thing and another in life, and couldn't afford any at that point in time anyway. But knew if I bided my time I'd be able to get some for at least one show off the internet somehow. Finally I found a seated ticket for London 29th quite close to the b-stage at a very reasonable price by comparison and only a couple of rows up or so. I was so excited, it felt like decades since I had last seen the band. I decided to largely not spoil any surprises by not watching or listening to any boots of the show in advance, though I did watch a few brief clips online of the screen / stage setup to get a bit of an idea of what I'd be in for. The rest was entirely a surprise. The first time I've done this really as far as U2 go, and it's definitely worth it if you can hold out, as the surprise of it all is fantastic, especially with the kind of shows U2 put on. I remember Bono coming out onto the b-stage for 'The Miracle (Of Joey Ramone)' and looking right up to the area where I was standing and he did a sort of 'Come on' gesture to us all, it felt a bit like seeing an old mate that you've not seen for a few years. I was over the moon.

    Hoping there will be some more to this tour and maybe I can take in another show or two, but at this time who knows precisely what will happen.

    But if it all ended today, I have a lot of very happy memories that I will treasure. If you haven't yet been able to see them in concert for whatever reason, don't miss out!




    From your first tours in the 90's to the I+E tour, what has changed in a U2 live experience? What remains the same?
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    One thing I have noticed is the audience seem to be getting younger, or moreover... I'm getting older!

    It's really great to see so many younger people coming to a U2 show and really getting into it all these years later still. It's quite something for a band to have had such a long career, but something more to have remained relevant throughout that timeframe, still searching for new colours, both in their music as well as their live shows with just as much, if not more energy, enthusiasm, passion and hunger than they had back in 1980 - you only have to watch Edge bouncing around during those first few songs in particular on the I+E tour to see it, but its plain to see from all four band members - none of them are half-hearted about what they do, they seem to give it everything they've got, even though it might be the umpteen-millionth time they've performed - Pride, Streets or I Will Follow - they never seem to go into autopilot mode which could be an easy trap to fall into, and I've seen it happen with other major bands. I suppose as each band member will tell you, it's because they live inside those songs when they're performing them live and they have to give themselves goosebumps too when performing them, otherwise they're just going through the motions and it will be blindingly obvious to those in attendance - which again says something else about U2.

    And for me, that's certainly been a constant all along that's never changed.

    In terms of differences, I suppose the obvious difference for me at least, is perhaps less about the band and the music itself, but the audience and how their use of technology has evolved down the years, from the sea of smartphones in the audience through to the modern marvels of the internet. I can tell you that as someone who saw U2 pre-internet days that following some of those shows last year here on U2Start coupled with the Mixr audio streams, and Periscope streams was a massive thrill! How I wish all this technology had come about a bit sooner, it would have been great to have had it around the time of The Joshua Tree / Zoo TV tours. Back in those days, it could be ages before you found out about what they played at a show or if something unusual had happened at a concert, and even bootlegs could take much longer to surface - nowadays we get them as they happen - it's phenomenal really. I used to buy all the UK music papers every week in the late 1980's and through the 1990's, even though I largely disliked them and how puerile they could often be - but pre-internet days it was really the only way to get any kind of news content quickly.


    What is your favorite U2 book, and why?
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    I have a couple, both for different reasons.

    Firstly, no doubt like a few others here on U2Start, I'm somewhat of a librarian when it comes to my music collection and live recordings, cataloging and documenting them all is both a hobby and a passion for me. And a great book that goes hand-in-hand with that is what many fans, myself included, refer to as 'the U2 Bible' and that's the late Pimm Jal de la Parra's 'U2 Live: A Concert Documentary' - its an extraordinary thing he managed to collate and compile there, especially when you consider it was put together largely before the days of the internet, and even though we have unbelievably fantastic sites like U2Start etc. to lookup information about any given show, those books are still special to this day, and still have nuggets of info that you may not find anywhere else. I have two different editions of it, and keep meaning to get the more updated version, something on the 'to do' list. I used to be a member of the Collectormania fanclub that Pimm co-founded, he put together some amazing stuff for fans.

    Secondly, it would be Bill Flanagan's 'At The End Of The World' book, it's a must have for anyone who was obsessed by the Zoo TV tour as I was and still am, the inside story, up close and personal, with lots of hilarious anecdotes of some of the stuff the band got up to. In fact, I haven't read it in a long time, so think I may give it another read in the coming months. An honorable mention also goes out to 'U2ByU2' which I'm still getting through lol, too many distractions in life these days, but am enjoying it immensely so far. I need to make some time for a ton of U2 books I have to catch up on though, so maybe they will be outdone by others still sat on my shelves yet to read or on warehouse shelves waiting to be purchased. I do see those books being hard to top for me though.



    Right now the band is in studio recording Songs of Experience. What are your expectations for this new album? How do you think it will sound?
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    I think my expectations are high, probably largely because U2 keep raising the bar so high. In my opinion, which I'm sure will differ wildly to that of many others, but for me, I think U2 hit a plateau with 'The Joshua Tree' / 'Rattle And Hum' / 'Achtung Baby' and Zoo TV, and have pretty much stayed right up there ever since instead of sliding down it. They perhaps just faltered slightly with 'Pop' - even though I personally adore it, something obviously went a little bit wrong as far as the masses were concerned, but for my money they haven't dropped too far from that peak they climbed in 1987.

    As a 17/18 year old lad I remember thinking after 'The Joshua Tree' / 'Rattle And Hum', what could they possibly do next, how could they possibly follow any of that up? Surely the only thing they could possibly do, is follow it up with more of the same stuff? And then came Bono's legendary "Dream it all up again" line followed by those demos from STS, Dublin / Hansa, Berlin in 1990/1991 and then came the sound of four men chopping down 'The Joshua Tree' with 'Achtung Baby'. How wrong I was! And if that wasn't enough then came Zooropa! I think the only thing I am expecting is the unexpected, as that's almost become predictable now with U2!

    I will say that with 'Songs Of Innocence, we've had the trip down memory lane, revisiting the bands early beginnings, both lyrically and musically. But I think with 'Songs Of Experience' it has to the opposite end of the scale, about where they are presently in their lives, and I'm not talking about houses on hills and the trappings of success obviously, but where they are spiritually - did they find what they're looking for? Of course they didn't! That's a journey we know will always go on. So in many respects they're still in exactly the same place as they were when just starting out, it's just that they're older, wiser, and more experienced.

    Two adjectives seem to be floating around to describe the new material, one is 'accessible' and the other is 'aggressive', both of which sound good to me. With Gavin Friday having described it as aggressive, I'm wondering perhaps if it will showcase a more angry sounding U2 with an angrier sounding Bono, I think the band is at their absolute best when there is some sonic aggression going on, such as that showcased in live versions of 'Bullet The Blue Sky', 'Exit' and 'The Fly' - they are a rock band in full-flight at those times, and there's no finer noise!

    I'm also still hoping for a 'Songs Of Ascent' too when the next phase is over, perhaps to complete this period as a trilogy, and Ascent could be a more spiritually uplifting album, full of beautiful hymn like anthems, and perhaps more acoustically driven in places - I am certain they have another album of those left in them yet and Bono has talked before about wanting to write more joyous songs, but says they're hard to pull off - maybe SoA could go down that route. I don't think U2's vault is anything remotely the size that Prince's is reported to be, but its apparent from all the working titles we get to hear about that there is a fair bit of stuff done and ready to return to in the archives that probably just hasn't fitted in with the 'theme' of albums such as SoI or SoE or even albums prior to that, so as long as good health prevails I'm hoping there is quite a bit more gas left in the tank yet.


    How do you see U2 20 years from today? Do you think their songs will still be played by younger generations?
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    That's a great question. Obviously I can't answer whether the band will still be around and be active in 20 years time, but I'd like to think they would be to some degree or other, as I say, good health prevailing and if the passion is still there - and if there is 'unfinished business'. Look at the Rolling Stones, still doing their thing all these years later, I bet nobody would have thought that in the mid 1960's. So who knows on that side of things? I would definitely not want them to be any sort of tribute to themselves though, going through the motions and doing greatest hits sets. I think U2 are way above that, and I hope that will always remain the case.

    But in terms of still being played by younger generations, I can honestly answer this with an easy 'yes'.

    For me, U2 have long-since claimed their place in the history books, and I truly think their place is right up there with The Beatles. Furthermore, U2 have had a lengthy career, plus a live career too (one that has been a massive journey in it's own right) - something The Beatles never had. You only have to look at The Beatles and their fan base, young people are still getting into them all the time and falling in love with those unique and often ethereal songs, and I truly believe they will be doing so still in a few hundred years time. U2 have those same kind of qualities in their songs - depth, blood, beautiful songwriting, how great they sound, and how much they resonate and strike chords deep within many people on an emotional and spiritual level - and it's something that they have managed to do right throughout their career from 'I Will Follow' in the beginning right through to the present day with 'Iris (Hold Me Close)'.

    When songs can resonate with people on that kind of level, they have a timeless quality and will probably live on forever. U2 have managed to tap into that - I don't think on a conscious level, I think it's just happened on an entirely natural and organic basis, purely as a consequence of who those four people are and the people they work with and surround themselves with probably also plays it's part too.

    I think U2 are fully aware of their place in history themselves, even if they wouldn't ever admit it out loud, and that's probably why they labour so much over their studio albums, they know they have to do better than just putting any old thing out there.



    Which member of the band would you most like to share a pint with?
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    Tough one for sure. The obvious answer is Bono I suppose, because, well... who isn't drawn by his charismatic story-telling and hilarious anecdotes, and he's got them by the bucketload. I love that one he tells about going back to Frank Sinatra's place and due to his narcolepsy, falling asleep on a couch at a party there, then waking up to find a large damp patch in his nether regions! It's hilarious, typical Bono.

    But Bono is an obvious choice, and as the L.V. we all get to hear a lot from him, so maybe I would chose another band member. I think quite possibly it could be Larry, because outside of the music, he is probably the one we hear from the least. I get the feeling from all I have seen and heard, he is very guarded, but is also very down to earth like the rest of the band and has a great sense of humour, I'm willing to wager a bit on the mischievous side, like the mimicking hand gestures he makes of Adam when being interviewed by Phil Joanou in 'Rattle And Hum'. I also read a long while back that he was in charge of the bands archives in terms of music and memorabilia etc., probably something that has been delegated out to a team of people nowadays, but I'd love to inquire as to what they have, precisely what they keep etc. I'm sure it would have to be several pints of the black stuff before the guard starts to come down a little bit though.

    In short though, I'd be over the moon to have a pint with any of them, or a cup of tea as is mostly the case for me these days lol. They do always say you shouldn't meet your idols though, but I can't imagine U2 being anything other than what we've seen through the years, and that's four very nice, humorous, down to earth blokes.



    How different is U2 compared to other artists that you like?
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    I'd love to be one of these sorts of people who say their musical taste is quite wide-ranging and reel off a list of diverse ultra cool hip and trendy bands and artists that are breaking new boundaries and pushing the envelope in all kinds of directions.

    Truth is I'm quite set in my ways and like what I like. I tend to gravitate to album orientated rock by the greats over the last few decades, so probably nothing too far removed from U2 for the most part. My other *main* musical passions down the years have been, and still are to some degree, Simple Minds, and Crowded House (and related) going back to the 80's where I also adored Tears For Fears and Level 42 when growing up (Oi! Don't laugh!).

    Down the years I've also come to love bands and artists such as The Beatles, REM, The Cure, The House Of Love, Del Amitri, The Mission, Longpigs, Cast, Morrissey / The Smiths, The Fall, The Beautiful South, Peter Gabriel, Diesel Park West, Coldplay, Belle and Sebastian, Lloyd Cole and many others of a similar ilk in varying degrees, most of which I suppose are all largely guitar orientated rock bands / artists for the most part.

    I have a weak spot for female singer / songwriters to help keep some balance, Kate Bush, Minnie Driver (very underrated), Beth Orton, Chrissie Hynde, even Madonna to a degree, and I'm also very drawn to old school Motown, something I want to delve deeper into at some point, so that's probably about as eclectic as I get.

    Bono describes U2's music has having an ache and a melancholy to it, and I do find myself drawn to that in other artists and bands too, and am also very much drawn to Celtic music and sounds, artists and bands in general, be it traditional, through to more contemporary, that might be something to do with my Scottish / Welsh heritage I don't know.


    What are your hobbies and interests away from U2, musical or otherwise?
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    When I was asked if I wanted to do this, I was worried I'd have nothing interesting to say. I'm quite an average Joe.

    Listening to music is my main passion (as well as collecting and cataloging it, I'm very much the librarian sort - so U2 keep me busy and out of trouble there!). Outside of that, I love my work, it is largely of a creative nature, and does give great satisfaction when you've made something out of nothing, and being self-employed I do tend to find most of my time is taken up with that these days, but I'm lucky enough to be able to work from home and listen to U2 or whoever all day.

    Aside from that I love travelling and anything related to animals, pets and nature, I can never get bored of that. I also adore comedy, Vic and Bob, Monty Python, Stewart Lee, and I also have a particular fondness for legendary versatile singer songwriter, John Shuttleworth (well worth checking out if you've never heard of him - but I think its probably very much an English thing, and perhaps a thing for the folks of the north of England at that - but he is absolutely hilarious at his best).

    I love a bit of video gaming, these days mainly of the MMORPG variety, largely EverQuest 2, its good to be able to escape day to day drudgery for a bit, but they do have a bit of a habit of being quite addictive and all consuming, and eating more of your life than they perhaps ought to, so I'm giving them up for a bit.

    I love to do some 'extreme ironing' from time to time. Well, that's what I put on my CV once upon a time to spice things up!

    I was a devoted family man until about ten years ago when my parental family had a bit of an apocalypse and is now laid in ruins (I'll spare myself and indeed all of you from all the details but it was and is very messy and complex and was that metaphorical iceberg in my life - one that I'm sure many of us hit at some point to some degree or another). It's kinda stolen the last ten years away from me getting through it all and it's repercussions, and to be honest it had already taken a chunk out of me prior to that point, but finally I think I'm beginning to come out the other side of it all.

    Because of that, for the best part of 2008-2014, I lost my way with music, whilst I went to see four of the 360 shows and loved each one, and loved NLOTH as well, for the most part I was barely listening to any music during this time - my one main passion in life - because I couldn't bring myself to as I was too raw and emotional, and the music was tugging at strings I didn't want tugging, and hitting me in places I didn't want to be hit.

    However, when SoI came out, I forced myself to listen to it (it wasn't that difficult to be honest!), and rediscovered and rekindled my passion for both U2 and music once again after a few years out there in the wilderness.

    Music is magic. It has wonderful healing properties. So I thank U2 and all the other great bands and artists out there and 'him upstairs' for making some magical music along the way.

    I really don't doubt Bono for a single second when he says music saved his life. I'm sure many feel the same, myself included.

    Thanks for picking me out for this, its been a pleasure and its been fun answering the questions and recalling many old U2 memories, some of which were buried away, but its been a good exercise to get them all down in written form, so I can come back to them some point in the future.


    Chris with Enoch (Chris is the one on the right)

    Thanks for this interview Caledonia!

    Note: Our crew members choose the fan of the month, you can't sign up for it.
  2. Wow, that was quite an interview Chris. Thank you!
    I recommend all of you to take some time to read this interview. It's full of great stories for almost every tour.
    Can be a great read for a vacation on the beach
  3. An awesome interview, Chris!

    Surely the longest interview for fan of the month?



    Fantastic stories from a fan who has travelled the world following the band, I especially liked your story about the legendary Popmart Leeds show. Great stuff!

  4. Originally posted by Welsh_Edge:An awesome interview, Chris!

    Surely the longest interview for fan of the month?



    Fantastic stories from a fan who has travelled the world following the band, I especially liked your story about the legendary Popmart Leeds show. Great stuff!

    This will be published later by Penguin as a paperback with the title ChrisbyChris
    No, but seriously, great stories. From sleeping on the grass after a show, spotting Chris Martin on a U2 show, seeing Ali and Bono's kids after Bob Hewson passed away, it's like Chris was present at all the important U2 shows!
  5. Nice interview Chris, i also went to the Zooropa concert in Cologne. We must have been in the same GA area over there
  6. Lol like Bono's intro speeches, once I get started, there's no shutting me up. It's funny actually, I'm pretty quiet normally

    Thanks for the kind words everyone. I had no intention for it to be anywhere near as long but, yeah I got carried away with so many great memories. It's been a good exercise remembering it all and getting it down in print (or pixels rather), because I've no doubt some of them will start to slip away over the next few years. I've probably forgot some stuff as it is, but not the *really good* bits. Never those bits
  7. Oh cool! Maybe we stood near each other at some point.

    Now did I imagine this..... Weren't there some giant hoovers on the stage called 'Zoovers', and they were taken off before U2 came out.

    If I did imagine it, its a pretty trippy memory lol! I've never seen any photos or footage of them since that I recall at least.
  8. wow ..i want to read it but i need time
  9. Originally posted by Caledonia:[..]
    Oh cool! Maybe we stood near each other at some point.

    Now did I imagine this..... Weren't there some giant hoovers on the stage called 'Zoovers', and they were taken off before U2 came out.

    If I did imagine it, its a pretty trippy memory lol! I've never seen any photos or footage of them since that I recall at least.
    Hoovers? We were a bit late, so the arena was about half full when i entered. So maybe yes. I remember Bono singing Redemption Song of Bob Marley. That was so cool.
  10. Originally posted by Caledonia:[..]
    Oh cool! Maybe we stood near each other at some point.

    Now did I imagine this..... Weren't there some giant hoovers on the stage called 'Zoovers', and they were taken off before U2 came out.

    If I did imagine it, its a pretty trippy memory lol! I've never seen any photos or footage of them since that I recall at least.
    This sounds bizarre.

    But then again, so did the huge inflatable champagne bottles and birthday cake until we were shown photographic evidence...
  11. very interesting read ! I envy you that number and kind of shows you were