Here's some more info of this U2start user.Every fan of the month has an interview with us, you can read our interview with MWSAH in this topic:
Tell us something about yourself, who are you and what do you do for a living?
I’m Casper, 20 years old and I was born and raised in Holland where I still live. I’m studying Communication in Zwolle, The Netherlands. It’s a 4-year study and I’m in my 3th year now. I hope to successfully leave school next year (2010). After that, I’m planning to do something with photography or graphic design. But that’s all in a premature state. For a living, I’m working in a supermarket for already 4 years now. I’m a happy lad, it’s not easy to make me angry (you can always try lol). I enjoy every single bit of life and I am a Christian with respect and acceptation towards anyone.
How did you become a fan of U2, tell us how it happened?
It was 1998 when I heard some classic U2-songs from The Joshua Tree and U2 got my interest. But at that time I was only 10 years old and still exploring my musical taste. I listened to fancy pop and house/trance. Due to my oldest brother, who bought ATYCLB, I fell in love with the band I already knew: U2. It also gave me a special bond with All That You Can’t Leave Behind, although I realise it’s not their best at all. Slane did the rest to make me a die-hard. After having seen Slane for the first time with the breathtaking Streets performance, I decided to buy every single U2 item I ran up to. And so I did. I bought all their albums, DVD’s (except Mexico which I still need to buy sometime) and remasters. I’m not into vinyl’s or t-shirts though. Last year, I bought U2 by U2. I’m still in the Zoo TV-era. Wanna buy some more books too, like Anton Corbijn’s ‘U2 and I’.
In your opinion, what has been U2's defining moment and why?
Difficult question…There are more than one. Red Rocks opened the way for U2 to become on of the biggest bands of the eighties. Joshua Tree confirmed their status, Achtung Baby pushed them in the new direction which they needed. They really re-invented themselves back then, creating of the best albums of all time. And the decision to put Slane on DVD was a wise one too. Although slightly edited, it gave them a lot of new fans. I know a lot of people who never heard of U2 until they saw Slane. At the end, I think their most defining moment still has to come. Bringing all the creativity and inspiration of all these great years together to create a masterpiece which has never been made before. An atomic bomb which can’t be dismantled. Might be Horizon, who knows…
Where do you most prefer to listen to U2?
On my room or while travelling, with my Creative Zen plugged into my ears. Last week, I travelled with the bus to school in the early morning. It was a foggy day with tiny bits of rain. I listened to 11 O’Clock Tick Tock from Red Rocks. The landscape I saw trough the window perfectly represented the conditions during Red Rocks. It made me smile…I was born in the wrong decade, I sometimes think.
What would you like to ask U2 if you got the chance to?
I would ask them what they would have done without U2. Adam might have been some heroin-junkie, Edge a technician and Larry…I think Larry is a born drummer, so he would have been a drummer in some other band. I wonder what would have become of Bono if U2 hadn’t come into his life. Maybe he would have been a painter after all…
You have remastered a few bootlegs for U2start. What do you prefer, remastering an already epic and well known show or a less known one?
A less known show, because there are some unfound pearls in their giant collection of shows. But my remastering wasn’t actually remastering as it should be. I grabbed mp3-files and fiddled with them, upgraded them. But I never really remastered anything like Noiseless does, who did some great work with Sarajevo.
What does your U2 collection look like? What kind of stuff do you have and how is it organised?
My collection isn’t that impressive. I own all the albums, DVD’s (except Mexico what I mentioned earlier), remasters, some singles and some books. My harddrive contains quite a few U2-photos. That’ll be it. Not into vinyl’s or t-shirts, I don’t have enough room to store it and I don’t want it either. In that matter, I’m a die-hard fan, not an obsessive one.
When you're forced to leave to a deserted island and you can take only one U2 album with you, which would it be?
My self-made Lovetown compilation!
No, to answer it correctly: The Joshua Tree, their best ever. It just beats Achtung Baby. And I enjoy it from the very first notes of Streets to the last breath of Mothers of the Disappeared. The first few sentences of One Tree Hill are just magnificent: We turn away to face the cold, enduring chill, as the day begs the night for mercy love. The sun so bright it leaves no shadows, only scars, carved into stone of the face of earth. The moon is up and over One Tree Hill, we see the sun go down in your eyes. What else do you need on a deserted island?
What are your hobbies and interests away from U2, musical or otherwise?
Quite a lot, to be honest. The biggest one is photography. I hope to become a photographer one day, but it’s very difficult to get that far. You need a lot of luck and skills. I own a Sony Alpha 300 DSLR with 3 lenses so far. I usually shoot indoor stuff, sports, parties and nature. My modest website is currently in development, so I’m not able to share anything with you folks.
Besides photography, I love to go out, hang out with friends and stuff. I also like graphics design, all kind of sports and music in general (can’t imagine life without it). I’m also a part time barman by the way.
Regarding your love for photography, what is your favourite U2 or U2-related photo? Why? Have you ever shot an U2-related photo?
I got some favourites, but one of the best is this one: http://www.u2start.com/photos/view/13/
It was shot during the Elevation Tour in Arnhem, I believe. The beauty of it, is the composition. You see Adam playing the bass in front of the camera with Bono facing the enthusiastic crowd while jumping and rocking the place. It captures the mood of Elevation perfectly.
This is another one: http://www.u2start.com/photos/view/463/
Taken by Anton Corbijn during the Joshua Tree photo sessions. He made the photo with a fish-eye kind of lens. The horizon is curved, drawing your attention to the band and the tiny Joshua Tree in the middle. Brilliant.
I hope to shoot a U2-concert one day. But I need to hurry…U2 won’t be touring for another 30 years. I’ll do the best I can to get some tickets for the coming tour, hoping to get my camera with me and shoot some nice pictures.
Thanks for asking me to become Member of the Month, I’m honoured to be this year’s first one. I wish everyone a great and rocking 2009, I’m looking forward to it!
And I’m glad to be a member of this lovely website!
Thanks for this interview MWSAH!
Note: Our crew members randomly pick fans of the month, you can't sign up for it
I wanted to give a good interview, so I re-read my answers 5 times or so 