1. Every month we put an U2 fan in the spotlights, the fan of the month November of 2013 is user dylbagz. Read along for the interview we had this this U2 fan.


    Tell us something about yourself, who are you and what do you do for a living?
    Well as most people here know, I'm Dylan and I'm from Australia. I'm a professional student, cause all I do is study and I currently don't have a job.

    How did you become a fan of U2, tell us how it happened?
    My mum's sister burned her a copy of All That You Can't Leave Behind back in 2000 just after it came out. My old lady got to play it once and after that I stole it and it was put on repeat in my stereo, and the rest is history. Live from Boston got me hooked on the live stuff, and then I found this site, which expanded my horizons even further.

    What does your U2 collection look like? What kind of stuff do you have and how is it organised?
    In terms of bootlegs, I've got hundreds, in both lossless and lossy. In physical media, I've got a ton of CDs, cassettes and vinyls. My most recent addition is a copy of Pop on vinyl, while my most cherished would be Rattle and Hum and Under a Blood Red Sky which are both signed by the whole band, and my vinyl copies of Original Soundtracks and Pop. My CDs and cassettes travel round with me everywhere I go in my car, while the vinyl stays stashed away in a cupboard until I pull them out to play them every now and then.

    Which member of the band would you most like to share a pint with?
    I'd most like to go out and have a drink with Adam, he's a connoisseur and I'm sure he'd have some great stories to tell about all his exploits. Maybe he could give me a few pointers too.

    Which U2 song do you feel the most "attached" to, or means the most for you?
    It'd have to be Kite, my favourite song from my favourite album. It's got a great meaning and it always manages to evoke an emotional response with me. It's a strong song live and the band have pulled out some absolutely terrific renditions on tour.

    What do you think about U2's latest song, Ordinary Love? Do you like it?
    It's funny that you ask me this, seeing as I'm probably more against the sound of what we've heard so far than anyone else around the site. Bono to me sings too high and it sounds like the band are trying too hard to be 'relevant' or whatever they think. People have always said Coldplay sound like U2, but here, U2 sound like Coldplay!

    In your opinion, what has been U2's defining moment and why?
    To me, U2's defining moment was the release of The Joshua Tree. I wasn't around to bare witness to their rise to stardom, but when they released that album, they laid the foundations for who they are today. It propelled them into stadiums on tour, gave us their most defining live song and spawned a trio of hit singles.

    What's it like as a music-fan that you live in a part of the world that's less visited by most international bands? Do you often see local/national bands?
    In the past, we here in Australia seemed to miss out on a lot of big bands and big tours, but thankfully that seems to be changing. I must admit I get a little envious of the fans of any band over in Europe or the States, where there is a country or city to go see a concert (or two) close by. Even if a favourite band of mine comes and plays a few shows here, if I want to see a show in a different city it's at least 1000km one way for me to do that.

    Luckily for me, many of my favourite bands are Australian and haven't had the success of AC/DC or INXS overseas, so they are always touring close by. A local band who had national success called Powderfinger were terrific before they broke up, and I had the pleasure of seeing them three times. Another of my favourites is Eskimo Joe, who I've seen twice and will be again on 31/10. I'm a big fan of live music and try to attend as many concerts as I can, of both local and international bands. I think it's important to support bands as they're starting out and once they are established too.

    How did U2start (or other forums) influence your music preferences? Did U2 fans influence you liking other artists?
    No forums have really influenced my musical preferences other than encouraging me to delve further into the world of bootlegs and live concert recordings. After I found U2start and the treasure trove of U2 shows here, I began to do so for some of my other favourite artists - Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay and the Foo Fighters.

    What are your hobbies and interests away from U2, musical or otherwise?
    I'm into my sports, where I passionately follow the Essendon Bombers Australian Football team. I also love the Rugby Union and follow that closely. I played sports all throughout school and still do. The cricket is another sport I thoroughly enjoy.

    Away from sports and music, my longest and most successful hobby is fishing. My old man taught me to fish from a young age, and I was around boats and the ocean before I could walk. I still remember catching my first fish! As I've gotten bigger I've caught bigger and better fish too, I caught my first Black Marlin this year. I go fishing as often as I can and it's something that I always look forward to.

    Additionally, I love to go out and hunt for snatch on the weekends with a bunch of mates. We all have a great time doing it.

    So that's me. Cheers.




    Thanks for this interview dylbagz!

    Note: Our crew members randomly pick fans of the month, you can't sign up for it.
  2. Aha! Great interview dude, great to know you a little better. We'll see if your opinion of Ordinary Love changes when we get to hear the full song Good choice for a favorite song, Kite is a really powerful tune that means a lot to a lot of people. Well done Dylan
  3. Nice read, Dylan.
  4. Good read there.
  5. That last line. No mention of your success, so I assume it doesn't match the fishing...

    Nice read, Dylan. Slightly jealous that you have Pop on vinyl
  6. "People have always said Coldplay sound like U2, but here, U2 sound like Coldplay!"

    Damnit, you could actually be right...
  7. Originally posted by iTim:That last line. No mention of your success, so I assume it doesn't match the fishing...

    Nice read, Dylan. Slightly jealous that you have Pop on vinyl

    Haha, I don't like to brag (I'm surprised no one else has picked up on that little line yet)

    I only just got it recently, and I really love it. Might even be getting a second copy of it this week in even better condition
  8. That is a nice interview you did there
  9. Originally posted by dylbagz:[..]

    Haha, I don't like to brag (I'm surprised no one else has picked up on that little line yet)

    I only just got it recently, and I really love it. Might even be getting a second copy of it this week in even better condition

    After years of seeing each other's collections at the Collectibles thread, Pop on vinyl doesn't come across as particullarly striking Although it would be nice to have of course.
  10. Originally posted by LikeASong:[..]

    After years of seeing each other's collections at the Collectibles thread, Pop on vinyl doesn't come across as particullarly striking Although it would be nice to have of course.

    Yeah it's nothing special, but it's great to finally have, if you get me. It's the last of the reasonably easy to come across 12" LP vinyls.
  11. Nice read !!

    i didn t know you like rugby !!