My Conversation With The Edge

The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

dublin

The Fly
Joined
Feb 26, 2011
Messages
239
Location
Chicago, IL USA
Well the meet and greet with Edge in NJ exceeded my expectations. What an amazingly gracious guy.

I arrived at the event and had access to the Round Room. This was a bar that held about 150 people, mostly people who know people who know the band in some fashion. There were free drinks, food, and a gated off area outside under The Claw. I waited there for my U2 Management contact.

When she came to get me we walked down the corridors to the locker room which they had transformed into a maze of smaller rooms through pipes and drapes. I was put in one of these rooms. There were two small leather couches, a cooler with beer, a table with wine, and some food.

After about a 10 minute wait in came the man, The Edge (or just Edge as he prefers to be called...I asked). It turned out the charity I donated to was for the school his daughter attends. She had leukemia and he talked about how the school helped her through a complete recovery.:heart:

After that I told him I was sure he was nervous and to take his time, that I was just a regular guy like him and he could ask me whatever he wanted. He laughed and we continued on.:wink:

I asked about when we would see a new album and he wasn't sure. He didn't think it would be this year and it could be a while. Right now they are going to get a little rest after the tour and then start figuring things out. Currently there are no deadlines set for a new album. I asked how the tracks with Danger Mouse were coming and he said that DM was the best producer they have ever worked with. I paused and said that is quite a statement. He agreed an stuck by his assessment. I told him I could not wait to hear some of it.:drool:

We talked about Spiderman Turn Off The Dark as I had seen it the night before. He said it was time for he and Bono to step back a bit and let the actors do their thing. He talked about all of the talent that the performers have. I mentioned there were at least six different Spiderman's in the show. He said that each Spiderman was an acrobat and that Reeve Carney was never actually in the costume (except for a scene or two when the mask is off). He and Bono made a rule that Reeve would never sing in tights.:lol:

I shared how much I enjoyed It Might Get Loud and my favorite part is where he is showing that the breakdown of Elevation is really just two notes. Edge corrected me and said it's actually three notes. I said wow, I've seen that film several times, why was I thinking you said two notes. He put his hand on my shoulder (and this was the best part of the night) looked at me and said, it's o.k. Doug, what's a note between friends :)

I told him how much I was enjoying the Achtung Baby songs on this leg of the tour. He said they are re-issuing AB for the 20 year anniversary and the same director for It Might Get Loud just wrapped a film with the band commemorating it. He said that this film really captures the essence of what it is like to be in a band.

I then thanked him for his loyalty in three areas, the music, his Christianity, and to the others in the band. He seemed touched and said, wow thanks.

I asked him if he thought there would ever be another band as big as U2. especially due to the segmentation of audiences with new technologies. He said that when people get something for free (like music) they do not value it and that needs to change. He shared he was most excited by some of the new subscription models he's seen, the ones where for $9 a month you can get unlimited music. He said if hey can make that technology easier to use there would be enough revenue for labels to starting taking more risk again and he truly hoped there would be other bands as big as U2 in the future.

Lastly I asked if future tours would be on the same scale as 360. All he could say at this point is that it would be different and that they are not interested in doing the same thing again. I asked if that meant indoor arenas with a scaled down stage more like the Elevation tour. He said he could see them going that direction, however they had not decided anything yet.

At that point he asked if there was anything I would like signed. He signed my ticket, my backstage pass, and my Spiderman Playbill. We then took a couple of pics together. My favorite is the one is below where we are both laughing, although I can't remember about what!:D

I collect U2 sunglasses so before he left I pulled out a replica pair of the Viking Fly sunglasses that Bono wore during ZooTV. Edge held them smiled and said he hadn't seen these in years. I asked if he thought Bono would sign them. He put me in touch with his PA before he left and asked her to take care of it.

He was gracious, kind, and very easy to talk to. I never felt as if I received canned answers or he was fulfilling an obligation. When I looked at my watch I couldn't believe that we had spent 20 minutes together. This was about an hour before they went on stage. I'll remember it always.:applaud:

I know this is long but I wanted to document al the details for you. I probably wont get this close again for a while, if ever. I hope you enjoyed reading this.:wave:

Oh, and regarding those sunglasses...I received a text mid-show from the PA saying she had them! I picked them up in the morning at the Hotel and they were beautiful. Based on this experience I am happy to report that both U2 and the people in their organization are a class act all the way around. They really do care about the fans and that means a lot to me.:up:
 

Attachments

  • P1000065_1_0003.jpg
    P1000065_1_0003.jpg
    94 KB · Views: 145
That is amazing! Can you post a link to the picture for those of us who are no longer premium? :)
 
That's amazing! I wish I knew about this Charity auction although something tells me it would've been out of my $ range after this tour :lol: I love the idea of a possible scaled down arena tour..that's my favorite way of seeing the band..A stripped down show just up and playing :up:
 
What a great story - thank you so much for sharing that! (And for asking such good questions! :wink: )
 
I loved reading your story, congratulations :) What a cool guy Edge seems to be. Great that you managed to ask him so many questions. :up:
 
That's great! I'd like to meet him too.But I'd hardly manage to say anything to him I'm afraid.
 
I love that picture of you and Mr. Edge way too much, DD! Still so very happy for you because you are so deserving. Was such a pleasure to meet you this summer - you made our Chicago/NY experiences extra amazing :)
 
I love that picture of you and Mr. Edge way too much, DD! Still so very happy for you because you are so deserving. Was such a pleasure to meet you this summer - you made our Chicago/NY experiences extra amazing :)
YOU Rock my friend. Thanks so much for the kind words. It means a lot coming from you. Here's to many more new memories and new U2 experiences together!!! I'll always remember the bathroom/limo mad dash!!:lol:
 
You must have been planning that opening line, haha, so brilliant, well done for both you and Edge. He never fails to make people feel special. Such a gracious guy.
 
YOU Rock my friend. Thanks so much for the kind words. It means a lot coming from you. Here's to many more new memories and new U2 experiences together!!! I'll always remember the bathroom/limo mad dash!!:lol:

you two scared the crap out of me. I thought you were just kidding and then all of a sudden you were gone! then the limo started to move again I was freaked out. How you made it back that fast still baffles me!

That was an unforgettable afternoon! Thank you for sharing it with us!
(and for letting me try on the PopMart glasses too!)
 
Wow, thanks for sharing! The fact that Edge said DangerMouse is the best producer they've ever worked with makes me really excited to hear the new material! And it's always good to hear confirmation that the band and their organization really are that nice. There's something reassuring about knowing that they aren't phonies and that they're genuinely a good-natured bunch of people. :)
 
My lord.....I loved every minute of this story. Thank you for capturing it and sharing it with us. I seriously devoured every word you wrote. Thank you!
 
Back
Top Bottom