Experience : Meeting Bono at the Studio *

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

salomeU2000

The Fly
Joined
Jul 26, 2000
Messages
285
Location
Dallas
[SIMG]http://bonovox.interference.com/experience/bonolaurenthumb.jpg[/SIMG]
By Lauren Neff

bonolauren1.jpg


What a day June 11th was. I can?t even begin to describe the excitement and surprise that accompanied it. I was on a bus tour of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. I knew we were going to have a free day in Dublin, so before I left home, I made sure I had everything in my possession to point me in the right direction of Hanover Quay (U2?s studio). I also acquired some maps of Dublin before making this journey and said a lot of prayers.

We started out the morning with a city tour of Dublin. That was interesting and it gave me a brief taste of the treasures Dublin has to offer and a good idea of where The Clarence (U2?s hotel) was. I thought the tour guide might have an idea of U2 whereabouts, but alas. The tour finished outside of Trinity College. From there, my dad, brother, and I walked to The Clarence and checked out the lobby. My dad bought my mom, who was back home in Indiana, and myself a t-shirt and we were off to Hanover Quay. I had my doubts of going all the way to Hanover and not seeing anyone, even though they all had to have been in town for the Special Olympics. To me, it wasn?t worth a day of misery for my dad and brother as they aren?t die-hard U2 fans like myself. And the possibility of getting lost was also a problem and the fact that the quays are being rebuilt. But, my dad insisted. He said that we might as well go forth with it. I figured the best that I could do was to see Adam, who seems to have the best connection with fans and was my former favorite member of the group.

After going through the ghetto of Dublin, we arrive to the nightmare of big machines and heavy construction. I see nothing but a construction site. I tell my dad several times throughout the trip that this isn?t such a good idea and we?re not going to see anyone, anyway. He told me to shut up and keep walking. For a brief time I thought that the studio was already gone because from the start of Hanover Quay, there is nothing. We proceed on along the river and might a right turn on some industrial street. We asked this guy for the U2 studio and he points us in the direction that looked nothing like the studio I had seen in previous pictures. An Asian woman answers the door and tells us it is not the U2 studio. We go back to the other street, wandering aimlessly. The guy on the forklift that told us the wrong place called someone to see where the studio was at, but he didn?t get much help. An older man came along and heard our conversation and told us to follow him. We turn the corner and I see paradise. There are U2 scrawlings in the construction dust on the door and a bench with messages in permanent marker and a guy sitting on the bench.

We walk over to the studio and I dare my dad to knock on the door, figuring no one would answer. The street was dead and the only noise was coming from the cement factory across the street. Someone does come to the door and it?s Sam O?Sullivan, the studio manager. He was kind of surly, but he did tell us U2 were due in that day. We went back to the bench area and it turned out that the guy - Christophe - on the bench, was also waiting for U2. He was an Irish pub owner from Belgium and frequented Dublin a lot. He had met Bono and Adam five times each, Edge twice, and Larry once, and mentioned that Adam and Bono were probably the nicest. He was a regular for doing this sort of thing and gave me all sorts of tips about who drives which car, what is the best time to meet them, what happens when with the garage door, etc. He also traveled all over the world to see U2 in concert, going from South Africa to the historic Boston concert. He was very sweet and had it not been for him, we wouldn?t have stuck around. Although the wait was rather long for the smallest bit of action, we couldn?t have asked for a better day. It was a little cool, but the sun was out and it warmed things up.

It was about an hour and fifteen minutes before someone showed up in his black Audi (Christophe and I concluded with reasonable deduction that it was, in fact, Larry). Of course he didn?t come out. Then, twenty minutes after Larry, a black Mercedes pulls up. Christophe said, ?That?s Bono.? I knew it was his car because I read on U2Land a while ago that he had bought one. I start pointing and hopping up and down like a teenybopper at a Ricky Martin concert. My dad yelled at me, ?Lauren! Don?t point!? I turn my head around and look at his car again and he?s pointing back at me through the front windshield. Right away, I scream and start shaking. And he just pointed back at me! I call my mom on a cell phone and to tell her the news.

Approximately 25 minutes after Bono pulled into the studio garage, the side door opens and out steps Bono. He was wearing black pants with brown stripes in them, his regular Bulgari shades, his army hat, and a black button down shirt with a black sweater over it. I?m staring at him like it was Jesus that walked out of the doors. He flags us on from across the street. Inside my head, I kept telling myself, ?This is not real. You?re dreaming.? I gathered my things together and headed across the street. To break the ice, my brother said in a very neighborly way, ?Hello, Bono!? Bono smiles and says, ?Hey, where are you all from?? My brother replied, ?Chicago.? This time, Bono said, ?Chicago! That?s where we want to be.? He stuck up his hand and told my brother to put it there and he high-fived him and gave him a hug.

bonolauren2.jpg


Then, Bono looked towards my direction. We didn?t say a word to each other, but my brother told him while he was walking towards me that my room was decorated with all U2 pictures, and Bono said, ?That?s the way it should be!? It was sad because I rehearsed inside my head what I would say if I did meet Bono, but I was unable to say a word. Bono walked towards me and took my hand. I thought he would just kiss it like he always does his women fans, but he pulled me in closer putting my arm around his shoulder and he kissed me and gave me the biggest, warmest hug ever. It was the most amazing moment of my life. I felt so bad because I was shaking so hard. I could hear him breathing and he smelled like heaven. I?m almost sure it?s Bulgari, as I have taken the time to go through and smell their men?s collection. My dad told me to turn around so he could take a picture of Bono and I together. He had his arms around me and we snapped a shot together. As he was in front of me, I could see his was in dire need of a shave, but hey, he was in front me. My dad introduced himself as ?my dad? and Bono laughed, being that he is a dad himself. Bono told us that there were all sorts of projects going on, but was not specific about what they were.

bonolauren3.jpg


I reminded myself that I had All That You Can?t Leave Behind in my purse. I dug that out and was struggling with getting it out because I was juggling my purse and my Clarence bag. Bono saw me struggling and helped me get it out. I handed him my Sharpie pen and he scratched out ?U2 All That.? Then, he asked me what my name was. I replied, ?Lauren,? and he wrote above the scratch my name and signed it, along with a hand-drawn flower. So now my jacket cover reads, ?Lauren You Can?t Leave Behind Bono.? My dad asks, ?Hey Bono, will you talk to my wife?? Bono looks around to see if there?s another woman he asks, ?Where is she?? My dad replied, ?She?s home in Indiana.? And Bono says, ?Yeah! Put her on the phone!?

bonolauren4.jpg


Bono moves over to Christophe and signs his stash of newspapers and his cell phone again. One of two questions I asked Bono was, ?Is Adam coming in today?? And he seemed rather rushed or upset about me bringing up Adam, and he said, ?Yeah, he should be.? My dad gets a hold of my mom and Bono picks up the phone, ?Hello, honey. I told you not to call me at the office.? I was laughing so hard! Then, he totally messed with her and said it was raining. He asked her why she wasn?t there and I?m not entirely sure what her reply was. He got of the phone with my mom and was just standing there. Christophe asks if I would take his and Bono?s picture together and I did. I handed my CD over to my dad so that the marker wouldn?t smear. I snap the shot and Bono comes back over to me again. He crouches down next to my side and takes my Clarence bag. He draws his self-portrait on it and signs and dates it. I was in amazement! I didn?t even ask him to do that! Then, he walks over to my dad and he draws his self-portrait on the inside of the jewel case of my CD and signs that, too! At this point, I was ready to bust. This was awesome!

bonolauren5.jpg


Unfortunately, the dust from the cement factory was starting to blow and it was affecting Bono because he let out an ?Oh wow,? and squinted his eyes. My second question to him was ?Are you okay?? He never said though. He said he had to get back in, which I understood because he mentioned in an article that he was far behind in the things to get done for the album. I thanked Bono and we left the studio.


Photos courtesy of Lauren Neff
 
What good people -- a father who will take his son and daughter on a bus trip of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. And a busy rock star who will come out to the street and spend time with them...
 
I love your story and your pics Lauren! Thanks for sharing it, and congrats! You have beautiful memories forever!
 
Great story just spent a day in and around the hanover keys..and stayed 2 nights in clarence..but no bono..some people are just lucky..but the feel of the place is so much worth the vist.
 
Just Great, Just Great!!!

THIS!!! Is just a great story, I desperately want to meet THIS man. And u did Lauren, I'm sooo glad for you. But I have to admit that I'm a bit jealous too. :sad:

But it really proves Bono is a great man and I LOVE :heart: him very much. God, I doooooo.....!!!!!!

Light My Way... :love:
 
When I went to my first concert ever, and my first U2 concert in Baltimore - I got both Larry and Bono's autographs, but I wish I had been able to say something - I was awed by his presence

oh yes and awesome story
 
fate

you are so lucky lauren

I hope one day I get to meet all the guys, whether its here in sydney or one day traveling somewhere. I can't wait any longer to go to my first U2 concert one day- I told my family if the situation arose it would count as every present for a year or two. cause the last time u2 travelled to sydney was when I was 10/11 years old- which sucked cause I really wasnt into music then as I am today:wink:
hopefully sometime in the future that will happen for me and I'll be ok.................
 
Queen Bee said:
That was an enjoyable read. I loved how you depicted your absolutely AMAZING encounter with Bono, Lauren.

<--- is very jealous.


Thank you :) I aspire to be a writer of some sort, one day.

Thank you all for the great feedback! I appriciate all the wonderful messages I got from this post. You're all great!
 
I love your story as well Lauren, Bono amazes me every time with his ability to make every fan happy at every single encounter!!!
Love your pics too!!!
 
Lauren, I met Bono on June 11th last summer!!! June 11th is our lucky day!!!! I too was on my first trip to Dublin. I just cannot get over how sweet he is to his fans. I can't believe he signed your bag without you asking, and talked to your mom. Worth the wait, eh? I actually only had to wait 10 minutes, but I had just missed Adam :( Better Adam than Bono!!

Question: how was Bono towards Christophe? Did he recognize him? Was he chatty with him or just with you guys? I just wonder if he's less friendly with fans he knows he's met before.
 
mgv99 said:
Question: how was Bono towards Christophe? Did he recognize him? Was he chatty with him or just with you guys? I just wonder if he's less friendly with fans he knows he's met before.


To answer your question, he was nice about EVERYTHING...... and I do mean everything. The funny part was, he saw Christophe and was like, "Haven't I seen you before?" Hahaha! I got a little scared because it was almost like he was stalking Bono! (Who couldn't??) But Christophe turned out to be a really fabulous guy and Bono the nicest person on Earth.

Bono basically talked to us for most of the time, as we were new. I couldn't really say much because inside I'm thinking, "OMG, this is BONO in front of me. BONO!" And when he kissed me, I was like, "Oh hell. Do that again." He did answer my Adam question as best as he could and did talk to my mom, per request. So...... I would say that he enjoys his fans no matter how many times you've met him. There's just something extrordinary about meeting him.

But as I sit here and muse over your question, I think as your kind and behave yourself, Bono is glad to see you no matter what. He signed a whole mess of things Christophe had, including his cell phone (again!), so I hope that gave you a bit of insight.

I was disappointed I didn't see Adam. either :sad: as my name represents my preference. If would have liked to have given Adam a squeeze :sexywink:

Hope I answered your question!
 
Last edited:
I totally agree with you Lauren.... when I met Bono in March, there were 5 other girls that all had met him multiple times before, and it was obvious that he knew them, even knew some of their names, and he looked very happy to see them! And signed all their stuff....
I think this is part of why I got so lucky, because Bono came straight to me and spent so much time with me and my mom, cuz he already had spent lots of other time with the other girls in past meetings..... even though I had met him in San Jose once before, there was no way he would have remembered me....
He is nice about everything! He blew us away too!
Isnt it wierd how its so hard to say anything to him? I think that is what tripped me out the most, it was bizarre how mute I was, lol..... he is just so calming.....its like everything is in slow-motion.
Oh and also Lauren, I have showed many people your story and everyone just loves the part that Bono called your Mom! Its just the sweetest thing! My mom doesnt want me to go to Dublin, but one day if I do and I get lucky and meet Bono again I will have him call my mom too! lol I think she would just die!
 
When Lord, when's gonna be my time?

Sorry peeps, long time viewer, I think I may have only posted once in my life. But yeah...I've been living in Dublin for the past two months (I'm from Michigan) studying at Trinity College/stalking...err...searching for Bono. I've seen so much...his house multiple times, the Point Depot, Grand Canal Docks, Kilmainham Gaol, the Clarence, and nearly everything else U2 related. I am convinced that I saw Adam driving by Bono's house too...

Today I finally found the "studio"...very depressing area. Hope that it won't reflect it on the album. But yeah...I waited there for a bit, then the dust was bothering my eyes cuz it's right in the midst of a construction zone, so I took off. But I will go back. It was so sad...there was writing on the nearby wall...some of it says "1/2/8/03 - No Bono. 3/8/03 - No Bono. 4/8/03 - No Bono. 5/8/03 - No Bono." Very sad, but I think that's about the time he was in Toronto anyway. But yeah...I just needed to vent my frustration. Never met any of the boys, but I've been front row at a few Elevation shows (Cleveland, Detroit, Notre Dame).

I'll leave you with a joke. Warning: I didn't make it up, I heard it firsthand from a Dublin journalist.

Q: What's the difference between God and Bono?

A: God doesn't walk down Grafton Street pretending he's Bono.

Lol.

Cheers.
 
Back
Top Bottom