U2 encounters: If they had only known...

[oliveu2cm]

I was reading Zooropamanda's post in 6 degrees of Separation .. s/he can tell the story BUT it brought up this point to me:

Who do you know, who had an encounter with the band, and didn't even know who they were?

I have a whopper of a story. I'm friends w/ a big fan who is a few years younger than the band. Her friend (Christy, let's say, I dont really know her name) lived in New England, and this was around the time the band was young and just getting started. Bill Flanagan talked about it, how they spent so much time in New England you would have thought they lived in Seekonk. This is also around the time Flanagan mentioned going to a cookout and Adam called it "a burnout".. so anyway this Christy woman was at one of these cookouts, and this young fresh band was there, and everyone was having a good time, partying, etc. Then as the night got on, they all wanted to go out on the town somewhere, and these four guys asked Christy if they could go back to her place and shower to get ready and go out. And she said no.

Another, less coma-inducing story, is my aunt who worked at the providence performing art center, and her friend challenged her she couldn't get to the worcester centrum (i think in 87 JT tour) to see U2, and she took that challenge, got a seat 4 rows from the stage, and only stayed for half the show to win the bet, and then went back to work.

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"We get our skis on and Bono
falls over immediately..." (Adam '82)

*!* U2 TAKE ME HIGHER *!*

 

[Gina Marie]

Why wasn't I at the 'burnout'?

Uh, they asked to shower

at her place and she said no? Is she insane?

<-------me after finding out after the fact that Larry (I forget what year it was) was coming to Boston every week for drum lessons.

And those Worcester shows were amazing IMO-I bet your aunt is really kicking herself now.

 

[dizzy]

Originally posted by oliveu2cm:
these four guys asked Christy if they could go back to her place and shower to get ready and go out. And she said no.

OMG...

and i'm guessing this Christy woman is also kicking herself in the ass (and possibly every part of her body) right now.

man, i would've probably given them 1st class hotel service if they had taken a shower in my place! tons of towels, toiletries galore, bathrobes, etc., etc.

heck, i'd offer my place for free!



[This message has been edited by dizzy (edited 12-19-2001).]

 

[bearded morrison]

A friend of mine in high school was going on vacation and waiting for his flight at O'hare in Chicago. He was with his family, waiting at the gate when low and behold U2 shows up for their flight to some other venue during the early stages of the Joshua Tree tour. They were known but not the superstars they would yet become in the U.S. My friend's sister is cute and at the time was probably 14. Bono gets to talking with my friend and his whole family and takes out his guitar (or Edge's, I'm not sure) and sits back to back with my friend's sister on the floor and plays a song for her. She kinda knew who he was but thought the whole band was so nice and outgoing that they all had a great time for the half-hour or so they had to wait for their flight. He has pictures to prove it. I flipped when he showed me them! U2 told his family that they "were just a band from Ireland."

 

[clarityat3am]

Whoa!

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"It's all about drums."

Whether you love me or hate me you can still email me: clarityat3am@hotmail.com

 

[sharky]

I had a friend's mom walk past Bono on the street in Detroit when they were in townf ro a show. that's about it.

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

 

[OnTheEdge]

Originally posted by bearded morrison:
A friend of mine in high school was going on vacation and waiting for his flight at O'hare in Chicago. He was with his family, waiting at the gate when low and behold U2 shows up for their flight to some other venue during the early stages of the Joshua Tree tour. They were known but not the superstars they would yet become in the U.S. My friend's sister is cute and at the time was probably 14. Bono gets to talking with my friend and his whole family and takes out his guitar (or Edge's, I'm not sure) and sits back to back with my friend's sister on the floor and plays a song for her. She kinda knew who he was but thought the whole band was so nice and outgoing that they all had a great time for the half-hour or so they had to wait for their flight. He has pictures to prove it. I flipped when he showed me them! U2 told his family that they "were just a band from Ireland."

Wow. I was looking for this story that I think was in a Seattle area newspaper. U2 and PJ Harvey go shopping for antique bikes in Tacoma... but I couldn't find it. Does anybody have it or know what I'm talking about?

 

[Mrs.Clayton]

Hey, I have that little article about bike shopping in tacoma. I don't really know how to post it...I guess I just retype it here?
I'll go find it and try my best.

 

[Discoteque]

I don't know anyone personally, but I have heard two separate stories of fans' dads, traveling on business, who encountered a couple of "long-haired guys" in an airport and struck up a conversation with them (one chatted wtih Edge, the other one with Bono). Their allure and fame were totally lost on the older gentlemen,of course, but when the stories were relayed back to their kids...well, I think the term *COMBUST* applies here.

disco...who went to high school with a buncha 'burnouts'


[This message has been edited by Discoteque (edited 12-19-2001).]

 

[Zoo Schabow]

My brother-in-law's step dad was in an elevator with U2 and didn't even know it.

I bet U2 loves when that happens.

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THE DUCK HAS DIED

 

[U2girl]

LOL @ all those people not knowing U2 when they're right in front of them!

 

[oliveu2cm]

i think this is an interesting thread, and i want to hear more stories!

*bump*

 

[Dane-Dane]

This happened over 10 years ago. I have a good friend that works at Metropolitan Museum of Art. They are closed to the public on Mondays. One Monday my friend hears
someone banging on the doors to get in, he opens it and there is Bono, Ali, & baby Jordan looking to come in. My friend
turns them away and tells them "come back tomorrow" Can you believe this? I said what happened to the private tour? What happened
to my autograph? Till this day I still bother him about it.

 

[MissZooropa]

When they were in Gothenburg (where I live) for their Popmart show they went out for a walk along the marina and in one of the boats lying there, there were some friends having dinner with wine and everything, having a great time on a beautiful summerevening. Bono, and I think it was Edge, stopped and started chatting with them and kind of invited themselves. They sat down in the boat and started to talk about all kind of things and swedish traditions and I even belive they played some childgames that EVERYONE has done who lives here. When they are about to leave they ask if they are coming to their concert. What concert, are you famous, where is it? they ask. And Bono explains who they are and that they are peforming at the stadium a few blocks away and they politly answered that they weren't going to see the show. Bono promised though, to put them on the guestlist if they changed their mind but they didn't.

First I thought this was a stupid rumor but Now I've heard it from the sister to one of them who actually was there so.... Next summer I'll have a boat in the marina here.... LOL

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"U2 on it?s own is a very interesting group and all. But U2 with it?s audience is a culture" - Bono

http://community.webshots.com/user/misszooropa
Pictures from Copenhagen (shirtless ones), London and Dublin, Slane.

[This message has been edited by MissZooropa (edited 12-20-2001).]

 

[mrsmullen]

this guy i know was at LA2 in the GA line by himself next to some guys that apparently are friends with the band and have been going to tons of their shows since the early 80s. so they get to talking and the guys in line invite my friend to hang out with the band after the show! so afterwords, he and the guys and the band go for burritos in dowtown LA and he has a smoke with adam! what the heck?! on top of that, he has a conversation with bono and bono asks where he goes to school. when he tells him, bono says, "oh! thats where JP Moreland(one of MY professors by the way) and Scott Rae teach, eh? I read their books, they are great!". Good God! and then he gets to talking to the guys about our schools sort of unofficial Johnny Cash club and the band members wanna join! u2 is honorary members of my little school's Johnny Cash club. un-freaking-believable. how do people get so lucky...and I was standing with him in the heart too.

alison

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It doesn't matter what songs we sing. I'm a drummer. Chicks dig me. - Larry

 

[forbonou2]

Oh my! I have been waiting to tell This one! Back ion say, 1987(JT days, when they are running around LA doing filmings for videos on rooftops(anyone remember Streets...?)anyway, my friend, who WAS a big U2 fan and no longer well, has the fire, well her Father worked for Yamaha(like in musical instructments and he and a co-worker, both Big Opera fans were talking about todays music, and said one of the Secretaries runs in and says "oh, you would never guess who's here(after hearing a big buzz in the office!) Bo-No or BON-o oh, something like that"! and my friend overhearing this is the kitchen choked on her Diet coke! Halaroius! I said laughing, 'too bad you could not had brought your Dad his lunch about then!" lol enjoy!