Elvis
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
by Carrie Alison
Chief Editor ? Interference.com
[SIMG]http://bonovox.interference.com/news/mirrortrabbiethumb.jpg[/SIMG]
First you see the Trabants and the ZOO TV neon sign ? suspended over the Rock Hall?s lobby. Then, you look up in excitement to see a large photo of U2 over the escalator. By a force that can only come from the heart, you are propelled upward, and Into The Heart. On Saturday, February 8th, 2003, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland held the grand opening for their brand new U2 exhibit: In the Name of Love: Two Decades of U2, which is slated to run through September. Jim Henke, Vice President of Exhibitions and Curatorial Affairs presided over the opening, offering the media a sneak peak of the exhibit at 4:30pm, and a full lecture at 7:30pm to Rock Hall members and their guests.
A funny thing happened two minutes into his speech, however.
As Henke was speaking on the origin of the U2 exhibit, a crew of four outlandishly dressed bagpipe players strutted through the middle of the crowded floor of fans and spectators, and played all the way towards the stage where Henke was standing. The racket drowned out the lecture, but yielded an announcement of U2-ish proportions: ?Here ye, Here ye! Bono, Adam, Larry and Edge are sorry they can?t be here tonight, but hope to see you soon.? With that, the players exited the Rock Hall and left a sea of 600 slack jawed audience members in their wake. Henke had no prior knowledge of the bagpipe crew. ?I did know about them ahead of time. But it was a secret. I thought it was great and it really showed just how much the band wanted to be here to show their appreciation to the Museum, Cleveland and especially Jim Henke,? Communications Coordinator Jenny Williams said.
Among the Hall of Fame members and their guests, a special crowd of U2 fans had gathered ? some for the media preview as guests of the Museum. This inclusive gesture from the Rock Hall delighted U2 website representatives who were able to speak to Henke, and Communications Coordinators Williams and Todd Mesek one on one.
?I felt it was imperative to make this exhibit accessible to the fans. It is no secret how important the fans are to U2 and their career, and to not allow them into the media event would be very, well, un-U2,? Williams stated.
A Team Effort
The genesis of the exhibit goes back to the opening of the Hall of Fame itself, in 1995. In the beginning, the museum was host to the hanging Trabants in the lobby, and a small exhibit showcasing memorabilia up to the War era. In 1999, the Rock Hall unveiled its ?Rock Style? exhibit, where visitors could eyeball one of Bono?s ZOO TV costumes. Reaction from visiting U2 fans was immediate ? they wanted more. And so did the Rock Hall. In 2001, U2 visited the Museum while they were in town with the Elevation Tour. The band loved the museum and wanted to do more. Soon after, the band asked Henke and the Rock Hall for a ?wishlist? that the band and their management could use as a jumping off point to know what to send. Miraculously, the band was able to fulfill most of the list?s requests.
Once the wish was granted, it was up to the Rock Hall and Henke to organize the effort. On the Rock Hall?s side, Henke was responsible for general collecting, two staffers who took care of shipping, item insurance and cataloging. For the exhibit?s overall design, two planners were responsible, and three staffers installed the exhibit. Enter Fightin? Fintan Fitzgerald in U2?s camp, who was in charge of gathering and shipping materials to the United States. Henke?s tireless collecting efforts (including numerous trips to Dublin to discuss and collect) in conjunction with the band, included: manager Paul McGuinness and Susan Hunter at Principle Management, former New York Principal Management representative Ellen Darst, photographer Anton Corbijn, frequent U2 visual artist Steve Averill and his graphic design house Four5One (designers of Propaganda), video producers Dreamchaser (?Achtung Baby? video), chief production manager Steve Iredale, and tour personnel Willie Williams, and Dennis Sheehan. Over the 2002 Thanksgiving holiday, Henke made his final trip to Ireland to meet with Iredale and Averill and partners, who designed the U2 exhibit logo. Henke indicated during his speech that Larry Mullen Jnr?s personal collection was ?the driving force behind the collection.? Mullen, the known collector of U2 history and memorabilia even purchased the property next to his own house to store his immense collection.
A Cultivated Relationship
Once all procured exhibit items reached the Rock Hall, U2 left all further planning in Henke?s experienced hands. ?We tried to keep them in the loop as much as possible, and we did send over some digital photos, but they didn't really request anything special,? Henke states. After all, Henke and U2 go way back ? in the very early 80?s he even accompanied the band to a gig at a school in Coventry, England. ?I spent numerous hours in a little van traveling through England with them,? Henke remembers. Subsequently, Henke was the first journalist in the U.S. to write a feature article about U2; ?U2: The Next Big Thing?? was published in Rolling Stone, where Henke served on the Editorial board. His passion continued through the halls and offices of Rolling Stone, when, in 1985, he got the band on the cover of the magazine with the blazing headline - "Our Choice: Band of The Eighties." Henke and Bono, in particular, have remained friends ever since.
The Exhibit ? 3 Floors and Two Decades of U2
The U2 exhibit is located on the 4th, 5th, and 6th floors of the Hall of Fame museum. The 4th floor is currently a showcase for U2 photographer Anton Corbijn?s prints through the years. Thirty prints are on display, most in black and white. Notable prints from the Corbijn showcase include: color pictures taken in Berlin during the Achtung Baby photo sessions, Bono hugging a horse in 1986, Bono sitting in a helicopter in Sweden in 1982, Bono in Miami doing the ?wave? in 1996, pictures from the video shoot for ?Elevation? in 2001, Bono in Cabo San Lucas driving looking very Travis Bickle-ish in 1997, and U2 in Santa Cruz in the early nineties in various stages of cross-dress.
?I didn't have a single favorite exhibit item. It was all just amazing. What sticks out though, was Anton's gallery. Every time I went past a giant Bono picture, I had to run up and kiss it! So Sunday evening, I was running around wiping the smudge marks off the pictures with my sleeve,? said U2 fan Dot to Interference.
Around the corner from the photo display is the Hall of Fame Theatre, which will be showing four U2 films through the duration of the exhibit ? the 1989 Phil Joanou-directed feature film ?Rattle and Hum,? the 1983 concert film ?U2: Live at Red Rocks,? the 1994 concert film ?U2: Live in Sydney,? and the documentary ?Classic Albums: The Making of The Joshua Tree.? In May the 4th floor will be transformed into a showcase for Steve Averill?s album cover designs over the years ? including outtakes, some as notorious as the ?U2 Incorporated? sleeve from the Pop era.
As you enter the 5th floor, nostalgia will grip you immediately as you find yourself face to face with Larry Mullen Jnr?s first drum kit, a 1978 kit from Premier Drum Company, and Bono?s first guitar from 1976, which was used to write some of U2?s earliest songs. Looking around, you are greeted with a widescreen television continuously looping the U2 History Mix from the Achtung Baby video by Dreamchaser, myriad cases of artifacts lining the walls, and a rounded case of items that follows you around the room, and consequently, through U2?s professional acceptance ? this rounded case is significant as it houses the first press release for The Hype, a 1979 ticket to a U2 gig, the rejection letter from Arista stating that U2?s demo ?doesn?t meet our needs,? another rejection letter from RSO in 1979 claiming that the demo material was ?not suitable.? There is a handwritten letter from Edge to Larry claiming ?We have already gone to practice,? a birthday letter to Larry from Paul and the entire band, handwritten lyrics to ?11 O?clock Tick Tock,? ?Out of Control,? ?The Ocean,? and ?Another Time, Another Place.?
Acrylic display cases on the outer wall present the most extensive of Henke?s collection efforts ? artifacts from each of U2?s eras. The first two cases exhibit the earliest years of known U2 lore ? amazingly, the trophy U2 won at the Limerick talent contest along with ?500 and a demo session with CBS Records sits in the case alongside a concert poster advertising U2 appearing with the Virgin Prunes, Mullen?s 1980 press clipping scrapbook, the first U2 t-shirt which was designed by Mullen, a 1981 U2 Christmas card, ?Binky for President? button (Adam Clayton was nicknamed Binky because of the ?bink bink? sound of his bass), and a War tour itinerary.
The War case contains a Bono tour t-shirt, a War tour crew vest, a letter to Mullen from Neil Storey, the Editor of U2 Magazine, and U2 tour program draft. The case for the Unforgettable Fire/Pride era displays Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois production notes for ?Pride,? Bono?s notes on ?Indian Summer Sky,? and an Unforgettable Fire holiday card.
The second UF-themed case contains handwritten lyrics to ?Bad,? a tour itinerary and program, and Eno and Lanois production notes for ?A Sort of Homecoming.? The next case focuses on the charity concerts U2 participated in at that time ? Sun City, Band Aid and Amnesty International.
Next down the line are three cases of Joshua Tree-era artifact. Tour itineraries, concert tickets, a 1987 set list from a Hartford, Connecticut show that was given to a fan in response to the fan giving Bono throat lozenges, and tour stage plans. The film and album Rattle and Hum take up two cases with prized items to fans ? Edge?s electric guitar used during the Joshua Tree and ZOO TV tours, ?When Love Comes to Town? handwritten lyrics, a note from Bono to ?Love? collaborator and blues god B.B. King, Bono?s harmonica used during performances of ?Desire? on the tour and Bono?s famed Stetson cowboy hat, most prominently featured during ?Bullet the Blue Sky.?
?I would have liked to have gotten some more of Bono's lyrics, like from the Joshua Tree, and we asked for a white flag from Red Rocks but they did not have one. We have talked about the Lemon with them, but it's just too darn big,? said Henke.
As you round the corner, Bono is standing before you, on the Elevation stage, bathed in a single spotlight ? it is a floor to ceiling banner of a photo taken by Otto Kitsinger of U2photos.com. Kitsinger is known to U2 fans worldwide as the man with the plan and a camera at his side for more than 64 U2 concerts and over 2,002 pictures.
The final cases on the 5th floor showcase the first Best Of album release and various Pop-era artifacts. In these cases you will find: a pair of Bono?s Fly shades, a ?Sweetest Thing? promotional chocolate bar, a Best Of 1980-1990 dog tag and a Pop tour promotion poster with designs mirroring Pop Art favorite Roy Lichtenstein. Lichtenstein, as art impresarios recall, is the artist who paints using single colorful dots to form a painting or picture. The farthest wall on the floor is covered in U2 fanzine memorabilia ? old covers of U2?s World Service Magazine Propaganda, fan upstart magazines, glossy and paper-based.
Software, Hardware and Men?s Wear
The 6th floor, and final floor of the exhibit is a universe all to its own. Visitors are immediately bombarded with a floor to ceiling video screen broadcasting at full volume, the U2 History Mix video, bright lights and a glam rock atmosphere. This floor is an extreme transformation in appearance and mood from the black and white, calm and muted U2 artifact of the previous two floors. Thinking back upon U2?s chronology, it makes sense to have such a drastic change in band representation ? the 1990?s were the band?s most artistic and colorful period. The Rock Hall agrees. ?I like to think that we, collectively, have a very good understanding of U2's history and this is definitely reflected in the design of the exhibit,? said Williams.
Fans are keenly aware that the Nineties were when U2 developed a sense of humor, irony and learned the importance of a flashy sartorial sense. Full outfits from PopMart, ZOO TV and the Elevation Tour are on display.
The PopMart display features Bono?s Everlast boxer jackets and midnight blue bubble suit, Clayton?s blue sequined ?PopTart? shirt, jacket, army pants, muscle shirt and yellow bass guitar. Mullen?s submitted clothing includes a tank top, black pants and boots, while Edge takes the cake with his black sequined ?Mr. The Edge? t-shirt, black frayed pants, muscle shirt and cowboy hat. Most notable along this wall to fans of detail is the PopMart scale model for the tour stage and set up, replete with broad yellow arch, and Edge?s tour cowboy boots. The PopMart display case houses Bono?s tour monologue boasting, ?I believe in love?63 channels, MacDonald?s, Bailey?s Irish Cream and Television!?
The hallway directly next to the Pop-era wall boasts framed film animation cels from the ?Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me? video directed by Kevin Godley and Maurice Linnane in 1995. The ?Hold Me? video was a throwback to DC Comics and a promo for the Batman Forever soundtrack contribution. Fans particularly enjoyed this video for the presence of Bono?s MacPhisto character, The Fly character, and a shot of Bono knocked out on a city street next to a copy of CS Lewis? classic novella, The Screwtape Letters.
Loud and proud is the ZOO TV/Zooropa-era display. Outfits include: four blue lemon suits, Bono?s Mirrorball man, gold lame? MacPhisto getup, and his Fly suit; Clayton?s stage outfit as well as Mullen?s.
The ZOO TV/Zooropa-era display case features Edge?s famous stocking cap stating ?More Pricks than Kicks,? Larry?s black leather vest, and army cap decorated with ?FOAD BNF (F*** Off and Die, British Nuclear Fuel),? handwritten lyrics to ?Stay,? first leg of ZOO TV Outside Broadcast planning sketches and set design mock-up with Trabant plans.
Last, but certainly not least is the Elevation Tour/All That You Can?t Leave Behind area. Fans will immediately recognize Edge?s red #7 sequined tour shirt and pants, Mullen?s blue shirt and black cargo pants and Adam?s purple shirt and red army pants from Gucci, and black snakeskin trench coats worn by Clayton or Mullen in the ?Elevation? music video, directed by Joseph Khan for the Tomb Raider soundtrack.
Display cases for this era boast: Salman Rushdie handwritten lyrics for ?The Ground Beneath Her Feet? from the Million Dollar Hotel soundtrack (Bono penned the screenplay), the green Goal is Soul guitar used during the Elevation tour, Bono?s Super Bowl United States flag-lined jacket, revised handwritten lyrics for ?New York? (in lieu of the events of September 11th, 2001) Brian Eno production notes for the Grammy-winning album and shoes from Daniel Lanois. ?Some of my favorite things are the very early items, like the Hype press release, and Larry's first U2 shirt. I also love the lyrics to "Bad" and I like the revised New York lyrics. One of my other favorite things is Bono's stars and stripes jacket,? said Curator Henke.
?I was also very pleased with getting the rewritten NY lyrics...I had asked for those specifically so, to know that they were actually written out and existed made me happy!? said Communications Coordinator Williams.
And so it goes?
Fan and press reaction to the Exhibit was ecstatic and immediate. ?Personally I thought the exhibit was great. They had to kick me out, I didn?t want to leave,? said U2 fan and Bono look-alike Gabriel Harkins. At one point in the night, there was an hour wait just to get through the security checkpoint and up the escalator. Sunday?s general public showing was no different, and from the looks of it, the Rock Hall is going to have a packed and passionate house until the exhibit closes in September.
?Jim said in his speech that he thinks the amazing thing about this exhibit is that it is for the die hard fans and the people who know nothing about U2. I get the feeling that the die hard fans are excited about it and pleased with the outcome,? said Williams of the Saturday premiere.
U2 is eligible to be formally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
A special fan celebration is in the works at the Museum in the spring of 2003.
For more information on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, visit:
http://rockhall.com/
For more information on the In the Name of Love: Two Decades of U2 exhibit, visit:
http://rockhall.com/exhibitions/featured.asp
? Copyright 2003, Carrie Alison / Interference.com. Please do not reprint without permission from the author.
Chief Editor ? Interference.com
[SIMG]http://bonovox.interference.com/news/mirrortrabbiethumb.jpg[/SIMG]
First you see the Trabants and the ZOO TV neon sign ? suspended over the Rock Hall?s lobby. Then, you look up in excitement to see a large photo of U2 over the escalator. By a force that can only come from the heart, you are propelled upward, and Into The Heart. On Saturday, February 8th, 2003, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland held the grand opening for their brand new U2 exhibit: In the Name of Love: Two Decades of U2, which is slated to run through September. Jim Henke, Vice President of Exhibitions and Curatorial Affairs presided over the opening, offering the media a sneak peak of the exhibit at 4:30pm, and a full lecture at 7:30pm to Rock Hall members and their guests.
A funny thing happened two minutes into his speech, however.
As Henke was speaking on the origin of the U2 exhibit, a crew of four outlandishly dressed bagpipe players strutted through the middle of the crowded floor of fans and spectators, and played all the way towards the stage where Henke was standing. The racket drowned out the lecture, but yielded an announcement of U2-ish proportions: ?Here ye, Here ye! Bono, Adam, Larry and Edge are sorry they can?t be here tonight, but hope to see you soon.? With that, the players exited the Rock Hall and left a sea of 600 slack jawed audience members in their wake. Henke had no prior knowledge of the bagpipe crew. ?I did know about them ahead of time. But it was a secret. I thought it was great and it really showed just how much the band wanted to be here to show their appreciation to the Museum, Cleveland and especially Jim Henke,? Communications Coordinator Jenny Williams said.
Among the Hall of Fame members and their guests, a special crowd of U2 fans had gathered ? some for the media preview as guests of the Museum. This inclusive gesture from the Rock Hall delighted U2 website representatives who were able to speak to Henke, and Communications Coordinators Williams and Todd Mesek one on one.
?I felt it was imperative to make this exhibit accessible to the fans. It is no secret how important the fans are to U2 and their career, and to not allow them into the media event would be very, well, un-U2,? Williams stated.
A Team Effort
The genesis of the exhibit goes back to the opening of the Hall of Fame itself, in 1995. In the beginning, the museum was host to the hanging Trabants in the lobby, and a small exhibit showcasing memorabilia up to the War era. In 1999, the Rock Hall unveiled its ?Rock Style? exhibit, where visitors could eyeball one of Bono?s ZOO TV costumes. Reaction from visiting U2 fans was immediate ? they wanted more. And so did the Rock Hall. In 2001, U2 visited the Museum while they were in town with the Elevation Tour. The band loved the museum and wanted to do more. Soon after, the band asked Henke and the Rock Hall for a ?wishlist? that the band and their management could use as a jumping off point to know what to send. Miraculously, the band was able to fulfill most of the list?s requests.
Once the wish was granted, it was up to the Rock Hall and Henke to organize the effort. On the Rock Hall?s side, Henke was responsible for general collecting, two staffers who took care of shipping, item insurance and cataloging. For the exhibit?s overall design, two planners were responsible, and three staffers installed the exhibit. Enter Fightin? Fintan Fitzgerald in U2?s camp, who was in charge of gathering and shipping materials to the United States. Henke?s tireless collecting efforts (including numerous trips to Dublin to discuss and collect) in conjunction with the band, included: manager Paul McGuinness and Susan Hunter at Principle Management, former New York Principal Management representative Ellen Darst, photographer Anton Corbijn, frequent U2 visual artist Steve Averill and his graphic design house Four5One (designers of Propaganda), video producers Dreamchaser (?Achtung Baby? video), chief production manager Steve Iredale, and tour personnel Willie Williams, and Dennis Sheehan. Over the 2002 Thanksgiving holiday, Henke made his final trip to Ireland to meet with Iredale and Averill and partners, who designed the U2 exhibit logo. Henke indicated during his speech that Larry Mullen Jnr?s personal collection was ?the driving force behind the collection.? Mullen, the known collector of U2 history and memorabilia even purchased the property next to his own house to store his immense collection.
A Cultivated Relationship
Once all procured exhibit items reached the Rock Hall, U2 left all further planning in Henke?s experienced hands. ?We tried to keep them in the loop as much as possible, and we did send over some digital photos, but they didn't really request anything special,? Henke states. After all, Henke and U2 go way back ? in the very early 80?s he even accompanied the band to a gig at a school in Coventry, England. ?I spent numerous hours in a little van traveling through England with them,? Henke remembers. Subsequently, Henke was the first journalist in the U.S. to write a feature article about U2; ?U2: The Next Big Thing?? was published in Rolling Stone, where Henke served on the Editorial board. His passion continued through the halls and offices of Rolling Stone, when, in 1985, he got the band on the cover of the magazine with the blazing headline - "Our Choice: Band of The Eighties." Henke and Bono, in particular, have remained friends ever since.
The Exhibit ? 3 Floors and Two Decades of U2
The U2 exhibit is located on the 4th, 5th, and 6th floors of the Hall of Fame museum. The 4th floor is currently a showcase for U2 photographer Anton Corbijn?s prints through the years. Thirty prints are on display, most in black and white. Notable prints from the Corbijn showcase include: color pictures taken in Berlin during the Achtung Baby photo sessions, Bono hugging a horse in 1986, Bono sitting in a helicopter in Sweden in 1982, Bono in Miami doing the ?wave? in 1996, pictures from the video shoot for ?Elevation? in 2001, Bono in Cabo San Lucas driving looking very Travis Bickle-ish in 1997, and U2 in Santa Cruz in the early nineties in various stages of cross-dress.
?I didn't have a single favorite exhibit item. It was all just amazing. What sticks out though, was Anton's gallery. Every time I went past a giant Bono picture, I had to run up and kiss it! So Sunday evening, I was running around wiping the smudge marks off the pictures with my sleeve,? said U2 fan Dot to Interference.
Around the corner from the photo display is the Hall of Fame Theatre, which will be showing four U2 films through the duration of the exhibit ? the 1989 Phil Joanou-directed feature film ?Rattle and Hum,? the 1983 concert film ?U2: Live at Red Rocks,? the 1994 concert film ?U2: Live in Sydney,? and the documentary ?Classic Albums: The Making of The Joshua Tree.? In May the 4th floor will be transformed into a showcase for Steve Averill?s album cover designs over the years ? including outtakes, some as notorious as the ?U2 Incorporated? sleeve from the Pop era.
As you enter the 5th floor, nostalgia will grip you immediately as you find yourself face to face with Larry Mullen Jnr?s first drum kit, a 1978 kit from Premier Drum Company, and Bono?s first guitar from 1976, which was used to write some of U2?s earliest songs. Looking around, you are greeted with a widescreen television continuously looping the U2 History Mix from the Achtung Baby video by Dreamchaser, myriad cases of artifacts lining the walls, and a rounded case of items that follows you around the room, and consequently, through U2?s professional acceptance ? this rounded case is significant as it houses the first press release for The Hype, a 1979 ticket to a U2 gig, the rejection letter from Arista stating that U2?s demo ?doesn?t meet our needs,? another rejection letter from RSO in 1979 claiming that the demo material was ?not suitable.? There is a handwritten letter from Edge to Larry claiming ?We have already gone to practice,? a birthday letter to Larry from Paul and the entire band, handwritten lyrics to ?11 O?clock Tick Tock,? ?Out of Control,? ?The Ocean,? and ?Another Time, Another Place.?
Acrylic display cases on the outer wall present the most extensive of Henke?s collection efforts ? artifacts from each of U2?s eras. The first two cases exhibit the earliest years of known U2 lore ? amazingly, the trophy U2 won at the Limerick talent contest along with ?500 and a demo session with CBS Records sits in the case alongside a concert poster advertising U2 appearing with the Virgin Prunes, Mullen?s 1980 press clipping scrapbook, the first U2 t-shirt which was designed by Mullen, a 1981 U2 Christmas card, ?Binky for President? button (Adam Clayton was nicknamed Binky because of the ?bink bink? sound of his bass), and a War tour itinerary.
The War case contains a Bono tour t-shirt, a War tour crew vest, a letter to Mullen from Neil Storey, the Editor of U2 Magazine, and U2 tour program draft. The case for the Unforgettable Fire/Pride era displays Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois production notes for ?Pride,? Bono?s notes on ?Indian Summer Sky,? and an Unforgettable Fire holiday card.
The second UF-themed case contains handwritten lyrics to ?Bad,? a tour itinerary and program, and Eno and Lanois production notes for ?A Sort of Homecoming.? The next case focuses on the charity concerts U2 participated in at that time ? Sun City, Band Aid and Amnesty International.
Next down the line are three cases of Joshua Tree-era artifact. Tour itineraries, concert tickets, a 1987 set list from a Hartford, Connecticut show that was given to a fan in response to the fan giving Bono throat lozenges, and tour stage plans. The film and album Rattle and Hum take up two cases with prized items to fans ? Edge?s electric guitar used during the Joshua Tree and ZOO TV tours, ?When Love Comes to Town? handwritten lyrics, a note from Bono to ?Love? collaborator and blues god B.B. King, Bono?s harmonica used during performances of ?Desire? on the tour and Bono?s famed Stetson cowboy hat, most prominently featured during ?Bullet the Blue Sky.?
?I would have liked to have gotten some more of Bono's lyrics, like from the Joshua Tree, and we asked for a white flag from Red Rocks but they did not have one. We have talked about the Lemon with them, but it's just too darn big,? said Henke.
As you round the corner, Bono is standing before you, on the Elevation stage, bathed in a single spotlight ? it is a floor to ceiling banner of a photo taken by Otto Kitsinger of U2photos.com. Kitsinger is known to U2 fans worldwide as the man with the plan and a camera at his side for more than 64 U2 concerts and over 2,002 pictures.
The final cases on the 5th floor showcase the first Best Of album release and various Pop-era artifacts. In these cases you will find: a pair of Bono?s Fly shades, a ?Sweetest Thing? promotional chocolate bar, a Best Of 1980-1990 dog tag and a Pop tour promotion poster with designs mirroring Pop Art favorite Roy Lichtenstein. Lichtenstein, as art impresarios recall, is the artist who paints using single colorful dots to form a painting or picture. The farthest wall on the floor is covered in U2 fanzine memorabilia ? old covers of U2?s World Service Magazine Propaganda, fan upstart magazines, glossy and paper-based.
Software, Hardware and Men?s Wear
The 6th floor, and final floor of the exhibit is a universe all to its own. Visitors are immediately bombarded with a floor to ceiling video screen broadcasting at full volume, the U2 History Mix video, bright lights and a glam rock atmosphere. This floor is an extreme transformation in appearance and mood from the black and white, calm and muted U2 artifact of the previous two floors. Thinking back upon U2?s chronology, it makes sense to have such a drastic change in band representation ? the 1990?s were the band?s most artistic and colorful period. The Rock Hall agrees. ?I like to think that we, collectively, have a very good understanding of U2's history and this is definitely reflected in the design of the exhibit,? said Williams.
Fans are keenly aware that the Nineties were when U2 developed a sense of humor, irony and learned the importance of a flashy sartorial sense. Full outfits from PopMart, ZOO TV and the Elevation Tour are on display.
The PopMart display features Bono?s Everlast boxer jackets and midnight blue bubble suit, Clayton?s blue sequined ?PopTart? shirt, jacket, army pants, muscle shirt and yellow bass guitar. Mullen?s submitted clothing includes a tank top, black pants and boots, while Edge takes the cake with his black sequined ?Mr. The Edge? t-shirt, black frayed pants, muscle shirt and cowboy hat. Most notable along this wall to fans of detail is the PopMart scale model for the tour stage and set up, replete with broad yellow arch, and Edge?s tour cowboy boots. The PopMart display case houses Bono?s tour monologue boasting, ?I believe in love?63 channels, MacDonald?s, Bailey?s Irish Cream and Television!?
The hallway directly next to the Pop-era wall boasts framed film animation cels from the ?Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me? video directed by Kevin Godley and Maurice Linnane in 1995. The ?Hold Me? video was a throwback to DC Comics and a promo for the Batman Forever soundtrack contribution. Fans particularly enjoyed this video for the presence of Bono?s MacPhisto character, The Fly character, and a shot of Bono knocked out on a city street next to a copy of CS Lewis? classic novella, The Screwtape Letters.
Loud and proud is the ZOO TV/Zooropa-era display. Outfits include: four blue lemon suits, Bono?s Mirrorball man, gold lame? MacPhisto getup, and his Fly suit; Clayton?s stage outfit as well as Mullen?s.
The ZOO TV/Zooropa-era display case features Edge?s famous stocking cap stating ?More Pricks than Kicks,? Larry?s black leather vest, and army cap decorated with ?FOAD BNF (F*** Off and Die, British Nuclear Fuel),? handwritten lyrics to ?Stay,? first leg of ZOO TV Outside Broadcast planning sketches and set design mock-up with Trabant plans.
Last, but certainly not least is the Elevation Tour/All That You Can?t Leave Behind area. Fans will immediately recognize Edge?s red #7 sequined tour shirt and pants, Mullen?s blue shirt and black cargo pants and Adam?s purple shirt and red army pants from Gucci, and black snakeskin trench coats worn by Clayton or Mullen in the ?Elevation? music video, directed by Joseph Khan for the Tomb Raider soundtrack.
Display cases for this era boast: Salman Rushdie handwritten lyrics for ?The Ground Beneath Her Feet? from the Million Dollar Hotel soundtrack (Bono penned the screenplay), the green Goal is Soul guitar used during the Elevation tour, Bono?s Super Bowl United States flag-lined jacket, revised handwritten lyrics for ?New York? (in lieu of the events of September 11th, 2001) Brian Eno production notes for the Grammy-winning album and shoes from Daniel Lanois. ?Some of my favorite things are the very early items, like the Hype press release, and Larry's first U2 shirt. I also love the lyrics to "Bad" and I like the revised New York lyrics. One of my other favorite things is Bono's stars and stripes jacket,? said Curator Henke.
?I was also very pleased with getting the rewritten NY lyrics...I had asked for those specifically so, to know that they were actually written out and existed made me happy!? said Communications Coordinator Williams.
And so it goes?
Fan and press reaction to the Exhibit was ecstatic and immediate. ?Personally I thought the exhibit was great. They had to kick me out, I didn?t want to leave,? said U2 fan and Bono look-alike Gabriel Harkins. At one point in the night, there was an hour wait just to get through the security checkpoint and up the escalator. Sunday?s general public showing was no different, and from the looks of it, the Rock Hall is going to have a packed and passionate house until the exhibit closes in September.
?Jim said in his speech that he thinks the amazing thing about this exhibit is that it is for the die hard fans and the people who know nothing about U2. I get the feeling that the die hard fans are excited about it and pleased with the outcome,? said Williams of the Saturday premiere.
U2 is eligible to be formally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004.
A special fan celebration is in the works at the Museum in the spring of 2003.
For more information on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, visit:
http://rockhall.com/
For more information on the In the Name of Love: Two Decades of U2 exhibit, visit:
http://rockhall.com/exhibitions/featured.asp
? Copyright 2003, Carrie Alison / Interference.com. Please do not reprint without permission from the author.
Last edited by a moderator:
!!!
