HelloAngel
ONE love, blood, life
[SIMG]http://forum.interference.com/gallery/data//585/11265bonoandamarpreet2-sml.jpg[/SIMG]
By Carrie Alison, Chief Editor
2005.10
It's true, everyone wants a piece of Bono. Whether it's his time, his ears, his celebrity, his attention, a hard-to-come-by ticket to a U2 show, a hug, a kiss, an autograph, a photo—everybody wants something.
But for those luckiest of fans, sometimes you get something far better than you ever dared imagine—a moment in time with the man himself as he sings to you in front of a crowd of thousands.
If you're a major U2 fan who happens to be female and lucky enough to score a general admission ticket to a show, you always hope to be the lucky one on the night. Bono's an ideal romancer—shining blue eyes, fondness for leather, nice cologne and bearer of one of rock's finest singing voices—he knows he has the wanton and rapt attention of every woman in that audience. Only one is allotted this four-minute Cinderella moment, however, no matter how the fan protests, as legend has it from the ZooTV tour when some dance partners would not let go.
While the crowd knows what's coming once that famous deep string of notes rolls off of Adam Clayton's bass, the effect of Bono reaching down into the audience and pulling up a partner is never showy. It never appears insincere, or feels forced. Bono famously craves attention from his legions of fans and so this show of sameness with his audience, this willingness to press flesh, if only for a moment, allows the entire arena feel the same intimacy. Bono becomes Man on Stage once a crowd member is in his arms, not just deified Rock Star Who Has More Money Than God.
At the sold out launch of the third leg of the Vertigo Tour at the Air Canada Centre on September 12th, that lucky lady was first time U2 concertgoer Amarpreet Grewel of Brampton, a suburb of Toronto.
Though only 17, Amarpreet says she has been a U2 fan as long as she can remember. Like so many of us, she wiled away hours upon hours waiting for a U2 video to come on the music video channels, hoping for classic clips like "Where the Streets Have No Name" and "Pride (In the Name of Love)." Also like so many of us, her burgeoning U2 fandom set her apart, saying, "The town I grew up in had such a strict social code that I never managed to fit in because of my love for rock music." What drew her to U2, and kept her coming back over the years, was, "the way U2 manages to keep reinventing themselves and perfecting their music, but also because of the many things they have achieved for human rights, especially Bono."
Amarpreet, who names "With or Without You" has her favorite U2 song of the moment, spoke to Interference.com about her once-in-a-lifetime experience of sharing an amazing moment with the World's Biggest Rock Star onstage.
Had you seen the Elevation and ZooTV DVDs with Bono's other dance partners and always wanted a chance? Did you ever believe you'd get one?
I had seen the DVDs and watched the way Bono communicates with his audience. I would look upon the numerous girls he'd pull up on stage with him with complete and utter amazement, dreaming of my chance. However, I never thought in a million years would I get my turn in the spotlight.
How did you get his attention? Was it your intention on that night to get pulled up on stage?
I never really planned it at all, honestly. But I think what I was wearing that night and my position in the crowd was what caught his attention. I was the only brunette among a crowd of older, pretty blondes and I was wearing a Beatles shirt. Throughout the concert, I noticed that whenever he would approach the crowd, he would tease the people and refused to reach out to them. Once he spotted me, however, he reached out and held my hand for a good few seconds. When he went back to performing, I was left in hysterics at the fact that I was holding hands with my idol, the man I've looked up to my entire life.
I had thought that was the end of it but a few songs later, during their performance of "With or Without You," Bono proceeded back to the tip of the walkway where I was. I saw him scan through the audience and when he laid eyes on me again, he gestured for me to come up on stage without hesitation. Before I could even comprehend what had just happened, I was being thrown up onto the platform by security. Next thing I knew, I was in his arms.
Did Bono say anything to you once you were with him?
Once I was up on stage, I looked at him in complete awe. I didn't know what to do at first, but when he pulled me closer, I wrapped my arms around him. Without a word, he knelt down on the ground and proceeded to sing the bridge of "With or Without You" to the audience. I followed him down to the ground with my arms still locked around his neck.
How did you feel as he held you? What was going through your mind as you looked out at the audience?
My mind turned up a blank, I didn't know what to think, all I knew was that I was hugging Bono and he was hugging me. As I looked out into the audience, I saw a few of the pretty blondes back where I was standing giving me some really bad vibes. A guy in the audience pointed to one of them next to him and yelled, "Pick her." I refused to let anything ruin this moment for me so I turned my head and rested it on Bono's neck.
Did you say anything to him as you were hugging?
As the end of the song neared, Bono rose and picked me up off my knees so we stood facing each other. We hugged for a little while longer until he took my hands and bowed down, bringing them to his forehead. He kissed my hands lightly and started walking away slowly, saying, "All you need is love." I continued to stare at him in complete awe as he smiled at me. I felt hands tugging at the hem of my jeans and when I looked down, I could see security personnel urging me to join the audience once again. I chanced one more glance at Bono and mouthed the words "I love you" to him. He still had the same comforting smile on his face and said, "All you need is love" to me one more time as I came back down from the stage.
Were you able to interact with any other members of U2?
No, the rest of the band was back on the stage. However, when Bono had first reached out to me, Adam came over and we exchanged smiles. But other than that, no.
How were you treated by the band's security and crew?
Security was pretty rough when they were bringing me up on stage. I had almost fallen off the platform, which was pretty embarrassing.
Did you manage to get a souvenir from this experience, such as a set list?
No. I was one of the last people to leave the arena but I was never approached by anyone at all.
After the show, what was the reaction from other U2 fans?
Many of the other people at the show approached me to congratulate me. Even as I passed by the lines of the other Toronto shows, many fans recognized me and shared their kind thoughts with me.
Finally, what would you say to Bono (and U2) now that you've shared this moment onstage with them?
First and foremost, I would like to thank them for all their contributions. Their music, their activism, everything they've done has truly been a gift to this world. I want to thank them for making us all realize that dreams can come true and that allowing our imaginations to run free is okay. I would also like to thank Bono, in particular. He has no idea as to just how much I respect him. He'll never be able to understand what this experience has done for me and how much it has changed me. And, lastly, I'd tell him, "All you need is love."
By Carrie Alison, Chief Editor
2005.10
It's true, everyone wants a piece of Bono. Whether it's his time, his ears, his celebrity, his attention, a hard-to-come-by ticket to a U2 show, a hug, a kiss, an autograph, a photo—everybody wants something.
But for those luckiest of fans, sometimes you get something far better than you ever dared imagine—a moment in time with the man himself as he sings to you in front of a crowd of thousands.
If you're a major U2 fan who happens to be female and lucky enough to score a general admission ticket to a show, you always hope to be the lucky one on the night. Bono's an ideal romancer—shining blue eyes, fondness for leather, nice cologne and bearer of one of rock's finest singing voices—he knows he has the wanton and rapt attention of every woman in that audience. Only one is allotted this four-minute Cinderella moment, however, no matter how the fan protests, as legend has it from the ZooTV tour when some dance partners would not let go.
While the crowd knows what's coming once that famous deep string of notes rolls off of Adam Clayton's bass, the effect of Bono reaching down into the audience and pulling up a partner is never showy. It never appears insincere, or feels forced. Bono famously craves attention from his legions of fans and so this show of sameness with his audience, this willingness to press flesh, if only for a moment, allows the entire arena feel the same intimacy. Bono becomes Man on Stage once a crowd member is in his arms, not just deified Rock Star Who Has More Money Than God.
At the sold out launch of the third leg of the Vertigo Tour at the Air Canada Centre on September 12th, that lucky lady was first time U2 concertgoer Amarpreet Grewel of Brampton, a suburb of Toronto.
Though only 17, Amarpreet says she has been a U2 fan as long as she can remember. Like so many of us, she wiled away hours upon hours waiting for a U2 video to come on the music video channels, hoping for classic clips like "Where the Streets Have No Name" and "Pride (In the Name of Love)." Also like so many of us, her burgeoning U2 fandom set her apart, saying, "The town I grew up in had such a strict social code that I never managed to fit in because of my love for rock music." What drew her to U2, and kept her coming back over the years, was, "the way U2 manages to keep reinventing themselves and perfecting their music, but also because of the many things they have achieved for human rights, especially Bono."
Amarpreet, who names "With or Without You" has her favorite U2 song of the moment, spoke to Interference.com about her once-in-a-lifetime experience of sharing an amazing moment with the World's Biggest Rock Star onstage.
Had you seen the Elevation and ZooTV DVDs with Bono's other dance partners and always wanted a chance? Did you ever believe you'd get one?
I had seen the DVDs and watched the way Bono communicates with his audience. I would look upon the numerous girls he'd pull up on stage with him with complete and utter amazement, dreaming of my chance. However, I never thought in a million years would I get my turn in the spotlight.
How did you get his attention? Was it your intention on that night to get pulled up on stage?
I never really planned it at all, honestly. But I think what I was wearing that night and my position in the crowd was what caught his attention. I was the only brunette among a crowd of older, pretty blondes and I was wearing a Beatles shirt. Throughout the concert, I noticed that whenever he would approach the crowd, he would tease the people and refused to reach out to them. Once he spotted me, however, he reached out and held my hand for a good few seconds. When he went back to performing, I was left in hysterics at the fact that I was holding hands with my idol, the man I've looked up to my entire life.
I had thought that was the end of it but a few songs later, during their performance of "With or Without You," Bono proceeded back to the tip of the walkway where I was. I saw him scan through the audience and when he laid eyes on me again, he gestured for me to come up on stage without hesitation. Before I could even comprehend what had just happened, I was being thrown up onto the platform by security. Next thing I knew, I was in his arms.
Did Bono say anything to you once you were with him?
Once I was up on stage, I looked at him in complete awe. I didn't know what to do at first, but when he pulled me closer, I wrapped my arms around him. Without a word, he knelt down on the ground and proceeded to sing the bridge of "With or Without You" to the audience. I followed him down to the ground with my arms still locked around his neck.
How did you feel as he held you? What was going through your mind as you looked out at the audience?
My mind turned up a blank, I didn't know what to think, all I knew was that I was hugging Bono and he was hugging me. As I looked out into the audience, I saw a few of the pretty blondes back where I was standing giving me some really bad vibes. A guy in the audience pointed to one of them next to him and yelled, "Pick her." I refused to let anything ruin this moment for me so I turned my head and rested it on Bono's neck.
Did you say anything to him as you were hugging?
As the end of the song neared, Bono rose and picked me up off my knees so we stood facing each other. We hugged for a little while longer until he took my hands and bowed down, bringing them to his forehead. He kissed my hands lightly and started walking away slowly, saying, "All you need is love." I continued to stare at him in complete awe as he smiled at me. I felt hands tugging at the hem of my jeans and when I looked down, I could see security personnel urging me to join the audience once again. I chanced one more glance at Bono and mouthed the words "I love you" to him. He still had the same comforting smile on his face and said, "All you need is love" to me one more time as I came back down from the stage.
Were you able to interact with any other members of U2?
No, the rest of the band was back on the stage. However, when Bono had first reached out to me, Adam came over and we exchanged smiles. But other than that, no.
How were you treated by the band's security and crew?
Security was pretty rough when they were bringing me up on stage. I had almost fallen off the platform, which was pretty embarrassing.
Did you manage to get a souvenir from this experience, such as a set list?
No. I was one of the last people to leave the arena but I was never approached by anyone at all.
After the show, what was the reaction from other U2 fans?
Many of the other people at the show approached me to congratulate me. Even as I passed by the lines of the other Toronto shows, many fans recognized me and shared their kind thoughts with me.
Finally, what would you say to Bono (and U2) now that you've shared this moment onstage with them?
First and foremost, I would like to thank them for all their contributions. Their music, their activism, everything they've done has truly been a gift to this world. I want to thank them for making us all realize that dreams can come true and that allowing our imaginations to run free is okay. I would also like to thank Bono, in particular. He has no idea as to just how much I respect him. He'll never be able to understand what this experience has done for me and how much it has changed me. And, lastly, I'd tell him, "All you need is love."
