When I saw Baja's request I hesitated to come with my own story but reading these amazing stories here from the other old fans from the early 80ies I thought what the hec, my story belongs in this topic too.. I am a fan.
I am a 51 year old male from the Netherlands and I am a fan since 1980 when I saw them in Amsterdam on the Boy tour. Never missed a tour since that day one. A few weeks before I saw them in october 1980 I went with a few friends to a Stiff Little Fingers concert in Amsterdam wich was really good, a lot of beer and bruises involved, SLF was a quite wild punkrock band ;-) So when I saw this add in a newspaper that 'another Irish band was coming' I didn't have to think very long and bought a ticket..
This time around however I had only 1 beer before I stood in awe.. I guess you all know what I am talking about. My life was not the same after the concert. They were on a club tour and I just wanted to see them more than once. So I went to several venues, it was feb. 81 by now. They also came to my hometown (Rotterdam) and it was there that I decided to go to their dressing room after the concert with a tray of beers.. I just HAD to talk to them, to get to know more about them etc. They liked my idea coming to the dressing room with drinks, it was not a problem at all. It became a long night..
Long story short: I was involved with the first NL U2 fanclub (Annelies de Haan started it, she's a dear friend upon the day of today) and I had many, crazy adventures with U2 on tour in the period 1980- 1992. Impossible to tell them all here ofcourse. After 1992 It was harder to see and meet them 'as in the old days' and I had peace with that. I have all my memories!
-In 2009 I was in Dublin with a bunch of friends for the 360o concerts. We were all in the same hotel so we all were having a great time. The concerts were on friday, saturday and monday. Sunday was the 'day off' and I went with a few others south to walk along the beach and have a drink at Finnegan's. I had the information that U2 was out of town because of all the fans in town and therefor was not prepared for the following..
When we were entering Finnegan's, Bono was just coming out! There were other fans too ofcourse, he was in a good mood and started to give autographs like he alway does. Exitement all around. it was a cheer moment.
Two guys from Mexico wanted a picture with him and I volunteerd to make a proper picture from them with Bono. And then it happened: while I was taking that picture a friend of mine who was with me said to Bono: don't you remember him? what happened next you can see by the pictures: Bono focused on me in the crowd and indeed he did recognise me after all those years! He said "OMG, sorry that I didn't recognised your face at first, we go back to the early 80ies! How ARE you doing" etc. We talked a bit (as far as you can speek of talking, I was stunned actually, wasn't prepared fot this at all and didn't come up with anything bright to say, lol) while the other people had to wait for their autograph. Suddenly he takes a step back, take a good look at me and says: " come on man, give me a big hug!".
Okeeee... There I stood, hugging with my old hero.. even now, while writing this, I get the shivers, haha. It was a sort of homecoming and it still feels very good that this happened.. It was the cherry on the pie besides the Dublin concerts ;-)
I asked him that if he ever should feel the urge to have a drink with an old geezer/fan, I was available, haha. Sofar no responds, . If you read this Bono: the invitation still stands, first drink is on me, I can handle it!
You still use IE?!?!?!?!
I don't have any expectations of any sort of relationship!
And so ridiculous that they want to ban you from the site entirely. What assholes. 
Thanks!
Of course I have to dig thru my files and find it!
I have no scientific data to support that hypothesis, but it seems like the sort of scent that would attract Wandering Bonos. Whereas I think Twilight Woods would attract Reclusive Drummers.
