Hotpress

[CatDubh]

Big disappointment... for me, anyways! Got it today, of all the questions that must have been sent in, prolly trillions of them, only 16 questions were chosen to be answered! Big shame for a 25th anniversary, me thinks.

Oh yeah, Larry was being himself

Hi! I would really love to know what the tattoo on Larry's arm stands for?
If you're close enough to see the tattoo you're too close!

Good aul Larry!

Anyways, I'm sending the copies to those I've promised!

 

[bono-vox]

oh oh oh must...see this hotpress issue

 

[adamswildhoney]

Can I get a copy? Thats a typical larry quote!

 

[MonaVox]

[color=royal blue]Ooo could ye maybe share the other questions and answers with us? Unless it's too long[/color]

 

[elevatedsoul2]

[color=royal blue]Ooo could ye maybe share the other questions and answers with us? Unless it's too long[/color]

Yes pleeeeeeeeeeeeeease??

 

[martha]

[color=royal blue]Ooo could ye maybe share the other questions and answers with us? Unless it's too long[/color]

Yeah; were there any questions about baking? Just asking.

16 questions don't seem like much, especially if they go unanswered like the one about Larry's tat.

 

[SweetOnU2]

Cat, you just can't leave us hanging like this! I wanna know the Q & A's! *please*

 

[CatDubh]

Awww sorry, guys! A bit long, but here it comes:

U2 GOT A LOT TO ANSWER FOR

Was the song 'Stay (Faraway, So Close)' written specifically for the Wim Wenders film or something else? Is there going to be a Heart on the next tour? What about Propaganda, is it coming back as a publication or is it going to remain strictly online?

Larry: 'Stay' was triggered by Wim Wenders' movie certainly, as for the rest, we don't know what there will be on the next tour, we don't make those decisions until we have to and they are born of the record. Propaganda will be no more, the web site is so much better at doing the job, we decided to let it do just that.


I was just wondering if you guys are working on a new album and if so when is it to be released?

Bono: The day after we finished the Elevation tour, we started work on the next album. Working with Richard Rainey we set up in a disused bar/nightclub in the South of France. Very punk rock and very like old clubs we used to play. Maybe it was being in that kind of venue, but the music we started to make was very lo-fi high energy. One of these songs might make it onto our new Best Of which comes out later this year.


A question for Bono: if you had to choose one of these terms to define yourself right now, would it be A) political activist, or B) musician?

Bono: Nothing comes close to the feeling of waking up with a melody in your head and having a band like U2 to help you capture it. As I said at the HOTPress Awards, I don't think of myself as a great singer but I sing from a great place. That place is U2. Politicians don't turn me on, politics doesn't turn me on, the way msic does. I have a lot more respcet for them than I used to. They work a lot harder thatn I thought... but I don't want to be one.


Hello Larry, would you ever consider singing lead on any future songs? We would love to hear you!

Larry: I think that's a very good idea. The track listing would include 'Dirty Old Town', obviously. But the real reason why it's unlikely that I will take the front for any length of time is that Bono can't drum.


I grew up in SA in the '80s where I went to a whites only school, visited whites only beach and lived my life as any 13 year old would. I had been a U2 fan since I was 9 but when Rattle & Hum was released, the track 'Silver and Gold' made me realise justwhat was going on the country. I was expelled from my whites only school because I had an attitude problem and my tohughts were far too liberal for an Afrikaans High School. Did you ever expect your music to have such a profound impact on peoples lives?

Bono: The inspiration to write songs comes from the desire to change your own life, not somebody else's. You sometimes write down a feeling in order to rid yourself of it. Anger at the stupidity of apartheid was easy to vent. Joy at the compromises people are making in Archbishop Tutu's Truth and Reconciliation programme is a lot harder to describe.That's an extraordinary thing they've got going on there... if people speak the truth about their crimes during the Apartheid era, they are granted impunity. Truth is more importnt than vengeance as far as the South Africans are concerned; this is very enlightened grace in action... one of the things that most inspires me in the world. By the way Tutu's nick-name is 'The Arch'


OK Bono, you've been doind the rock 'n' roll thing for a while now, ever considered going for Irish Presidency?

Bono: I don't think I could live with the paycut (or moving to a smaller house).


I was wondering do things like your recent trip to Africa with Treasury Secretary O'Neill, and seeing all the poor and suffering people of this continent, rejuvenate you and give you the mental energy to keep fighting for your goals with this issue?

Bono: Absolutely. Some people say that as they get older and/or have a family they mellow out. For me, the opposite is true. I'm getting angrier and that's what makes me believe that with some smart thinking and simple changes to our lives, we can drastically improve the lives of so many other people


Hi! I would really love to know what the tattoo on Larry's arm stands for?

Larry: If you're close enough to see tha tattoo, you're too close!


If I could ask one question, it would be: Bono, as a NY'er with a healing heart, I feel I have the right to ask if you will kindly put some sex back into your lyrics. I want to change the worls as much as the next, but I am bored of returning to AB or Zooropa to find something sexy in U2's music. I need a wine guzzling, black-leather wearing, decadent, improper, Charles Bukowski-spewing rock star. So please put Paul Hewson and Africa on the shelf for a bit, let go of Bono and return to MacPhisto! You claim to hold the right to be ridiculous very dear, well I claim the right to get lost in that even more dear. So, will you do it?

Bono: Sex in Africa?


Last year, at hte 2nd Elevation concert in Antwerp, you played a beautiful new ballad to the bewilderment of the 16,5000 fans. We don't know if the song has a title yet, but it could be called 'I Love You'. Since then, you haven't played it again. Now we wonder if it might ever make an appearance on a U2 CD, or was it a one-off? (Either way, thanks for the wonderful surprise last August.) Cheers.

Bono: That was a gig near to Edge;s bday and I improvised a song with the worda "Gonna make it up as we go along/I love you, love you and our love is true - it's a birthday song for Edge."


Larry, so you're the one whose responsible for all this. Are there mornings you wake up and regret posting that notice so many years ago?

Larry: Not realy, because I would have had to fill the time with something else. I still love being in U2 but those mornings of regret are usually when there's not enough of being in a band in the work I have to do.


If you could have only one book, which one would you choose?

Bono: Take a wild guess, it's the greatest story ever told.


Hey boys, please help me settle an 11-year-old wager I have with a good friend: Is the intro to UTEOFT a vocal or a guitar? To me, it sounds like Bono screaming with some heavy reverb. My friend thinks it is Edge on guitar.

Bono: Without giving too much away, it's a mixture of both actually. It's amazing what Edge can put through his guitar.


When are you going to write a song about Chicago? We love you just as much as NY does!

Bono: This band has a feeling for Chicago that is impossible to describe. During POPMART the night at Soldier Filed were the best on the tour and last year we felt like we kind of moved in. I've written a lot about my time in Chicago. I hope some of it will turn up in a song. It's hard to contive these things... I love American cities, especially the impossible ones. Like the glass city of Phoenix, AZ, where people live in 120 F, or Chicago, where they built one of the tallest cities in the world, on a marsh. Only the Irish would have believed that culd be possible. That's why there are so many living there.


Did you guys ride the horses in the 'New Year's Day' video?

Bono: Yes we did and Anton Corbijn fell down a snowy ravine and managed not to get his camera wet.


I am so impressed and inspired by the work you do for DATA. I very much want to be involved, but I am not sure how best to help with this initiative. What would you suggest to the 'average' person who wants to contribute in a meaningful way? In addition to financial contribution, could you suggest other things - large or small- that we could do? Heartfelt thanks for the wonderful music and for inspiring me to do what I can to improve the world!

Bono: Is there such a thing as an 'average' person?... The Jubilee 2000 movement showed that even signatures on a page can have an impact if you can get enough of them... People power, postcards, petitions, peaceful protestors, parades - all to pester the politicians into having to do something about the crippling debt crisis. Never underestimate the importance of being a pest... DATA is about tackling the big issues of debt, AIDS and trade in Africa - the organisation is evolving, but keep an eye on www.data.org for information to arm yourself with, for who to write, where to turn up... and make your mark right now by following links to the other organistaions listed and joining their campaigns.




See, I'm not saying it's a bad article, coz it's outstanding... it's just not enough!!

 

[Jody]

'sex in Africa'
Thanks for typing all that up Cat. It is great but I know what you mean about there not being enough.

 

[bono-vox]

Oi that isnt U2 its only Larry and Bono- U2 do have a lot to answer for......where did the other 2 go?

 

[mbi16]

what a major disappointment of an issue, I bought it a day early and just never mentioned it online cause I really think it wasn't worth the cash. They used a picture that's been used a couple hundred million times, picked the most unoriginal questions, and Bono sounds like a broken recorder. You'd really think that from the millions of questions they got they could've done something better.

 

[madamc]

what a major disappointment of an issue, I bought it a day early and just never mentioned it online cause I really think it wasn't worth the cash. They used a picture that's been used a couple hundred million times, picked the most unoriginal questions, and Bono sounds like a broken recorder. You'd really think that from the millions of questions they got they could've done something better.

I totally agree with Marina!


a little originality won't hurt people!!!! gawd!

 

[JessicaAnn]

If I could ask one question, it would be: Bono, as a NY'er with a healing heart, I feel I have the right to ask if you will kindly put some sex back into your lyrics. I want to change the worls as much as the next, but I am bored of returning to AB or Zooropa to find something sexy in U2's music. I need a wine guzzling, black-leather wearing, decadent, improper, Charles Bukowski-spewing rock star. So please put Paul Hewson and Africa on the shelf for a bit, let go of Bono and return to MacPhisto! You claim to hold the right to be ridiculous very dear, well I claim the right to get lost in that even more dear. So, will you do it?

Bono: Sex in Africa?

That was the most brilliant question anyone could have asked!!!

Why did Bono avoid the issue ...

He would still look good in gold lame and horns.

 

[elevatedmole]

Hate to sound like a whiner, but yeah, I agree.. they could have picked more interesting questions than that. And more, too -- 16 just isn't enough.

Oh yes.. a little off-topic: is it just me or is it REALLY frustrating because neither Bono nor U2 has done a photo shoot since last fall?! I'm so sick of seeing the same pictures over and over.

End whining

 

[HelloAngel]

Once again...

Hi Everyone...


Thank you for posting the transcription of the article.

But PLEASE - if you have something newsworthy from a print source that you find that U2NEWS.COM or the U2 News Forum does NOT yet have, PLEASE PM me so that I can keep the news updated.

I spend more hours than you can imagine working on the news, and it would be a major help if you guys can just let me know if I've missed a spot.

 

[adamswildhoney]

a little originality won't hurt people!!!! gawd!

So true! they should have answered more questions then that!

 

[Mirrorball Girl]

OH MY DAD! THEY ASKED MY QUESTION!!!!!

This is mine! Mine!!!:

A question for Bono: if you had to choose one of these terms to define yourself right now, would it be A) political activist, or B) musician?

Bono: Nothing comes close to the feeling of waking up with a melody in your head and having a band like U2 to help you capture it. As I said at the HOTPress Awards, I don't think of myself as a great singer but I sing from a great place. That place is U2. Politicians don't turn me on, politics doesn't turn me on, the way msic does. I have a lot more respcet for them than I used to. They work a lot harder thatn I thought... but I don't want to be one.

BONO ANSWERED MY QUESTION!!!! I almost didn't even write in, either!

Yesterday I saw that Reuters and NME were running articles like "Bono Rules Out Political Career" and it said he told it to Hot Press. So I thought, "Maybe that was an answer to my question!" And then I was like, "No, that's silly, I'm sure there were thousands of questions to choose from." But they chose mine! YAY!

I'm begging anyone in Ireland ... can I please please please have a copy of this magazine? I'll pay you whatever it costs. Please? PLEASE?

 

[MissVelvetDress_75]

OH MY DAD! THEY ASKED MY QUESTION!!!!!

This is mine! Mine!!!:

A question for Bono: if you had to choose one of these terms to define yourself right now, would it be A) political activist, or B) musician?

Bono: Nothing comes close to the feeling of waking up with a melody in your head and having a band like U2 to help you capture it. As I said at the HOTPress Awards, I don't think of myself as a great singer but I sing from a great place. That place is U2. Politicians don't turn me on, politics doesn't turn me on, the way msic does. I have a lot more respcet for them than I used to. They work a lot harder thatn I thought... but I don't want to be one.

BONO ANSWERED MY QUESTION!!!! I almost didn't even write in, either!

Yesterday I saw that Reuters and NME were running articles like "Bono Rules Out Political Career" and it said he told it to Hot Press. So I thought, "Maybe that was an answer to my question!" And then I was like, "No, that's silly, I'm sure there were thousands of questions to choose from." But they chose mine! YAY!

I'm begging anyone in Ireland ... can I please please please have a copy of this magazine? I'll pay you whatever it costs. Please? PLEASE?

that is what I thought. I knew I saw this question posted in PLEBA in the hotpress thread. Good for you. I think it is great that he answered it!!!

 

[lazyboy]

Thanks for posting the article CatDubh! Saw it in the shop today, looks like a decent issue alright, besides the U2 thing! Why are all you people freaking out?! It's not a U2 magazine! The questions weren't as good as say a Q readers' interview, but chill out ya'll!

Might get it for the preview of Witnness alone, is that any good?!

CANT
WAIT
FOR
WITNNESS

 

[Giant Lemon]

Thanks for typing that all out, CatDubh!

And congrats, Mirrorball Girl! Not only was your question answered, it spawned some articles too! Awesome!

 

[Mirrorball Girl]

I almost forgot to thank CatDubh for transcribing the article. Thanks!

Yeah, Giant Lemon, it was really cool to see that the answer to my question got lifted by other news sources. Hee hee!

And, my shameless begging for a copy of the issue still stands. CatDubh? Maddie? Anyone in Ireland?

 

[NicaMom]

Thank You-Thank You Cat!!!!
And congrats to Mirrorball Girl!!!I like your question, it developed a very nice answer by Bono.
I think most of the questions are good, but we can't never get enough.

 

[Swan269]

once again, thanks for printing the questionaire........very cool.

 

[mbi16]

Thanks for posting the article CatDubh! Saw it in the shop today, looks like a decent issue alright, besides the U2 thing! Why are all you people freaking out?! It's not a U2 magazine! The questions weren't as good as say a Q readers' interview, but chill out ya'll!

Might get it for the preview of Witnness alone, is that any good?!

CANT
WAIT
FOR
WITNNESS

Oh no lazyboy, I really enjoyed the issue, I am going to witnness too so I totally appreciate the guide (geez I never sounded so californian...anyways). I'm just saying that I know a lot of people here were about to go through a lot of trouble to get this issue just because of the interview, so I'm just saying save your money, it ain't worth it.


In any case Gina if you still need a issue let me know...in fact I'll pm you in a little bit, congrats on being a VERY select few.

 

[verte76]

That was the most brilliant question anyone could have asked!!!

Why did Bono avoid the issue ...

He would still look good in gold lame and horns.

Well, yeah, but he went through that role, and he obviously thinks he "finished" it. Personally, I'd rather he did the Africa thing than put on a gold suit.......that's history to him. If it weren't he'd still be doing it. It's a bit complex for an interview format.

 

[dsmith2904]

OH MY DAD! THEY ASKED MY QUESTION!!!!!

This is mine! Mine!!!:

A question for Bono: if you had to choose one of these terms to define yourself right now, would it be A) political activist, or B) musician?

Bono: Nothing comes close to the feeling of waking up with a melody in your head and having a band like U2 to help you capture it. As I said at the HOTPress Awards, I don't think of myself as a great singer but I sing from a great place. That place is U2. Politicians don't turn me on, politics doesn't turn me on, the way msic does. I have a lot more respcet for them than I used to. They work a lot harder thatn I thought... but I don't want to be one.

BONO ANSWERED MY QUESTION!!!! I almost didn't even write in, either!

Yesterday I saw that Reuters and NME were running articles like "Bono Rules Out Political Career" and it said he told it to Hot Press. So I thought, "Maybe that was an answer to my question!" And then I was like, "No, that's silly, I'm sure there were thousands of questions to choose from." But they chose mine! YAY!

I'm begging anyone in Ireland ... can I please please please have a copy of this magazine? I'll pay you whatever it costs. Please? PLEASE?

Major, major, major congrats!!

Thanks CatDubh for taking the time to post all the questions as well.

I know that 16 questions isn't nearly enough to satisfy all of us so do you think if maybe we asked really, really nicely that HotPress would try to do another Mixed Grill with U2 (maybe all four members or just Adam and Edge to be different), maybe when the Greatest Hits comes out? Just a thought.

 

[MiniFly]

Mad props to CatDabh for the transcription. I wish they would have asked more interestin questions, also. Yeah, and where exactly was Edge the Cool and Adam, King of Posh? Excuse me? Amazes me that Larry spoke so much, though. I'm sad, no Edge...

 

[Bonavoix]

Awww sorry, guys! A bit long, but here it comes:

Larry, so you're the one whose responsible for all this. Are there mornings you wake up and regret posting that notice so many years ago?

Larry: Not realy, because I would have had to fill the time with something else. I still love being in U2 but those mornings of regret are usually when there's not enough of being in a band in the work I have to do.

WHOA!!! THAT'S MY QUESTION!!!!!!! YAHOOOO!!!!!!!!!

Unbelievable!!! Can't believe that out of thousands, mine was picked...

Thanks Larry!!!

:Larry: rocks my world.

 

[Mirrorball Girl]

Yay, Bona! Congrats! Two of us interferencers (at least)represented out of 16 questions. Not too shabby!

 

[Busiu]

See, I'm not saying it's a bad article, coz it's outstanding... it's just not enough!! [/B]

Good things always leave you wanting more!