YOU'RE HERE JUST TO SEE US?

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spanisheyes

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I'm sorry if this article has already been shared in the forum, but I haven't been able to get into the forum recently, but I just couldn't resist sharing this article with other U2 fans. Bono continues to astound me with his genorosity. Also, that when other fans meet someone in the band, it is like we are all sharing in the experience as well...lucky fan!

Notre Dame Observer
10/9/01

Bono: Notre Dame has soul
Tim Collins

My name is Tim Collins and the story that I am about to tell you is
true, every word of it.

It is a story about U2, the band that is opening the third leg of their
Elevation Tour on our campus this week. It is a story that proves life
moves in mysterious ways. A story where I found what I was looking for.

I took part in the University's London Program during the Spring 2000
semester, and during the first of my two one-week breaks I traveled to
Dublin, in God's country, to spend a week with my girlfriend, Julie, who
was a part of the Dublin study-abroad program.

On Feb. 15, Julie and I walked along the south side of the Liffey River
on a self-guided tour through Dublin. The final destination was the
recording studio where U2 recorded Pop and All That You Can't Leave
Behind. About a 15-minute walk from the Pearse Street train station, the
studio is in a very industrialized area of the city; there are no
sidewalks and few street signs. But we were determined to get there and
take a few pictures while pretending that our favorite band was just
behind the wall in front of us.

Well, after hanging around for about 30 minutes we found out the band
actually was behind the wall in front of us. We knew this because Bono
walked out of a door about 50 feet away from us to get something out of
his Mercedes parked on the street. I was unable to get over to him in
time to get an autograph, but our desire to meet the band was now at a
fever pitch, and we were going to stay at the studio until we got an
autograph. Fifteen minutes later, a garage door opened and out drove
Adam Clayton, the band's bass player, in his hatchback Mercedes. He
pulled up next to us and signed an autograph on the All That You Can't
Leave Behind album booklet that Julie had luckily brought just in case
something like this happened. I told him that I couldn't wait to see him
on tour and he drove off.

We were ecstatic, but nothing could prepare us for what was going to
happen next.

Ten minutes later, Bono again walked out of the door in front of us,
this time with his wife. I walked up to him as coolly and calmly as I
could and asked for an autograph, album booklet extended in my right
hand. He agrees and shook our hands, asking what we were doing in the
area. He thought we worked in one of the factories or buildings around
the studio since it was in such a secluded area. When we told him we
were there to just see the band, he was shocked. He said, "You're here
just to see us?"

After again explaining to him that we were only there to see him, he
made us an offer we couldn't refuse. He said, "I'll tell you what, why
don't you get in the car? We'll give you a ride to Pearse Street, is
that OK?"

Let me repeat that: Bono offered us a ride in his S600 Mercedes.

Julie accepted the offer (I was incapable of speech) and we got in the
car. He sat with his briefcase on his lap, so we could have more room in
the back. We were introduced to his wife and thus began our double date
with Bono and his wife.

It was about a 10-minute ride in the car with Bono; luckily there was a
fair amount of traffic due to construction that day. I asked him if he
was excited for the tour that was scheduled to begin in about a month
and we talked about the Grammy's, which were only a few days away. He
said he didn't think they would win any of the awards they were up for
(they went on to sweep all of the awards for which they were nominated).
He signed our album booklet, told us we were in his "posh car" and even
wrote a lyric from the song "I Fall Down" with his autograph because the
song is about a girl named Julie ("Julie says John I'm going nowhere").

Then the University of Notre Dame came up. We told him that we were
students here and he said that the ex-Canadian Ambassador to Ireland
lives across the street from him and that he was somehow associated with
Notre Dame (this is ex-athletic director Mike Wadsworth). Bono said that
he has heard Notre Dame is different from most colleges in America and
he asked us why that is.

Julie explained that our school has a great sense of community and it
is a really spiritual place. Bono responded by saying, "So, it's a place
with a lot of soul." We said that we couldn't have agreed more. Notre
Dame has never been as cool to us as when Bono said that we have a lot
of soul.

As Bono's wife informed us that we would have to jump out of the car at
the next stoplight, Bono turned around and shook both of our hands. We
thanked him about 15 times and said we would see him on tour later in
the summer. I almost knocked his leather jacket out of the car as I
jumped out.

Bono and his wife sped away, with Bono giving us a quick wave we could
see through the rear window as they pulled away. Julie and I jumped
around the streets of Dublin for about 10 minutes willing to tell people
passing us on the street what had happened before calling our parents to
tell them on her cell phone.

Some days are better than others, and Feb. 15 was truly a beautiful
day. So when the biggest and best band in the world plays on Notre
Dame's campus later this week, just remember: Bono thinks Notre Dame has
a lot of soul.


I also decided to share this article in light of the recent Norte Dame show and how truly an awesome show it was.


Chris
 
very cool story

the man has got soul

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Salome
Shake it, shake it, shake it
 
That's sweet, thanks for posting!
smile.gif


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