Latest U2 News & Information

Source : YouTwo.net

1997’s Top 10 Tours 1. Rolling Stones…………….$89.5 million

2. U2……………………….$77.7 million

3. Metallica…………………$36.7 million

4. Fleetwood Mac……………..$36.2 million

5..Reba McEntire/Brooks & Dunn…$33.5 million

6. Garth Brooks………………$26.3 million

7. Tina Turner……………….$24.2 million

8. Jimmy Buffett……………..$20.9 million

9. Phish…………………….$20.3 million

10. Kenny G/Toni Braxton………$19.0 million

Source : YouTwo.net

The official U2 PopMart site is down. U2popmart.msn.com is now a message stating that the North American tour is over, and the site is shut down.

It was big and yellow and it was in Bono’s mouth.

No, yer man hasn’t swallowed the POP Mart arch. Not yet.

He has been officially inducted into an Internet subculture of U2 fans known as “Wire.” (Edge has, too, and he has the Tag to prove it.)

That big yellow thing? A “Wire Tag.” Bono had it in his mouth as he ran around the catwalk during U2’s show in Chicago on 29 June. While you may not see it in Bono’s mouth at the Lansdowne Road gig, you will surely come to know plenty about “Wire,” the internet mailing list for U2 fans: The Wirelings (as they’re known) and their yellow tags are planning to overtake Dublin in the days surrounding the U2 concert.

They’re also bringing a traveling version of the graffiti-soaked Windmill Lane walls: A 30-foot long, black-and-white banner signed by every Wireling who’s seen it so far during the band’s POP Mart tour, including Bono, Edge, Larry, Adam, and Paul McGuinness.

The banner reads “World Wide Wire”, and that it is. It’s been to all but four shows on the first leg of the tour, and it’s making its way through the European dates now, taken by an internet-worked group of fans who’ve volunteered to carry the 10-pound banner from gig-to-gig.

The idea is “to create a tangible testimonial to our virtual world of Wire,” says 31-year-old Mike Conway of New York, who led the charge in making the banner and establishing the network of fans. “But really, we just wanted a way to bring the folks of this [mailing] list together, share our love for the band, and have something in the end which represents this love.”

Bono was the first in the band to sign the banner — “To the men and women behind the Wire,” he wrote. Paul McGuinness signed it the same day. Edge put his name to it a few days later in Pittsburgh; Adam and Larry got on board in Chicago.

Conway already has volunteers set up in South America, Australia, and New Zealand to carry the banner to shows which haven’t been announced yet. And when all is said and done, the Wire banner could end up in one town where POP Mart isn’t stopping: Conway plans to donate the banner to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.
Crowning Moment

Wire Tags are the brainchild of Angie Inboden, an 18-year-old fan from Illinois. “I’m so happy I got the idea and ran with it,” Angie says. “All of the stories I heard of people meeting each other made it the most worthwhile.”

To get a Wire Tag, you’re supposed to be a member of Wire. That’s the only qualification. That, or being in the band. Angie personally delivered tags to Bono and Edge outside U2’s hotel in Chicago.

“I did feel incredibly proud when I gave Bono a tag and he was happy to receive one of his own,” she says. “He said, ‘Now I get one too, eh?’ with a smile that made me so grateful that I’d acted on the idea in the first place. He had me tie it, and he ended up wrapping it around his wrist because it wouldn’t fit over his hat. I think that was kind of the crowning moment.”

There have been other moments, too. The same night of the tag-in-mouth episode, Bono changed the lyrics to “Even Better Than The Real Thing”, singing “Give me two more chances to ride on the Wire that you bring.”

Angie is quick to point out that getting Bono to wear a tag and sing about Wire was never the idea behind the Wire Tags. It started out as a way for Internet friends to recognize each other in a crowd of U2 fans. There are about 4,000 subscribers to the Wire mailing list, and Angie estimates there are at least 1,200 wearing Wire Tags to POP Mart shows around the globe. (The actual count is impossible to guess because many fans are making their own tags.)

“It was great having the tags on and meeting other fans from Wire,” says Donna Souza, who’s worn her tag from Vegas to Philadelphia, Madison to Foxboro, and a lot of places in between. “They help us find friends in strange cities and places.”

The tags won’t get you anywhere — at least they’re not supposed to — but they will get you noticed. They measure about 5″ by 7″, and they’re laminated with black lettering on a bright, yellow background.

“I think I realized that the idea was really working,” Angie says, “when I got email the day after the Las Vegas concert from someone telling me that he had met 50 people he otherwise wouldn’t have met because he was wearing a tag identifying him as a member of Wire. And it kept happening!”

And it’s still happening. Hey Dublin: tag, you’re it.

1997 Hot Press/Matt McGee

<Alex> So, everybody sit tight, welcome to the auditorium and start asking questions now over in the #U2_Questions room.
<Tonster> Adam is on his way to the chat!
<Alex> We should be starting in just a few minutes now.
<Alex> Hi everyone. We’re live in Dublin with U2 bassist Adam Clayton.

<Alex> We’ll start now.

<Tonster> salome269 says:
<Tonster> Adam: what has been the weirdest experience during this tour so far?
<Adam> The weirdest experience is always the moment the lemon opens. You always go, is this gonna work? Is this what it feels like to be Michael Jackson?
<Tonster> Patrick_M says:
<Tonster> Adam: Did the huge success of the “Mission:Impossible theme” - The most sucesseful U2-related single on the US chatrs on this decade - give you & Larry the satisfaction of proving you two can survive without the “other two” :-)?
<Adam> I don’t think either of us saw it as an opportunity to give up our day jobs. We realized it was because of U2 it was received so well.
<Adam> It was great to do something on our own without Edge and Bono. Creatively it was easier to communicate between the two of us.
<Tonster> ^BadCop^ says:
<Tonster> Adam : If the Smurfs wanted to do a cover of one of U2’s songs, would you let them????
<Adam> I guess we would, yeah.
<Tonster> upoo2 says:
<Tonster> have you ever noticed your bass is out of tune on Two Hearts Beat As One?
<Adam> On the recording version on that it’s quite possible. Back then I didn’t pay attention to tuning or timing. But I’ve learned to count til 4 since then.
<Tonster> Shades says:
<Tonster> Adam…if you had just one record to listen to for the rest of your life…which would it be?
<Adam> That’s very veryhard. It might be a VanMorrison record. Or a Bob Marley record. I couldn’t narrow it down any clkoser than that. Could be a Miles Davis record.
<Tonster> LEKO says:
<Tonster> Adam, in 1992 ZOO TV I was in front of you during the Montreal concert, and I admire your standing, you looked proud and very cool… This kind of behaviour comes from your mother or your father?
<Adam> My goodness this person must know my Mum or my Dad. I don’t know where the good genes come in our family — maybe from our grandparents.
<Tonster> Guybrush says:
<Tonster> Adam : What exactly is the process during songwriting where you come up with those basslines? Are the songs built around your lines or is it theother way round?
<Adam> Each individual case is different. Sometimes Edge will co me together with a chord sequence that just needs a bass part added to it. Other times we’ll take a bass part that happens in a rehearsal situation or a sound check and we’ll work
some chords over that. Please was a case where we put some chords over that.
<Tonster> deseree says:
<Tonster> Adam, do you ever sing in the shower?
<Adam> Very, very occasionally.
<Tonster> godpart3 says:
<Tonster> Adam, do you ever try on bono’s stage costumes when he’s not around?
<Adam> Every band needs someone like Bono in it. When you join a band you don’t know who’s good at what — I’m really pleased that Bono took the job that he took and that I took the job that I took.
<Tonster> upoo2 says:
<Tonster> are you happier now than in 1987?
<Adam> I was pretty confused in 1987. I’m still confused, but definitely happier.
<Tonster> Kelly says:
<Tonster> Adam, has Larry sold his soul to thee devil….is that why he looks so young?
<Adam> It might look that way sometimes, it’s just that he’s actually 2 years younger than the rest of us.
<Tonster> Guybrush says:
<Tonster> Adam : How do you feel when the crowd responds so wildly to the memorable basslines like in New Years Day or With or Without You?
<Adam> Everytime you get that great response in your head you go I wish there were a few more where those came from.
<Adam> But I playdifferently now. Back then you took an idea and played it for all it’s worth.
<Tonster> Any truth to the tale that the lyrics to “Drowning Man” were written to you?
<Adam> I don’t think so. I think one of the aspects of the way Bono writes lyrics is he draws on a broad base of experience that’s based on everyone he’s involved with. He takes little bits and we’re all the same in many ways.
<Adam> We each have our own tragedies or loyalties or successes and he just makes it universal.
<Tonster> danie says:
<Tonster> Adam—do you like to sit and listen to your own records..or is it hard for you to listen to your own music?
<Adam> I listen to them sometimes. Usually the record that we’ve just finished making I’ll listen to quite a lot because we’re trying to learn how to play it live and I’m still moving things around in my head with it.
<Adam> I goi back to older records sometimes but you tend to hear just mistakes. You realize that your initial instincts about it are absolutely true.
<Tonster> arielle says:
<Tonster> adam, which song do you feel is most changed by a live performance vs. studio recording?
<Adam> In the show that we’re doing at the moment I think Velvet Dress would be a candidate for that. Discotheque is a different live version.
<Tonster> cyrelle says:
<Tonster> adam, what profession would you be involved with were it not for u2
<Adam> I think about this one every couple of years and I always come up with somehting pretty good. Maybe a truck driver or something. I like being on the road.
<Tonster> cyrelle says:
<Tonster> adam, what profession would you be involved with were it not for u2
<Adam> It’s a very confusing bundle of emotions. Playinig one night is bad enough in as much as it’s much easier to pose in front of a mirror than in front of your friends and family.
<Adam> The show is the easisest part of the dayin your hometown because you come home and everything catches up with you.
<Adam> Playing two nights just kind of doubles trouble. But Irish audiences are fantastic and wellworth it.
<Tonster> JOEJOEJOE says:
<Tonster> Any comments on Princess Diana?
<Adam> I heard the news this morning at 10:00 and it kicked me sideways and I don’t really know why.
<Adam> She represented a change within Britian and the aristocracy. And that’s been swept away.
<Adam> it was also such a senseless thing. I understand what happened in being chased by the paparazzi.
<Adam> They’re risk-takers. There were motobikes involved and it’s quite likely someone pulled in front. It is senseless. It’s a complicated issue because we all like to read the newspapers.
<Tonster> omar says:
<Tonster> ADAM: Which is your favorite writer?
<Adam> I haven’t read a book for a while! I like the Flannery O’Connor books, things like that, they’re an influence on what we were doing around the time of Joshua Tree.
<Adam> I really like The English Patient — it was a bewitching book. The film was great as well.
<Tonster> POPsickle says:
<Tonster> Adam, U2’s videos are pretty striking.. do you enjoy being involved in making music videos?
<Adam> I absolutely hate being involved in the making of music videos. I abhor them.
<Adam> The visual presentation of music is upon us — I never know what the videos are about, but hey, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.
<Tonster> Greg says:
<Tonster> A D A M: Have you ever played a porno on your awesome HUGE Popmart screen for fun?!
<Adam> It’s an idea that has come up a couple of times! But it hasn’t been done as yet, maybe sometime in the future.
<Tonster> salome269 says:
<Tonster> Adam: how do you feel about performing for the mtv awards?
<Adam> Kinda looking forward to it becvause we’ve never really performed at those things before. Doing TV shows can be fun. We used to do it a lot a few years back. I think it’s better to be performing at these things than in the audience.
<Tonster> Patrick_M says:
<Tonster> Adam - A question about remixes. Some of them are great and really take the song a step further - Lady with the spinning head being a fine example. Others, like Lemon - Version Dub - areproduced with hardly anything from U2’s original encarnation of the song. What is U2’s real involvement with the DJ’s that remixes the song?
<Adam> Our involvement with the Djs is you tell them how great the track is, and normally they only really want a vocal so you send them a DAT and then they build up the rest themselves.
<Adam> It’s always interesting to us to get them back and see what they’ve done with them. It’s kind of nice that they’re a surprise because it’s never what you expect to hear.
<Adam> That’s the nature of a remix — you want to be surprised.
<Tonster> How do you feel about bootlegs?
<Adam> I think bootlegs are something that’s very difficult to stop. There are fans out there that want to buy them. I don’t like overpriced bootlegs that are ripping the fans off. If they’re good quality recordings of a show then I’m happy enough that people have access to those things.
<Adam> I know there’s a culture out there that listens to these things so I sort of tolerate it, providing no one’s getting ripped off.
<Tonster> Leia says:
<Tonster> Adam-Who are your major influences?
<Adam> Again this is a question that comes up every so often . . . I think Peter Hook who used to be in Joy Division was an influence in that he showed me something different he could do with a bass.
<Adam> And then James Jameson who played bass on a lot of Motown records in the early days, electric bass playing, showed me how you could funk it up with rhythm and melody. I aspire to move between those three spirits when I’m playing.
<Tonster> MichaelW says:
<Tonster> Adam: What are your (as well as the band’s) feelings towards ‘overzealous’ fans at shows? Also, do you think the Internet has made fans more overzealous, or does it just seem that way?
<Adam> It depends what you mean by overzealous. I think people being excited or moved by an experience — that’s what it’s all about. But there is a tendency for people to be obsessive.
<Adam> Certainly I don’t mind meeting people who love the music and if there’s an opportunity to talk about that I’m happy to take it.
<Adam> There was a time people were just looking for an autograph and I’m happy to do that as well. But there are people taking it to extreme — an autogrtaph, a photo, a video recorder, and could you fill this bag up with old clothes.
<Tonster> Guybrush says:
<Tonster> Adam : Was it a pleasant experience hanging your willy out for all to see on Achtung Baby??
<Adam> I had to be talked into it, I have to say. I was very nervous and apprehensive about revealing myself in such a way. But I got into the spirit of wickedness, I suppose. I objected to the censorship that happened in some countries. I think nude photography is absolutely appropriate and shouldn’t embaraass anyone.
<Adam> I think the photos Robert Mapplethorpe took of male nudes helped me look at myself as a man and looking at penises. It’s a hard thiing to overcome but it’s good. I only wish I had an erection at the time.
<Tonster> CyberMoon says:
<Tonster> What is your favorite song off Pop?
<Adam> Again it kind of changes on a weekly basis. Maybe my alltime favorite is Please, which we’ve just rerecorded for the single. Playboy Mansion always brings a smile to my face.
<Tonster> adamsgirl says:
<Tonster> Adam: You are, arguably, the best dressed man in rock. How do you do it?
<Adam> That’s definitely arguable if you talk to me other three mates.
<Adam> I don’t really operate on that level very often but I’m glad somebody notices that I’m well turned out.
<Tonster> adamsgirl says:
<Tonster> Adam: How well do you get on with your bandmates after a few months on the road?
<Adam> It’s not really a question of months, it’s years at this stage — 20 years together. Every so often youlook at that and go 20 years, it’s like being married.
<Adam> How many people really have friendships that have survived 20 years. I value it and think it’s an amazing achievement.
<Tonster> Guybrush says:
<Tonster> Adam : Do you feel you’ve toned downed on stage during the concerts over the years?
<Adam> I certainly have. You get a little wiser. I remember being very enthusiastic and active — a lot of that came from fighting for our lives, living hard to mouth.
<Adam> We didn’t know if we’d get to release another record and every tour and evyer performance counted. I was fueled up on adrenalin. Now the music has become a lot more important to me — the playing of it. Listening to Larry, supporting Bono — that’s important. Now my concentration is more on 1-2-3-4 hwere we go rather than any athletic ambitions I might have.
<Tonster> may says:
<Tonster> Adam,what do you want that you don’t have?
<Adam> Gosh, again, one of those things you can think of something really insightful to say . . .
<Adam> I suppose nowadays I wish I didn’t have to work nights, but that’s not very rock ‘n’ roll.
<Tonster> POPsickle says:
<Tonster> Adam, do you ever plan on writing an autobiography?
<Adam> No I don’t. I’m not sure if the world would be that interested in my inner thoughts and feelings nad if I was to write something that’s what it’d be about because I would not write something that would compromise relationships and
loyalties.
<Tonster> Gurt says:
<Tonster> ADAM, where do you think U2 will be in 2010?
<Adam> I don’t know. Again it’s something that you think up and wonder if there’s a time limit — youwonder if you can plan for that eventuality, whatever that is.
<Adam> I think probably U2 will be making music and performing in some stage and theatre somewhere. It’s kind of the only thing we know how to do.
<Tonster> rick says:
<Tonster> Adam tell us about your experience in Kansas with W.S: Burroughs!
<Adam> William Burroughs is an amazing man. I don’t really know that much about him. I’ve read some of his work and I know he’s got a feisty attitude about some things.
<Adam> He seemed to have a lot of spirit and a lot of youth and we sat and talked and he was very switched on to what was going on.
<Adam> It was an amazing experience and his subsequent deathmakes it even more precious.
<Tonster> Shades says:
<Tonster> Adam…do you feel any sort of competition with the Rolling Stones new tour?
<Adam> I don’t think we think in terms of competition with other tours. The Rolling Stones do what they do very well and they have an amazing history. It’s amazing that at this stage they want to get up on stage and is a real testament to their friendship.
<Adam> I think it’s about more than how much they’ll have in their bank account at the end.
<Tonster> salome269 says:
<Tonster> adam: how do you feel about bands like spice girls and hanson taking over the radio waves?
<Adam> There’s always been pop music and pop bands and every couple of years there’s a new band comes up with a different sound. I don’t know what’s going to happen to Hanson when their voices break. I certainly like looking at the Spice
Girls.
<Adam> They get people into record shops and talking about music.
<Tonster> mofo says:
<Tonster> adam,do u ever go sightseeing in the citys that you tour?
<Adam> No. Very very rarely. You end up really seeing the inside of the hotel and the inside of the gig and usually we have the same furniture that travels so I don’t think I’ve been going anywhere for the last year, I’ve been in the same place goiong backwards and forwards.
<Tonster> deseree says:
<Tonster> Adam, do you see U2 working with any rap artists, such as Dr. Dre?
<Adam> Well, I wouldn’t rule out working with Dre. We’re big fans of his and we’ve met him a couple of times.It’s a question of tempos ‘cuz those guys work at slower tempos.
<Adam> We met up when we were mastering our album in New York with Aza because we wanted to get him to a remix of Discotheque at the time but in the end he said that the speed of this is too fast for rap or hip hop.
<Adam> I think we’re going to give him a go with If God Would Send His Angels.
<Tonster> adamsgirl says:
<Tonster> Adam: Does being on tour tend to make one a less responsible citizen?
<Adam> Yes, unfortunately. It’s very corrupting.
<Adam> You do kind of forget the values of the real world because your values tend to reflect what you’re doing which is the show is the most important thing and the show happens at roughly the same time every night and there can’t be a problem that can’t be gotten over.
<Adam> When you get back in the real world you have to negotiate a little more with the citizens.
<Tonster> salome269 says:
<Tonster> Adam: would you rather be invisible or be able to fly?
<Adam> I’d like to be able to fly.
<Tonster> salome269 says:
<Tonster> Adam: what do you wish to achieve in the coming year?
<Adam> I’d like to get to the end of this tour feeling fulfilled from having accomplished something tha thas been very hard and has tkane a lot of hard work.
<Adam> I’d like to have my sanity. I’d like to feel creatively stimulated to kind of go back in there and make another great record.
<Tonster> Patrick_M says:
<Tonster> Would U2 ever release an Anthology-like box-set?
<Adam> Maybe at some point it would be interesting to people. I was there when some of that first stuff was recorded and I’m not sure how interseting it is.
<Adam> At the moment I’d prefer that people didn’t get access to the bottom drawer.
<Tonster> Ai says:
<Tonster> in one word, what is popmart to you?
<Adam> It’s the next century.
<Tonster> ariel says:
<Tonster> adam, when you are being interviewed, can you tell the difference between a journalist who has simply researched your history and one that is truly a fan?
<Adam> It is a contradiction. People who are truly fans ask certain kinds of questions that sometimes you haven’t thought about. A journalist who’s really reserached yourhistory is a lot more academic in their approach and you tend to respond more academically.
<Tonster> SpanishEyesU2 says:
<Tonster> ADAM: Do you think U2’s music is reaching out to the younger audience?
<Adam> Definitely. It wasn’t so apparent in America and I guess that’s because a lot of people don’t really like going to stadiums. But since we’ve come to Europe and are playing genearl admission we’ve found we’ve gotten a younger,
more aggressive audience that’s ready to party.
<Adam> Our music has stayed relevant to people who are just getting turned on to music. If we’d stayed oding what we were dong on the Joshua Tree I think we we would’ve gotten older musically.
<Adam> We still have our Joshua Tree fans but we also have other fans who come at us different musically and every other which way,.
<Tonster> Cambot says:
<Tonster> What’s your favorite food?
<Adam> Sushi.
<Tonster> Anne says:
<Tonster> Adam would you mind it if the band i’m in played some U2 cover tunes?
<Adam> Not at all. Maybe she’d be able to figure out what i”m playing!
<Tonster> CyberMoon says:
<Tonster> How was the concert tonight?
<Adam> It was amazing. The audience is what the concert’s all about because we’re the same every night, so for us it’s how the audience reacts.
<Adam> Concerts this size very often are about what’s happening in the audience and the music is a catalyst for that to happen.
<Tonster> Gurt says:
<Tonster> adam, in the early times (1975…) did you ever think to be where you are now?
<Adam> Well, back then you had to have blind faith and absolutely self-belief, which I had in those days. In reality, it’s a surprise and a wonder to me that we actually have achieved the things we have achieved and there’s still more to come.
<Adam> I never really accepted it. Be careful what you set your sights upon because it just might happen.
<Tonster> from_Chile says:
<Tonster> Adam: if you were in my chair, Who would you like to be asking questions?
<Adam> I guess I’d be interested in asking questions to Tony Blair, this guy who just got in with the Labour government.
<Adam> In America, Bill Clinton represents the changing generations. I think it’s very important coming at the end of this century, people who have control over our lives are people you’d actually like to sit down and talk to.

<Alex> Thanks so much for talking with us, Adam. And thanks to everyone for joining the chat. Don’t forget to come back to the site for tour updates, live chats, and live show cybercasts.

They’re no ordinary models, he’s no ordinary designer - U2 and a
half-Belgian, half-alien are fashioning history, finds Julia Robson.

HE’S big, he’s bearded and he’s Belgian, and he is about to make his mark on frock-and-roll history. Since launching his cult, clubwear label “W & L. T.” (Wild & Lethal Trash) on the Paris catwalks three years ago, Walter Van Beirendonck has become the patron saint of the fashion victim.

Beirendonck’s designs - padded, pocketed, space-age PVC workwear, with a hint of sci-fi cartoon hero - coupled with his son et lumiere Ridley Scott-style shows, have also set a new precedent for fashion productions. But it is his current project, swapping Paris catwalk for 74,000-seater stadium, and male models for supergroup U2, which may prove his most prestigious collection to date.

The story began last January, at the W. & L. T. fashion show, where U2’s resident stylist, Sharon Blankson, sat in the front row taking notes. She was attending the menswear shows on a mission, to find clothes suitable for U2’s forthcoming “PopMart” world tour. Her task, until the show, had proved fruitless. Hurrying back to Dublin, she played the band a tape of the show.

A week later Walter was summoned, shown a “virtual reality” impression of the PopMart stage set and asked to come up with sketches, pronto. Beirendonck, the unlikeliest-looking fashion guru, (Rasputin meets Jolly Green Giant), reveals how it was a toy that inspired him to think big.

“My brief was to come up with clothes that blended in with the stage set and PopMart theme. The band wanted something totally different from the usual leather ‘rock’ costumes. I came up with the idea of Action Man’. By using a muscle print as the base on every costume, I then played on a cartoon-hero theme, personalising each costume and basing them on the individual characters of U2.”

Walter transforms Bono into “Bonoman”, “Muscleman”, “TV Man”, “Walking Target” and, finally, “Fly 2000″. Bass guitarist, Adam Clayton becomes bright orange, bionic “Popman”. Guitarist, The Edge, is “Electric Cowboy”, complete with huge 3ft plastic stetson, designed by British milliner Stephen Jones. Drummer Larry Mullen beats out his rhythm in a “Hitman” ensemble of Action Man khakis.

This week British fans will see his costumes come to life, as U2 begin the four-date UK leg of their sell-out tour. On Friday night, as Wembley Stadium shudders to several million watts of power and singer Bono struts down the 100ft runway, under a 100ft glowing arch and out of a 40ft high self-propelled mirror-ball lemon, the ultimate “gasp factor” remains, courtesy of Walter.

“The way U2 are constantly experimenting with graphics and art, as well as music and sounds, is similar to my approach to fashion. You’ll find something aggressive next to something poetic on their album - the same happens in my collections.

“I found them totally down to earth, professional and human,” says the designer, who in the past has described himself as half-Belgian, half-alien. “Bono, particularly, knew exactly what he wanted. He wanted to be involved with every aspect of the design. He performs through his clothes.”

Even those sitting at the back will witness the spectacle of the set and clothes thanks to a 56ft-by-170ft screen, the world’s largest-ever video backdrop. This also will show computer animation created by musician/performance artist Brian Eno.

“The time limit was the most nerve-racking factor. I’m used to working to deadlines, but getting everything finished within six weeks (the time allocated) was a miracle. “At the final rehearsal in Las Vegas I could see the muscley body-print worked incredibly well. When Bono took off his jacket he looked nude, but “even better than the real thing” - like U2’s song.

“I finally got to see the show last month in Werchter, Belgium. Bono shouted to the audience that the show was ‘made in Belgium’ because the stage had been built there, not just the clothes. He dedicated the last song to me, One, which is my favourite. The crowd roared and I felt fantastic.”

? 1997 Sunday Telegraph.

<tom_mcmail> Are you going to put out a live album or video from the tour?

<Tonster> We have no plans for an album as yet…we are putting together some live tracks that will probably be released with te next single…

<Tonster> as one or two CD’s we’re putting out.

<Tonster> There’s no video planned, but we might try to do something on TV at the end of te tour

<Tonster> It will probably be a broadcast on TV.
*** Tonster is now known as Edge
<tom_mcmail> tiempo says:
<tom_mcmail> Edge: Are you going to make a different setlist to places where you hadn’t been. (South America, South Africa, etc ) ? We’d like you to play some oldies too.

<Edge> The intention would be to try to change things around..
<Edge> do a few songs that we haven’t been to before.
<Edge> GA

<tom_mcmail> Aingeal says:
<tom_mcmail> Question: Does your love/need to play live ever influence or even interfere with what happens in the studio? do you ever look at a song and wonder. ‘how are we going to do this live?’ would you ever alter a song solely for the reason of making it easier to recreate on stage?
<Edge> We change songs alot when we’re playing them live - almost every song is rearranged for live because
<Edge> it demands a differnet approach
<Edge> some songs, that becomes more changes,
<Edge> other songs, like Staring at the Sun, we stripped back to 2 acoustic guitars and 2 voices.
<Edge> I think that pure acoustic arrangements have a place on a record,
<tom_mcmail> Are you going to do more acoustic stuff on the album or further on the tour?
<Edge> but I have a feeling that for us, if we were to go into an acousic arrangement it would be for an enitre record.
<Edge> We’re interested in it, but it’s something that we want to explore fully.
<tom_mcmail> pix says:
<tom_mcmail> Question: what’s the next step after Surrealism and Pop Art ?
<Edge> I think that it’s too soon to say where we’re going next - it seems that music, like art, is starting to look back on itself.
<Edge> The 90’s have turned into a post modern period for music, and we’re going to try to go where it leads us.
<tom_mcmail> U2AB says:
<tom_mcmail> Edge.. Do you find it difficult composing songs on the road? Are you working out any new songs now, like you did on Zooropa?
<Edge> We’re working on new songs all the time….
<Edge> any days off, I take up the guitar and use whatever time off I have to work on some songs in hotel rooms.
<Edge> GA
<tom_mcmail> Reno“ says:
<tom_mcmail> Hi Mr.Edge, this PopMart Tour seems to have an exuberant, well thought out theme, and yet I think its essence goes above people’s head, so what exactly is PopMart?
<Edge> Popmart is just our way of making sense of playing in big open air stadiums
-it’s a big show and it’s really a setting as much as it a theme for the concert.
<Edge> IT’s trying to be humorous about the position we find ourselves in as a big band playing big stadiums…
<Edge> we don’t want to make the mistake of taking our position too seriously.
<Edge> We take the music seriously, but we’re able to laugh at the sheer commerical size of what we’re undertaking.
<tom_mcmail> MaryG says:
<tom_mcmail> how do you feel about fans putting your copyrighted material on their web pages??
<Edge> I don’t have a problem with music being on the internet, as long as it’s not resold because I don’t believe that music on the internet is bad for music…
<Edge> I think it’s okay for music.
<Edge> To me, it’s a bit like when cassette tapes were first made available, the music industry thought that blank tapes would
<Edge> destroy the business because people would be at home churning out copies for their friends.
<Edge> It never happened.
<Edge> I think music on the internet is going to work out as just another place for people to discover new things.
<tom_mcmail> Host Kirsten says:
<tom_mcmail> what’s the U2-Willie Nelson relationship?
<Edge> We recorded a track with Willie Nelson that Bono and I recorded a few years ago, called Slow Dancing.
<Edge> He was in Dublin making a film and he walked into the studio.
<Edge> We just cut the song, it took 2 hours to record, but at the right time for the right project, it’ll come up.
<tom_mcmail> sun says:
<tom_mcmail> cAN we expect you will do again more small stadiums? Edge?
<Edge> We’re happy playing big venues right now because we’ve taken on that challenge.
<Edge> I do like playing smaller arenas and maybe for the next tour we’ll play smaller venues.
<tom_mcmail> Are we going to hear “Van Diemen’s Land” in Dublin?
<Edge> I doubt it - I think that Van Dieman’s Land is a tune that I wrote for Bono to sing - I ended up singing it on the album because I was just working it out, really.
<Edge> Although I like the tune, I don’t think I’ll be singing that one.
<Edge> I always thought Bono could sing it better, but he never got around to it.
<tom_mcmail> Mirrorball says:
<tom_mcmail> Edge: were you and the guys shocked by William Burrough’s death?
<Edge> I was very surprised and saddened by his death - he seemed so full of light when we met him for the Last Night on Earth video.
<Edge> We’d met him before and he was always incredibly funny and smart and sharp and if I was half as bright as he was at his age, I’d be very happy.
<tom_mcmail> Aingeal says:
<tom_mcmail> Edge you have said in past interviews that you won’t play a song like “Bad” live because you feel it has been played too much over the last fifteen years. The same could be said for Pride, yet you ARE playing it…why?
<Edge> All the songs we’re playing in the show are songs that we feel we can make sense of in this tour, in Popmart.
<Edge> I wouldn’t rule any old song out, I feel we can play any of our old songs, bur we’ve chosen the ones we have because they work - they make sense.
<tom_mcmail> brii whispers to Kirsten:
<tom_mcmail> Edge - does anyone on the crew/in the band ever read wire? Have you figured out what it IS yet? ANd if so, what do you think of it?
<Edge> I haven’t read it recently.
<tom_mcmail> MsTheEdge says:
<tom_mcmail> QUESTION: Do you use the internet on your own time for personal purposes?
<Edge> Occassionally, but mostly just for email and what have you.
<tom_mcmail> Eric says:
<tom_mcmail> Why haven’t ya’ll played any Zooropa tunes on your tour yet and do you plan on putting any Zooropa tunes on the tour in the future?
<Edge> We might well, we haven’t made a decision not to, it’s just we found ourselves leaning towards other tunes.
<Edge> We don’t think about what album something’s come from, we just figure out if it’s going to make sense in the context of what we’re doing.
<tom_mcmail> bonowannabe says:
<tom_mcmail> Please tell us about the oh so Spinal Tap moment when the Lemon wouldn’t open!
<Edge> It’s just funny for us - we knew that there was a chance that it would happen at some point on the tour.
<Edge> When it finally did, we couldn’t stop laughing.
<tom_mcmail> Delaware_usa says:
<tom_mcmail> QUESTION- Edge if you could have personally witnessed one event in history, what would you want to have seen?
<Edge> I’m happy living right now and seeing what I’m seeing - I wouldn’t have liked to have lived at any other time.
<tom_mcmail> RENZO says:
<tom_mcmail> EDGE-Will there ever be another U2 movie ala Rattle and Hum
<Edge> I don’t think we’re going to do another movie in a hurry <laughs>
<tom_mcmail> Mr_Jetlag says:
<tom_mcmail> Do you find after a tour when you hear the opening song on the radio you get a tinggle like you’re about to go on stage
<Edge> Yeah - it’s a strange sensation. You’ve heard of Pavlov’s dog? I can tell you it’s all true.
<tom_mcmail> Bonedog says:
<tom_mcmail> EDGE Question: Are worried about safety in Belfast?
<Edge> No. Not at all. We’re just looking forward to a great show and a great day.
<tom_mcmail> Gibigiane says:
<tom_mcmail> What do you think of Sojourner - the Mars Probe
<Edge> I’m all in favor of Mars, I think Mars is a fantastic idea.
<tom_mcmail> ParadiseCowgirl says:
<tom_mcmail> edge, what’s one of your favorite songs to perform live right now? (asking for someone who can’t be here now)
<Edge> Right now, Please, because we’re having a lot of fun playing different arrangement ideas.
<tom_mcmail> Severian says:
<tom_mcmail> QUESTION : What do you think of bootlegged concerts?
<Edge> I have no problems with bootlegs, I think, again, if people make recordings and give them to fhier friends - as long as people don’t get ripped off.
<tom_mcmail> Boogaloo says:
<tom_mcmail> what happend to your Gibson Explorer?
<Edge> It’s actually just on a long vacation, but it’s still around.
<tom_mcmail> NYCGavin says:
<tom_mcmail> EDGE: What can you tell us about your next single?
<Edge> It’s gonna be finished in another few days and we’re going to be giving it to the radio probably in another 3-4 weeks and it’s a new version of Please.
<tom_mcmail> Candy says:
<tom_mcmail> Edge:where do you think you’d be if you weren’t in u2 now?
<Edge> Sitting at home. <laughs>
<tom_mcmail> KatrinaD says:
<tom_mcmail> EDGE>> will there be anymore songs off future albums that you will be singing lead vocals?
<Edge> We actually have a very good singer, so I don’t know if I’ll do any more lead vocals, but maybe.
<tom_mcmail> USTAY2 says:
<tom_mcmail> What is your most memorable moment of the whole tour so far?
<Edge> I think the opening night, and realizing that everything worked and no one had been killed trying to get out of the lemon and that we’d remembered all the songs and that we hadn’t had a big argument…
<Edge> just that it went so well in the end.
<tom_mcmail> godpart3 says:
<tom_mcmail> Is the chemistry in the band on a personal and professional level still as strong as it was in 1977 or whatever?
<Edge> We’re still getting on just as well as we always have and everyone does what I say, that’s the important thing.
<tom_mcmail> RENZO says:
<tom_mcmail> Edge- where is the coolest place you’ve ever been in your travels with u2?
<Edge> The coolest place - I’ve been to a lot of cool places along the way, it’s hard to say which is the coolest.
<Edge> Currently, Tokyo is somewhere I’m fascinated with because it’s so different to where I grew up, but it changes, you know, I love America.
<Edge> The southwest in particular.
<tom_mcmail> NYCGavin says:
<tom_mcmail> Edge: Will Brian Eno and/or Daniel Lanois be involved in producing future U2 albums???
<Edge> I hope we do end up working with Brian and Danny again because they’re fantastic to work with.
<Edge> It would depend on what record we were trying to make was and what they were doing at the time.
<tom_mcmail> Host Kirsten says:
<tom_mcmail> have your parents ever been to a show?
<Edge> They tend to come out a couple of times every tour to have a laugh.
<tom_mcmail> Chia_Pet says:
<tom_mcmail> Edge: how’s it feel to be getting older in a business that’s rough even when you’re young?
<Edge> I still feel like I’m 16 - that’s not a problem.
<tom_mcmail> Patrick_M says:
<tom_mcmail> Mr. THE EDGE: Rumor has it U2 recorded over 30 songs for Pop However, only one brand new song has emerged - “Holy Joe” so far on the B-sides. What about the other songs? Will they ever hit the surface?
<Edge> Yeah, they definitely will along the way - we have to finish them first.
<tom_mcmail> Wintermute says:
<tom_mcmail> Question: Any chance of collaborations with people like Bjork and David Bowie?
<Edge> We’re always interested in a new collaborator, but there’s no plans to work with either Bjork or Bowie.
<tom_mcmail> Guggi says:
<tom_mcmail> Question: any idea who will open up for U2 on the third leg of the tour?
<Edge> We’re still listening to CD’s and seeing who’s available. We can’t really say just yet.
<tom_mcmail> Host Kirsten says:
<tom_mcmail> what advice do you have for bands just starting out?
<Edge> Write brilliant songs.
<tom_mcmail> salome269 says:
<tom_mcmail> edge…what keeps you motivated for performing??
<Edge> Just playing every night with Adam and Larry and Bono and the fact that every show is different and every time we play, there are new discoveries.
<tom_mcmail> alison2 says:
<tom_mcmail> QUESTION: Edge, why did all of you choose the Microsoft network for your website?
<Edge> We wanted to do something that was more ambitious than most other websites.
<Edge> To do that, we felt that we needed a partner and Microsoft Network seemed like the perfect partner for us to put this together with.
<tom_mcmail> USTAY2 says:
<tom_mcmail> Question:how do you manage to keep an exceptional relation ship within U2 for over 20 years?
<Edge> We met before we were a band, so that helps everything.
<tom_mcmail> ParadiseCowgirl says:
<tom_mcmail> edge, what’s your least favorite thing about touring?
<Edge> Coming home and having to figure out how to live a regular life again.
<tom_mcmail> metal says:
<tom_mcmail> hi edge, im pastry chef at the intercontinental in helsinki ..did you get the birthday cake me and steve made for you
<Edge> yes, it was fantastic! Sorry I couldn’t bring it with me.
<tom_mcmail> VON says:
<tom_mcmail> Are U2’s tours actually going to get any bigger? Or are you going to go back to smaller venues
<Edge> I can’t see them getting any bigger…but we haven’t decided what we’re going to do next time.
<tom_mcmail> m_doughty says:
<tom_mcmail> edge: what bands have you been listening to lately?
<Edge> All kinds of stuff…I love the Verve’s new single…Fun Loving Criminals, Nina Simone’s early recordings.
<tom_mcmail> And one last question….
<tom_mcmail> Host Maggie2 says:
<tom_mcmail> Host Maggie2 says:
<tom_mcmail> one more time - Edge - when you look back on your life with U2 did you ever imagine you’d come this far and stay in the business for so long?
<tom_mcmail> Any last thoughts for us, Edge?
<Edge> Always hoped that we’d be making great music for a few years, but I never thought that we’d be still so into it all after being together for over a dozen years. We’re still aiming to make the perfect record.
<Edge> Stay in touch - hopefully we’ll see you along the way -and thanks
for tuning in.
<tom_mcmail> Thanks so much - this has been great!
<tom_mcmail> Thanks again for coming!
<tom_mcmail> See you all soon -we’ll be doing a chat with Adam Clayton after the Dublin show!