11 March 2009
T N Green reports for U2.com on Monday night's broadcast with the band and Shirley Manson from Capitol Records.
Escorted within the walls of famed Studio A of Capitol Records Tower in Hollywood, California (already the feeling is surreal) my friend and I watched as the sound crew, cameramen, and other tech personnel set the room, tested equipment and made us feel comfortable; it was 5:10 PM. In fifty minutes Studio A would be flush with the luck of the Irish (as well as a lovely Scottish lass) and the fans who love them, lucky souls themselves.
Near the top of the hour the room was filled with a tiny fraction of the congregation that forms the church of U2 (radio contest winners, record label/industry folks, and media all assembled to the tune of about 200) and most of us planted ourselves on the floor in front of the five empty stools on the stage before us. Shirley Manson (Garbage) strolled in the house to warm applause, looking stunning. A beauty in the flesh, but my concern was whether or not I would understand a word that she said all eve. She tells us that she's 'terrified' and 'sh*tting herself' but her native tongue is elegant and clear. No translator would be required to decipher her brogue. Yay!
Larry was a tad under the weather and may or may not join us but we're hopeful; introductions are unnecessary but made - Adam, Bono and The Edge file out onto the stage all smiles and love; their seats are taken with mugs of tea in hand; we're coming out of commercial break; broadcasting across the country; Manson is flipping through her notes, legs crossed, calm and ready; countdown
The U2 Radio Network is on the air!
What we were privy to was an intimate discussion on the art of being U2 and what an art it is but less than five minutes into the event and Bono is kneeling in front of us chatting about whatever; Adam was no less engaging. My friend informed Bono that her mom labeled him 'the talkative one' and Adam 'the elegant one' when they visited her office in Baja California, Mexico during the rehearsals of the Vertigo Tour. Why did Adam laugh at being called 'elegant'? That's what you get for exuding poshness wherever you go but in an effort to be 'less elegant' as he kindly informed us, he removed his smart jacket and even rolled up his sleeves.
Manson probed the band on subjects such as the unique experience of collaborating with Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno as writers, to the metaphysical nature of the albums title, to rock'n' roll moments, to managing rock star egos for 30 years. Those were the bits that floated over the airwaves for the world to consume, but there were the moments of in-between - during commercial breaks and when songs from the album were played - that were gifts to the audience.
Prior to playing Magnificent Bono was his effusive self in praising the 'amazing thing' that is, and always has been, Adam's contributions on bass.
Eventually this led to us confronting an issue that needed attention. Throughout U2's video career we've seen a few band member-centric videos: 'Electric Storm' featured a waterlogged Larry, Numb featured The Edge indulging in a little bondage, and Bono well, every other video is all about him. So we asked when were we going to be graced with an Adam-themed video? Leave it to Mr. Clayton to minimize his place in the grand scheme of things claiming that he prefers to be 'behind the camera', and sure enough he whipped out his camera to film his mates and the audience. But wait, says I. That incredible Buzzard bass needs to be showcased, and Magnificent is just the song for it. I see a perfectly Adam-themed video because that bass line kills that song and damned if Bono didn't agree and asked us to send him our video suggestions.
Bono gave clarity to Moment of Surrender as a song from the perspective of a friend being consumed by bad habits and about to fall off of a cliff (the opening verse speak volumes), where Unknown Caller was that same friend facing an instant of temporary insanity as his gadgets talk back to him.
The temperature in the room changed markedly when Moment of Surrender was played, loud and acoustically sound within the studio. It was the one time where there was no conversation: The Edge sat resting his chin on his hand holding his mic; Bono leaned forward with arms crossed occasionally mouthing the words; Adam's face tilted upwards nodding towards the sound. Of the NLOTH tracks, MOS is something of an emotional opus so here's where I gauged the room and what I saw didn't surprise me one bit: closed eyes, silent singing along, appreciation, immersion, and one young lady wiping tears through her smiles.
'We'll go anywhere to be close to The Killers!' pronounced Bono when one audience member offered up Las Vegas as the next place that the band should venture for inspiration. The Edge was called out for his dig on Letterman at Sting - he said that bit wasn't rehearsed; it's just that 'the problem is that Sting's too cool.' Have lute, will travel.
And hot damn but with 15 minutes left into what's been the shortest hour in history, that drummer guy showed up to regale us with his need to hit things. We thank you Larry for coming, for smiling, and for your violence. Love the shoes!
Sixty minutes at the mercy of the biggest band in the world; how I suffer for my art. Larry made like a ghost and then the room became one big mingle as people surged towards the stage for photos and handshakes.
Before leaving, we asked Larry if he had a message for Zootopia? He smiled and said 'Of course, that's were we live. See you soon; we're looking forward to it'.
As Adam folded himself into his car and The Edge paused to chat with friends, I looked up to the sky to be faced with a luminous full moon. Perfect. It was good. No, it was great. No, it was magnificent.
source: U2.com
No comments:
Post a Comment