REPORTING — TAPE #231, SIDE #2
Q: Mark Russell Bell
J: Jed The Fish, KROQ interviewer (radio broadcast)
N: Noel, caller from Anchorage (radio broadcast)
E: The Edge (radio broadcast)
B: Bono (radio broadcast)
T: Sean, caller from Stoudberg (radio broadcast)
O: Colin, caller from Chicago (radio broadcast)
A: Adam Clayton (radio broadcast)
V: Program Montage Voices/Station Radio Spot Voices
S: Jessica, caller from Boston (radio broadcast)
W: Weenie, caller from Columbia (radio broadcast)
R: Commercial Announcers
C: Carson Daly, KROQ DJ (radio broadcast)
L: Larry Mullen (radio broadcast)
D: James, caller from San Jose (radio broadcast)
M: Monica, caller from Des Moines (radio broadcast)
Q: Mark Russell Bell (occasional comments)
J: Okay, let’s see, this will be Noel from Anchorage, Alaska. Can you hear us? Are we yelling it loud enough for you to hear us up there in Anchorage?
N: Yes. Finally I can hear you . . .
J: Oh okay.
E: Hey Noel, are the flowers out up there?
N: It’s Noel (No-el) actually but thank you.
J: Oh Noel. Okay.
N: Hey, I saw you guys in Eugene from the ninth row and in Phoenix from the back of the stadium. It actually is almost a better show from the back of the crowd.
J: Ahh, somebody’s been following the broadcast. That’s nice.
N: Yes, I have . . .
B: How long have you worked for Island Records, Noel?
J: (laughs)
N: I haven’t but I wouldn’t mind it.
B: Cool. I think you’ve got yourself a job. Yeah —
J: You can be the local rep in Anchorage for Island. So do you have a question for U2?
N: Yes, I do. I was wondering if you guys were going to be releasing “Mofo” as a single because I’d love to hear some remixes.
B: Well funny, we’ve been talking with the Underworld people about that. They came over to Dublin and we did some work with them on that but we had to go off on tour and they had to go off and finish their own record so I don’t know when that’s going to see the light of day. We might bring in some other people to remix it. It’s really starting to happen for us now — that track. It was a while for us to get on the groove of that one and the first two weeks were a bit bumpy but now it’s happening.
J: Okay.
B: Live — that is.
J: Thanks for your call.
B: Thanks
J: The number is (gives number). It’s U2 “Pop Invasion” and this would be Sean from Stoudburg, Pennsylvania — did I say the name of your city right?
T: Yes, you are.
J: Okay, you have a question for U2?
T: Yes. You have a lot of fans and when you guys were younger you picked up a lot of people on the preach of saving our environment —
B: Yeah yeah.
T: Saving the whales. You had really good videos about fighting the Russians and all that, against killing a lot of animals.
B: Fighting the Russians? . . . (brief interference) Now we’re just trying to save the record industry. Are you — go on, though.
T: Okay. You got a lot of people behind you because you used to love the environment. Kind of like . . .
B: And you think we don’t love the environment now?
T: Oh you don’t?
B: No. Do you think we don’t?
J: No, I saw him pushing portapotties over earlier.
T: Right — yeah — yeah — a lot of people were concerned that you’ve become so commercial that you forgot your values where you picked up a lot of fans.
J: Oh this again.
B: Okay. Now here’s the deal. A lot of people want a sign up, you know? They want it spelled out for them and I think we actually respect our people who follow us around more than to just keep laying that on them. We’re still the same band, still the same spirit, still involved in Amnesty International —
T: Great.
B: — still campaigning for whether it’s Leonard Peltier, whether it’s what’s going on in Tibet. We’re just trying not to wear it on our sleeve so much because when we did — okay, there was a giant bell jar started to come down over our head and people (“LIKE”) thought we were marketing idealism and that really —
T: You were doing something good when you did it . . .
B: Well, we’re still doing it but you can have fun too and you can be the baddest, brightest, boldest band in the land and actually do something about where you live and where you are. (“THEY’RE”) They’re not mutually exclusive —
T: Right.
B: — and, you know, that’s what I want to say.
T: So you didn’t sell out? You’re still doing the same thing you did.
B: Listen, (“I[F]”) we would sell more records if we started campaigning in a very obvious way because we’d be coming on all righteous and we’d make everybody happy. And you’ve got to be careful with these charity things. You know, it says in the —
T: . . . charity. You spoke for a good reason.
B: Yeah and we still speak out.
T: . . . people shouldn’t go out of work because there’s an owl that needs to be saved but you were doing good and a lot of people liked you because of that.
B: Well then — and I think if they’re smart, they know that’s where we’re still at. But you can actually be politically active and have fun. Okay? That’s the deal.
J: Sean, he gave you a good answer. Do you like it?
T: Okay, thank you very much.
J: Okay. Thanks a lot.
B: Okay, Sean. See you, man.
J: Alright. And —
B: Why is that, though? That people just, you know, either have to be bleeding to death, okay?, and kind of coming off all gaunt and serious before people believe that you are serious? That doesn’t happen in black music. I mean George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic can put on the most ridiculous show on Earth. He can come out in his coat of many colors — (“WI[TH HI]S”) you know, his whole — and he can still make you cry with some song — some story from the street. Why is it that we can’t have both the funk and the spunk?
J: I think I can answer that question with another question. Why do you think grunge was so popular? And what do you think of the whole grunge movement?
B: Well, you know, I — (“THERE’S SOME”) great bands came out of that. A lot of our mates came out of that. Some great songs.
J: There was a lot of tragedy to that music. There was a lot of sadness and, you know, even fashion-wise, it was almost anti-fashion and anti-life to a certain extent.
B: And I think even if — I just saw — even Kurt Kobain there before he checked out. You know you could just see him rebelling against that. It’s so conservative. Grunge got so strict and it got really nostalgic and we’re just about — we’re heading into the next century and I think it’s extraordinary that people are still, you know, getting off on what is ’70s music — you know, guitar music. And it’s great that there are people like Beck around. It’s great that Nine Inch Nails are kicking up the — kicking at it.
J: Go ahead. They’re kicking up the ass.
B: I’m just saying — I just — music can’t stand still or it becomes folk and I don’t want to be in a folk band. I want to be in a rock and roll band. I want to see where this thing can go, you know what I mean?
J: Well that’s a — you keep coming up with good answers. I could just stay here all day.
B: I could rant to you for the rest of your life but I’ll bore your arse off.
J: Not for a while though. Colin from Chicago.
O: Yes.
J: Hey —
O: Hey guys. Love you guys.
J: — it’s good to have you on the radio. You got —
O: I immediately got on the air. Woo!
J: You know what I like about Chicago, Colin? The last time I visited — you guys just have a ton of blues stations on the radio dial. Is that still the case?
O: Not a lot of blues stations. Still a lot of blues bars out there. House of Blues has opened up very popular. Eddie Meer was here recently.
J: Okay, well this is —
O: You guys ought to check that out when you’re here.
B: We wrote a blues tune. It was on “Zooropa.” It’s called “Daddy’s Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car.” We wrote it —
O: Yeah. I heard you perform in a blues version before.
B: I’ll tell you who we wrote it for. John Lee Hooker was what we had in mind. And it sounds just like industrial but it goes, “You’re a precious stone, you’re out on your own. You know everyone in the world, but you feel alone. Daddy’s gonna pay (for) your crashed car. Daddy’s gonna pay (for) your crashed car.” It just doesn’t sound like the blues when we do it.
J: It sounded more like the blues right now than it did on the album. Okay so Colin, do you have a question for U2 “Pop Invasion”?
O: Yeah. I’m wondering what’s going on with the Dublin show. There seems to be a lot of controversy, a lot of stuff going on especially on the Internet about how it’s being canceled, how it’s . . .
B: . . . listen. Edge, sort them.
E: Do you honestly think that we would do a tour of the world and not play Dublin city?
J: That’s Edge talking.
O: . . . hear you guys set it straight because I really don’t believe everything I hear on the Internet.
E: Well you’re —
O: I want to hear it from you guys that — (“NO”)
E: Well let me tell you that we are most definitely playing Dublin city on this tour.
O: Excellent.
E: And —
B: We’re just about to announce it. On Monday or Tuesday.
E: . . . next couple of days.
O: Great.
J: Straight out of Dublin.
E: So you should book your ticket from Chicago to Dublin now. I would recommend it.
O: Actually . . . sure it’s because of the MTV promotion and everything.
J: I’ve got to tell you we’ve had calls from people all week that have booked their tickets and now just don’t know if the show’s going on.
E: Right.
J: So I guess I missed it or something. When is the show — when is it going on sale?
E: We’re announcing it either tomorrow or the day after.
J: But not today?
E: Not today.
B: The date — it’s the same date as was in the schedule for the Phoenix Park. We tried to put on a concert in Phoenix Park. We really wanted to play there but it was — in the end it was just far too expensive and we didn’t mind not making money but we were going to lose a fortune. And when we play Dublin it’s not about anything other than putting on a great show but, okay, we’re not — it’s not charity either and this is — we’re trying to put on the greatest show on Earth and we’re not going to come in on a charity tip. That’s not what this is about. Every show we’ve played in Dublin we’ve given away the cash and that’s the way we do it but we charge people in, pal.
J: Sounds like they were maybe trying to take advantage of you — somebody was.
B: Well no. I mean it’s just in Ireland people are very proud of us and we’re very proud of being from Ireland but when we play, every Joe just gets on the phone and it’s like — it just — it can be a pain in the ass.
J: Gets on the phone saying what? Get me in or —
B: No, just why aren’t you doing it this way?
J: — play at my house?
B: Why aren’t you playing for the dead cats society or —
J: (laughs) The . . . (Flemish?) Cancer Society.
B: — play the gig for my dog and, God, it’s just got really — this is going to be a great event. It means so much to us —
Q: My God, he’s a one-man-band.
B: — this playing our home town. We want to get it right and we want to treat it the way we’re treating every other capital city around here.
J: Hey Colin from Chicago, thanks for your call.
O: Love to your lovlies. Good-bye.
J: Okay. (laughter)
B: Whoa.
J: “Pop Invasion” with U2. Okay who wants to introduce the Oasis song that we’re going to play? Adam, would you mind doing that? We have an Adam jingle —
E: Let’s roll with it, Adam.
J: — so we’ll come — since you’re taking over the radio station—this is a “Pop Invasion” here—we’ll come out of your jingle, start the beginning of the song, then you’ve got twenty-one seconds to be world famous.
A: Okay.
J: Alright. Whip it out.
V: Made with creamy butter.
V: Ladies and gentlemen.
V: Adam Clayton.
V: You must do.
V: The “Pop Invasion.”
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: ADAM WAS SAYING SOMETHING DURING THE INTRODUCTORY ‘JINGLE’ YET I COULDN’T MAKE OUT WHAT HE WAS SAYING. AS THE SONG STARTED I STOPPED TAPING [OR REWOUND THE TAPE AND RECORDED OVER THIS PORTION] AND DON’T THINK ADAM SAID ANYTHING FURTHER.)
V: And eat them before they eat you.
V: Over the years this old wagon has served our bunch well.
V: Brought to you by Power Bar . . . And now our first casualty.
V: “Pop Invasion”
V: The U2 “Pop Invasion” radio show.
V: It’s new.
(blip)
V: I love it.
V: Pick one up today.
J: Ha ha! (“K”) Hey, it’s Jed The Fish and we may have a little more time for phone calls if you want to call (gives number). It’s the “Pop Invasion” with U2 in the studio here and we just played an Oasis song.
Q: Why doesn’t anyone ask them about their wives and kids?
J: Are those guys fun to hang out with, you guys? What else are you going to say?
A: They’re the best. I mean they’re fans of music and that’s what always turns us on is hanging out with guys who listen to music.
J: Yeah. What were you saying about a van ride with them, Edge, the other night?
E: Yeah, that was wild. “One” came on the radio coming back from the Oakland show.
B: As Noel was talking about it. That was what was cool.
E: That was weird.
B: He was talking about the tune. So they’re definitely plugged into the mainframe there. God is definitely a Catholic and the Gallaghers rule.
E: They knew everything. They knew all the lyrics. It was wild.
J: They sang along in the band.
E: Yeah.
J: How cool.
E: It was amazing.
J: In San Francisco.
E: We liked them.
J: In case you’re listening and don’t know what the hell we’re talking about. Oasis did a couple of shows with U2 in San Francisco. And anywhere else?
E: Unfortunately, we were trying to get them for more shows but they have a little bit of a problem with their entry visas, which we hope will be cleared up in the near future.
J: Is that due to any kind of behavior that they’re reputed —
E: Who knows? Possibly. That might have had some influence but —
J: Incidentally, we found out that date for the Dublin show if you want to fly over there. It’s Saturday, August 30th.
B: And it’s going to be in Landsdowne Road, okay? So let’s just say that right now and get it out of the way.
J: Jessica from Boston, do you have a question for U2?
S: Yes, I do. Hello.
A: Hello.
S: I was wondering if you guys are going to use any music inspired by other cultures? Like Middle Eastern sounds and things like that.
J: Weren’t you kind of trying that when you wrote the album?
E: I think “Passengers” was inspired by a lot of instrumental music from different places and I think we’re more interested in modern sounds than sort of ethnic traditional sounds right now. But that doesn’t mean that we won’t be getting back into that ethnic thing later on, you know?
S: Great.
J: Okay. Thanks a whole lot, Jessica. Alright, is this someone named Weenie from Columbia, South Carolina?
W: Yes, it is.
J: How does a girl get a name like Weenie?
W: It’s a long story. It’s not a bad — I’m not upset about it. It’s not offensive or anything but my real name is Rowena.
J: Okay.
W: And so it just kind of got nicknamed Weenie.
J: Alright. We love it.
W: Good good good because . . .
J: Do you have a question for U2?
W: Yes. But I also wanted to say I saw the Clemson concert and it just blew me away. And I loved the disco ball, which was the best. And I saw the Z tour too in Columbia, South Carolina. I don’t know if you guys remember that but —
B: Which did you think was better?
W: I really liked the Pop Mart tour. It was just so over the top and even though there’s a lot of electronic music that everybody was talking about, I think that the songs are still very spiritual which I don’t know if people notice that. I’ve read some articles too but anyway.
B: Why do people think they can’t be both? I mean somebody like Kraftwerk is such a soul group. You know, I think there’s this feeling that, like, if you have a drum machine you must’ve sold out. I just can’t figure that out. It’s actually a racist position as well. It’s just ruling out all black music.
W: I totally agree. I mean because I go to dance clubs too and I find that (“THE”) the music is about the people in the club and they concentrate on the music and it’s not (“COO”) the artists who are the stars, it’s the people who are in the . . .
B: That’s a cool point actually. That’s what’s great about club culture.
W: Yes, I love it. And, also, I wanted to know for, like, concerts that you canceled, will they be coming through again? Like through Raleigh, North Carolina?
B: We’re trying to figure that one out at the moment. We’d love to get back to Raleigh. That would be really nice.
W: Okay. And I also wanted to say that if you ever get a chance to see a band called Jump Little Children — they’re based out of Charleston, South Carolina —
B: (small laugh)
W: They’re really awesome. To me, I compare them to you guys who are really, really good.
J: Okay, we’ve got to weasel this Weenie on out of here.
E: Okay, Weenie, check out Howie B’s new album as well. That’s a great one.
J: It’s really good. We just played a song off — thank you. Alright this is U2 “Pop Invasion.” We’ll be back in just a few minutes and we’re going to ask U2 about their hotel. They have a hotel over in Dublin. Be right back.
B: Oh man!
V: Make more money.
V: What the hell, I’ve got exactly what you need.
V: Take care of everything.
V: You’re the bread winner.
V: The American dream.
V: Buy one of everything.
V: Get the second one free free free free free free.
V: U2’s “Pop Invasion” will be back.
V: Why can’t I get a girlfriend like her?
R: It’s happening now. The police are checking proof of liability insurance during all routine traffic stops . . .
( . . . )
J: . . . And we have the owners of the Clarence Hotel in Dublin right here. Could you guys tell me about the Clarence Hotel?
A: Yeah. Well it was a hotel that when we first started —
J: This is Adam.
A: — hanging out as a band, we were kind of underaged to go to regular bars and play gigs so there was this hotel that we always used to end up in and there was, like, some strange people in there that shouldn’t have been in bars. Like priests and nuns and stuff like that.
B: Priests, nuns and stuff like that.
J: (laughs)
A: And, you know, that whole area — that part of Dublin—it’s called Temple Bar—was kind of due for redevelopment and they were going to knock it all down and build a bus depot or something. But Bono managed to persuade the prime minister at the time that the area was worth saving and we bought the hotel and Bono designed the interior and Edge does the menus. (laughter)
J: . . . Carson had a question. Is it expensive to stay there?
B: It’s a posh hotel.
J: It’s a posh hotel?
B: Yeah. We didn’t want it to be a posh hotel but it cost a fuckin’ fortune to put this thing right and so now it’s posh but they don’t act posh but, yeah, it is.
C: Can you get room service at three a.m.?
B: It’s a fair cop. It’s not as democratic as we would have liked.
E: We actually bought the place to have the club because there were no good clubs in the city at the time.
J: What’s the name of the club?
E: The Kitchen. And it is voted Best Club of the Year by a lot of British DJs — of last year.
J: So if you’re going over there at the end of August to see the U2 show, now you know which club to go to. Alright —
B: It’s a posh hotel with a sewer in the basement.
J: (laughs) Alright, we’ll be right back with more “Pop Invasion.”
The more you take the less you feelThe less you know the more you believeThe more you have the more it takes today.
J: . . . But if you decided to stick around, you’re smart. Very smart. You can give us a call. (gives number) Alright so, Carson Daly, we are now impinging on your show here.
C: Thanks.
J: Yeah. Do you have a question for U2?
B: Come on in, Carson.
C: Yes, I have a question.
J: He’s had a lot to say the last five or ten minutes, folks.
C: Twenty-three-year-old punks don’t have a lot of money but this little hotel you’ve got going — I’d like to know if I can afford it and do they have room service at 3:30 in the morning because that’s all that matters to me.
B: That’s it. And we supply skateboards for whoever checks in. (laughter)
You’re going to be fine.
J: Okay, I’ve got some questions. If you would like to ask the other members of the band. I have a little three-by-five stack of questions and you just say, you know, “Hi, this is Bono. Adam — ” And then just ask the question or ask it however you want to but it’s a chance for you to interview each other.
B: Okay. I’ll do it as Bill Burroughs.
J: Okay.
B: Adam, did you walk or bring your lunch?
A: I brought my lunch.
B: Keep it in the pocket there now. Okay — The Edge, what are your favorite barnyard animals and what sounds do they make?
E: Cuddly toy. Sorry —
B: Barnyard.
E Oh.
B: I do a good seal. Can I do a seal?
J: Yeah.
B: I learned this from Ray McKee. Hold on. (barks four times)
J: And he’s doing that — the fin bit too.
B: I also do owls. (two hoots performed) Beat that, The Edge.
E: I think my favorite barnyard animal is the duck and they go, “Quack quack.”
J: (laughs)
B: Quacker quacker — make it quacker.
E: Oh dear.
B: Larry Mullen, is castration as painful as it sounds? (laugher and groans)
L: It hurts, man. It hurts.
B: Okay, Adam Clayton, complete this sentence. My favorite deviant activity with canned cheese is?
A: Well I don’t understand that.
B: (sounds like ‘cant-u-saul’)
A: (repeats word correctly or otherwise the word) Okay.
B: That’s the answer. Very good.
J: (laughs)
B: Larry, come here. I want to show you something. Does this look infected to you?
J: (laughs)
L: What is this?
J: Larry is completely mystified by all this.
L: I am totally mystified.
J: He can not get far enough away from the microphone.
B: Okay Larry will like this question though. Larry, how many of your bitches work for free?
J: (laughs)
L: None.
J: None.
B: Larry’s our quartermaster. Okay, hold on. Okay, Edge, this is definitely for you. Okay, please expound on light particle theory.
E: Light particle theory. My particular favorite particles are the light ones myself and —
B: Do they behave like sound waves or are there any of them errant particles?
J: (laughs)
E: I think they’re mostly errant.
B: Can I just say, The Edge, that my favorite light particles are coming out of your arse? (laughter) No, the sun does shine out of The Edge’s arse.
E: Oh Bono, thank you very much.
B: We all know that. Okay, these are ffff — Jed. This short pants thing is really ffff — this is serious with you.
J: (laughs)
B: Okay, Jed —
E: He’s a sick puppy.
B: — what’s the most disturbing color your urine has ever been?
J: Pop Mart blue. Actually yeah.
B: It’s the blue light special, isn’t it?
J: I was into some phenopheline solution.
B: Is this like a KROQ thing? Everyone gets all like juvenile —
J: (laughs)
B: — at seven o’clock? We have some — you know, there’s some international datelines to consider here.
J: Oh yeah huh?
B: Think about the people of Hawaii, would you?
J: Alright.
B: Okay.
J: Mmmmmmm — them people in Hawaii, um-huh.
B: Okay, Adam — we’ve got to stop this.
J: I think that’s the last one.
B: What’s the last thing any one of you blew up?
A: I think it was one of those large —
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: THE CASSETTE TAPE SIDE ENDED HERE.)
V: Bono, The Edge, Larry Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr. will control all that you see and hear. U2’s “Pop Invasion.”
J: That’s right. They picked that song, for example — Chemical Brothers. U2 live in the studio. My name’s Jed The Fish. I’m glad you’re here with me and I absolutely love the Chemical Brothers. You guys have any thoughts on how they’re actually able to sustain a performance? I mean, after all, the large part of what they’re doing is playing back samples and mixing. And usually when you go to a rock show you’re used to people playing. They’ve got guitars in their hand. They’re singing into a microphone. They’re one of the bands that don’t do that. Do you have any theories on —
B: My favorite is when you don’t know what’s going on. Like when there’s a band and a DJ around. And so some of it’s played and some of it’s not played. I think that’s cool.
J: Let’s see who’s like that?
?: Beck.
J: I bet Audioweb is like that.
B: Audioweb.
J: Beck is like that and, let’s see, I think Underworld is like that a little bit.
B: Yeah yeah. It’s just nice when the things get mixed up. You don’t know what you’re hearing.
E: Fun Lovin’ Criminals.
B: Fun Lovin’ Criminals — they are something else.
J: Oh yeah, they did some dates with you guys recently.
E: But they’re a happening band. They really are. Great record.
B: Astonishing guitar player he is too. We’ve had amazing — Rage Against The Machine, which are playing with us now in Los Angeles tomorrow night, are just hardcore and just full-on in every respect . . . They give everything they’ve got and they’ve been blowing our people away.
J: They do. Sooner or later Zack’s going to sprain an ankle. I mean he’s airborne through a large part of the concert there.
B: I think he’s going to sprain his vocal — I can’t figure out how he can do that as a singer.
E: The only way you can be that intense is if you’re very, very loose.
B: Oh that’s very Zen of you, The Edge.
E: It’s true.
J: It is. I mean I just want to roll that one around in my mind a little bit here. Okay, this might be a good one to bring up at this juncture. There were reports that you were attempting to limit your drinking on the road
E: Yes. Seventeen pints is enough for anybody.
J: (laughs) Can anyone give a pretentious overview on new music in the ’80s and ’90s? We touched on grunge a little while ago but —
B: When it’s going to get great is when everything, as I was saying to you just a minute ago, gets mixed up. Like what you’re starting here in KROQ — when people can hear some Beastie Boys or hip hop groove next to a pure pop groove next to a slamming metal tune, that’s when — when radio stations start sounding like people’s record collections, that’s when it’s going to be great.
J: That’s good. And there’s a lot of diversity right now and I’m not — I’ve always had a grudge against people that said electronic music is the next big thing because I think it’s bigger than the next big thing and it’s always influenced what’s going on. And it’s a real exciting time right now because there is no trend.
B: That’s the best thing. I mean we got this word techno thrown around at us for this last record. It was like the word du jour that everyone — “Oh they’re making a techno.” Fuck that.
J: I heard that.
B: Like what are they on about? I mean —
J: That’s — actually I bought into that for a month or two.
B: Yeah but we’ve been experimenting with samples. We’ve been experimenting with drum machines and things, going back to ’84 and even doing remixes since ’83. And this word is just a convenient word that’s thrown out by record labels to try and encourage the next big thing. It’s always been around. Kraftwerk were around when I was like fifteen and sixteen. I bought Kraftwerk and they blew my mind. It’s always been there. It always will be there. But what’s important is the tunes. Are the tunes there? And I think they are.
J: Is it true that you said, “I was doing remixes when you were in diapers?”
B: Did I just say that?
J: No. Have you said that?
B: I — can I have a diaper if I just said that?
J: (laughs) Hello there. Hey, James from San Jose, you’re talking to U2 “Pop Invasion” here.
D: This is a real honor, guys. I’ve ben a fan from the beginning and — actually first I just want you to know that, unlike the guy who called earlier and just thought that you may have sold out or something, well, most of your fans don’t think that and we understand where you’re coming from.
B: You know it’s funny. We had that accusation after our first single and then after our first album and then after our second and then after our third. And it’s just always the way — if you want to be honest about your ambition and — if somebody tells — if you meet a band and they say, “We don’t want to play the L.A. Coliseum.” They’re lying. If you meet a band and they tell you, “We just want to play clubs for the rest of our life.” They’re lying. People who won’t own up to their ambitions are the reason why rock and roll got very miserable there for a while and we’re just trying to be honest about the fact that we want to be in The Beatles or The Stones or The Sex Pistols or whoever it is. It’s just — that’s why you join a band. If you’re shy, become a potter. Do something else.
J: (laughs)
B: Do some — do weaving.
J: James, he gave you a good answer. You happy with it?
D: I do have a question, though, real quick.
J: Of course you do.
D: I’ve got a bet going with a friend about what the arch symbolizes.
J: Oh yeah. You were going to ask that, huh?
D: And I was wondering if anybody cared to comment on that?
B: It’s the Arch of Triumph.
D: Indeed.
B: No, it’s not. I’m sorry. There’s — a French thing just went on there in my left ear and I got confused. Adam, help.
A: It’s a bit of a “Star Trek” thing really. It’s going places where no band has been before.
J: Wow. Stellar.
B: By the way, can I just introduce — I mean this is Bones to my right.
J: (laughs)
B: Adam is Bones.
A: Oh no I always wanted to be . . .(sounds like Uhura)
B: And you can tell who Dr. Spock is.
J: Yeah. He’s pointing to Edge right now as Dr. Spock. Monica —
E: In a Cowboy hat?
J: Yeah.
B: Dr. Spock in a Cowboy hat. Larry, who are you?
L: I’m Larry.
J: Larry is Kate Mulgrew. Alright, Monica from Des Moines, Iowa, you’re on the “Pop Invasion” with U2.
M: Oh that’s so exciting.
?: Mmm.
J: I know. (laughter) It is. And smoky too. You guys smoke a lot.
E: No, we don’t, Jed.
J: Oh yeah?
B: Adam does. He’s smoking.
A: Yeah, it’s all me. No one else is smoking in the room. (laughter)
J: Alright, Monica, you’re really smoking, baby. Do you have a question for U2?
M: Yeah. I heard that The Edge was doing a lot with the Internet and I just wanted to know if they have a Web page or something up on the Net?
J: Today they have one.
E: Right now. We’re about to give you the callsign. It’s U2popmart.msn.com and if you get on your computer right now you can see some groovy stuff at that address.
B: In fact, I think you — can you see this interview?
J: Yeah. We’re right there. Hi, everybody on your computer —
E: We’re live on the Internet.
J: — we’re waving to you right now if you’re on your computer.
E: And today is actually the launch of this website.
Q: Oh Monica.
M: Oh that is great. I just wanted to say that you guys — I really don’ t think you’ve changed. I think you’ve made a lot of big moves and when a band can do that they’re really going to stay. They’re going to be here for a while so it’s great to hear you guys. I’ve never been to any of your concerts. That’s the sad part but, hopefully, I’ll see you in Minnesota.
B: Can I change that for you? We’ll organize that if you just stay on the line.
M: Yes!
B: Did I — I sounded really pro-radio there but I actually meant it because you have the most beautiful voice that we’ve heard on the station today.
J: You sound so centered, Monica.
M: Okay.
A: It’s just the way she kind of implied we were the silicone implants of music.
J: (laughs) Alright, Monica, for whoever’s going to talk to her —
B: I was being sincere there.
A: And I think we should look after this lady.
J: Well she’s on line two so you can have your manager (“WHO”) you pay exorbitant sums to, to go take a message from Monica. Alright, so speaking of —
A: That’s a funny way to fire our manager.
J: (laughs)
A: We won’t see him again.
J: So she — Monica did bring up an important point that I was going to ask you about. I know that for a long time you’ve been concerned about being relevant. How do you be concerned about being relevant and then just —
B: Concerned about being relevant — we don’t have to be concerned about being relevant. Who’s more relevant? That’s what I want to know.
L: Yeah.
B: Do you know what I mean?
A: Yeah.
B: It’s just the rest of the people have made it easy for us because they’ve all turned into folk bands. We’re not concerned about being relevant.
J: No, I mean like even ten years ago. I mean you were — I mean I remember . . .
B: We went through an un-hip period — granted. (laughter)
N: Yes. Finally I can hear you . . .
J: Oh okay.
E: Hey Noel, are the flowers out up there?
N: It’s Noel (No-el) actually but thank you.
J: Oh Noel. Okay.
N: Hey, I saw you guys in Eugene from the ninth row and in Phoenix from the back of the stadium. It actually is almost a better show from the back of the crowd.
J: Ahh, somebody’s been following the broadcast. That’s nice.
N: Yes, I have . . .
B: How long have you worked for Island Records, Noel?
J: (laughs)
N: I haven’t but I wouldn’t mind it.
B: Cool. I think you’ve got yourself a job. Yeah —
J: You can be the local rep in Anchorage for Island. So do you have a question for U2?
N: Yes, I do. I was wondering if you guys were going to be releasing “Mofo” as a single because I’d love to hear some remixes.
B: Well funny, we’ve been talking with the Underworld people about that. They came over to Dublin and we did some work with them on that but we had to go off on tour and they had to go off and finish their own record so I don’t know when that’s going to see the light of day. We might bring in some other people to remix it. It’s really starting to happen for us now — that track. It was a while for us to get on the groove of that one and the first two weeks were a bit bumpy but now it’s happening.
J: Okay.
B: Live — that is.
J: Thanks for your call.
B: Thanks
J: The number is (gives number). It’s U2 “Pop Invasion” and this would be Sean from Stoudburg, Pennsylvania — did I say the name of your city right?
T: Yes, you are.
J: Okay, you have a question for U2?
T: Yes. You have a lot of fans and when you guys were younger you picked up a lot of people on the preach of saving our environment —
B: Yeah yeah.
T: Saving the whales. You had really good videos about fighting the Russians and all that, against killing a lot of animals.
B: Fighting the Russians? . . . (brief interference) Now we’re just trying to save the record industry. Are you — go on, though.
T: Okay. You got a lot of people behind you because you used to love the environment. Kind of like . . .
B: And you think we don’t love the environment now?
T: Oh you don’t?
B: No. Do you think we don’t?
J: No, I saw him pushing portapotties over earlier.
T: Right — yeah — yeah — a lot of people were concerned that you’ve become so commercial that you forgot your values where you picked up a lot of fans.
J: Oh this again.
B: Okay. Now here’s the deal. A lot of people want a sign up, you know? They want it spelled out for them and I think we actually respect our people who follow us around more than to just keep laying that on them. We’re still the same band, still the same spirit, still involved in Amnesty International —
T: Great.
B: — still campaigning for whether it’s Leonard Peltier, whether it’s what’s going on in Tibet. We’re just trying not to wear it on our sleeve so much because when we did — okay, there was a giant bell jar started to come down over our head and people (“LIKE”) thought we were marketing idealism and that really —
T: You were doing something good when you did it . . .
B: Well, we’re still doing it but you can have fun too and you can be the baddest, brightest, boldest band in the land and actually do something about where you live and where you are. (“THEY’RE”) They’re not mutually exclusive —
T: Right.
B: — and, you know, that’s what I want to say.
T: So you didn’t sell out? You’re still doing the same thing you did.
B: Listen, (“I[F]”) we would sell more records if we started campaigning in a very obvious way because we’d be coming on all righteous and we’d make everybody happy. And you’ve got to be careful with these charity things. You know, it says in the —
T: . . . charity. You spoke for a good reason.
B: Yeah and we still speak out.
T: . . . people shouldn’t go out of work because there’s an owl that needs to be saved but you were doing good and a lot of people liked you because of that.
B: Well then — and I think if they’re smart, they know that’s where we’re still at. But you can actually be politically active and have fun. Okay? That’s the deal.
J: Sean, he gave you a good answer. Do you like it?
T: Okay, thank you very much.
J: Okay. Thanks a lot.
B: Okay, Sean. See you, man.
J: Alright. And —
B: Why is that, though? That people just, you know, either have to be bleeding to death, okay?, and kind of coming off all gaunt and serious before people believe that you are serious? That doesn’t happen in black music. I mean George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic can put on the most ridiculous show on Earth. He can come out in his coat of many colors — (“WI[TH HI]S”) you know, his whole — and he can still make you cry with some song — some story from the street. Why is it that we can’t have both the funk and the spunk?
J: I think I can answer that question with another question. Why do you think grunge was so popular? And what do you think of the whole grunge movement?
B: Well, you know, I — (“THERE’S SOME”) great bands came out of that. A lot of our mates came out of that. Some great songs.
J: There was a lot of tragedy to that music. There was a lot of sadness and, you know, even fashion-wise, it was almost anti-fashion and anti-life to a certain extent.
B: And I think even if — I just saw — even Kurt Kobain there before he checked out. You know you could just see him rebelling against that. It’s so conservative. Grunge got so strict and it got really nostalgic and we’re just about — we’re heading into the next century and I think it’s extraordinary that people are still, you know, getting off on what is ’70s music — you know, guitar music. And it’s great that there are people like Beck around. It’s great that Nine Inch Nails are kicking up the — kicking at it.
J: Go ahead. They’re kicking up the ass.
B: I’m just saying — I just — music can’t stand still or it becomes folk and I don’t want to be in a folk band. I want to be in a rock and roll band. I want to see where this thing can go, you know what I mean?
J: Well that’s a — you keep coming up with good answers. I could just stay here all day.
B: I could rant to you for the rest of your life but I’ll bore your arse off.
J: Not for a while though. Colin from Chicago.
O: Yes.
J: Hey —
O: Hey guys. Love you guys.
J: — it’s good to have you on the radio. You got —
O: I immediately got on the air. Woo!
J: You know what I like about Chicago, Colin? The last time I visited — you guys just have a ton of blues stations on the radio dial. Is that still the case?
O: Not a lot of blues stations. Still a lot of blues bars out there. House of Blues has opened up very popular. Eddie Meer was here recently.
J: Okay, well this is —
O: You guys ought to check that out when you’re here.
B: We wrote a blues tune. It was on “Zooropa.” It’s called “Daddy’s Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car.” We wrote it —
O: Yeah. I heard you perform in a blues version before.
B: I’ll tell you who we wrote it for. John Lee Hooker was what we had in mind. And it sounds just like industrial but it goes, “You’re a precious stone, you’re out on your own. You know everyone in the world, but you feel alone. Daddy’s gonna pay (for) your crashed car. Daddy’s gonna pay (for) your crashed car.” It just doesn’t sound like the blues when we do it.
J: It sounded more like the blues right now than it did on the album. Okay so Colin, do you have a question for U2 “Pop Invasion”?
O: Yeah. I’m wondering what’s going on with the Dublin show. There seems to be a lot of controversy, a lot of stuff going on especially on the Internet about how it’s being canceled, how it’s . . .
B: . . . listen. Edge, sort them.
E: Do you honestly think that we would do a tour of the world and not play Dublin city?
J: That’s Edge talking.
O: . . . hear you guys set it straight because I really don’t believe everything I hear on the Internet.
E: Well you’re —
O: I want to hear it from you guys that — (“NO”)
E: Well let me tell you that we are most definitely playing Dublin city on this tour.
O: Excellent.
E: And —
B: We’re just about to announce it. On Monday or Tuesday.
E: . . . next couple of days.
O: Great.
J: Straight out of Dublin.
E: So you should book your ticket from Chicago to Dublin now. I would recommend it.
O: Actually . . . sure it’s because of the MTV promotion and everything.
J: I’ve got to tell you we’ve had calls from people all week that have booked their tickets and now just don’t know if the show’s going on.
E: Right.
J: So I guess I missed it or something. When is the show — when is it going on sale?
E: We’re announcing it either tomorrow or the day after.
J: But not today?
E: Not today.
B: The date — it’s the same date as was in the schedule for the Phoenix Park. We tried to put on a concert in Phoenix Park. We really wanted to play there but it was — in the end it was just far too expensive and we didn’t mind not making money but we were going to lose a fortune. And when we play Dublin it’s not about anything other than putting on a great show but, okay, we’re not — it’s not charity either and this is — we’re trying to put on the greatest show on Earth and we’re not going to come in on a charity tip. That’s not what this is about. Every show we’ve played in Dublin we’ve given away the cash and that’s the way we do it but we charge people in, pal.
J: Sounds like they were maybe trying to take advantage of you — somebody was.
B: Well no. I mean it’s just in Ireland people are very proud of us and we’re very proud of being from Ireland but when we play, every Joe just gets on the phone and it’s like — it just — it can be a pain in the ass.
J: Gets on the phone saying what? Get me in or —
B: No, just why aren’t you doing it this way?
J: — play at my house?
B: Why aren’t you playing for the dead cats society or —
J: (laughs) The . . . (Flemish?) Cancer Society.
B: — play the gig for my dog and, God, it’s just got really — this is going to be a great event. It means so much to us —
Q: My God, he’s a one-man-band.
B: — this playing our home town. We want to get it right and we want to treat it the way we’re treating every other capital city around here.
J: Hey Colin from Chicago, thanks for your call.
O: Love to your lovlies. Good-bye.
J: Okay. (laughter)
B: Whoa.
J: “Pop Invasion” with U2. Okay who wants to introduce the Oasis song that we’re going to play? Adam, would you mind doing that? We have an Adam jingle —
E: Let’s roll with it, Adam.
J: — so we’ll come — since you’re taking over the radio station—this is a “Pop Invasion” here—we’ll come out of your jingle, start the beginning of the song, then you’ve got twenty-one seconds to be world famous.
A: Okay.
J: Alright. Whip it out.
V: Made with creamy butter.
V: Ladies and gentlemen.
V: Adam Clayton.
V: You must do.
V: The “Pop Invasion.”
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: ADAM WAS SAYING SOMETHING DURING THE INTRODUCTORY ‘JINGLE’ YET I COULDN’T MAKE OUT WHAT HE WAS SAYING. AS THE SONG STARTED I STOPPED TAPING [OR REWOUND THE TAPE AND RECORDED OVER THIS PORTION] AND DON’T THINK ADAM SAID ANYTHING FURTHER.)
V: And eat them before they eat you.
V: Over the years this old wagon has served our bunch well.
V: Brought to you by Power Bar . . . And now our first casualty.
V: “Pop Invasion”
V: The U2 “Pop Invasion” radio show.
V: It’s new.
(blip)
V: I love it.
V: Pick one up today.
J: Ha ha! (“K”) Hey, it’s Jed The Fish and we may have a little more time for phone calls if you want to call (gives number). It’s the “Pop Invasion” with U2 in the studio here and we just played an Oasis song.
Q: Why doesn’t anyone ask them about their wives and kids?
J: Are those guys fun to hang out with, you guys? What else are you going to say?
A: They’re the best. I mean they’re fans of music and that’s what always turns us on is hanging out with guys who listen to music.
J: Yeah. What were you saying about a van ride with them, Edge, the other night?
E: Yeah, that was wild. “One” came on the radio coming back from the Oakland show.
B: As Noel was talking about it. That was what was cool.
E: That was weird.
B: He was talking about the tune. So they’re definitely plugged into the mainframe there. God is definitely a Catholic and the Gallaghers rule.
E: They knew everything. They knew all the lyrics. It was wild.
J: They sang along in the band.
E: Yeah.
J: How cool.
E: It was amazing.
J: In San Francisco.
E: We liked them.
J: In case you’re listening and don’t know what the hell we’re talking about. Oasis did a couple of shows with U2 in San Francisco. And anywhere else?
E: Unfortunately, we were trying to get them for more shows but they have a little bit of a problem with their entry visas, which we hope will be cleared up in the near future.
J: Is that due to any kind of behavior that they’re reputed —
E: Who knows? Possibly. That might have had some influence but —
J: Incidentally, we found out that date for the Dublin show if you want to fly over there. It’s Saturday, August 30th.
B: And it’s going to be in Landsdowne Road, okay? So let’s just say that right now and get it out of the way.
J: Jessica from Boston, do you have a question for U2?
S: Yes, I do. Hello.
A: Hello.
S: I was wondering if you guys are going to use any music inspired by other cultures? Like Middle Eastern sounds and things like that.
J: Weren’t you kind of trying that when you wrote the album?
E: I think “Passengers” was inspired by a lot of instrumental music from different places and I think we’re more interested in modern sounds than sort of ethnic traditional sounds right now. But that doesn’t mean that we won’t be getting back into that ethnic thing later on, you know?
S: Great.
J: Okay. Thanks a whole lot, Jessica. Alright, is this someone named Weenie from Columbia, South Carolina?
W: Yes, it is.
J: How does a girl get a name like Weenie?
W: It’s a long story. It’s not a bad — I’m not upset about it. It’s not offensive or anything but my real name is Rowena.
J: Okay.
W: And so it just kind of got nicknamed Weenie.
J: Alright. We love it.
W: Good good good because . . .
J: Do you have a question for U2?
W: Yes. But I also wanted to say I saw the Clemson concert and it just blew me away. And I loved the disco ball, which was the best. And I saw the Z tour too in Columbia, South Carolina. I don’t know if you guys remember that but —
B: Which did you think was better?
W: I really liked the Pop Mart tour. It was just so over the top and even though there’s a lot of electronic music that everybody was talking about, I think that the songs are still very spiritual which I don’t know if people notice that. I’ve read some articles too but anyway.
B: Why do people think they can’t be both? I mean somebody like Kraftwerk is such a soul group. You know, I think there’s this feeling that, like, if you have a drum machine you must’ve sold out. I just can’t figure that out. It’s actually a racist position as well. It’s just ruling out all black music.
W: I totally agree. I mean because I go to dance clubs too and I find that (“THE”) the music is about the people in the club and they concentrate on the music and it’s not (“COO”) the artists who are the stars, it’s the people who are in the . . .
B: That’s a cool point actually. That’s what’s great about club culture.
W: Yes, I love it. And, also, I wanted to know for, like, concerts that you canceled, will they be coming through again? Like through Raleigh, North Carolina?
B: We’re trying to figure that one out at the moment. We’d love to get back to Raleigh. That would be really nice.
W: Okay. And I also wanted to say that if you ever get a chance to see a band called Jump Little Children — they’re based out of Charleston, South Carolina —
B: (small laugh)
W: They’re really awesome. To me, I compare them to you guys who are really, really good.
J: Okay, we’ve got to weasel this Weenie on out of here.
E: Okay, Weenie, check out Howie B’s new album as well. That’s a great one.
J: It’s really good. We just played a song off — thank you. Alright this is U2 “Pop Invasion.” We’ll be back in just a few minutes and we’re going to ask U2 about their hotel. They have a hotel over in Dublin. Be right back.
B: Oh man!
V: Make more money.
V: What the hell, I’ve got exactly what you need.
V: Take care of everything.
V: You’re the bread winner.
V: The American dream.
V: Buy one of everything.
V: Get the second one free free free free free free.
V: U2’s “Pop Invasion” will be back.
V: Why can’t I get a girlfriend like her?
R: It’s happening now. The police are checking proof of liability insurance during all routine traffic stops . . .
( . . . )
J: . . . And we have the owners of the Clarence Hotel in Dublin right here. Could you guys tell me about the Clarence Hotel?
A: Yeah. Well it was a hotel that when we first started —
J: This is Adam.
A: — hanging out as a band, we were kind of underaged to go to regular bars and play gigs so there was this hotel that we always used to end up in and there was, like, some strange people in there that shouldn’t have been in bars. Like priests and nuns and stuff like that.
B: Priests, nuns and stuff like that.
J: (laughs)
A: And, you know, that whole area — that part of Dublin—it’s called Temple Bar—was kind of due for redevelopment and they were going to knock it all down and build a bus depot or something. But Bono managed to persuade the prime minister at the time that the area was worth saving and we bought the hotel and Bono designed the interior and Edge does the menus. (laughter)
J: . . . Carson had a question. Is it expensive to stay there?
B: It’s a posh hotel.
J: It’s a posh hotel?
B: Yeah. We didn’t want it to be a posh hotel but it cost a fuckin’ fortune to put this thing right and so now it’s posh but they don’t act posh but, yeah, it is.
C: Can you get room service at three a.m.?
B: It’s a fair cop. It’s not as democratic as we would have liked.
E: We actually bought the place to have the club because there were no good clubs in the city at the time.
J: What’s the name of the club?
E: The Kitchen. And it is voted Best Club of the Year by a lot of British DJs — of last year.
J: So if you’re going over there at the end of August to see the U2 show, now you know which club to go to. Alright —
B: It’s a posh hotel with a sewer in the basement.
J: (laughs) Alright, we’ll be right back with more “Pop Invasion.”
The more you take the less you feelThe less you know the more you believeThe more you have the more it takes today.
J: . . . But if you decided to stick around, you’re smart. Very smart. You can give us a call. (gives number) Alright so, Carson Daly, we are now impinging on your show here.
C: Thanks.
J: Yeah. Do you have a question for U2?
B: Come on in, Carson.
C: Yes, I have a question.
J: He’s had a lot to say the last five or ten minutes, folks.
C: Twenty-three-year-old punks don’t have a lot of money but this little hotel you’ve got going — I’d like to know if I can afford it and do they have room service at 3:30 in the morning because that’s all that matters to me.
B: That’s it. And we supply skateboards for whoever checks in. (laughter)
You’re going to be fine.
J: Okay, I’ve got some questions. If you would like to ask the other members of the band. I have a little three-by-five stack of questions and you just say, you know, “Hi, this is Bono. Adam — ” And then just ask the question or ask it however you want to but it’s a chance for you to interview each other.
B: Okay. I’ll do it as Bill Burroughs.
J: Okay.
B: Adam, did you walk or bring your lunch?
A: I brought my lunch.
B: Keep it in the pocket there now. Okay — The Edge, what are your favorite barnyard animals and what sounds do they make?
E: Cuddly toy. Sorry —
B: Barnyard.
E Oh.
B: I do a good seal. Can I do a seal?
J: Yeah.
B: I learned this from Ray McKee. Hold on. (barks four times)
J: And he’s doing that — the fin bit too.
B: I also do owls. (two hoots performed) Beat that, The Edge.
E: I think my favorite barnyard animal is the duck and they go, “Quack quack.”
J: (laughs)
B: Quacker quacker — make it quacker.
E: Oh dear.
B: Larry Mullen, is castration as painful as it sounds? (laugher and groans)
L: It hurts, man. It hurts.
B: Okay, Adam Clayton, complete this sentence. My favorite deviant activity with canned cheese is?
A: Well I don’t understand that.
B: (sounds like ‘cant-u-saul’)
A: (repeats word correctly or otherwise the word) Okay.
B: That’s the answer. Very good.
J: (laughs)
B: Larry, come here. I want to show you something. Does this look infected to you?
J: (laughs)
L: What is this?
J: Larry is completely mystified by all this.
L: I am totally mystified.
J: He can not get far enough away from the microphone.
B: Okay Larry will like this question though. Larry, how many of your bitches work for free?
J: (laughs)
L: None.
J: None.
B: Larry’s our quartermaster. Okay, hold on. Okay, Edge, this is definitely for you. Okay, please expound on light particle theory.
E: Light particle theory. My particular favorite particles are the light ones myself and —
B: Do they behave like sound waves or are there any of them errant particles?
J: (laughs)
E: I think they’re mostly errant.
B: Can I just say, The Edge, that my favorite light particles are coming out of your arse? (laughter) No, the sun does shine out of The Edge’s arse.
E: Oh Bono, thank you very much.
B: We all know that. Okay, these are ffff — Jed. This short pants thing is really ffff — this is serious with you.
J: (laughs)
B: Okay, Jed —
E: He’s a sick puppy.
B: — what’s the most disturbing color your urine has ever been?
J: Pop Mart blue. Actually yeah.
B: It’s the blue light special, isn’t it?
J: I was into some phenopheline solution.
B: Is this like a KROQ thing? Everyone gets all like juvenile —
J: (laughs)
B: — at seven o’clock? We have some — you know, there’s some international datelines to consider here.
J: Oh yeah huh?
B: Think about the people of Hawaii, would you?
J: Alright.
B: Okay.
J: Mmmmmmm — them people in Hawaii, um-huh.
B: Okay, Adam — we’ve got to stop this.
J: I think that’s the last one.
B: What’s the last thing any one of you blew up?
A: I think it was one of those large —
(TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE: THE CASSETTE TAPE SIDE ENDED HERE.)
V: Bono, The Edge, Larry Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr. will control all that you see and hear. U2’s “Pop Invasion.”
J: That’s right. They picked that song, for example — Chemical Brothers. U2 live in the studio. My name’s Jed The Fish. I’m glad you’re here with me and I absolutely love the Chemical Brothers. You guys have any thoughts on how they’re actually able to sustain a performance? I mean, after all, the large part of what they’re doing is playing back samples and mixing. And usually when you go to a rock show you’re used to people playing. They’ve got guitars in their hand. They’re singing into a microphone. They’re one of the bands that don’t do that. Do you have any theories on —
B: My favorite is when you don’t know what’s going on. Like when there’s a band and a DJ around. And so some of it’s played and some of it’s not played. I think that’s cool.
J: Let’s see who’s like that?
?: Beck.
J: I bet Audioweb is like that.
B: Audioweb.
J: Beck is like that and, let’s see, I think Underworld is like that a little bit.
B: Yeah yeah. It’s just nice when the things get mixed up. You don’t know what you’re hearing.
E: Fun Lovin’ Criminals.
B: Fun Lovin’ Criminals — they are something else.
J: Oh yeah, they did some dates with you guys recently.
E: But they’re a happening band. They really are. Great record.
B: Astonishing guitar player he is too. We’ve had amazing — Rage Against The Machine, which are playing with us now in Los Angeles tomorrow night, are just hardcore and just full-on in every respect . . . They give everything they’ve got and they’ve been blowing our people away.
J: They do. Sooner or later Zack’s going to sprain an ankle. I mean he’s airborne through a large part of the concert there.
B: I think he’s going to sprain his vocal — I can’t figure out how he can do that as a singer.
E: The only way you can be that intense is if you’re very, very loose.
B: Oh that’s very Zen of you, The Edge.
E: It’s true.
J: It is. I mean I just want to roll that one around in my mind a little bit here. Okay, this might be a good one to bring up at this juncture. There were reports that you were attempting to limit your drinking on the road
E: Yes. Seventeen pints is enough for anybody.
J: (laughs) Can anyone give a pretentious overview on new music in the ’80s and ’90s? We touched on grunge a little while ago but —
B: When it’s going to get great is when everything, as I was saying to you just a minute ago, gets mixed up. Like what you’re starting here in KROQ — when people can hear some Beastie Boys or hip hop groove next to a pure pop groove next to a slamming metal tune, that’s when — when radio stations start sounding like people’s record collections, that’s when it’s going to be great.
J: That’s good. And there’s a lot of diversity right now and I’m not — I’ve always had a grudge against people that said electronic music is the next big thing because I think it’s bigger than the next big thing and it’s always influenced what’s going on. And it’s a real exciting time right now because there is no trend.
B: That’s the best thing. I mean we got this word techno thrown around at us for this last record. It was like the word du jour that everyone — “Oh they’re making a techno.” Fuck that.
J: I heard that.
B: Like what are they on about? I mean —
J: That’s — actually I bought into that for a month or two.
B: Yeah but we’ve been experimenting with samples. We’ve been experimenting with drum machines and things, going back to ’84 and even doing remixes since ’83. And this word is just a convenient word that’s thrown out by record labels to try and encourage the next big thing. It’s always been around. Kraftwerk were around when I was like fifteen and sixteen. I bought Kraftwerk and they blew my mind. It’s always been there. It always will be there. But what’s important is the tunes. Are the tunes there? And I think they are.
J: Is it true that you said, “I was doing remixes when you were in diapers?”
B: Did I just say that?
J: No. Have you said that?
B: I — can I have a diaper if I just said that?
J: (laughs) Hello there. Hey, James from San Jose, you’re talking to U2 “Pop Invasion” here.
D: This is a real honor, guys. I’ve ben a fan from the beginning and — actually first I just want you to know that, unlike the guy who called earlier and just thought that you may have sold out or something, well, most of your fans don’t think that and we understand where you’re coming from.
B: You know it’s funny. We had that accusation after our first single and then after our first album and then after our second and then after our third. And it’s just always the way — if you want to be honest about your ambition and — if somebody tells — if you meet a band and they say, “We don’t want to play the L.A. Coliseum.” They’re lying. If you meet a band and they tell you, “We just want to play clubs for the rest of our life.” They’re lying. People who won’t own up to their ambitions are the reason why rock and roll got very miserable there for a while and we’re just trying to be honest about the fact that we want to be in The Beatles or The Stones or The Sex Pistols or whoever it is. It’s just — that’s why you join a band. If you’re shy, become a potter. Do something else.
J: (laughs)
B: Do some — do weaving.
J: James, he gave you a good answer. You happy with it?
D: I do have a question, though, real quick.
J: Of course you do.
D: I’ve got a bet going with a friend about what the arch symbolizes.
J: Oh yeah. You were going to ask that, huh?
D: And I was wondering if anybody cared to comment on that?
B: It’s the Arch of Triumph.
D: Indeed.
B: No, it’s not. I’m sorry. There’s — a French thing just went on there in my left ear and I got confused. Adam, help.
A: It’s a bit of a “Star Trek” thing really. It’s going places where no band has been before.
J: Wow. Stellar.
B: By the way, can I just introduce — I mean this is Bones to my right.
J: (laughs)
B: Adam is Bones.
A: Oh no I always wanted to be . . .(sounds like Uhura)
B: And you can tell who Dr. Spock is.
J: Yeah. He’s pointing to Edge right now as Dr. Spock. Monica —
E: In a Cowboy hat?
J: Yeah.
B: Dr. Spock in a Cowboy hat. Larry, who are you?
L: I’m Larry.
J: Larry is Kate Mulgrew. Alright, Monica from Des Moines, Iowa, you’re on the “Pop Invasion” with U2.
M: Oh that’s so exciting.
?: Mmm.
J: I know. (laughter) It is. And smoky too. You guys smoke a lot.
E: No, we don’t, Jed.
J: Oh yeah?
B: Adam does. He’s smoking.
A: Yeah, it’s all me. No one else is smoking in the room. (laughter)
J: Alright, Monica, you’re really smoking, baby. Do you have a question for U2?
M: Yeah. I heard that The Edge was doing a lot with the Internet and I just wanted to know if they have a Web page or something up on the Net?
J: Today they have one.
E: Right now. We’re about to give you the callsign. It’s U2popmart.msn.com and if you get on your computer right now you can see some groovy stuff at that address.
B: In fact, I think you — can you see this interview?
J: Yeah. We’re right there. Hi, everybody on your computer —
E: We’re live on the Internet.
J: — we’re waving to you right now if you’re on your computer.
E: And today is actually the launch of this website.
Q: Oh Monica.
M: Oh that is great. I just wanted to say that you guys — I really don’ t think you’ve changed. I think you’ve made a lot of big moves and when a band can do that they’re really going to stay. They’re going to be here for a while so it’s great to hear you guys. I’ve never been to any of your concerts. That’s the sad part but, hopefully, I’ll see you in Minnesota.
B: Can I change that for you? We’ll organize that if you just stay on the line.
M: Yes!
B: Did I — I sounded really pro-radio there but I actually meant it because you have the most beautiful voice that we’ve heard on the station today.
J: You sound so centered, Monica.
M: Okay.
A: It’s just the way she kind of implied we were the silicone implants of music.
J: (laughs) Alright, Monica, for whoever’s going to talk to her —
B: I was being sincere there.
A: And I think we should look after this lady.
J: Well she’s on line two so you can have your manager (“WHO”) you pay exorbitant sums to, to go take a message from Monica. Alright, so speaking of —
A: That’s a funny way to fire our manager.
J: (laughs)
A: We won’t see him again.
J: So she — Monica did bring up an important point that I was going to ask you about. I know that for a long time you’ve been concerned about being relevant. How do you be concerned about being relevant and then just —
B: Concerned about being relevant — we don’t have to be concerned about being relevant. Who’s more relevant? That’s what I want to know.
L: Yeah.
B: Do you know what I mean?
A: Yeah.
B: It’s just the rest of the people have made it easy for us because they’ve all turned into folk bands. We’re not concerned about being relevant.
J: No, I mean like even ten years ago. I mean you were — I mean I remember . . .
B: We went through an un-hip period — granted. (laughter)
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