Ambition Still Biting Nails of Success

12 Mar 2002
Winning Grammy's is something you never get tired of, explains Adam as Showbiz Ireland talk to U2.

Last week Bono and the rest of U2 took time out after their appearance at the Irish Music Awards for a chat with Ireland's biggest entertainment website, Showbizireland.com

Bono spoke openly about his ongoing battle to clear third world debt saying "It's going great but we are still at the bottom of a very steep incline. When I have to convince people that this is an emergency in the world, concerning HIV aids. It not really the moment to be debating these kinds of things when there is 25 million Africans who are HIV positive."

He continued "I think it's chronic and odd that I have to use the currency of rock and roll to get this arguments out there but so be it."

The U2 singer also spoke out about the work he and the band have done closer to home in the North of Ireland. "One of the great moments of our musical lives was playing the Waterfront Hall in Belfast. We agonized over that and said 'do people really need to hear U2 on their soap box over that referendum.' But, I'm really glad that we did. That was a turning point for this island. If the music community can play even a tiny part in turning in the right direction, that's great."

Adam Clayton also spoke to ShowBizIreland.com about the bands recent success at the Grammy's in the US admitting the band never get tired of it being honored.

"Winning Grammy's is something you never get tired of. To be winning them at this stage with the band, on our 11th or 12th record, is relevant. Or even more relevant than the Joshua Tree, when we first won a few. We enjoyed it and were happy to be a part of it."

Speaking about the band's continuing success The Edge admitted the band are still hungry. "We have never lost that ambition. We are still trying to say the things you want to say in ways that have never been heard before. It's an ongoing challenge. It is why we still work and it's why we still think we can do it. We always think we can make the album that is in our heads and occasionally we do."

Bono then spoke about where U2 came from and where they planned to go. "We are a punk rock band. We just didn't want to play punk rock music and the songs that we heard in our heads were odd melody's they were about unusual places. We did not have the equipment or the talent to get them on to the album. That is very humbling and you are waiting for an accident. Or as Quincy Jones would say 'you're waiting for god to walk through the room in order to do some thing great.'"

He went on "It is shocking that we are in the studio today and we have a new engineer and he was a fan for 20 years. I just watched him as he watched us. It bewildered him as he watched and realized that these people are really crap when they are behind closed doors. I watched this dawn on him. He was shocked."

Complete article and photos here.
www.showbizireland.com

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