U2: War and Peace

Seeing U2 live in concert, you’d think that Bono Vox and company could part the Red Sea. Throwing his arms around like hockey sticks, staring at the crowd with eyes as intense as Barnabas Collins, Vox is the type of passionate performer who could make me follow him all to the way to the promised land, be it Israel or Dublin.

U2’s last Seattle show at the Astor Park was one of the most emotional rock concerts of the last several years. That show so inspired one group of local musicians that afterwards, at another club, they stormed the stage, took the house band’s instruments away and played like madmen, the guitarist until his fingers bled.

Dubbed three years ago as “the next big thing,” this quartet from Ireland has clearly come of age. Their current U.S. tour has been sold out and their latest record, War, is storming its way to the top of the charts.

Most inspiring of all is the fact that they’ve accomplished these feats without ever compromising their sound or their personal integrity and beliefs — rare these days. Vox and guitarist the Edge, bassist Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen, obviously deeply feel the music they put so much energy into performing. We believe it too after talking to guitar whiz the Edge (nicknamed, so it goes, because of the shape of his head).

The Rocket: Are your performances always so exciting and how is it that you get so much raw feeling in your concerts?

The Edge: I like to think there is always lots of excitement in the shows. It’s hard for me to be objective about it, however. Sometimes I won’t agree with the audience — they’ll really like a performance I’m not fond of. Generally though I think it’s not really the songs themselves that create excitement, as it is the spirit of the band itself. People can see that in us and they respond. It’s almost instinctual. Bruce Springsteen has a lot of that too — commitment and honesty have a lot to do with it. We believe in our music and when we’re on stage the audience knows.

Probably the first thing I notice when listening to U2 is the unique sound that you have, created primarily in my opinion, by your guitar playing. When you first formed five years ago, were you aware at that time that your sound was different?

It’s been a development over time. It’s not something that we’ve been conscious of; it’s not something we’ve tried to create as much as it is something that just occurred naturally. Part of the reason we sound the way we do is because we were in a band before we were musicians. We’ve created this sound in the band — I suit my style to Adam and Larry and vice versa. It’s like Springsteen — we play completely different music from him but I can still relate to the honesty behind it. We always keep our motivation and integrity high.

One thing journalists have chosen to emphasize with your band is the fact that three of you are Christian. I don’t think that’s as important as it’s made out to be. I don’t think that’s the message as much as it’s just a fact about your band.

I think it’s a part of us as people and also as a band. I wouldn’t want to undermine my faith to say it’s not important but it is true that we’re not trying to preach to people. It’s important that we don’t come across as prophesying. It’s never been a finger pointing exercise. We like to include ourselves in whatever we say. We don’t like to build barricades — we think music should build bridges.

The other major media clich� about U2 is on the politics of your latest record. Before the album was released you were quoted as saying you’d be open for a lot of flak for it. Has that flak occurred?

We probably have not gotten it as much from the press as from other musicians. They see it as an attempt to jump on the bandwagon or something. People are misinterpreting it. We never went out to make grand political statements.

In our own country we’re talking about some very heated topics. That’s why we thought it was important not to take sides. In Ireland there is a very real personal threat in doing that. Feelings run very deep there — you’ve got to remember there has been a civil war in memory. You don’t talk about politics or religion except with your friends.

I’m sure part of your motivation for writing songs then about subjects that are very touchy in Ireland, is a hope that your message, which is one of peace, will somehow affect your audience.

Art can be important. I remember how much music meant to me when I was young. People have been shortchanged by pop music lately. It’s become a throwaway art form. Music doesn’t seem to be of the same kind of depth it had in the ’60s. The artists themselves are not willing to take risks — they are not able to go into dangerous waters. I feel art should give an idea of the person behind it and with U2 we try to do this.

When U2 came to America for the first time you were called “the next big thing.” Throughout your history you’ve been in the media spotlight — how has that affected the development of the band?

I suppose originally it was good for us because people didn’t know who we were. Some perhaps thought we were going out every night to prove the journalists right. Now, however, people have seen us so it gives them more of an insight into the band, letting them know what we’re really like.

In an interview around the time of your first record, Boy, Bono said, “I feel that we are meant to be one of the great groups.”

That’s Bono for you.

You’re very popular and successful now, but I’m still not ready to list you with the Beatles and the Stones, etc. If you are to become a great group and make it in that league how will the band develop over time?

As we stay together we are certainly going to evolve more. It’s important that people don’t see us as a one-dimensional thing. The Beatles were capable of radical change. I don’t know if we will ever do all that but we have it in us. Whether we’ll be around to do it, I’m not sure.

I think belief in oneself is an essential part of youth culture in general. A little arrogance and self-confidence was always part of being a musician. Even in terms of the political thing, it’s not as if we can quote, unquote, change the world. The attitude of U2 has some realism — we can’t change the world. But we can, and we will, take on individuals.

© 1983 The Rocket. All Rights Reserved.