Bowling and Fuses in Lousville

Played an open-air festival in Louisville Kentucky last night, right on the river there with the City Skyline in the foreground and stoned dudes in kayaks behind. Love those American city skylines. Disco balls were first made here, and Louisville is also where Muhammad Ali is from. Read the rest of this entry »


2 legs good, 4 wheels bad

So we stayed in Kalamazoo Michigan last night, in a bit of a sprawl of hotels and eateries and highway. Rising at 11ish, I spotted a Perkins diner over yonder and made my way towards it as the crow flies. Read the rest of this entry »


Americae Hooray

Day off in Philladelphia. Got in at 6am this morning from Woodstock. Watching NFL and NASCAR on the hotel tellys having a burger and tater tots… Read the rest of this entry »


They didn’t suit me…

So there I was, in the DJ booth in the 2FM Roadcaster at Electric Picnic listening to Lady Gaga. I was about to do the Just a Minute Quiz with Larry Gogan, who was in Dublin, so I was on my own in said booth with headphones on. Read the rest of this entry »


The Road to Benicassim 09

In order to get to the sun-kissed good time that was Benicassim 2009, the band had to spend the night at Travelodge East Midlands Airport. Read the rest of this entry »


The U2 Experience

After a while gawping at The Edge’s guitar Emporium, ducking into the belly of the Claw, feeding at the catering trough, striding the hallowed turf of Croke Park, (where The Bomber Liston, Henry Shefflin and Neil Diamond did tread), watching the ‘2 run through “I Will Follow”, we got to play in the sunshine for half an hour at half past six.

Gremlins out in force – acoustic guitar dead for the first 2 tunes, interference in the ears wrecking Rory’s buzz, flatuulent bass guitar…but we settled into it with 10 minutes to go…

Spanning a bit of the half-back line, we looked out onto the magnificence that is Croke Park, and kinda forgot to enjoy it, I think. I think I’m enjoying the memory of it more than the actual gig. Very surreal. They have umbrellas that cost $400000 that pop up out of the stage if it starts raining. The have 200 trucks between the 3 Claw stages that are bunnyhopping around the world.

And yet. Bono’s guitar was dead for most of “One”. Watching that from the start of the stage, him roaring at his tech to fetch him another…made me smile. Sure it happens the best of us.

“Unforgettable Fire”, “Streets”, “Ultra Violet Light”….glorious. Truly magical, as the sun went down and Croker was a sea of stars.

Special mention to U2’s crew, who were very helpful and interested, courteous and receptive to courtesy…

The band sent us a very sweet note, Guinness and champagne. Lovely lads, they’ll go far


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