NEWS LYRICS PHOTOS CALENDAR BAND FORUM CONNECT ABOUT HOME

@U2 founder Matt McGee is the author of the new book U2 - A Diary published by Omnibus and now available all over the world.

What better reason to persuade our Fearless Leader to step out from behind the scenes for a few minutes, and give fans a window into his experience writing the book?



Tell us what to expect from U2 - A Diary. What appealed to you about the project, and what do you think will appeal to U2 fans?

For as long as I can remember, I've been fascinated by U2's history and by their place in history. I think their story is totally unique in rock and roll: a band coming out of Ireland -- where rock music had barely made a dent on the public conscious -- and conquering the world. So many things had to go just right for U2, and they did!

You can look at this chain of events in the late 1970s -- from the growth of rock radio in Dublin to the launch of Hot Press magazine, from winning the Limerick talent contest to having Island Records see one of the few good shows on their first UK tour -- and you realize, without all of this coming together exactly as it did, there's no U2. All these things had to fall into place to make their story possible in the Ireland of the 1970s.

So, the chance to tell this story in a diary-style format was very appealing to me. I think putting events in order like that can really help to understand why and how things happened the way they did for U2. For example, when you see that Bono and Ali went straight from Greg Carroll's funeral in New Zealand to Central America, on the trip that influenced so many songs on The Joshua Tree, it gives you a new perspective on what they were going through, the mental and emotional challenges they faced. I think it adds a lot to what we know about the U2 story, and I hope U2 fans will find that aspect appealing, too.

This book isn't just facts and figures about U2 -- it's full of stories of daily moments in the band's life, interview excerpts, and rare photos. How did you go about your research?

It started with that old feature we had on @U2 -- "This Date in U2 History." That was the foundation. But the web site content was only about 50,000 words, and the final manuscript of the book is more than 200,000 words, so there was a lot more research involved. After the timeline, I re-read every U2-related book in my office -- almost 30 in all. And then I went through the amazing news archives we have on @U2 and read as many articles as possible. So, it was a ton of reading to identify facts, events, and stories that needed to be told.

But it wasn't just me! While I was busy doing all of that reading and writing, I started blogging at U2diary.com. I posted updates on my progress, and also used it to ask fans to help me research. Every time I put out a call for help, they responded with answers or whatever information I was looking for. Sometimes I'd get answers within days of asking, sometimes even within hours! A fan in Ireland, Donal Murphy, went so far as to visit his local library several times so he could look up old Irish newspaper articles on microfiche. How cool is that?!? There were so many fans that helped, and they all made the book better. U2 fans are the best.

This is a daily record of the band's history. Will you be updating it for future editions?

I sure hope so. The book covers up to the end of 2007, and I've been keeping diary entries for 2008 in case we do publish an update someday. There's language in my book contract that talks about doing an update, but doesn't guarantee it. I think a lot will depend on how well the first edition sells.

Can you tell us how you came to write the book?

Back in 2005, with help from yourself and a couple other @U2 staffers, I was pitching an idea for a different U2-related book. I had a list of publishers to contact, and Omnibus Press was at the top of that list because of their experience with U2 books. They've published U2 - Touch the Flame, The Complete Guide to the Music of U2, and, of course, the excellent U2 Live - A Concert Documentary -- one of my all-time favorite books. With that history and knowledge of the U2 audience, I hoped they'd be interested in my book idea ... but they weren't.

In the process of telling me "Thanks, but no thanks," Omnibus instead asked if I would be interested in writing a diary-style book about U2. They'd already published a successful diary-style book about The Beatles and felt U2 was a good candidate for a similar book. Needless to say, I was interested; like I said earlier, this type of history book was right up my alley!

I started working on the book almost right away, while we talked and talked and talked about business and legal details. For a variety of reasons too boring and lengthy to go into here, the idea basically sat still for about a year. Then, in late 2006, we all got back on the same page and started talking again. I think it was March 2007 when we had a green light and I dove headfirst back into the research and writing.

What surprised you about the publishing experience?

I never really thought about how many people touch the manuscript between when it leaves the author's hands to when it lands on a bookshelf. The editor works on the manuscript, making sure it fits the publisher's style guide, looking for typos, errors, etc. The photo editor gets involved, trying to find appropriate photos to place into the book. All that gets sent to the designers, who may have a couple people working on layout, font selection, overall design issues, exact photo placement, etc. Then all that goes back to the publisher for further review and approval. Then it goes back to the design team who puts it all together. Then the printers get their hands on it and turn it into a finished book.

I was lucky enough to be able to help make suggestions and edits at various points along the way, but with so many people touching the manuscript, I have a better understanding how typos and mistakes show up in print.

What was the most exciting moment for you in working on the book?

That's tough. I was awfully giddy the day I got the "green light" email in early 2007. That was when all the conversation was over, and it was time to get down to business with writing/finishing the book. I was also pretty darn giddy the day I turned in the manuscript; that may have been more about a sense of relief than excitement.

But there were also a lot of great moments during the writing. I was thrilled every time I'd solve some mystery or get some extra piece of information that would help the narrative. It really was a series of small victories while I was writing -- and the fans played a big part in that excitement with their help on U2diary.com.

Can you tell about of one of those mysteries you solved?

Sure. We all know that U2 appeared on The Simpsons in April, 1998. I wanted to find out what day they did their voice work, so I asked on U2diary.com for some help. A couple fans pointed out a behind-the-scenes video on YouTube that showed U2 at the studios recording their voice parts, but the clip was no more specific than saying it happened in 1997.

Well, I became abnormally focused on this one piece of information. I assumed it was either in June, 1997, while the band was already in Los Angeles on the PopMart tour, or in December, 1997, when U2 had about a week off after their shows in Mexico City. I started digging and digging, even trying to contact the PR people who work on The Simpsons to see if they could help. They couldn't. And then somehow -- it may have been a U2/Simpsons fan pointing me in the right direction -- I found a web site that had some old articles and interviews about The Simpsons in that era. And the show's producer gave me the answer in one of those articles. I won't say when it was, but I'll confess that my assumptions were way off.

What was the lowest point for you in working on the book?

I think it was around September or October of 2007 that I was absolutely convinced I wouldn't finish the book on time. See, this is the kind of book that I could research and write for the next 10 years and not feel satisfied. So, I made a list very early on of the bare minimums -- the things I needed to do so I could complete the research and meet my deadline.

Well, I had already gotten the deadline extended so that we could have all of 2007 in the book. The manuscript was due by January 2, 2008, and my list of bare minimums was still pretty darn long with about three months to go. I had this complete sense of dread that I'd never finish on time and the book would be canceled or something.

I don't know what specifically happened after that, but I remember walking out my office one night, might've been in November, and telling my wife, "I'm gonna get it done. This is the first night that I've felt like I'll finish on time."

You've been running @U2 for over ten years. Did you learn anything you didn't know about U2?

Of course! During my research, I did several interviews with the band's associates and people who were involved in various parts of the U2 story. In some cases, like Chas de Whalley, the interview was "use what I say and quote me in the book." Chas was U2's very first producer -- he did the recording sessions for U2-3 -- and he told some great stories that I'd never heard before. In other cases, people would talk to me and help fill in new details, but they didn't want to be quoted directly in the book. I learned quite a bit, for example, about the trip Bono and Ali took to Central America in 1986. Nothing salacious, mind you -- this isn't a tell-all book by any means; I went out of my way, in fact, to ignore as much personal material as possible. Things like Adam's run-ins with the law and the Zoo TV troubles he had, though, those have to be included, personal or not. They're part of the bigger U2 story.

If you could go back to any moment in the band's history that you've chronicled in the book, what moment would you like to be a part of?

Wow, what a wonderful question. How much time do we have? :-)

I have always wanted to spend a month or three in the recording studio while U2 is working on a new album. I would love to watch their interaction and see how song ideas grow and change. But you're asking for a specific moment or event, so I would love to have been there in early 1991 when the idea of Zoo TV was born -- when Bono called Willie Williams to talk about this crazy tour idea they had, when they were all on the island of Tenerife giving birth to Zoo TV. That would be sooooo cool.

Do you see U2 differently after this experience, or feel differently about them?

My fandom hasn't changed at all. I still know I made the right choice back in the early 1980s. I still get shivers and tears when I hear "Streets" live. I still can't wait for the next album and tour. That stuff hasn't changed.

But I think my appreciation has changed a bit on an intellectual level. That may not be the right word. Digging into their history, looking for context on a year-after-year basis, trying to learn why they did what they did -- I feel like I understand the big picture more. I feel like I know more about how and why they developed and progressed into what they are today. It's hard to explain. I'm not doing a good job of it.

Do you want to write more books?

I would love to publish that book that I mentioned earlier -- the original U2-related book idea I pitched to Omnibus. If U2 - A Diary is a big success, maybe it'll open up the door of opportunity to get that one published, too? I don't know. I hope so.

When you imagine the band members reading U2 - A Diary, how do you hope they'll feel about it?

I would be honored if they were to pick it up and take a look at it. I hope they would feel that I was fair in telling their story. There are some events that I think they downplayed in the official biography, and I understand why. But I had to tell those in more detail in U2 - A Diary, and I hope they would understand why.

What would be the best thing a band member could say about the book?

"I found some things you got wrong, some things you left out, and I'd like to help you fix them in the next edition."

This book will read by fans all over the world. How does that feel?

To answer that, I have to tell you a story.

Shortly after I got online, which was in February of 1994, I found an amazing community of U2 fans on AOL, and quickly discovered the original "Wire" mailing list. I was in heaven being able to communicate so easily with so many like-minded, fascinating people all over the world. It was such a life-changing thing for me that I was inspired to start writing a book about U2 fans. I wanted to tell our story, about how crazy, devoted, supportive, friendly, and special we are. I put a ton of time into it for about two years, but the project lost steam and died. I put my energy into giving U2 fans a web site, instead.

But the dream of writing a book never went away. So, when you ask how it feels, I don't even know how to put it in words. To think that other U2 fans are spending their money on this, and are gonna read it and put it on their bookshelf? Are you kidding? I'm seriously going to ask U2 fans to send me photos of them with the book, because the whole thing is unbelievable.

What would be the best thing a fan could say about the book?

U2 fans have given me so much over the years, and especially in the last couple years with their help researching the book. A simple "Thanks, you done good" is about all I could ask for. Asking for anything else would be greedy.

What's the one question you wish someone would ask you in an interview like this? And what's the answer?

The question: "How do you plan to celebrate when you get your hands on your book?"

My answer: "I haven't decided yet, but I hope it comes dangerously close to getting on the local news." :-)



While the @U2 staff is posting bail for Matt after that celebration, you can ask your local bookstore to order U2 - A Diary, or get it from online stores worldwide. You'll find a list of those stores at U2diary.com.

We're all very proud of Matt here at @U2!

© @U2/Eskridge, 2008.

@U2 Calendar

August 6 2010 09:00 PM - 02:00 AM - Hollywood U2 Tribute Band Performance Proceeds benefit Gulf Coast cleanup efforts. August 6 2010 U2 in Turin Opening band: Kasabian Full Calendar