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"I peak early in the morning. It's downhill from there." -- Bono, 2004 |
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"I peak early in the morning. It's downhill from there." -- Bono, 2004 |
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@U2 QOM July 2008: Has being a U2 fan encouraged you to travel/relocate? Where?
@U2,
August 06, 2008
(Each month, @U2 puts a spotlight on U2 fans with our "Question of the Month." We pose a question to our readers and invite answers of 200 words or less. If you're interested in taking part, check our home page to see if the current question is still open. If not, check back shortly after the beginning of next month and we'll have another question ready to be answered!)
I comfortably rested in the shade of a Joshua Tree and as the years tumbled on, heard the band rattle and hum, understood their mysterious ways, wore Lemon, was caught staring at the sun, found out what I couldn't leave behind and at long last, realised that sometimes you can't make it on your own. That is when I decided to make my pilgrimage to their hometown of Dublin, Ireland to see them play in Croke Park, just a few miles from where it all began. It was June 2005 when I left America for the first time in my life at age 26 with a dear friend in tow. We spent nearly a week in Dublin, and I left with more than just a few souvenirs -- we were in a pub on our last night when a blue-eyed boy met this brown-eyed girl. It was love at first sight when I saw Rory across the room. We walked and talked along Grafton Street until morning broke and the sun rose sleepily in the summer sky and with it came a promise to try our luck at the long-distance thing. We spent nearly two years flying back and forth across the Atlantic, and Rory even spent three months living with me in my place in New York. In February 2007, we were married in City Hall in downtown Manhattan. A month later, I relocated to Dublin where I've lived ever since. On our one-year anniversary, we celebrated our beautiful day here in Dublin with a proper wedding blessing and reception with our friends and family. I guess you could say I finally found what I'm looking for! -- Michele O'Brien A life full of great memories. From my first show back when I was 15, and those 500km from Athens to Thessaloniki, to the 13,433 km ride to the end of the world, for the last Vertigo show in Honolulu. And now, here I am, a Greek guy doing his Masters in Trinity College, living on Windmill Lane.... -- Harry I live in Mexico City and have been encouraged to travel just to see U2 live,
these are the places I visited during the Vertigo Tour because of
them: -- Fernando Castillo I was an international studies and history major in college. During my senior year, I took a seminar on political parties. A professor who knew of my affection for U2 suggested I do a case study on Irish political parties. I loved it. It was incredibly interesting project and inspired me to apply for an MA in European Studies at University College Dublin after I graduated. I must say I'm probably one of the few Americans who doesn't claim Irish ancestry, but I moved to Dublin 8 years ago. I met my husband on the second day I was in the country, and 2 years ago I got Irish citizenship. All that because I mentioned in conversation that I had just returned from a Popmart concert the night before a seminar and was having trouble keeping awake in class! -- Helen Kenny St. George, Utah has two pop/rock/alternative radio stations. It is such a small city the only big shows that come to town are country music ones. There's no venue big enough to support big acts like, say, U2! Las Vagas is the closest city for rock fans and it's a two hour drive. Nevertheless, for 14 years I called it home. I'd just discovered U2 after buying ATYCLB months earlier. It was love at first listen. I was also about to graduate from college and my sister had just offered me a contract on an apartment in Salt Lake City. Hungry for more U2, I picked up Target's exclusive U2 7. When I heard Bono sing the line from "Summer Rain," When you stop taking chances you stay where you sit, that decided me. I was about to graduate and embark on a new life; it was time for change. U2 would certainly play Salt Lake on their next tour and I should be there. I moved to Salt Lake City and have never looked back! -- Michelle Llewellyn Seattle (home base) - 3 tours The show's the incentive in each case, but the peripheral experiences are just as meaningful -- the art, the food, the people, the misadventures, the fans, the universal language, the exposure to new bands as opening acts (who knew Rage Against the Machine could be so sublime???). And I got dual citizenship after the Dublin trip! U2 has reinforced my pride in being Irish! -- Nancy I am from Albuquerque NM, and it wasn't until I got into U2 that I began traveling as much as I have. It all started when I was eighteen with a road trip to see U2's Popmart concert in Denver. My life after that was forever changed. That year I ended up seeing U2 in San Antonio and Seattle. Two places I had never visited until U2 was around. When the Elevation tour came around, I was in my last semester of college. I decided to get to as many concerts as I thought possible, which started out at five. Five shows turned into 27 in 12 different states around the US, and a show in Canada. I couldn't get enough of seeing new places, meeting new people, being around friends and fans that were all there for the same purpose, and of course the greatest live show on earth. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life (I also met my husband while waiting in line at a U2 show). I was able to see different parts of the US that I had never been to, all because of a band called U2. Unable to come down from that high of basically touring around the country off and on for a year or so, I went to Ireland the following summer for that ever so important U2 trip. Alas the Vertigo tour came and I revisited many of the places I had before. I was unable to go to as many shows, but took the wonderful trip of a lifetime to Australia to see our boys perform there. So, all in all because of U2 I have visited 12 states, and 3 different countries outside of the US. -- Laurie Burke The September before last, two girlfriends and I were planning a trip together. They wanted to go to Jamaica, but I said if Ii was going to take the time off of work and spend my hard-earned money traveling, I wanted to go to Ireland. I have been a huge U2 fan longer than I haven't and have been dying to go to Ireland ever since I was little. Luckily for me they agreed to go. Before leaving, I did all of my "U2 research," printing out all of the information I needed to do my little U2 tour (@U2's Guide to U2's Dublin came in very handy, thank you!). Once in Ireland, I told my friends I'd like to dedicate at least one day to doing my little 'U2 tour', and they were more than happy to go along with me. We saw Windmill Lane and Hanover Quay Studios, Kilmainham Gaol, Nude, and a few other spots -- we even made it to the gates of Bono's house! I could have gone home a happy girl finally having fulfilled my dream of seeing U2's Dublin, but then something happened. I met someone. I wasn't trying to. We decided to keep in touch once I left Ireland, which we did. About a month after I got home, he told me he was coming to see me. He's been here almost 2 years now and we just got married this past April. So not only has being a U2 fan influenced me to travel, it also led me to my husband! We went back to Ireland last fall, but this time around it wasn't a tour of U2's Ireland, it was a tour of my future husband's Ireland!! Dream out loud. -- Jen Woldar I have only been a U2 fan since 2001 when I went to see my first U2 concert. After that I was hooked for life. My dad told me that on the next tour he would take me to the show in Utah (where I live) and one show in another state. When the Vertigo tour tickets went on sale for fan club members we tried to get tickets for a show in several cities with not much luck, until we tried San Diego. It just so happened to be the first show of the Vertigo tour and I was so happy that I almost started crying. When we got out of the concert after that first show, and after waiting outside the venue all day for the band with no luck, a few people were saying how a lot of things went wrong during the show. I didn’t even care because I was just so happy to see the boys in concert again. That same year we saw the San Diego show, two shows in Denver, two shows in Las Vegas, and the Salt Lake City Utah show. I met the boys at 3 of the 4 cities including going backstage and even getting a pair of Bono’s sunglasses. I met so many awesome people who I am still friends with today and forever. My next goal is to go to Ireland to see a show and with a tour in the next year -- we will have to see what happens. -- Elsha Stockseth I'm a U2 fan living in France. In 2005, I decided to go to San Sebastien for the Vertigo show – well, Spain is not really far from France but U2 encouraged me to go there. But the big travel was in December 2006. I went to Honolulu (almost 20 hours by plane!!) for the last Vertigo show. I think that without U2, I would never go there (even in my dreams!). And last year, I finally decided to go to Dublin to see all U2 places. So thanks to U2, I discovered beautiful countries (Hawaii, Ireland). For the next tour, I hope to go again in Spain, maybe Italy and surely Ireland!! -- Severine Being a U2 fan and falling in love with the intimacy of their live shows has led
me to travel to many of the U.S. states to see the band play live. But the somewhat unexpected
extension of this has been the fabulous friendships I have made as a result. These
friendships have spurred even more travel, linked to U2 as the catalyst
of the meetings. We've also had great times in NYC together, including being blessed enough
to be front row at the hour-long 'U2 dedicated' Conan O'Brien taping in
October of 2005! -- Jennifer I have been a U2 fan since 1983. From the age of 10 on my world has been opened up significantly by U2. I grew up in the middle of nowhere deep in the South where what goes on in the outer world seems to matter to very few. I traveled to many places I know I would not have visited had it not been for U2 tours. I have experienced U2 live in Kansas City (where I met Bono for the first time on the POP tour), Chicago, St. Louis, Clemson… Multiple shows over the years in Atlanta (where I met Edge during Zoo TV). New Orleans (where I met Adam walking down a random street during a break in recording All That You Can't Leave Behind). Birmingham, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Dallas, Memphis. New York City at Madison Square Garden because it was a lifelong dream to see a show there. Hawaii at the end of 2006 in the one U.S. stop in a stadium. I have yet to see them live in Dublin, but that's my plan for 2009! I have traveled to Dublin three times just to do my own personal tour of U2 history (printed out @U2's guide, which was very helpful!). U2's music is the soundtrack of my life and is like a dear old friend to me. @U2 has been a regular part of my day since 1999, and I am thankful for this site! So, U2, bring on the album, bring on the tour! I'm ready! -- Jennifer Johnston
(c) @U2/individual contributors above, 2008.
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It
was love at first sound when I heard Bono and the boys blanketing downtown Los
Angeles with their beautiful music. I was a young girl of eight when I saw the
infamous U2 video for the first time on MTV.
