1. Every month we put a U2 fan in the spotlight. The fan of the month for September 2015 is user pllsaph. Read along for the interview we had with this U2 fan.

    "[...] And I think this is why U2 has had such a profound impact on my life from the time I was the age my oldest daughter is now. They were what I listened to when I was sad, when I was celebrating, when I was bored, when I was in love."


    - Tell us something about yourself, who are you and what do you do for a living?

    I'm in my mid-40's, have a beautiful wife (whom I met just after the famous St. Paddy's Day Boston Garden concert, and spent several hours on the night we first met telling her all about the show!), 2 beautiful daughters (who got to experience their first U2 shows at the Boston Garden on night 3 and also witnessed their father pretty much flip out like they've never seen before! , a dog named Willow, and 6 chickens.

    We live in the outer suburbs of Boston and I commute about 30 minutes to work a little closer to Boston where I'm currently employed as Computer System Administrator. Which is somewhat of a misleading title, since what I actually do is design and architect large scale computer networks and develop software automation tools to orchestrate them. My current project is to design and implement a "cloud-based solution". In short, I'm a total computer geek and get play with lots of neat and expensive toys all day. And none of the skill I have translate into being able to help my Mom & Dad fix their computer or design cover art for bootlegs!

    - How did you become a fan of U2, tell us how it happened?

    U2 has been my favorite band since I was 13 or 14 and I first saw the video for Sunday Bloody Sunday on MTV. I can still picture that very moment as a kid when that video came on the television set with Bono singing with everything in his being, in the pouring rain at Red Rocks. Something hit me very, very deep inside that day, and every time I hear them, I return to that very instant.

    I count myself extremely lucky to have grown up in the Boston area. And the 1980s were a wild time to grow up here. The music industry was still rather vibrant and fan-driven. We had one of the best radio stations in the country, WBCN - The Rock of Boston, and, as you may know, Carter Alan, was one of the premier DJs at that station. So my formative years were spent listening to him and others at BCN back then. I'm sure I heard U2 before that day I saw the Sunday Bloody Sunday video that day, but it was that video that reached inside me and grabbed hold. Little did I know this band would turn out to be something so much more than "just a band" I liked. It grew into a love affair, an obsession, and a rather large collection.

    Early on I would and did go months without listening to anything but U2; I made my own albums from demos, promos, singles, b-sides, etc. I've worn out cassette tapes of their first three studio albums. I really couldn't ever get enough.

    So, that's how it started, more than 30 years ago. My music tastes have changed, and evolved a lot over the years. I really love classic rock, anything from the mid-to-late '60s; Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Doors, Zeppelin, etc. And anything even resembling the blues. Joe Satriani is probably my favorite guitarist. But, the one criteria all the music I listen to has in common is that it is filled with burning intensity and deep, deep passion. Which brings us right back to U2. After 40 years of playing together, they still have those essential ingredients in their music. And as long as they do, I'll keep coming back for more!

    - Your daughters are also U2 fans, can you tell us more about that? How did that happen?

    How did happen? Well, I guess the short answer is, they live with me! When we're in the car driving somewhere, it's my music we're listening too. Well, before they got into their own music it was. Music is something I've always felt to be incredibly important. I'm not a musician myself, but I have an intensity about me, and am incredibly passionate about pretty much anything I do. So, when I became a dad I wanted to make sure that not only did they get exposed to great music, but that they understood what *makes* great music great. And the only way I know how to do that is expose them to it. So, they know Hendrix, Zeppelin, The Allman Brothers, Joe Satriani, Metallica, and of course, U2.

    Being a math oriented engineer type, I find music incredibly intellectual. As such, I love to tease it apart, analyze it, and figure out what makes it tick, what makes me like or dislike a certain song. So we tend to discuss this sort of stuff a lot when driving around and listening to music.

    As they got older they each developed favorite songs and their own tastes in different music. My youngest is very percussion oriented, so she likes songs with thick bass drum, which of course, Larry always provides. Her favorite U2 song is their cover of Pop Muzik. My oldest, who's only a little more than a year older, and is now a teenager is a more sensitive and empathetic one. She, like my wife, gravitates towards songs that are easy to sing along with, and where there's a more emotional connection. Iris is one her favorites.

    That's how they first got introduced to U2. They liked them because that's what they heard, and that's what both Mommy and Daddy liked. But the more important question I think is, "What makes them fans in their own right?" In other words, when they can control what gets played, why do they choose U2, and how does *that* happen?

    As I've mentioned, my kids have always heard U2 when I play them around the house or in the car, but it's always me putting this music on. In much the same way I never opted to listen to my parents' music, I never expected them to voluntarily listen to mine, despite the fact they claim to like it and have certain favorites. But with the free release of this album to iTunes, both of my girls now have it on their iPads, and as a result, they listen to it, and often! In fact, a couple days after the show my wife texted me at work to say, "The kids are blasting raised by wolves downstairs". How *does* that happen?

    I'll tell you. The greatest band in the world teamed up with the greatest consumer electronics designer in the world and they GAVE AWAY their latest album for free! Regardless of all the complaining by people who didn't want their precious iTunes space "taken up" by this album, I think it was a brilliant marketing move by the band. My kids, and millions of others just like them were exposed to U2 because one day they woke up and found this incredible album on their iPhones, iPads, laptops, whatever. And this album is all about what it's like to be a teenager; to have hopes and dreams, worries and fears. And what it's like to just be a person living in this world. It's an album kids can relate to, and it's about an adult, thinking back to what it was like to be a kid living in a scary world. And this adult is telling these kids, "Hey, I know, it sucks. It's scary. But it's okay, and everything will turn out all right in the end. Just hang in there!"

    Had my kids not had that album show up for free in their iTunes, they'd likely not be listening to this album or U2 on their own. But that one move, more than anything I could ever have done, made them fans in their own right. And for that, I am eternally grateful to both U2 and Apple.

    - Having seen U2 live plenty of times, spreading through three decades, you must have a lot of special moments and anecdotes. Can you select one and share with us?

    There are certainly a lot of memories. From the time my parents *finally* said I could go see them at the Worcester Centrum in 1985 on the Unforgettable Fire tour the day *AFTER* the last show to my very first show 2 years later for The Joshua Tree tour. But really, the memory I cherish the most is the night I met the girl who is now my wife. Which, if I might detour for a minute, is a great story.

    Back in 1992 they were playing in both Worcester and Boston. I went to school in Worcester, but wasn't able to get tickets to that show. I was working an over night shift the night before the show. And, at the time, was also working with my now wife's older sister, who was coming on-shift at 8:00am to relieve me. We had been working together for a while and I knew she (my wife's sister) liked U2, so asker her if she was interested in going and I'd gladly buy her a ticket since I was going right from work to Centrum box office for tickets. She declined, and I ended up with 2nd row seats off the corner of the stage! Best seats I've ever had for a U2 show to this day.

    Two weeks later she invited me to a party at her sister's apartment. We met there, I met her younger sister, and we all went out to a local pub for dinner and drinks. Another colleague of ours who had been showing some interest in dating me also showed up. Over dinner, though, my (now) wife found out I had gone to both the Centrum show on the 13th and the Garden show on St. Paddy's Day and started asking me about how the shows were. We ended up talking for over 2 hours over dinner to the complete exclusion of her sister and our other colleague. In fact, the other girl left, since she had the overnight shift that night, and I hadn't even noticed. We eventually went off to the party, drank a lot, and talked about U2 all night long. Thus began what has evolved into a 23 year relationship, and it all started with common love of U2!

    And recently, we've been re-connecting all over again because of this common love with this uncommon band!


    - From your first shows in 1987, what has changed in U2 live and how much the audiences have changed?


    Wow. What's changed? Everything and nothing! Their sets have evolved a lot. The Joshua Tree set was pretty barren; just a simple stage, all black, with ramps leading to an upper level around the back. Almost exactly like they had for the 'I' stage on this last tour. They've gone from nothing but the 4 guys and their instruments and amps on a cramped stage to a ridiculously huge lemon. And really, what can you say about that?!

    What has stayed the same, though, across all of their sets is how the band uses them to effectively bridge the gap between the band and the fans. Bono, since the earliest days at the Paradise, has needed a connection to the audience and always had a penchant for "climbing things" in order to be closer to the fans. This latest set provides an outlet for that penchant and does the best job of creating that connection I've ever seen, whilst keeping Bono far safer than the early days of climbing balconies. But every set they've had has attempted to bridge that gap and provide that connection. So, while it has evolved and morphed and changed, the intention of whatever crazy scheme (like giant lemons or cars hanging from the ceiling) they're trying has remained the same; create a bridge to connect with the audience.

    And the audience, how has it changed? Well, it's gotten a LOT older! At my first show in '87 everyone seemed to be my age. On this latest tour, I'm still 18, but everyone else looks old! (I'm sure they're all saying the same about me too

    But, like the band and their stage sets, the audience too, has both changed and remained the same. U2 fans, regardless of age, nationality, etc. are *still* the nicest people you'll meet anywhere. I've bumped into a bunch recently during this tour at various places (always identifiable by their tour shirts!) and I'll start up a conversation and we'll talk for 30 minutes, 2 complete strangers who have never met before. Just standing in the middle of wherever comparing notes on recent shows, previous tours, favorite albums and songs, etc.

    And, I think, more than ever, I'm noticing young kids at the shows. In 1987 everyone was probably 15 or older. On this tour I can't count the number of kids under the age of 14 I saw. And they're there with their parents just like my kids are with me. It's really, really great to see that. People my age connecting with their kids over a band we've been listening to for 30+ years. Kids younger than I was when I first got hooked, connecting with this band and their parents. It's a really cool thing to witness. It's great to know that U2 hasn't lost their relevance and can cross generations like that.

    - Boston has been called by U2 "a home away from home". What is so different about this city from other U.S. cities regarding U2 shows?

    I think a big part of the answer lies in the connection U2 has with Boston. This was the first city they played in the U.S. Carter Allan who wrote one of the definitive biographies of U2 was the DJ who introduced them early on to Boston listeners on WBCN. Bono joked on the first night in Boston how they weren't even old enough to drink when they first came here and how Carter had to "babysit us". That's not far from the truth. Rumor has it they slept on his apartment floor more than a few times back then.

    The Paradise is a pretty famous place around here, and those sessions are a pretty famous set of bootlegs, too. So I think between that, and the Carter Allan connection, that's a lot of it. And of course, the lynchpin is that Boston is a very small, tight-knit Irish community. Everyone here is Irish. Even the French and Italians are Irish! We're famous for that. And, we are a fiercely loyal bunch of people who stick together no matter what! So, you bring an Irish band into an Irish city, and, well, they're going to be treated like family!

    This isn't to say that other cities aren't great. But the fact that Boston has this Irish heritage, and they played here their first time in the U.S. I think makes it a pretty special place. I think they've got similar connections elsewhere too, though. New York is certainly right up there with Boston (we're better of course and I'm sure Denver, with the Red Rocks connection is a pretty special place as well.

    - You attended the I+E shows with your family. How was the experience seeing your loved ones sharing your same passion?

    It was amazingly special! It's difficult to articulate. I saw them two different nights on this tour, Friday and Tuesday (Boston 1 & 3). And they were totally different experiences from beginning to end.

    That first Friday night I went with my wife. And for me had that "coming home after a long trip" feel to it. Being back in a small venue after so many years, and close to a decade, since I had last seen them live brought with it it's own level of excitement and energy. And, despite knowing what the set list was up front, I was still blown away visually by what they accomplished and the slight changes in the set list from the bootlegs I had been listening to from the first part of the tour. And of course, they played Bad (which is my all-time favorite U2 song) and they closed with 40 (which I think should be the closer for every U2 show for all time), so that was huge thing for me. And of course, just being there with my wife, and it just being the two of, and in great seats just off stage-right of the 'I' stage was incredible. We were so close, and the section we were in was just on fire with excitement. We all connected, the people in the rows in front and behind us. We had all grown up with them as our favorite band, and were all just going crazy throughout the entire show.

    Tuesday night's show, Boston 3, was totally different on so many levels. First of all, to realize that I am at U2 show *with my kids* kind of freaked me out a bit. To look over at my oldest daughter and see her standing up, dancing, and singing was both awesome and scary at the same time. To suddenly see my kids thrown into the sound track of my entire life was bizarre in so many ways I can't quite explain it. At the same, I was ecstatic to share this with them, to discuss the imagery and the meaning of what Bono was talking about, yet, somewhat subdued by having to do so. Also, the energy of the section we were in somewhat dampened the mood a bit, yet, the view of the stage, the set list, etc. balanced that out.

    Possibly the most important part of either show to me was during Iris when I noticed my oldest daughter standing up with me and she was singing along, with tears in her eyes, which of course, brought tears to mine. Possibly the coolest thing I could have ever asked for was have something like that to know my kids were touched in some way by this band as I have been over the past 35 years.

    I've mentioned this story in a couple different places by now, so I apologize for repeating it here, but it's a moment I will never, ever forget. It is as etched in my memory as the day she was born and that
    very first time I saw Bono in that Sunday Bloody Sunday video.

    - What is different about this tour compared to previous ones?

    A few things come immediately to mind:
    - No opening act
    - The length of the show (almost 3 hours, compared to their
    traditional 90 minutes)
    - The best integration of technology and stage set yet to bridge the
    gap to the audience.

    To me though, those are all somewhat superficial, cosmetic differences. I've never cared for any of their opening acts and a lot of times would show up to the show at the tail end or just after the opening act's show. The show length was a great surprise! Twice as much show is always better, right?! And the stage, well, I've covered that, and like the band, it's always evolving, so I expect even better next time.

    To me, the big thing on this tour, and with this album in general, and something that has really surprised me is how emotional this entire experience has been on so many different levels. U2 has been the sound track for my entire life. I can, and have, listened to nothing but U2 for months and years at a time. I have pretty wide and varied tastes in music, though all the music I love has a common thread; it's all extremely intense and passionate. And I think this is why U2 has had such a profound impact on my life from the time I was the age my oldest daughter is now. They were what I listened to when I was sad, when I was celebrating, when I was bored, when I was in love. They were something my first girlfriend and I had in common, and they are what brought my wife and I together as I mentioned earlier.

    This album is the band's reflection on their youth, and the tour is connecting that youth to their present. As such, it's a reflection on my youth as well. And this has really come out in the time I've been spending on the U2Start forums, connecting with others who are as crazy about this band as I am. And the more I connect, the more I reflect. It's interesting to note how in the show, they've paired certain songs to convey a then and now connection; I Will Follow with Iris, Sunday Bloody Sunday with Raised by Wolves, etc. As a result, I find that I'm getting much more out of the songs. Ones I've been listening to for 30 years even!

    This connection with all the great people here at U2Start has also lengthened the tour experience for me. Before all this technology you'd get your tickets go to as many shows as you could, and when they left town that was it. By the time you read this, Boston will be a couple months in the past and the band will be starting the European tour. But for me, this tour is still going on I've been listing to the entire tour from opening night in Vancouver right through to the first 3 MSG shows on my daily commute to work. I was able to watch Boston 4 and MSG 1 & 3 via Periscope and chat on the boards about the shows in real time. So, almost daily I'm having new U2 experiences.

    That's really, really, cool! And something that's NEVER been possible before now.

    - How different is U2 compared to other artists that you like?

    They are very, very different and very special because, honestly, they're the first, and possibly the only band to really touch me deep inside. I can't even explain what I mean by that. But if you get that tingling sensation when you hear the opening to Where the Streets Have No Names when it's cranked all the way to 11, you know what I mean. If you listen to Bad, and you feel in yourself what you know Bono is feeling as that intensity slowly increases throughout that song, you know what I mean. If you've every been fortunate enough to pour out of an arena with 20,000 other fans singing the refrain to '40' 20 minutes after the band left the stage, and you hope that song never ends, you know what I mean. The only band that's ever come close to this for me, though, other than U2, was The Alarm. Their real early stuff had that same thing. Unsafe Building, The Stand, Spirit of '76. Just great, great stuff, that, other than with U2, doesn't compare to anything else.

    All the music I listen to has one thing in common with U2; and that's passion and intensity. It doesn't matter if it's Jimi Hendrix playing the blues, or Stevie Ray Vaughn covering Jimi's Little Wing, or Bono and Clannad on In A Lifetime. There is this intensity to the music and a passion shared with the artists during the song that's just crazy. In this regard, all the music I enjoy is the same.

    Past that though, I have very varied tastes from bands like Rusted Root to the Allman Brothers. Classical to heavy metal. I'm a huge blues fan, and really, really enjoy some of Jimi Hendrix's more esoteric forays into the blues. I'm a huge Zeppelin fan too. And, I guess, no discussion of music is complete without choosing sides; Beatles or Stones? And I'm firmly in the Stones camp. The Beatles never did much for me. They're good, I recognize their talent for what it is, but it just doesn't push the right buttons for me. I'll take Sympathy for the Devil or Pain it Black over Sgt. Pepper's any day.

    - What are your hobbies and interests away from U2, musical or otherwise?

    Wow. That's actually a tough question. Being a computer geek is kind of it's own hobby, and at one time I used to mess around with them quite a bit outside of work, but adulting has taken over my life with the whole kids, family, house thing. So now I just play with that stuff at work. I enjoy working out and lifting weights, I was an avid bike rider for a few years and, like Bono, had a decent crash or 3. Fortunately I wasn't as banged up as he!

    Being a voracious reader I spend a lot of time reading pretty much anything scientific, technical, historical, or political. Recently I've become rather interested in health and nutrition, and have spent
    a fair amount of time reading about that.

    From this perspective, I sound like a pretty boring guy I guess. I love to talk with interesting people about interesting things. Give me a good cup of coffee or a great beer (porters and stouts preferably) and a quiet corner with a few smart people, and I can spend all night discussing pretty much any topic that comes up.

    And, my girls. All three. They are my life and my biggest passion. I am as happy to sit in a room with them as we all do our own thing ignoring each other as I am to spend a week off the grid with them on vacation in the backwoods of Maine. Oh, yeah, and I love the outdoors. Hiking, camping, or just a walk in the woods.

    That's me in a nutshell



    Thanks for this interview pllsaph!

    Note: Our crew members randomly pick fans of the month, you can't sign up for it.
  2. I want to thank Paul again for really opening a door to his house, his family and his passions with this interview. He really put everything there and I think this is a great read: From how he met his wife to seeing his daughters singing Iris, touching the Apple release, the evolution of the band, the Boston connection etc.
  3. Great interview, thanks a lot
  4. Originally posted by cesar_garza01:I want to thank Phil again for really opening a door to his house, his family and his passions with this interview. He really put everything there and I think this is a great read: From how he met his wife to seeing his daughters singing Iris, touching the Apple release, the evolution of the band, the Boston connection etc.
    Thanks so much guys! It was a lot of fun! I really enjoyed it!

    (P.S. - It's Paul )
  5. Impressive intervew, Paul. Quite probably the longest FOTM interview since we started doing this in August 2008, haha Great to know a long-term fan a little better now. Thanks!
  6. Finally sat down to read this. What a truly fantastic interview, thanks Paul!
  7. Originally posted by LikeASong:Impressive intervew, Paul. Quite probably the longest FOTM interview since we started doing this in August 2008, haha Great to know a long-term fan a little better now. Thanks!
    Thanks. I'm nothing if not long-winded

    I like to talk (or type). And asking me about U2 is a sure way to get me to never stop talking
  8. Thanks, iTim!

    It was a lot of fun. And I really enjoy being here amongst y'all
  9. Apologies . I corrected that.
  10. absolutely amazing reading!!
  11. nice to read it