1. Every month we put a U2 fan in the spotlights, the fan of the month February of 2022 is user Damonio123. Read along for the interview we had with this U2 fan.

    "My parents swear I became a fan as a baby, there are pics and videos of my little me in sunglasses pretending to be 'The Fly' out there."

    Tell us something about yourself, who are you and what do you do for a living?
    I'm Luca Valentin Rojas, I'm almost 19 years old (I'm one of those young fans of the band) I just finished high school and I am currently working in a clothing store, I have a great time there, meanwhile I am studying law at a university near my home.

    How did you become a fan of U2, tell us how it happened?
    My parents swear i became a fan as a baby, there are pics and videos of my little me in sunglasses pretending to be 'The Fly' out there. My mother always remembers that they played me a CD of children's versions of U2 songs, something like lullabies. And that I also loved listening to 'Beautiful Day' or 'Vertigo'. I did not know the 80's and 90's of the group when I was little, as I grew up there was a time when I was not interested in them, since I was a child I used to stay home alone while my parents worked, I remember one afternoon I explored my father's CD collection and I saw that there were U2 albums that I didn't recognize (All That You Can't Leave Behind and How To Dismantle an Atomic Bomb were the only albums I knew of them) those were 'Zooropa' and 'POP', I still can't explain how much I It blew my mind listening to the first Zooropa song but U2 caught me in their exploration, with pop I felt darkness but in Zooropa I found a U2 something that caught my attention. some time later I discovered 'Achtung Baby' and from there I became a fan, I remember still having in mind the idea of ​​finding a kind of 'Beautiful Day' but the sound of 'The Fly' struck me and I was fascinated, the band had shown me that had changes, from that moment until today I am a fan of U2

    What does your U2 collection look like? What kind of stuff do you have and how is it organised?
    If I could I would buy everything, but I have in my hands a 20th anniversary edition of 'Achtung Baby' (double CD) signed by Bono, I have 'Song's of Experience' and 'The Best Of 1990-2000'. Then I have a library with an infinity of books, magazines with interviews of the band from all its eras, mostly from the 90's... and then I get a tattoo with Bono's face on my shoulder, I designed it myself and I ran away from my house to do it with a friend haha

    In your opinion, what has been U2's defining moment and why?
    With my father I always maintained that the decisive moment will always be the Live Aid '85 performance. Bono put the band into play before the eyes of the world, taking them to improvisation, that moment was unique, I think I heard that Bono was almost kicked out, that makes it even more decisive.

    Does anyone in your family or one of your friends like U2? If so, did they introduce you to U2, or did you "convert" them?
    Oh my dear dad, he has a long history with u2, he never hung out on u2 fan sites and stuff, but he's been a fan since unforgettable fire, he was a kid back then. by the way, thanks to this site I always inform him of some U2 news or he never finds out haha ​​thanks for that. coming back, it was why I became a fan, to this day he always plays U2 at full volume at home. His favorite album is 'The Joshua Tree'.
    My mother likes them too, she loves 'All That You Can't Leave Behind', it reminds her of my paternal grandmother, she says it's a very beautiful album, but she doesn't express much more about the band, she has its own tastes.
    aaand well, from time to time I recommend songs like 'Stay' to boys/girls of my age, they usually tell me "what a beautiful voice" "it's calm, I love it" I still dream of a friend who is a fan of the band.

    U2 concerts in South America always seem to be extra special, why do you think that is?
    I think that's exactly what Bono thinks of 'Vertigo', it's about connecting with the public, at least in my country we get out of control a lot when it comes to concerts and music, we try to give back what the artists give us, energy. I have been to many concerts of artists from other countries and they always let us know how fascinated they are. I don't know well the other countries at least here (South America) but I'm sure we all have the same reaction.

    What is your favorite U2 bootleg, and why? Do you often listen to bootlegs?
    My favorite bootleg is '1993-08-28. Dublin, Ireland, RDS Arena', I love the setlist, those covers of Bad, Ultra Violet, Bono's voice is perfect there. I could also choose Stockholm '92 but in quality it doesn't compare to this bootleg. Yes, lately I've been listening a lot, I'm currently rediscovering the 'Vertigo Tour', it never caught my attention because it's an album that I'm not a big fan of, but damn, what a good version it has!

    Current music seems more 'targeted' towards the younger demographic such as yourself - how do U2 fit into this musical landscape?
    I guess they play an important palel with nostalgia, there are people who are still discovering the band and others rediscovering them. They are known for their incredible live performances but I have also seen that respect for the band for staying together throughout their career, that is usually very appreciated as well as the enthusiasm they have to continue releasing albums

    How different is U2 compared to other artists that you like?
    After gorillaz, i think they are the only ones who have had many changes in their career.

    What are your hobbies and interests away from U2, musical or otherwise?
    I play a lot of guitar and almost always experiment with musical things, I usually play the keyboard more when I'm traveling to capture some vibe of the moment. I also train, obligatorily, my health demands it. outside of that, but my hobbies are more than music, before I used to draw a lot too, but I lost interest in it.

    Thanks for this interview Damonio123!

    Note: Our crew members randomly pick fans of the month, you can't sign up for it.
  2. Great read, thank you! Honestly, I am amazed that there are U2 fans that are less than half my age. That's great. It's also interesting that you discovered their discography 'backwards' and that you are so impressed with Achtung Baby and The Fly. Dublin RDS 1993 is my favorite Boot, too. Your and mine tastes are pretty much alike, albeit the age difference.
  3. Originally posted by Papo:Great read, thank you! Honestly, I am amazed that there are U2 fans that are less than half my age. That's great. It's also interesting that you discovered their discography 'backwards' and that you are so impressed with Achtung Baby and The Fly. Dublin RDS 1993 is my favorite Boot, too. Your and mine tastes are pretty much alike, albeit the age difference.
    Couldn't have said it better! Great Read.
  4. Hahaha I'm glad for your reaction. It was a great time musically.
  5. Great read!
  6. Thanks for sharing!
  7. loving to read it