1. Every month we put an U2 fan in the spotlights, the fan of this month, June 2012, is our user jofice.


    Tell us something about yourself, who are you and what do you do for a living?
    Well for those who don't know me, I'm Joe (Hi!). I'm 18, living in Dublin and just finishing school. I've actually got my Leaving Certificate exams next week that decide whether I go to college next year or not so I probably should be studying right now but this seems much more fun. I plan to study Music next year in college if everything goes to plan. I've got accepted into the course I want (top 20 students out of 350 applicants) so all I need is the matriculation requirements... That's the phrase they use in their letters, I just want to sound official.

    How did you become a fan of U2, tell us how it happened?
    Well U2 have always been present in my life, my Mam is a fan too so their were always CDs around the house. One of my earliest memories is finding the Beautiful Day single in my attic, sadly I can't find it. Another memory of U2 as a child was making a video for Elevation with my cousins. Guitars made out of cardboard and tinfoil and shouting the words was basically all it was. I believe I was The Edge though. Becoming the fan I am today happened around 2009 though, just before I went to the 360 gig in Croke Park. I started listening to their older stuff like TUF and I was amazed, as everybody says: "Is this still U2?". After the concert I was hooked and then I found this site... I think everybody knows where it goes from there.

    You're one of the U2 fans living in Dublin, what's it like? Do you notice (more) things about U2 in your daily life?
    Sadly no, the most common U2 related things I notice are The Clarence hotel and the huge picture of the band in Temple Bar on the wall of fame. I've never been on the U2 tour that has a list of U2 related stuff around Dublin but it's definitely on my to-do list for this Summer. I'm very proud to be Irish and have U2 as a part of our nation but there's quite a large amount of the population that wouldn't feel the same way... Their loss I suppose.

    In your opinion, what has been U2's defining moment and why?
    Hmmm.. I always wondered what my answer to this would be. A lot of people say Live Aid or Red Rocks or something but I think I'll go for Achtung Baby. The sheer cheek of doing something so different to their last albums was unbelievable and to do it that well was simply unreal. I think it's one of the biggest signs of how gifted U2 were as musicians and their abilities went beyond what they did on Joshua Tree and before that.

    When you're forced to leave to a deserted island and you can take only one U2 album with you, which would it be?
    When I'm forced? Is this really happening? I always thought I'd say Achtung Baby but I think it's a bit too dark if I was going to be on my own. I think I'd take Pop, just so I could dance to Discotheque being absolutely positive nobody could see me.

    What is your favorite U2 bootleg, and why? Do you often listen to bootlegs?
    ZooTv Dublin 28th of August 1993. Simply because it's magical and perfect. Even if it was only Bad and Bullet The Blue Sky it'd still be my favourite. The falsetto in Bad just gets me every time. I haven't been listening to bootlegs much recently with all the study and stuff but over the Summer I'll be getting back into it.

    What is your favorite U2 videoclip, and why?
    I don't actually watch videoclips a whole lot. I remember watching them when I was young though and Mysterious Ways was on and me and my cousins just watching it wondering what was going on. I think my favourite would be Stay though. I watched it for what I thought was the first time a couple of years ago and immediately got a sense of deja vu for some reason. I must have seen it before. But yeah, great video and a great song. What's not to like?

    If you could enjoy dinner with three other people, living or dead, who would you choose and why?
    Larry Mullen - He's just a top lad. He's top of my list from the band to meet.
    Brian O'Driscoll - Irish rugby legend, pure gentleman. Would love to have a chat with him.
    Frank Sinatra - After reading U2 by U2 I'd ay he was a great laugh when socialising. Definitely coming to this shindig.
    I probably wouldn't be able to eat at this dinner, nerves would be far too high.

    How different are U2 compared to other artists that you like?
    I like a pretty broad range of music (think I came third in the "Best Music Taste" category in the U2Start awards) so U2 can be similar or very different to my other favourites but nobody is alike to them. I like Gerald Barry's Piano Quartet and that can't even be compared to U2 in my opinion. (Listen to that Piano Quartet, I dare you).

    You're into arts and music, and as your profile bio suggest you'd like to do something music-related for a living. What's your motivation for that?
    Well music is something I've always kind of excelled at. I do anything I can with it, orchestras, quartets, chamber groups and more recently I played in a musical band (for those who follow me on twiiter you've probably seen me tweet incessantly aboout it ). But yeah it's all I really want to do. After college I hope to work in a studio in some shape of form but hopefully as a producer. I know it's something I'd love to do every day. My Mam started me with music so I guess she would be my biggest motivator.

    What are your hobbies and interests away from U2, musical or otherwise?
    Well I play anything musical I can get my hands on (violin, viola, guitar, bass, piano) so that keeps me busy enough. I played gaelic football and hurling until last year and rugby too but stopped for the time being for study and stuff. Another thing to start up over Summer, still have some Christmas weight hanging around! Apart from that I like reading and relaxing most of the time and of course spending time with friends, maybe the occasional drink of 5

    Just want to thank Remy and the crew for this opportunity and for all the work they do for us. Very honoured to be chosen for this. Hope I didn't shite on for too long.



    Thanks for this great interview, jofice!


    Note: Our crew members randomly pick fans of the month, you can't sign up for it.
  2. "When you're forced..." haha, oh dear.

    Great interview Joe, hope to see you around a bit more when you've finished studying
  3. Hope I didn't shite on for too long.


    The longer the better . Great read, long time overdue!
  4. It probably would have been longer but my Mam was around nagging for me to study.

    Haha I'll definitely be around more when I'm done Tim, doing this has made me miss it. Cheers for reading


  5. Hi Joe !!! nice read !!!

    And i want to be in that dinner with O´Driscoll !!!
  6. Great interview, congratulations and welcome to the club Joe!
  7. About time! This man undoubtedly deserves this Fan of the Month, and it is way overdue.

    A great interview from a supreme gentleman. Congratulations!
  8. A great interview from one of the great members of this site.
  9. Haha wow cheers lads I consider it an honour.
  10. Bah, it wasn't that impressive. The guy doesn't even know HQ or Windmill Lane studios... Boo!!




    Just kidding of course. Thanks a lot for your great interview, it's always a pleasure to have you around! And here's looking forward to meet you whenever I come back home (e.g. Dublin).


    PS. Remember: A/B1/C1/C2/B2/C3/D1/D2+B3/E1/C4/C5/E2+D3/C6/C7/F+C8/C9/G/H
  11. Hero. Great interview bud.
  12. I'm gonna struggle with that sequence Sergio

    Thanks for reading lads