Q&A with U2's Adam Clayton - SD Union-Tribune, 28 Mar. 05

CLAYTON: (Laughs) We are nervous, yeah. We're always nervous when we're starting a new tour. It's [been] four years since the last one and we know we've gotta come up with something just as good, if not better than, the "Elevation" tour. Were playing around with a lot of material, so -- as well as learning how to put across the new songs in a live situation - we're also working on pulling out some old songs and some unexpected songs as well. So between now and Monday there's a lot to straighten out before we get it right.

CLAYTON: Kind of in Rosarito, at the film studios there. It's a great facility, really good, but it wasn't big enough for us to hang all the sound and lighting equipment. So the time in Vancouver has been show rehearsals with everything, all the video and lights. And then when we get to L.A., we'll be rehearsing the guts of the two hour show.

CLAYTON: Yeah, we've agreed to let some people in on our rehearsal days, radio contest winners. It's great to be able to open the door and let people in and see how the things work, though I'm sure there will be a lot of stopping and starting; it won't be the [final] show, per se.

Q: You mentioned earlier how the band feels the need to match or top the 'Elevation' tour. Each U2 tour of at least the past 15 years have had major productions. How different will this tour be, production-and staging-wise?

CLAYTON: Well, what we kind of did this time is we stayed with the kind of stage we had last time, which was a very inclusive working space [with] that runway that went into the audience -- what we called the heart. We've hung onto it, so Bono will still be able to get out in the audience. But we've updated it, for us anyway, in that the Elevation tour was very much a back to basics, no-nonsense kind of production with not much in terms of gizmos or effects. This time around we've updated the staging and there's a lot more lighting and streamlined video content. But we're trying not to repeat what we've done in the past and to make the content very emotional so it doesn't overpower the band.

CLAYTON: No, I don't think so because a lot of the productions that had a lot of video content were outdoors [in stadiums]. In an indoor situation like this time and last time, you don't want it to overpower things. The great thing about arenas, these 20,000 seaters, is that you feel the intimacy and the contact with the band.

CLAYTON: At the moment we've rehearsed eight. I don't know whether we'll do all eight in the show on Monday, but certainly we'll probably be adding or dropping some new songs after the first couple of shows.

CLAYTON: Well I think we mustn't be boring or predictable. We have a great audience and some people go back 25 years, of coming to U2 shows. So after 25 years we could be predictable or boring, and we really do try very hard not to repeat ourselves and to deliver something different. But I think also that it's an emotive show, a show that requires people to be committed to be part of it. I think it's hard to come to a U2 show and just eat hot dogs and drink a soda, and not be moved by it. We really do want people to be a part of it and be involved.

CLAYTON: We see it as a more joyous and up record. I mean, there's always a degree of introspection and melancholy to what we do. The other end of the spectrum is there is also joy and celebration. And on this record, in particular, we really complete the journey from fear to faith, and that's sort of the way the running order on the record goes, from 'Vertigo' through to 'Yahweh.' So 'Vertigo' is an expression of vulnerability, I guess, and by the time you get through to 'Yahweh,'its an expression of faith.

CLAYTON: I think it's there if you're looking for it. If you go through the record to 'One Step Closer' and 'Yahweh,' I think you reach a place of peace, and I think it's a beautiful, tranquil place.

CLAYTON: Well, we didn't go back totally to square one. But, yes, when we originally thought we could sign off on it, we realized we were short a couple of songs, really. That was when we had brought [veteran U2 producer] Steve Lillywhite into the mix. We'd thought we had a record we could complete with Chris Thomas producing, but when we sat back, we thought: 'No, this isn't good enough.'

That was a hard decision. And Steve, our old friend, came in and listened, and he thought it wasn't there, that we were missing a couple of songs. So we came up with two or three more songs and re-cut 'Native Son,' which subsequently became 'Vertigo.' I think there is a mix out there on the Internet of 'Native Son'; we kind of made it available with the digital [U2] box set on the iPod.

CLAYTON: It can vary, but in some ways that's the job of Larry and myself. We can be more objective. Bono and Edge can have their heads down trying to complete material and lose perspective, whereas Larry and I can come in with a fresh perspective. It's both a blessing and a curse. Someone who's put in a lot of hours in a tune is reluctant to give up on it and admit it's not making the grade.

Whereas someone who's coming in fresh, not knowing the commitment or time that went into it, can access a direction very quickly and say: 'It's not there.' And that's a role Larry and I tend to take on. It's not great fun for someone [else in the band] when he or I, in spite of their enthusiasm, ring the bell.

Q: I was at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony on March 14 when Bruce Springsteen inducted U2. He commented that the band practiced a form of democracy, which he then said -- only half-jokingly -- was 'toxic' in a rock band and that democracy was OK in Iraq, but not in rock. How democratic a band is U2? Does everyone have an equal say?

CLAYTON: Well, I think everyone is entitled to their own opinion or entitled to express their own opinion in U2. And, subject to the quality of those opinions, people vote. People make decisions based on the ideas put forward and you know there's always four opinions and four different ideas. And having heard them, we - I suppose in an impartial but subjective way -- make the right decision for a way to do something.

CLAYTON: (Laughs) It's not, you know, it's not quite a voting democracy in the strict sense of the word. The kind of democracy we operate under is, if something is brilliant and nobody's arguing, well, people only argue over what's not making the grade.

CLAYTON: It's not completely – it depends on the reason for it. It would have to be a very good reason. When three people want to go in one direction, usually the person who wants to go in another direction is prepared to accept what the majority says.

Q: When U2 is making an album, how important is the element of what I like to call 'happy surprises,' where you accidentally stumble across something that is different than what you had planned or were aiming for, but is actually better?

CLAYTON: Well, we make records based on that happening. If we go into the studio and the record turns out just exactly like we thought it would be, with the parts we went in with, it would be a very dull U2 record. So we really rely on magic to happen. Sometimes it's happy accidents, sometimes it's the confusion of somebody not quite playing something in the right way, and sometimes it's just lack of ability, and that creates an interesting collision of ideas. Because if we just go in there with a good string of ideas, we never get that magic.

Q: I grew up in Germany in he late 1960s and early '70s, and you and I are about the same age. If I think back, at the time he most notable Irish rock acts, apart from Van Morrison , who was already established, were Rory Gallagher and Horselips, although Horselips were coming out of a Celtic music tradition as much as rock. Can you discuss your early influences in general, and who or what inspired you to start playing bass as a kid?

CLAYTON: Certainly, initially, just in terms of the Irish context, all three artists that you mentioned were significant influences. But in the wider area, any kind of '70s rock artist. We were also very familiar with what was happening in glam music -- T. Rex, Slade -- and what was popular in what you call 'chart music,' 10cc, The Sweet and that sort of thing. And then also I was familiar with the likes of Led Zeppelin and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, the singer-songwriters, James Taylor, Carole King.

In a way, we were exposed to pretty much the same things as anybody who was into music at the same time would have been aware of, plus the most obscure English bands, like Hawkwind and stuff like that, and a lot of music you'd hear in bars and clubs.

CLAYTON: Well, at the time I was thinking about playing guitar I remember hearing that Eric Clapton had not started playing guitar till he was really old, like 16! So I thought that was OK; I was under 16, I picked up playing guitar and I figured I had a chance. But nobody really influenced us until punk music started to happen. We would have been just 16 in 1976. And we heard a sound that represented us.

Even then I remember thinking that things like Led Zeppelin was really grown up music, and I didn't understand how it related to our generation, because we'd missed flower power in the '60s. So when the Clash and The Stranglers and Patti Smith and Television came along, for some reason that seemed to ignite us in a very different way.

Suddenly, there was a feeling of: 'We're young and we can do this, and we can make records and not (have to) wait till we're in our early 30s and are virtuosos and can play scales.

CLAYTON: I'd say were about as bad as we still are. We made some attempts at playing cover material, but we were just atrocious with it because our abilities had not caught up with our ambitions. And I think that's true today, because we never came from a situation of holding our chops up or having to deliver in a bar situation. I think that we're much better at making U2 music.

CLAYTON: I'd be very surprised if you could find a tape of The Hype playing a tune as complicated as 'Hotel California!' But I'm not sure it would be blackmail material because, in a way, it's so atrocious and so unaccomplished that it's absolutely in keeping with where we came from.

Q: As you know longevity is the exception, not the rule, in rock music. When you first got together, was it purely for fun and recreation or did any of you think this as something you could possibly make into a career?

CLAYTON: When we first got together, you know, there were those kinds of dreams and ambitions that every young band of young men who come together have. We thought we might have a shot at getting some record out, but the idea that we'd still be putting out records and doing sold-out tours in 25 years time -- other than on the Holiday Inn circuit -- is not something we thought would happen.

Q: The public sees the end result, which is usually an album or tour or video. They don't see all the work that goes into that, or the frustrations that might be encountered along the way. Is there a downside to fame?

CLAYTON: I think the downside, and it's not really much of a downside because it has a silver lining, but it still takes a tremendous commitment to the band and the music to maintain this level. Everybody's home life and commitments are as much a part of that as the band.

Every time we go into the studio, everyone knows it will take a lot of energy and commitment to come out with something compelling, equally so when you're contemplating going out on the road. People (in the band's) families realize it will be a year of upheaval, so it takes great commitments from wives and families to make that work. And even though we've done that before, it doesn't make it any easier.

And being based in Europe and spending a lot of time in America is a big time difference to bridge. It would be easier if we were all based here (in the U.S.), but that's the way we've chosen to live our lives. So I'm very aware of the kind of toll that takes on people when they're trying to stay in touch with home and keep up with their families.

CLAYTON: It's not a problem, but I'm still aware of how much we leave behind. I still have a girlfriend and home and a family and dependents, so I'm aware of the upheaval in me, because I'm not going to be there physically or mentally for these people because I'm in a different time zone. And performing at this level requires an absolute commitment and dedication. You can't half commit.

Q: More and more in recent years, Bono has become involved in some major social and political causes, such as the fight against poverty and world hunger. What kind of impact did his activities outside the band have on you when you were recording the new album?

CLAYTON: In terms of the way he works, it didn't affect the recording process because it takes us quite a long time to get the tracks into shape. You know, there's a lot of recording things in different keys and tempos, and [us] playing around with different parts, and a lot of time he gets bored by that stuff.

It's great he had other things to do, because by the time we sorted out the problems, he was able to come in and be inspired by what he did [outside the band]. So I think it worked OK, on this occasion.

CLAYTON: You know, we don't really discuss it. And quite often, we don't know where he's been or what he's doing. It's only if you see something in the newspaper or on the [TV] news. It's not something he brings up very much. It's almost like they're two different jobs. And when he's not around and is doing whatever he's dong, it's not something that necessarily comes across our plate, unless it has had a newsworthiness. And even then, sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't [come to the band's attention].

CLAYTON: Well, I guess our greatest strength might be that we're always aware of our weaknesses and are trying to improve them. I think the great thing about music culture is that it's always evolving, and it evolves for a number of different reasons. Parts of it is technology driven, and part of it is that a new generation come along with different values and needs, and U2 is always aware of those values and needs.

CLAYTON: The great thing about the generation gap is that there is no generation gap anymore. It really is a matter of where you choose to be, intellectually, and as long as you're still hip to what's new and fresh and good, and what has value and what has no value, then you're evaluating the products of our culture.

CLAYTON: We caught TV shows with them in Europe, and they were available [to tour], so I'm hoping things go really well from here. I think there are members of our audience who are aware of them. I bump into people on the streets up here [in Vancouver] who say: 'It's great the Kings are opening for you.' They have an interesting story, in that three of them are sons of a preacher called Leon, I think. They come from an interesting place.

Q: There are sources that indicated that U2's first San Diego show was at a small club called he Backdoor in early 1981. However, I tracked down the former talent buyer from he Backdoor and he said he'd passed on booking the date. There are also references to another small show or two here by U2, but none of them can be documented. So, as far as I can determine, the first time the band did play here was in 1982 at the San Diego Sports Arena, as the opening act for the J. Geils Band. Do you have any recollection of having played here previous to that?

CLAYTON: It was daunting opening for the J. Geils Band because their audience was a little different to ours, which was a little younger demographic. But all the guys in the J. Geils Band, and Peter [Wolf, the lead singer] in particular, were very supportive and really made us feel comfortable in front of what inevitably would have been an uncomfortable audience. And my memory is we won over their audience and people were there who clearly liked U2. So we started from a position of being expected to get booed off the stage, and we got encores.

Q: So will you extend a similar helping hand to the Kings of Leon, who are a young band that has never played on a large arena level like this before, in the same way that the J. Geils Band did 23 years ago to U2?

CLAYTON: Yeah, the good thing is that things have changed since then and audiences have a much broader tolerance. I hope that by you and me talking about it here, and you including Kings of Leon in your story, that people coming to the shows on this tour will realize that the opening act is not just there to fill in some time.

Q: Some of my favorite parts of U2 concerts are the vocal ad-libs that Bono likes to throw in during the middle of a song. In previous San Diego shows, he's thrown everything from a bit of Abba's 'Dancing Queen' and a line from Joan Armatrading's 'Love and Affection' to Radiohead's 'Creep' and Bob Marley's 'Get Up, Stand Up' into U2's own songs. How often does he surprise you and your band mates with his choices?

CLAYTON: It's always a surprise, the moment of discovery when he jams a melody or lyric up against something. And, of course, they are all [musical] reference points that make sense to us, and sometimes there's humor as much as seriousness.

Q: The reason I ask is because the newspaper I work at is in the Mission Valley area of San Diego, and is located almost directly across from a shopping mall called Fashion Valley. And a few weeks ago, two colleagues came back from their lunch all excited Bono has just been at Fashion Valley, buying a pair of sunglasses. I laughed and wondered aloud why Bono would go to Fashion Valley to buy a pair of sunglasses. But I've learned never to assume anything, so -- as far as you know -- did he?

Q: More than five or ten minutes. You mentioned a while ago how fans came up to you on the street in Toronto to say they were happy that the Kings of Leon would be the opening act on U2's tour. Do you and Larry generally get to walk around more freely than Bono or The Edge?

CLAYTON: I do find it easy to get around, and I'm always in awe of the respect our fans show us. Generally, I meet very nice people and they're happy to just say hello, and they don't want anything more or less. I've got friends everywhere and it's nice to meet people.

CLAYTON: Christmas week, a family member was diagnosed with a very serious disease, and within a very short period we had to rapidly reschedule, and decide how we'd deal with that and whether we'd be able to tour at all. Fortunately, everyone involved was able to make the commitment to tour and the various families involved have been able to rearrange their schedules, and their treatment schedules, and the band is very grateful.

Q: As you're no doubt aware, there were a lot of U2 fans who were dismayed and frustrated by the ticket snafu when your tour went on sale. I know a number of people who became members of U2.com, specifically to get first crack at buying tickets, and they were very upset when they ended up not being able to buy any tickets at all because of technical breakdowns. I know that U2's members weren't operating Ticketmaster's computers, but people were still unhappy, and understandably so. Larry apologized on the band's Web site, and Bono apologized again when the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but exactly what happened?

CLAYTON: What happened was that a lot of people that had joined U2.com in order to get preferential ticketing -- the number of people who joined was enormous, over 100,000 -- and the requirement or desire of those people was for five to six tickets each. So the demand for tickets was greater than what we could guarantee people, in terms of getting the seating they wanted.

What also happened is, when we pushed the tour back -- in order to accommodate the new schedule -- we were doing less shows. So we had difficulty fulfilling the demand for what people wanted. At the time the technology at Ticketmaster yet again seemed to fail. I think Ticketmaster saw this as an unprecedented demand for amount of tickets that was twice of what they'd experienced before.

So my sincere apologies to anyone caught up in that debacle. Because, having thought you joined a club to get tickets you wanted, and to not get any tickets at all, is extremely disappointing. However, before we went on sale with the second leg of the tour, we took steps in order that we allow people to have first shot before [tickets] got to the public.

CLAYTON: We tried to contact then through the Web site, so that people who were initially Propaganda members -- subscribers to our fan club -- from way back were given the very first chance to buy tickets, and then the people at U2.com.

CLAYTON: I'd just be happy to be remembered. I think in this day and age, where everything is so disposable, if people were to add U2 or me to a list of things worth remembering, then that's about as good as it gets.

That was the way I felt about becoming a part of the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame, that people might not know who we are in 25 years, but being a part of that list means people might listen to you twice to see what you've got to offer.

Q: Is it true that at the start of one show on the PopMart tour, there was a mechanical malfunction and the four of you were trapped inside the giant 40 foot silver disco ball lemon in which you came on stage? And if so, what did you all talk about while you were stuck in the lemon?

CLAYTON: I think it was in Finland or Norway, one of those cold countries. I think the conversation was something like: 'I wonder if there is a reverse gear in this thing?' Because there was absolutely nothing we could do, and there was no way to get out without going back to the base of the stage.