U2: You Have to Up Your Game, Bono and The Edge Say in London
Bono and The Edge of U2 spoke in London about their 16th album, 'Carnaval de Luz', Brian Eno's influence and how Fontaines D.C., Rosalía and Lambrini Girls keep the band in the game. A stadium tour follows next year.
U2 say you have to up your game when acts like Fontaines D.C. step into the room. Bono and The Edge made the point in a London interview about the band's 16th album, 'Carnaval de Luz', and said their love of Fontaines D.C., Rosalía and Lambrini Girls keeps them in the game.
They spoke on the afternoon of Guy Fawkes Night, a couple of days after an intimate album launch show for the BBC at The Tate Modern. The career-spanning set in the South Tank was filmed against a 360-degree backdrop of Brian Eno's artwork '77 Million Paintings'.
Eno's long influence
Eno still has a hand in the record, which Jacknife Lee produced. The Edge said Eno first drew U2 into his orbit by encouraging them to "deconstruct our band and our arrangements".
With early demos for 1984's 'The Unforgettable Fire', Eno urged them to relax and "build something from nothing". "That was the first exploration and celebration of our limitations," The Edge said. He described those limitations as things to explore in a positive way rather than impediments.
Why carnival
The album grew from the band's memories of carnivals in Nice, Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz. Bono recalled that Quincy Jones took them to carnival "like he was taking us to rob a bank". On one trip, a passing float pulled them into a jam session.
Bono also pulled out his phone to play 'The Slave' by Trinidadian calypso legend Mighty Sparrow. Bassist Adam Clayton recommended the song to him recently.
The Edge once wanted 1991's 'Achtung Baby' to be called 'Carnalville'. He said the band have always been aware that they were cheated out of carnival by the Catholic Church in Ireland. "We got pancakes instead," he laughed.
Bono tied carnival to politics. He said much of it mocked the landed gentry and the royals through costumes and dancing. "Isn't that amazing? That these big autocrats are frightened of carnival, of freedom?" he said.
The single and the tour
The "defiant joy" of carnival is what the band say they wanted for the album. Its lead single is 'The Greatest Show On Earth', which also names a stadium tour planned for next year.
Some fans may recognize the phrase from a sign Bono stood in front of on a 1992 magazine cover. It was shot in Miami during the 'Zoo TV' tour. Shown a copy, The Edge called it "prophetic".
Bono looked at his younger self, with slicked-back black hair and shades. "I haven't changed a bit!" he said.
Asked how they will stage the new show, Bono answered: "With the history of showbusiness and shamanism, no less."
