Several people have written to the list [Wire] asking for recommendations on where to visit in Dublin. I have been going every St. Patricks day since 1993, and have since gotten to know several members of the U2 posse.
My trips were primarily to enjoy the craic and to drink copious amounts of Guinness, though I will always visit Principle Management to see if the band are in town. Principle is on Sir John Rogerson's Quay, just down from Windmill Lane. Jerry is the security man and is a great source of info and coffee in the cold! He'll tell you where the band are, Cecelia Coffey at Principle is great and is usually happy to come out for a chat and will invite you in if they're not too busy. The Quays are a great semi-derelict/baron place on the river, and where 'U2 world' exists. Dockers is a great U2 pub, but sadly its long time landlord, Paddy Dune is no longer there - he is an old mate of the band's (he presented then with an MTV award during a live sattelie link up from Dockers, and 'Whiskey In The Jar' karaoke at Dublin Popmart was dedicated to him). You can see the pub on R&H when Adam gave his 'sport and politics' rant.
If the band are recording, they tend to arrive at about midday and work until the early hours. I waited outside The Factory back in '93 when they were recording Zooropa. A few Dublin lads were waiting outside, saying that Bono would probably invite THEM in for a game of pool as he knows them so well, but not us! When Bono did arrive, cool as you like, me and my mate asked him how the record was going, while the others went large on the photo/autograph thing. Bono immediatly recognised my Welsh accent, leaned back against his car and asked us about our trip to Dublin (I think the watery eyes and hangover said more than words could!). Then the classic line, "Well, I don't know if you've got the time, but I'd love to show ya around the place", the Dublin boys jaws nearly dropped... "Ah, you lads can come in another time, these lads have come all the way from Wales."... YES!
As we walked up the spiral staircase to the studio, I must say, I found it hard to comprehend that that is Bono's arse just in front of me! He was the most generous, down to earth guy... classically Dub. He introduced us by name to everybody in the studio, Flood, Joe O'H, the technicians, to be honest I can't really remember it was all so mad. There were Edge's guitars. The drums. (same room as 'Please' rehersal on A Year in 'Pop'). He really wanted to know what WE thought, for example the Zoo TV show at Earls Court, and I said it was amazing, but I was pissed off that we had to sit... he agreed, but thay couldn't get around it. I asked him about what at the time was going to be an EP, before the Zooropa tour; "At the minute, it looks like it's gonna be an album", (bit of a personal world exclusive there!), we walked into the Kitchen area that had a chart of songs in progress (I remember seeing 'Zoo' and thinking, what? We've had Zoo Station - it was of course Zooropa).
"Hey Adam, have you met Jim and Scampi?" Adam was slurping on a bowl of soup (VERY nice spoon too!) and was a really cool chap. Bono continued showing us around. We were in the mixing room, and we were talking about The Fly and what not, he leaned over and whispered to me "It's great (The Fly), the're ALL falling for it!". After about twenty mins, Bono said that he'd love for us to stay and watch them play, but we volunteered to leave... he had been really generous to us, and we knew that they were really busy. We didn't want to push it. He told us to look them up when we went to Zooropa in Cardiff, and that he was really pleased to meet us. He genuinely gave the impression that he is more pleased to meet us that we were him. I kept looking at his face, the scar and tried to connect this man that I was chatting to like an old mate to the posters and videos and everything else, and I really couldn't. Also, whenever he starts talking about the music his eyes light up like he's just discovered something wonderful and new. Fantastic.
Bono told us to grab a coffee if we liked as we shook his hand. As we turned and walked away, me and Scampi couldn't look at each other, as the realisation of what had just happened dawned on us. Security almost threw us out, and has to check with Bono that we were his guests. I couln't hold the coffee cup I was shaking so much. We left the studio as Edge arrived and grabbed a 5 minute chat with the fellow Welshman as he climbed out of his chunky 1960's Merc, Zooropa hat on and all.
I personally don't think that sleeping outside the bands homes, demanding autographs, photos, locks of hair or whatever is the best way to treat the band in Dubin, treat them with the respect that the Irish do, and you may find yourself in the company of your hero in the same way that I was. One of the staff at Dockers told me of one particular day when Bono was sat by the river outside the pub as twenty or so screaming Italian women were running aroung ready to tear him apart. They never even noticed that he had escaped and was sitting outside! She said that that level of attention got him down him off at times (I personally wouldn't complain..).
I must say though, that as I sat on the night coach back home that night through the Dublin lights, I played 'Running to Stand Still' on my personal stereo, and it sounded completely new, better and I suppose the song had come to life in a way it never could have before.
I could right a book about this great day, but I hope you find it interesting... I really should think about getting back to work now!