I am mostly a lurker here and I'm super late to this party, but I feel compelled to add a comment anyway. Namely, about the fact that I once grabbed Bono's butt. Let me explain.
U2 was one of my 2 favorite bands back when I was in high school, right alongside R.E.M. As it turns out, U2 lost me when Rattle & Hum came out. It was the exact point where the amount of media hype eclipsed the music for me, and after that I couldn't just listen to them as a band anymore, They were 100 percent a brand, and I was not feeling it. R.E.M. never let me down in that way and I'll be forever grateful for their integrity until the end. But U2 had integrity to spare when they first hit my musical radar, and I loved them fiercely.
So, in 1983 with just a meager mount of babysitting money to my name, I bankrupted myself to grab a decent seat for their War tour appearance in my hometown. Sixth row, dead center, in a venue that had about 3000 seats. Bono was still doing the thing where he climbed on the amp stacks and engaged the audience very energetically through the whole show. I forget which song it was, but at one point he decided to crowd surf.
As he started being passed overhead, I realized I was going to be right in his path. I put my hands up and waited for my turn to send him sailing through the crowd. When he made it nearly to my seat, I realized that I was going to be getting his rump. Dead on, nothing else in range. Just the ass, the whole ass and nothing but the ass. So that's what I hoisted with both palms and delivered to the good people seated in the rows behind me.
If anyone cares, it was kinda sweaty and a bit on the squishy side. But I was elated in the moment, and I have nothing but appreciation for the memory now. And now that I have shared that nugget of my life, I feel better and I will commence lurking once again, knowing that though I am but a humble lurker, I and only I can claim to have grabbed Bono's sweaty butt. :)
Oh wow, you're in FL too?
My condolences. I'm a lifer, there's no hope left for me, just awaiting my underwater retirement years.
And I saw the Furs on that tour, had to pay though. Worth it.
I went to the University of Miami back in the day, and the first week I got there as a freshman, there was a free concert for students on an outdoor stage called The Patio. Simply Red were the headliners, fresh from world domination via MTV, and I thought to myself, well damn. How lucky am I to be here for this?
Then I found out that R.E.M. - my favorite band at the time - had played there 3 years earlier. And THEN I found out that 4 years earlier, The Patio had hosted Talking Heads.
So my point is that college was a massive fucking disappointment in every possible way, basically.
Lurker here, but I needed to log in and say this comment was exquisite. I'm at the same point in life as you are, and every word you wrote rings deeply true. Thanks for such a vivid and heartfelt contribution. Song: 8/10. This comment: 10/10.
Holy cheese - just unearthed an ancient CD copy of "Greatest Living Englishman" during a cleanout last week and ended up having a solid 2-day binge on Newell stuff. Big fan of both Newell and Pollard but honestly never thought to link them up before. I do see why you'd compare them though - they are a couple of musically formidable mofos, to be certain.
THIS. After someone dies, I generally expect to hear a lot less from them. How many posthumous releases have there been, anyway? We had one studio album's worth of music the way he intended it to sound. Everything after that is in the valley of diminishing returns at this point.
Not gonna lie - your interactions with Win never fail to amuse the everloving crap outta me. There's a lot to love about this site and the commentariat in general, but a fair number of my actual LOL moments as a lurker here have come from that ongoing nonsense you got goin' on. Never stop never stopping, por favor.
I've lurked here for ages and I know the regular crowd here is fantastic. The way that there is so much openness to lots of different sounds, the vast knowledge of what's out there to be listened to, and the passion (and humor and occasional dick jokes) with which y'all discuss them - it's like crack for someone like me. That's why I found myself here as soon as I heard the news about Mark Hollis. I knew it was the right place to be, even though I'm not part of the crowd or what have you. Just felt good to know I wasn't alone in my fondness and respect for this music and the man himself.
Wrestling with the legacy of Mark Hollis is difficult. Accurately describing his work is frustrating, as are any attempts to nail down the core quality of why it was so special and why he was so singular. The core essence of his voice and of the songs is so elusive, and too fluid to examine with a clinical eye. That made it so unique and valuable, but unfortunately I also think it prevented a lot of people from experiencing it and loving it. I tried, though, over the years. It wasn't an easy sell to friends, even people who I share musical tastes with. I appreciated the reference to his music as "a secret church for those who find it". But at the same time, I wish more people had found it.
I had a hard time hearing about this passing, and I had absolutely nobody in my IRL crowd that I could even express that to. It's not like I want to keep this music to myself. I think of his work as a genuine gift, and a really human thing at its core. It just sounds like life, in all its varying hues. And I always though more music fans should be aware of the later Talk Talk stuff, and Hollis' solo album, and relishing them as I do. I wish it wasn't such an exclusive club - especially today. But at the risk of repeating myself I am grateful to have found the posts and comments here that help me feel less ridiculous for taking this news with as much sadness as I have.
And please allow me to go to bat for the track that opens his solo album. I've found it to be an all-purpose balm in so many different moments in my life. It's simple and gentle and sad and gorgeous and everything you need to get by when you're sure you can't.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crkXA_aZvdk
I know what you mean. I can't put my finger on the exact reason why his music affects me as it does, either. It's not something I can verbalize well. There's something very visceral about it, to me. The music and the lyrics were often abstract, not burdened with the weight of too much structure or genre or overt definition. That weightless quality was the key, it allowed the essence of the songs to be breathed in deeply and it just permeated the soul, like vapor.
And yet, these were not songs that dissipated easily. They had resonance. They had real emotional substance. They were as hushed and as precious as secrets being whispered in your ear by a dear friend. I don't know, I could say a lot and still not come close to really capturing it. But that's the best I got. I just love his work so much and I am really sad he's gone.
Long time listener, first time caller, etc. etc.
It was important for me to know that people recognized what a loss this is. There is not a soul among my circle of friends/family who would ever understand the magic of albums like Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock. Those albums, and the songs on his solo set, spoke to me in such profound and extraordinary ways, and have for so many years now. They have been unwavering traveling companions on more emotional journeys than I can count. It was important to know that there were other people in the world who recognized the value of the gifts Mark Hollis shared with us. So I came here, and I am grateful that y'all understand. Thank you, folks. And thank you Mark.
Comments