"U2 couldn't have played better gigs than those two nights in Brussels [...] We had this incredible midsummer storm with lightning, rain, and a very beautiful (full?) moon as icing on the cake. By far the most enjoyable stadium gig."
Tell us something about yourself, who are you and what do you do for a living?
Well, I'm Joyce, a petite dutch girl. Right now I just celebrated my 24th birthday, this month and currently I'm residing in The Netherlands and Belgium most of the time and work at the zoo (not the U2 one). It's a fantastic job and I'm in charge of taking care of some pretty awesome animals, and educating our visitors about animals, environment and conservation.
How did you become a fan of U2? Tell us how it happened.
I was born in the 90's and U2 was omnipresent that decade.
U2 was in my parents record collection. Their collection and their love for music runs through me and that's how I first became familiar with the melodies of U2.
I say melodies because, obviously, I'm Dutch, so during my childhood, I didn't comprehend lyrics until I was a bit older.
I vividly remember that first time their lyrics really struck me. I think it was around 2003.
The first time I saw the movie Bloody Sunday. The combination of the movie, knowing that the events which where performed on film actually happened out there in Ireland, made the -11 or 12 year old- teenage me really furious, U2's music amplified this feeling, and made it even worse.
I decided to look up the history of the Troubles, and the influence of the IRA in Ireland, and of course the band that wrote this amazing song.
And thus, the story began...
You've attended the last two U2 tours and traveled to 4 different countries in the process. How was your experience? Any anecdotes you want to share?
I have too many!
I first saw U2 in Amsterdam with a high school friend Nathalie and my mum (how Rock 'n Roll). But I was gutted that we had seats instead of field tickets. So this only sparked more enthusiasm to visit another gig.
So as any stubborn 16 year old teenager would do:
I decided to ignore my parents warnings, and met up on with 2 total strangers that I never met (except for chatting on U2 fan forums). So us, 3 girls, met in Utrecht central station and took the first train to Germany, chasing around "the Claw!"
It was the first time I traveled by myself, but we all know how the U2 family is:
I'm very thankful to say I had a blast. I met friends for life, learned a lot about travelling, tasted new foods (I really hate schnitzels) , and saw the band up close, but still... Not quite as close as I wanted so... Off with the horns and on with the show:
The last couple tickets for the 360 tour I had where for both Brussels nights, and later on I managed to score tickets for Glastonbury!
U2 couldn't have played better gigs than those two nights in Brussels. It's still on the top of my list today. We had this incredible midsummer storm with lightning, rain, and a very beautiful (full?) moon as icing on the cake. By far the most enjoyable stadium gig. The crowd was loud, some performance highlights were Out of Control, Miss Sarajevo, and BAD!
About Bad: 5 minutes in, Bono -out of nowhere- grabs his Gretsch and starts playing a simple but fantastic counter part to Edge's guitar playing. And to this day, I haven't heard it anywhere else. It's incredible. It gives insight why Bono and Edge said they miss that instinctive playing on guitar sometimes.
Why is it that gigs in the pouring down rain are always better?
How do you prefer U2 live, in the intimate setting of arenas, or the awe-inspiring paraphernalia of stadiums?
One thing? Can't somebody just build a rain machine in Arena's?
I honestly see pro's and cons in both options. I have no preference and tend to just make the best of any situation I get thrown in front of me by the band.
You also attended the Glastonbury show on 2011. What do you think of that performance? How did the non-U2 crowd receive the band?
I did, and it was very erh.. special. I must say, for me as a fan, it was a big disappointment. Mind you, this is just a personal opinion.
My least favourite U2 gig. Maybe because the expectation of the crowd and the buildup was too high, maybe because the gap between the audience and stage was too big. It just didn't connect with the crowd. At least not at the front where I was. To my surprise, the TV performance looked and felt better than being there in person! So that saved their bacon a bit.
What is your favorite U2 videoclip, and why?
All Because of You.
"Choose a job that you love and never work a day in your life"
It is kind of my life's motto.
The video of ABOY is proof that U2 are connoisseurs of life. I try to live by the same standard as much as possible with a slightly smaller financial balance
. But we both get the fun.If there would be only one U2 song you could hear the rest of your life, which one would it be?
One Tree Hill.
Finish the sentence: I hope Songs of Experience is a spiritual successor of this U2 album...
I'd rather not have them sound like anything they did before.. but If I have to choose... POP!
How different is U2 compared to other artists that you like?
They have taught me more things than any other band.
What are your hobbies and interests away from U2, musical or otherwise?
Well my job and thus wildlife and conservation of it, but I'm not a hippie just yet.
Fanatic supporter of our national teams in several sports, I'm an artistic kinda girl that loves working on realistic portraits, and design stuff for websites, poster's. I'm okay at photography, and can obsess over good movies and series from time to time.
Check out my work including U2 here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/74914903@N07/albums
Thanks for having me and I look forward meeting any of you awesome U2starters in the nearby future.
Thanks for this interview mofothethird!
Note: Our crew members choose the fan of the month, you can't sign up for it.
