"I first started listening and playing along on guitar (actually a tennis racket) to U2 when I was 3 years old, thanks to my uncles influence."
Tell us something about yourself, who are you and what do you do for a living?
My name is Dean Allison, I'm 25 years old and I live in Kirkcaldy, Scotland with my fiancée and daughter. I'am currently working in a betting shop (Ladbrokes).
How did you become a fan of u2, tell us how it happened?
I first started listening and playing along on guitar (actually a tennis racket) to u2 when I was 3 years old, thanks to my uncles influence. He would regularly watch the zoo tv video and I used to try and sing along to the fly, stay and pride. It wasn't until I was 9 though when they released ATYCLB that I would describe myself as a bit of a fan. Seeing my favourite band in the charts and on the music channels was cool back then, and I started to begin my proper u2 journey.
You've been to every u2 tour since Elevation, tell us more about your live experiences. How did you live each tour?
I think from 360 onwards my age allowed me to have a greater appreciation for the shows. I still loved the elevation and vertigo tour gigs, in fact when listening to the bootleg and in terms of setlist the Elevation show was probably my favourite until recently , but I have little recollection of actually being there compared with the Brussels 360 shows which were incredible. 360 Glasgow was also great although not quite on the level of Brussels and I loved the intimacy of the I&E tour, the second night in particular was amazing. The pick of the bunch though was the recent London JT17 show. I was at the first night and it was the best gig I've ever been to, the atmosphere, setlist and overall performance was just as good as it gets.
You attended the recent London gig for the JT17 tour. How was it for you? How does it compare to other tours?
As mentioned above it's my favourite show I've attended. I felt the band and audience were at there best. The setlist was probably the best I've seen too due to the strength of The Joshua Tree songs. Just so many highlights on the one night. If your going to a lot of shows then maybe previous tours would rank higher due to setlist variation, but if our going to just one show then for me it beats all the tours I've seen.
There's a lot of talk about this tour being a nostalgia act. What is your opinion about it? Do you want to see u2 doing more of this in the future?
I wouldn't call it a nostalgia act, more of a celebration of a timeless album and perhaps more importantly a look at how it's as relevant now as it ever was. I think the only other album that merits an anniversary tour is Achtung Baby, so yeah I'd like to see that in 2021, possibly as a gap fill between SOE and another new album.
What does the Joshua Tree album represent to you? Do you think this album is still as relevant as 30 years ago?
The Joshua Tree is just an incredible album that takes you on an unbelievable journey. Streets feels like the signature u2 track, WOWY is one of my top u2 songs. I love the burst of energy vocally from Bono on RHMT. I could go on to describe the other amazing tracks on there not least exit, but the one tune that stands out is one tree hill. I probably rate it 4th on the album but in terms of what it means to me it's #1. Bono's words at London pre-song could probably tell you the story. I think the album will always be relevant musically and politically yes also .It sums up a lot of the thoughts, feelings and emotions right now.
With the rumours pointing to a release of SOE this year, what are your expectations for the new album? Do you like what we've heard of it so far?
I can see SOE being a 'bigger' sounding album than SOI. I think the outro on The Little Things could give us an idea of what we're in store for, which would be great as I love that tune. I like the sound of the Best Thing also but not quite on the level of The Little Things. I also hope we get a few more songs with a more heavy distorted guitar sound, zoo station, the fly, acrobat that kind of thing.
What do you think of Bono's charity work and his relations with world politicians?
I think it's great that he wants to make a difference in the world. He seems to get very involved in projects and work hard to see them succeed. It's probably this level of involvement that sees him speaking with and being in the company of politicians all over the world. All in all I believe he tries to achieve a lot of positive things.
How different is u2 compared to other artists you like?
In some ways they are similar in that I tend to prefer bands like, the killers, green day, Coldplay, foo fighters, Pearl jam. But at the same time u2 are in a league of there own. None of the bands I mentioned are close to u2 for me.
What are your hobbies and interests away from u2, musical or otherwise?
I enjoy going to the theatre and spending family days with my fiancée and daughter. I love playing the acoustic guitar, listening to music in general and I'm also a fan of a few sports, I particularly enjoy watching football and boxing.
Thanks for this interview deanallison!
"Me with my fiancée Lisa and baby Lucy."
Note: Our crew members choose the fan of the month, you can't sign up for it.
