U2start.com | Fan of the month July 2018: MoFoNYR15

Every month we put a U2 fan in the spotlight. The fan of the month for July 2018 is user MoFoNYR15. Read along for the interview we had with this U2 fan.

"That night I lost my mind at MSG and witnessed the best show I’ve ever seen, still to this day. The emotion behind those 3 shows is indescribable as it was just a little over a month after the horrific 9/11 attacks here in NY. "

Tell us something about yourself, who are you and what do you do for a living?
My name is Nick Croce. I’m 33 and I’m married to my wife, Laura. We’ve been married almost 4 years and together almost 15 years! We have a dog named Stewie and no kids. I live in Bay Ridge Brooklyn , in New York. I own a Benjamin Moore Paint Store here in Bay Ridge with a business partner. I also study and day trade stocks in my spare time.

How did you become a fan of U2, tell us how it happened?
My earliest memory is watching Rattle and Hum on a VHS when I was about 4 years old. My parents told me I’d watch it on loop. My other early memory is my father coming home with a CD player (fancy in 1991) and Achtung Baby. I’m very lucky to come from a house with a ton of music. I quickly became obsessed with that album and worked my way back all the way to Boy.

- Does anyone in your family or one of your friends like U2? If so, did they introduce you to U2, or did you "convert" them?
Well like I said, my parents love u2 as do my aunts and uncles. Friends... not so much. My taste was always quite different that people I hung out with. As far as converting, I converted my wife into an extreme u2 and Pearl Jam. She has seen u2 with me over 20 times and traveled all across the US on my crazy PJ trips. We actually just got home from MSG seeing the boys!

What does your U2 collection look like? What kind of stuff do you have and how is it organised?
Not much honestly. I have all the DVDs which are irrelevant now with technology and streaming and I do own all albums on vinyl. I also have a stage setlist from msg 2015 night 6. It’s pretty cool since it has Two Hearts on it, which I believe was the first time they played it since the 80s.

When you're forced to leave to a deserted island and you can take only one U2 album with you, which would it be?
Well my answer is generic but my reason might not be. While I can’t imagine never hearing Streets again, I’d have to go with Achtung Baby. My mother’s favorite song was One. I lost my mother in 1997 to cancer when I was 12. That record has a very special place in my heart. I can still remember her singing every word to that album as we played it on our fancy CD player while she cooked or did stuff around the house. I could never not hear that album again so for that reason, it’d have to come with me.

Tell us about the U2 shows you've seen, which one was your favorite and why?
Man.... being in NY there’s never a shortage of U2 shows when they tour. I first got to see them in 2001. However I remember being mad at my parents when I was 6 because they wouldn’t take me to Yankee Stadium to see Zoo TV!! My father told me I acted like a real brat and was mad for weeks ?. Anyway, I lined up by a TicketMaster outlet overnight to get the tickets in 2001. I bought night 1 and 2 (10/24, 10/25). Those two shows were incredible and I remember being in absolute awe. I did leave the second show a little depressed because there was a third show and I didn’t have tickets. So on 10/27 I went to msg and scalped a ticket with my buddy Mike , who I convinced to come. That night I lost my mind at MSG and witnessed the best show I’ve ever seen, still to this day. The emotion behind those 3 shows is indescribable as it was just a little over a month after the horrific 9/11 attacks here in NY.
I also saw most of the vertigo shows in the area, all 3 360 shows in NJ, all 8 at MSG in 2015 (incredible and thanks Dylan for those night 6 tickets), and 2 from this current tour. I must say my least favorite show was the JT show I saw last year. It just didn’t feel like a u2 show which is odd because they were playing their best known album. I’m grateful they rebounded big time with the current tour. Man I rambled long, that happens when I’m asked about live u2.

What is it like being a U2 fan in New York, are there many U2 fans? How are the U2 shows in New York?
I got to be honest , outside my family I don’t know any fans. It’s weird because when they tour here it (used to be) an impossible ticket. So I don’t know where all the fans hide in NY!! I think all their shows are special no matter where they play but u2 at the garden is something I’m lucky to have witnessed over a dozen times and I don’t take it for granted.

What do you think of Songs of Experience? Name us your favorite track!
Uh oh. Honestly it’s somewhere in the middle of their catalogue for me. I do like SOI a lot better. I will say the album has grown on me as of late but it’s still average to me. Taking a step back though, it’s still quite impressive that a band almost 40 years into their existence can release this quality of an album. I wasn’t a fan of Little Things during TJT tour but a little bit after the release of SOE it hit me , hard!! I love that song. Red Flag Day is another one that grew on me. Those two songs are worth the album alone. I wish they played them this tour.

How different is U2 compared to other artists that you like?
Hmmmm... I’m not really sure. My other favorite band is PJ and while they both approach their live shows completely differently, they both have a ton of energy and passion when they perform. I am into some heavier bands as well like Tool, Deftones, Faith No More etc so U2 are definitely different than some of the other stuff I’m into.

What are your hobbies and interests away from U2, musical or otherwise?
I love music. I love listening to it, playing it and seeing it live. I’m a tremendous PJ fan as well. I’ve played the drums for about 11 years and have just started playing the guitar about 2 years ago. Damn the guitar is hard but they are so cool. I have a Roland td 50 kit because acoustic kits are impossible to own in Brooklyn. As far as guitars I have two Taylor acoustic guitars, a Fender Strat, Telecaster and an Epiphone ES339 and I can barely play any of them ?. My goal is to be half as good as Sergio (Likeasong).
I also love to surf. I know NY isn’t thought of as a surfing town but I’m surrounded by great beaches. I spend most of the summer at Rockaway Beach with my wife surfing. My other passion is studying stocks. I’m very interested in trading and the psychology behind the stock market. And as far as sports, I love hockey and boxing. I’m a die hard NY Rangers fan.

I just want to take the time to thank Remy and all the admins. This site is incredible. I visit it daily. I’ve met some amazing people here ( Ed is texting me pics of PJ playing Italy as I type this. Damn you Ed!!). One of my favorite shows from 2015 was night 1 at MSG. I got to enjoy it with Dylan who is an incredibly devoted fan. Our excitement during the first notes of October and the Shine Like stars snippet are moments I’ll never forget. Here we are, never met and from two opposite corners of the world, almost in tears of excitement over a SNIPPET and it’s because of this site. I’m sure other members have had similar experiences. Even the people that I’ve not seen eye to eye with here have become people I genuinely enjoy talking to about this incredible band. It’s a great place for everyone here to share their passion and I can’t imagine not having it as an outlet.

Thanks for this interview MoFoNYR15!

Note: Our crew members choose the fan of the month, you can't sign up for it.

deanallison

6 years

I’ve listened to the elevation New York show from the 25th a good few times one of there best and a special night by the sounds of it. Good read, and it sounds like you got into u2 in a similar way to me, it was the zoo tv video for me though.

MoFoNYR15

6 years

Originally posted by deanallison:I’ve listened to the elevation New York show from the 25th a good few times one of there best and a special night by the sounds of it. Good read, and it sounds like you got into u2 in a similar way to me, it was the zoo tv video for me though.

Thanks dean! The ZooTV video was my next obsession. Along with some of the boots from that tour.

phil_lebo

6 years

Great read. Glad to see another big fan from Brooklyn. I grew up in Gravesend and still have family in Bay Ridge.
I was at the MSG night 1 show in 2015 and to hear October for the first time ever was an amazing experience. Glad someone else thought so too. I always told my daughter I would never hear that song live, and then I did.
Maybe we’ll cross paths at some point. (If you want some high quality pics form that first night in MSG, let me know, I have a few good ones.)

MoFoNYR15

6 years

Originally posted by phil_lebo:Great read. Glad to see another big fan from Brooklyn. I grew up in Gravesend and still have family in Bay Ridge.
I was at the MSG night 1 show in 2015 and to hear October for the first time ever was an amazing experience. Glad someone else thought so too. I always told my daughter I would never hear that song live, and then I did.
Maybe we’ll cross paths at some point. (If you want some high quality pics form that first night in MSG, let me know, I have a few good ones.)

Hey thanks Phil! What a small world. Yea those opening notes of October is something I’ll never forget. I too would never have thought I’d ever hear it live. I’d love to meet up at the next show, whenever that will be!

phil_lebo

6 years

Originally posted by MoFoNYR15:[..]
Hey thanks Phil! What a small world. Yea those opening notes of October is something I’ll never forget. I too would never have thought I’d ever hear it live. I’d love to meet up at the next show, whenever that will be!

Absolutely. Here's to 2020!

Alvin

6 years

Cool, nice read @MoFoNYR15 ! Btw. funny thing about hockey: Yesterday on MSG3 show we chat with an older guy and when we told him we're from Czech, he said he is a big Rangers and Jaromir Jagr fan and proudly shown us a photo of him and Jagr...

MoFoNYR15

6 years

Originally posted by Alvin:Cool, nice read @MoFoNYR15 ! Btw. funny thing about hockey: Yesterday on MSG3 show we chat with an older guy and when we told him we're from Czech, he said he is a big Rangers and Jaromir Jagr fan and proudly shown us a photo of him and Jagr...

That’s cool! I loved having Jagr on our team. To me he is a top 5 player of all time.

BigGiRL

6 years