50 Years In, What's the Point of U2? Bono and the Edge Have Answers.

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The Edge (0:58)

People are upset of U2 that we're the band that people who don't know that they believe in God like. So I think there's an element of it.

David Marchese (1:08)

I'd say that personally is true. But yeah.

I'm David Marchese from the New York Times here in the streets of Dublin for a U2 performance. And tomorrow I'll be talking with Bono and the Edge from the band. I traveled to Ireland to watch U2 take the city by storm. They performed at the school where they all first met.

The Edge (1:32)

Thank you for having me in the margoth.

David Marchese (1:38)

Then they gave a surprise free concert on the streets of the city, drawing a massive crowd. It's all to celebrate not just U2's 50th anniversary, but the release of their first album in eight years called Carnaval de Luz.

Bono and the Edge are the band's creative engine, and they've always been an intriguing pair to me. Bono, the out-there, outspoken frontman, Edge, the low-key guitarist and musical mastermind. Here's my conversation with Bono and the Edge. But first, a quick message. If you're not a subscriber, we have some news for you. You can now explore The Times for free without paywalls during your first month in the New York Times app. Just download the app and we hope you enjoy it. Okay, on to the interview.

You guys know we're taking the whole ride in this conversation, right? Okay, good.

The Edge (2:32)

You're going the whole ride, okay?

David Marchese (2:34)

But thank you very much.

Bono (2:35)

You snowflakes, yeah? Come and get me if you're hard enough.

David Marchese (2:39)

So I want to ask you guys about what U2 is now, 50 years after you started. And so I think of the band has at various times wanting to be the best band in the world and wanting to be the biggest band in the world. And sometimes those two are the same things, maybe sometimes those two aren't. But it probably shouldn't be the case that the best and biggest rock and roll band in the world is a band that's been around for 50 years, comprised of guys in their 60s. I was thinking about if it would be like if in 1976, Al Jolson was stomping around.

SPEAKER_5 (3:28)

It's very, very hurtful of the days.

David Marchese (3:31)

But what do you...

SPEAKER_5 (3:31)

But fair.

David Marchese (3:33)

Hurtful but fair is what I go for.

But what do you guys think the purpose of U2 is right now? What should U2 be trying to be?

The Edge (3:48)

We genuinely think that we might just write the best song we've ever written next week or do the best show we've ever done next tour. And when we talk about the best, we're not thinking about rock and roll in its just the song. We're thinking about our favorite bands. And I always think, when I'm in the audience at a show, what would I want to see and hear? So it's like where rock and roll collides with activism, where rock and roll collides with ideas from fine arts, and I suppose a transcendent aspect as well.

We've never thought it was necessary to hold back our own spiritual quests and questionings from our work. They are all expressed, and when we hit a song that I think has a transcendent quality, that's the peak for me, and I can relate to it in other work, in other music from other bands, so I recognize it. And it's not always the obvious person. It might be a Van Morrison or gospel songs, whatever.

So I really think we're in with a shout of the best songs we've ever written, the best tours we've ever done still. So that's why I'm still in this band.