Giorgio Raffaele Castellino

Gerry Mulligan

The biography of the four Irish musicians and particularly of their leader Bono. Their first steps, the first successes, the growing international celebrity and the undying world-wide fame of one of the greatest rock-bands of all time. But U2 and Bono don’t only mean music; they also mean social and political commitment. Not just a book for the band’s fans but also a book for readers with musical and social interests.
 
 Teacher's Resources available online: Answer Key - Transcripts - Summing-up Activities
 
 La biografia dei quattro musicisti irlandesi e in particolare del leader Bono Vox. I primi passi, i primi successi, la crescente notorietà e la consacrata fama internazionale di una delle più grandi rockbands di tutti i tempi. Ma gli U2 e Bono non sono solo musica, sono anche impegno sociale e politico. Un reader non solo per i fans del gruppo, ma per tutti coloro che hanno interessi musicali e civili.

Paul Hewson (Bono)

Lawrence Joseph Mullen (Larry)

David Evans (The Edge)

Adam Clayton (Sparky)

Chapter 1 - The beginning

Extension: Punk and new wave

Chapter 2 - First records and hits

Extension: The Irish question

Chapter 3 - Thumbs up for U2

Extension: Multiple meanings in some of U2’s hits

Chapter 4 - U2 on stage

Extension: Rock groups

Chapter 5 - Standard and innovative tunes

Extension: Dublin

Chapter 6 - Private and public Bono

Extension: Frequently asked questions

Summing-up activities

Glossary

David Evans (The Edge) David Evans (The Edge) was born on 8th August 1961 in London. A year later his family moved to Malahide, near Dublin, and he received primary education there. Mount Temple Comprehensive High School was also Dave s secondary school and it was difficult for him at the start. He was naturally shy and reserved and yet highly intelligent. He enjoyed studies and wanted to become a doctor, but piano and guitar playing lessons in the school caught his attention also at this time. He began playing these instruments regularly. Dave was the first to respond to Larry s ad to form a band which was placed on the school notice-board. With the encouragement of his music teacher, Albert Bradshaw, and accompanied by his brother Dick and their common friend Adam Clayton, he attended the audition in Larry Mullen s home. He played rock guitar revealing influences of the big rock bands of the time like Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones. Accepted as a member of the group that came to be called Feedback, Dave began to hang around12 with the other members both in and out of school and was nicknamed  Dave Edge  by Bono: partly because of his tendency to be on the edge13 of things, that is, not completely involved in what is going on around him, and partly because of the sharp shape of his chin. The Edge worked on in school while practising with the band in the school gymnasium, influenced by the big groups of the 1970 s. In the early gigs they only played covers of well-known bands. It was only with the final changing of the band name that the writing and composing started for real. The Edge became interested in the spiritual world along with Bono and Larry, together they joined the Shalom Charismatic Christian group and started moving toward becoming born again Christians. This created big upsets and problems for The Edge. One of these regarded the moral dilemma about being a Christian and a rock n roll player. In 1982 The Edge told Bono that he was going to take two weeks leave from U2 in order to14 understand whether he wanted to stay in the band or not. After a few days, he made up his mind15 after listening to Bono s advice to follow his heart: he would stay committed16 to U2. i 12. hang around: to spend time in a place waiting or doing nothing. 13. edge: border. 14. in order to: with the aim of. 15. made up his mind: decided. 16. committed: loyal and willing to give your time and energy. 6 

aP Adam Clayton (Sparky) Adam Clayton U2 s bass player was born on 13th March, 1960 in the English village of Chinnor in Oxfordshire. His father was an RAF pilot, a job which involved a lot of travelling. The family moved to Ireland in 1965, to a suburb of Dublin. There he attended his first school, St. Andrew s Primary, where he met and made friends with David Evans (The Edge). For a short time after primary school he was sent to a boarding school in south Dublin, St. Columba s, where he became rebellious. At the age of 13 he got a bass guitar in a deal negotiated with his mother to work harder in school. The guitar arrived but he never delivered on17 working harder. In 1976 he came to Mount Temple Comprehensive School and back to his friend David again. He enjoyed the effects of behaving outrageously, he streaked18 in school and when he wore clothes, they were the brightest and wildest in design. He taught himself to play the bass guitar and meeting up with Larry and joining the band as bass guitarist and manager at first gave him the means to channel his rebellious spirit into something highly creative. Like Bono he was not recognisably gifted in music skills at first, but he really worked on his playing with great determination. His bass playing today rates with19 the best in the world. Adam Clayton has always received special attention from the world press. Maybe it all started in 1989 when he was arrested for possession of cannabis. Then in 1993, when he became engaged20 to super-model Naomi Campbell, he was never out of the headlines21: more a celebrity than a musician. In this period he also had some problems with the band because of his alcohol dependency. He even missed playing in a concert because he had drunk too much alcohol at a party.  Sparky , as his closest friends call him, possibly has had the roughest and most individual journey: in fact, unlike the other three, with their strong religious beliefs, he had to find his own. And it looks and sounds now as if he has achieved that. Du p 17. delivered on: did what he has promised to do. 18. streaked: ran naked. 19. rates with: is esteemed among. 20. engaged: having someone as a girlfriend or boyfriend. 21. headline: title of a newspaper. 7 

Narrativa inglese, livello B2 intermedio. La biografia dei quattro musicisti irlandesi e in particolare del leader Bono Vox.

U2 - Collana RAINBOWS

Level B2 • Intermediate - Collana RAINBOWS

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