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This little mother of a rollercoaster is a tour and a cost of epimedic proportions
And so it came to pass U2 chose to bring their stage spectactular to my new home of Tampa Bay around the time of my book's release. How weird. I say weird because a show of this magnitude takes over two years to tour and another year to plan (and probably another year to get over it!) How nice they should turn up now when I have a quote from Paul McGuinness on the front cover and the book is littered with the lessons we all learned from professionally working together. It's was a perfect time for us all to be growing up in the music business and learning from it's masters.
Suffice to say they now have an audience of global proportion, in fact if I had known I was going to write a book when they were meticulously planning this I might have blagged the support slot. However Muse applied themselves admirably, they were quite brilliant and good on U2 for allowing them a stage and sound worthy of their talent. Both sound and lighting was excellent and clearly the audience loved them. It reminded me of when U2 supported Talking Heads at the Hammersmith Palais and their sound guy was none too pleased with the audience reaction for the support band. Strangely during the second half of the set the sound wasn't quite as good. U2 fear no one, why should they? They worked long and hard at this and having seen what went in to it I have nothing but admiration for the whole razzamatazz. I thought I'd share a few insights.
This little mother of a rollercoaster is a tour and a cost of epimedic proportions. It's been reported it costs nearly half a million pounds PER DAY to keep 'The Claw' on the road. Close encounters of the costly kind.
When U2 tour everyone wants to go, even the people who aren't fans of their music NEED to say they went to the U2 show. It's vital to their share options. If they didn't go they'll lie about going. This is quite simply the greatest show on earth and in Tampa last Friday it was the biggest, even bigger than The Superbowl they staged there in January (70,000 v 72,000.) Better too. No men with big shoulders bouncing off each other and kicking the ball out of the ground.
If a band becomes this big then give the audience something they can go home and talk about. And they do. Let's face it theirs, like everyone elses records aren't selling like they used to so let people know you came to town. And don't let that be just a conversation about the ticket price. While some tickets were $250 'down front' or whatever they call that cess pit at the front where you fry for 5 hours in 90 degree temperatures. (a portion of which incidentally went to Third World countries) However, there were still some tickets at just $30, albeit it high up in the third tier of the monstrous Raymond James Stadium and directly on the flight path to Tampa International Airport. You may have got a closer view of the passengers sipping a rum n coke in club class than you would of the four little Irishmen on stage. I lied! It's not directly on the flight path but close enough. I was thinking all the time what the hell 'The Claw' would have looked like from above with it's huge tower rising skyward, together with it's own beacon lit at the top to warn off low flying aircaft!
I'm not going to review the concert, just google U2 and give yourself four or five hours and you'll hear from the media and the masses. I'm here to pour fond memories over the event and give you my humble little story from it's inception in my heat frazzled head to the culmination of the night.
Now being the 'not wanting to hassle people' old fool I am I don't like blagging. Why I haven't a clue, I've given millions of records away over the years to radio and TV stations and hardened blaggers. I've sipped coffee and vented with some who I'm sure loved my stock room more than they loved me. At one time in my offices in Manchester at the now legendary 48 Princess Street everyone from Happy Mondays to World of Twist to Hooky to Simply Red and beyond all had their appointed management set ups there. There wasn't enough room to swing a rock star. It had it's drawbacks though when DJ's, band members, their girlfriends, wives, gardeners and drug dealers would all think they could take the lift up to the top floor where we were hiding and raid my cupboards. I have to say there were laced with the crown jewels as we worked some mighty fine acts at the time, The Pixies, New Order, The Police, Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Cocteau Twins, REM etc. But I had a job to do and it wasn't to supplement their record collection. I'm sure half of them ended up in some record store, somewhere...anywhere? In fact it got so ridiculous I asked the landlord if we could 'freeze out' the button for the top floor so no one could get up there with prior consent! There was only his and my offices up there so what the hell, it would have stopped me hiding under the desk and pretending not to be in.
Anyway back to basics...huh, a U2 tour basic, hardly. I'd had a couple of conversations with old friends back in the UK and they had all been telling me, forcing me to go. 'You have to go Toe, your book's coming out you have to be at these things.' I can't say they were wrong, on the contrary if I have something coming out I have a duty to promote it. Damn it I am after all a promotion guy, I should know as well as anyone. Eventually after my friend and work colleague Darrin who had put so many sweat hours in to building the website, facilitating the cover design etc said, 'Any chance?' I surrendered, it was after all payback time. That's not to say I didn't want to go, I did. I just didn't want to go through going, it's a pain...please, if at all possible could I possibly just be picked up and lowered in to the stadium and when they're done take me home and deposit me in my bed.
I relented on the Wednesday evening and sent an e-mail to Principal Management, or more specifically to Susan, Paul McGuinness' pa who's personal e-mail I fortunately hadn't mislaid. 'Please, I know it's a hassle but if at all possible blah blah blah..' I thought nothing more of it and sloped of to bed. The following morning I logged on (to my computer , not my bed) and there before me, a reply. 'Paul McGuinness has two tickets for you and two passes. Please collect at Will Call.' (Yes I thought that too when I experienced my first ever guest passes in the USA. What or who the fuck is Will Call and what has he got to do with anything? Why would I call anyone anyway if I was just collecting tickets? It's the American's way of saying 'guest list at box office' Will call, I ask you. And I suppose if you can't go then you're a 'Will Can't' Nonsence, but happy nonesense.
We arrived at THE BOX OFFICE and I blurted a half hearted 'Tony Michaelides' nervously dreading they may not be there and I'd have to go back and watch Gossip Girl. The luscious cutie at The Raymond James box office (Wilma Call?) smiled and slid a crisp envelope under the window. 'Enjoy the show' she whispered. I melted and thought of dumping Darrin and inviting her. I gently opened up the envelope and there before me were not only two tickets but two laminates, two wrist bands, two more for passes to the band's mixing desk. Instructions how to get there and two invites to the backstagew hospitality. How terribly nice I though, how thoughtful and considerate. Now I'm glad I went, maybe there would be a chair somewhere and I could enjoy a diet coke and some nimbles before it got noisy.
Joking apart and not for a minute am I ungrateful, on the contrary I haven't worked with U2 for close on 25 years and remarkably they seemed to have managed OK without me! It's amazing that they still remember the few of us that were there right from the beginning working long and hard on helping to build their profile. I did my bit with radio and TV but to be honest I was the only one in the promotion department at that time that 'got it.' The Head of Promotion at the time was too intent on promoting stuff that was easier to get on the radio like Steve Winwood and Robert Palmer. I won't mention names except to say they aren't in the business now! The real champions in those formative days were Neil and Rob in the Press Department at Island Records, where the buzz really first began. They got people like Paul Morley to write about them and go along and see the endless London gigs they were playin back then in the late 70's culminating in a coverted NME front cover. (Remember when an NME front cover actually meant something....) In fact it was the late Rob Partidge who 'discovered' U2 and passed them on to the A and R department and gave a heads up to 'Captain Bill,' one Nick Stewart and Annie Roseberry who duly did the decent thing and sign them. By his own admission Chris Blackwell, not a bad A and R man himself didn't see it at first! U2 though, never forgot. When Rob lost his battle against cancer late last year they canceled a days recording and all four of the band and their manager Paul flew to the UK for his funeral. A sad day for U2 and for all of us, Rob was an unbelievable person and a magnificent record company person. A true giant.
This I fear could be very very long. When I start to write about U2, obviously one of my career highs it isn't hard to find words to explain how they became what they are, how it's a work ethic everyone should admire irrespective of personal musical tastes. How inspirational a journey it was. It gave me ample material for my book and they are living proof of how you grow from making mistakes, taking risks and embracing the opportunities when they come your way. Success by your own making.
There's plenty more information and advice from me and many others on my website www.insightscollection.com and my You Tube channel which is TMTV although I think we had to register in the name TonyMichaelidesTV as some inconsiderate dared to use my initials! They'll be ample footage, interviews and archive material. It'll be a load of fun and laced with a load of knowledge from the people who lived through an exciting time in the music industry and who have plenty to say about it. Their achievements are worth admiring at any time. And I dare say they'll also be a bunch more on this wonderful evening. How I met my old friend Joe, U'2s sound guy for close on 32 years and part of the 'inner sanctum.' Now with wife and daughter on the road he told me there are over 400 people on the road on this tour. And as I looked up and looked around at the vastness of it all it still brings a lump to my throat. Who'd have ever thought....... And how amazingly after nearly 20 years I met and spoke with Paul McGuinness.
It was a special night for everyone who was there on that beautifully warm Floridian evening. With the sun setting directly behind the stage and shimmering on to the giant 'claw' it made for some extra special effects. But for me just being there was extra special. Sometimes the past doesn't seem that long ago.Wonderful times laced with wonderful memories.
Tags: u2 tony michaelides tampa florida
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