U-N-I Ch. 06 - Part 02

PART 2

This is the first chapter to the second part of the story and it takes place four years after chapter 5.

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"And the winner for best album of the year is ... it can only be .... U-N-I" the presenter of the award loudly announced.

We all smiled at each other at bit amazed to have won this award, considering the competition. But I guess it was our night. We hugged and started making our way onto the stage, hearing the crowd scream and cheer and feeling so proud of ourselves.

While one of our latest songs was being played, a woman commentator's voice resonated around the venue,

"After winning best song and best live act, this is U-N-I's third award of the night, for their second album "A message". U-N-I have sold 10 million copies of this album worldwide. They will be playing four nights at the O2 Arena in London to conclude the European leg of their tour, and will start touring again in South America, and then a string of dates in the US "

We hugged the two presenters and Rob was handed the award. We would always let him talk because of being his usual confident self when he was in public like that, he would always deliver a good speech,

"Thank you so much everybody. Thanks for being so nice to us when we played." he said with the biggest smile, looking over at us. "We'd like to thank our producer, Nigel Smith, who has worked on this album with us and contributed to make it as good as we had hoped when we started recording. Thank you to Tom Wallace, our manager, who's doing a great job putting up with us. This is only our second album, and we're only 22, so you know, we're Irish, and we don't like to admit that we think we're great, so tonight, we'd like to agree with you for giving us this award. We're so grateful to be in this position, so thank you so much for giving us our job and for listening to our music, we appreciate it more than you can imagine! This is a dream come true for us! Thank you!"

After the ceremony, we did the usual interviews and photographs with the journalists and headed back to the hotel where a party was taking place with most of the celebrities present in the city that night. We knew we'd get to chat and party with a few of them.

We loved award ceremonies. When we had attended one for the first time I remember thinking how no one could teach you how to handle fame. No one could give you the tools to learn how to cope with it. There were no evening classes in being famous, there was no celebrity support group you could go to. But in fact, there were... and they were called award ceremonies.

When we came into the hotel, we walked by the bar and I stopped dead in my track. Damon bumped into me as I stopped walking and I grabbed his arm. He looked in the same direction as me and said,

"Oh man!"

Bono from U2 was standing at the bar, talking to someone. I couldn't believe it. He wasn't even at the ceremony. We had been wanting to meet him for so long but it still felt like an unreachable dream. Even though we were now working in the same business, following in his footsteps, it still seemed to be unattainable. I had been waiting for that moment my whole life, or so it seemed.

U2 was our favourite band growing up, they were an inspiration to us. And since we had started becoming successful, there had been a lot of comparisons made between our music and theirs, because we did draw a lot of influence from them, and we were from Ireland, just like they were, which made the comparison even more evident. If I had wanted us to have a similar career to any band on this planet, that would have been U2, no doubt. To me, they were the greatest band in the world.

We kind of all stood there and watched him, trying to think of a good way to approach him, when he saw us, waved and smiled. He then told the person he was talking with that he would be right back, or that's what it seemed like and he walked up to us. We couldn't believe it. I knew I couldn't. When he was within arm's reach, he extended his arm for a handshake, saying, like we were old friends,

"Well, hello there, how are you?"

We shook his hand, not really sure what to say. It was so overwhelming. I was speechless. It's quite something when you meet your idol. If it hadn't been for fear of making a fool of myself, I might have just passed out!

"I've heard so much about you. So glad we finally get to meet. I'd love to have a chat with you. I really liked your albums, it's quite something for kids your age."

We thanked him, trying to act as cool as possible,

"Let me ask the bartender for some drinks, it's still quiet for now."

We all sat around a large table at the far end of the bar and he said,

"Congratulations, you deserved those awards tonight. How does it feel?"

I smiled and we were all silent for a few seconds, trying to get over the fact that Bono was right there, talking to us and I replied,

"To be honest, it feels amazing and surreal."

"Yeah," Jordan agreed, "jeez, I'm sorry but I can't even believe we're sitting here, about to have a drink with you right now. I mean, we are huge fans. You're such an inspiration, really. This, this is unbelievable," he was so thrilled and excited that Bono laughed.

"Well, of course I'm here, us Irish people gotta stick together but, hey, I like your excitement, you should never lose your sense of wonder."

"So how is it going?" he continued. "I know it's not easy to be a new band these days, but you are so different, I like you. I just hope you won't let the industry eat you alive," he told us with concern.

The bartender came over with our drinks, interrupting the conversation. We had a sip and we resumed talking.

"Yes, everything that's happening is a bit overwhelming, this is a tough industry." I said "Now after two albums, I think the hardest part is promoting them."

"Ahh well, you know, that's how it works. I've been there. You spend all this time and energy trying to get a record deal, writing songs, then you get to the end of this whole struggle and find out it's only the beginning. You've got great talent and great potential, don't waste it. Don't lose yourselves in this industry. You are so like us, I have this feeling that you could just be the next U2."

It was so wonderful to hear that. Hearing Bono call us the next U2 is still to this day one of the greatest moments of my life. I tried to stay cool but inside, I was feeling completely ecstatic.

"You're alone out there. But I really think it's important that you get to where you're going, you get a chance to fulfill your potential. You know, U2 is still alive after twenty years of working together because what we do is rock music and we are not motivated by anything else but the music. And let me tell you, if U2 is on the radio, if you're on the radio, if you get to number one, you're doing all the people that make that crap factory-produced music out of a job. I think it's important. You've got big talent, you've got a part to play."

We all looked at each other, convinced. Bono was talking to us as if our opinions were important to him. He was putting us in the middle of the conversation even though he was doing all the talking. Sort of like our involvement and agreement was vital and he was talking with such warmth, humour and humility. We were mesmerized.

"My God, you are really good for your age. It's the first time in years that I've looked at a new band and been able to see you will still be around in twenty years. I can just see it and the audience will see it too. You have that quality. Don't lose it. Never forget where you're coming from and what you've got to say. I remember being that young, we formed U2 when we were 15,16. We were full of dreams, waiting to be discovered."

"Yeah, we started writing our first songs together around that age as well," I told him.

"Funny thing, I listened carefully to your lyrics and I just heard what was going on in my head when I was your age."

"Well, yeah, sure, you're our inspiration!" Damon laughed.

"All I can tell you is that you have to give as much as you can to your public, in your lyrics, on stage.... I heard you were really good on stage!"

"That's what they say!"Rob smiled a little shyly.

"You know, can I offer you a word of advice?" he asked Rob seriously.

"Please do." Rob encouraged him.

"As a singer, you have to give. You have to look like you belong up there. Your fans can't all be at the front row. What you give to them can't be about physical proximity. It's something to do with generosity that makes for a great live event. It's nothing to do with scale. You've just got to give."

"It's hard though, to give all the time. Cause it's not just on stage that I have to do it. I feel like I need to be someone else when I'm on stage or in public so I just sort of create different personalities and slip into the most appropriate one. But I'm afraid I might just end up forgetting who I really am."

Bono laughed,

"I know what you mean. To tell you the truth, I have no control over who I wake up as. I wish I did. But they are not enemies, these different sides to yourself. The thing is that it makes it hard to perform when you're just not in the mood and not to perform when you are. Sometimes, I just go back home after a tour and want to climb on the table at 11o'clock every night and try to perform and I'm wondering where the 50,000 people are."

We all laughed.

"But no matter how you feel, the public always gives something back. Blind panic always sets in before a gig but then you set foot on stage and get completely intoxicated by the reception of the audience. It can be a very trippy experience, like you're on the moon or something. They make you feel special and if you are trying to fill a hole music and being a performer is an obvious route."

"Yeah, that's true," Rob continued, "I think we've always had a bit of faith and we knew we could be successful, but now that we are, it's a bit tough sometimes. I mean we feel very grateful to be in the position we're in, but it comes with a lot of pressure."

"Of course. You know, people are always gonna think that your life is so much better than theirs. The media can be so powerful. People believe more of what they read than what they actually see. What you own, the money, that's not what's important. It's never been important to me. It's the family and the work. The people you love. They remind you who you are. That's important. It's the same things everyone cares about."

"Yes, sure," Rob said, "but I already feel like some people look at me like I'm better than them. Some of them see me as perfection. I mean I can see they feel a sense of admiration when they look at me and it's very disturbing. I don't feel that special."

"Yeah, but that's not a bad thing. It means you're already making a difference. You're lucky enough to have touched a few lives. In all modesty, I have probably touched millions. I hope I have. I hope you will, all of you. I can see you all have a tremendous energy inside you. I'm sure you feel you could go on all night when you're on stage."

We all smiled and nodded. It was so true. "You know, Rock 'n' Roll can give you the power to change the world, use it, mobilize people as much as you can through your music."

"How do you do it?" Damon asked curiously. "I mean, how do you manage to find time to actually fit in your family and U2 and all the charitable causes?"

"I manage to find time because I am not in any way at peace. I think the world is a really unfair and often wicked place, and beauty is a consolation prize. And it's not enough for me. It just isn't. There's always been a kind of rage in me and it does still bubble up. Debt relief is not a charity. Seven thousand Africans dying every day of a preventable, treatable disease is not a cause, it's an emergency...and if you feel that rage, if you can give some of your time to make a change, any change, you've got to do it."

I couldn't help but think that coming out was probably one of the first steps Rob and I would have to take if we wanted to try and make a change in society. We would surely do a big service to the gay community if we decided to be completely open about our true selves. I didn't think I wanted to become a gay activist though, but if our coming out publlicly could help some people to be honest about themselves and others to be more open-minded and tolerant, I was starting to think I would be willing to do it.

"Yeah, fame definitely gives you that power, doesn't it?" Dylan said.

"Fame is a weird thing. It can be quite tough. There's some strong stuff out there, and I'm not talking about drink and drugs. I'm talking about other ways of seeing the world just through the prismof being a star and being so privileged you can get bent out of shape. The whole business of people thinking you're important because you can write a song and sing it rather than being a nurse or a fireman, how absurd is that? You gotta stay humble."

"Yeah," I said, "we are relatively grounded people, and we have a sense of who we are but it's easy to let the fame, the touring and the concerts get to your head and make you forget that you have to still focus as hard as ever on writing good music, you know. I think that's why you're so good ; because with every album, and we try to have the same philosophy as you, which is we have to treat it like it's our first and last record, and we can't rely on the fact that the last one did well, or that we're really famous, we can't rely on any of that stuff."

"You might never get another chance." Jordan added.

We grew a bit quiet and all of a sudden, Bono said to us,

"You know, I really like you boys. We might work together one of these days, what do you think? Let's give you some time to get back into the studio, maybe on your next album."

I didn't know if he could see it on my face, probably, since I couldn't stop smiling, but inside I was jumping up and down exhilarated, and I could tell by the way we all looked at each other that I was not the only one to feel this way. Bono was actually offering to work with us. We were good enough to work with U2. That was insane! Hearing this instantly made my heart beat faster and my body temperature rise. I felt euphoric and there was more to come.

"I'd love to work with you. You remind me of Edge when he was younger, you have that quality as a musician. No one plays like Edge, his riffs can't quite be replicated by another. Edge's sound is so him. Take him away from U2 and U2 wouldn't sound like U2 at all and as I listened to your album, that's what I heard. U-N-I wouldn't sound the same without you. As an original, you're right up there! There are very few musicians who can do this, it's an amazing gift and the fact that you already have that quality at your age is remarkable. I see so much potential in all of you."

I smiled and thanked him for the compliment, probably blushing a little. Rob and Jordan looked at me and smiled broadly. They knew what I was thinking and how it was making me feel to hear that. I'd had people compliment me on my playing but coming from Bono, it meant the world to me.

"You're really not kidding about wanting to work with us?" Damon asked cheerfully, "oh that would be the dream. I actually had a dream about that. You'd make my dream come true if we did work together."

Bono laughed,

"Ah, well, in that case I'd be happy to!"

We talked for a few more minutes. We wanted him to tell us absolutely everything he could tell us. We had so many questions, we had been fans our whole lives, it felt like we knew him, his life, his work, there were so many things we wanted to know, so much advice we wanted him to give us. He had done everything we were preparing ourselves to do. We were so delighted and overjoyed to talk to him.

I asked him a few questions about some of U2's lyrics I found intriguing and I got my answers. I wished we could have talked all night long. When he left, he wished us good luck for the future and said something I will always remember,

"Remember this. If you want an easy life, if you're happy with your lot, if you see success as your goal, it's over. I think there's nothing sadder than people who think they have arrived. I know you've got a future. I know you can fill stadiums, never stop working and never stop giving. Keep dreaming and reinventing yourselves. Don't lose your musical and intellectual curiosity, there's always things to discover. Wear your heart on your sleeve and be real. And let your doubts and insecurities fuel your work. Don't be scared of them. If you want to be the biggest rock band in the world, you will be, it's as simple as that."

We stayed at the table for a while, stunned into silence for some time before we began talking. We still couldn't believe we had just won three awards, met Bono and that we might work with him.

"He called us the next U2," Damon said in disbelief.

"He did," Dylan exclaimed. "How insane is that?"

"He said he wanted to work with us!" I exclaimed. "Guys, I mean...fuck, that's like my biggest dream."

"Because you're as good as Edge," Rob said to me with a grin.

I shook my head and laughed. I didn't think I was but I wasn't about to argue with Bono.

"Wah," Jordan sighed. "I'm gonna have to be extra serious if we work with him."

'D'you think that's something you can do?" I asked him.

He shrugged,

"Let's join the party? I need to release some energy right now! Plus, I heard Taylor Swift might be there," he wiggled his brows.

Damon laughed,

"You really think you can bang Taylor Swift?"

"Oh I think I'm gonna try!" Jord smirked.

He was the only one who was still single and enjoying sleeping around. He was not the kind to settle down. Damon and Dylan both had girlfriends, hot ones too.

We joined the party, which was already going strong. We drank, danced, and talked with many people. At some point, Rob started hanging out and partying with a few girls and I began chatting with Miles Kane, an English musician, whose music I loved. When Rob came over to me again, I was in an in-depth music discussion with him.

He placed his hand on my shoulder and leaned closer to me, "Hey, can I talk to you?" he asked.

"Hey man, how you doing?" he said to Miles, extending his hand for a handshake.

"Good. Congratulations on tonight's awards. You scored quite a few!"

"Thanks."

"Hold that thought," I said to Miles and walked away from him to talk with Rob.

"Have you seen the guy I was talking to?" he asked me with a grin on his face.

"No," I answered. I didn't even know where he'd been.

He discreetly pointed at him,

"Black jacket, in Rihanna's crew over there, he's one of her dancers."

"Oh yeah," I said, checking him out.

I knew he was telling me about him because he had something in mind. He was a tall and muscular mix-raced boy, probably around 25.

"Fancy a threesome?" he asked seductively.

"Gay?" I said under my breath.

"Definitely flirting with me," he answered, sounding horny.

I stared discreetly at the guy for a few seconds. He was super hot.

"Alright, you go for it!"

Rob smiled.

"Cool, let's bring on the charm!"

He walked away and I resumed my conversation with Miles. A few minutes later, he came back and whispered in my ear,

"Let's go?"

I smiled at him,

"Ok." I turned to Miles again and ended the conversation, "Talk to you later?"

"Sure, it was great talking with you!" he answered.

"You too. Thanks for all the advice."

"You're welcome."

We walked away and I raised my eyebrows in a question.

"So?"

"He's coming up to our room," he grinned, sounding pleased with himself.

Now, although I was not particularly in the mood before, I was starting to get horny and excited.