5 Questions for Matt McGee, manager of @U2 and author of U2 – A Diary

Matt McGee is the manager of @U2, maybe the best site for news and stories related to the great band U2.  Besides going a great job with the site, Matt is about to release a book on the band called U2 – A Diary, which is scheduled for release on or around October 13.  In order to spread the news about the book, Matt gave @U2 readers a chance to ask him 5 questions about the book or the band that he would respond to. These responses could then be put on our blogs or websites.  I grabbed this opportunity to ask 5 questions as I am really looking forward to adding the book to the collection of U2 related books in our library (plus it could serve as the first ever interview on this blog!).  Matt responded quickly and gave some great answers so here they are:

1. What was the motivation to take this step and write this book? 
 
The motivation was Omnibus Press opening a door and inviting me to write it. I’d love to claim the idea as my own, but I was in contact with them to pitch a different book idea. They weren’t interested in my proposal, but were interested in doing a U2 diary-style book — similar to a Beatles diary-style book they’d already published to considerable success. Since I’ve always been fascinated by U2’s history, and had lots of good material on @U2 to use as a starting point, it was pretty easy to say yes. 

2. What do you think U2 fans will enjoy most about this book? 
 
I think it’ll probably be different for everyone, or for different types of fans. I hope newer and more casual fans will appreciate learning some new things about the band that maybe they didn’t know before, or maybe the way I describe certain events will give them a new understanding of the importance of certain events. I hope longtime fans will enjoy the reference aspect of the book; since it’s the whole history of the band broken up into year-by-year chapters, it’ll be super easy to look up some date or event and quickly get the details you want to know. 
 
And I hope that everyone appreciates the timeline format and how, in my opinion, it really helps get a better sense of the band’s development and how what happened one year really impacted what happened the next year. 
 

3. What do you enjoy the most about managing @U2?  
 
There are three things that I love about being involved with @U2: 1) I get to work with some of the smartest, coolest, nicest, and best people I’ve ever met. The @U2 staff is just a really super group of people, and I’m blessed to call them friends and have them working on the site, too. 2) Getting emails from readers that just say “thanks for all you guys do” and stuff like that — it’s awesome. 3) Very similarly to that — it’s great to meet @U2 readers at concerts or other U2 events. Everyone is always so cool and so nice, and it just reminds you why you love being a U2 fan. 
 
 
4. What was the best U2 show you ever attended? 
 
Easy answer: San Jose, April 20, 2001. That’s the one that both Willie Williams and Bono both agreed was one of their best ever. I think Bono even said it was his best show ever. It was absolute magic. Crazy energy in the arena. There’s a great description of it in U2 Live – A Concert Documentary. 
 
5. In your opinion, what U2 song best captures what you believe is the true spirit of the band? 
 
I don’t know if I could pick just one song, because there’s so many faces to U2. No, actually — scratch that. Five minutes later, and my answer is “One.” It’s the quintessential U2 song. Bono always talked about wanting U2 to work on three levels: political, spiritual, and sexual. I think that song works on all three levels (and more). It’s probably one of the best five or ten songs ever written. Don’t you think?  (Phil response: without a question!)

The book can be ordered at Amazon.com, or Barnes & Noble.  I look forward to reading it and adding it to the library. 

Of course, this all adds to my excitement for the upcoming album and tour!