A day-by-day history of U2, now in its second edition.

Pick A Story, Any Story…

By on December 6, 2007 in Researching with 6 Comments

Are you in the mood for another “I wish they would get their stories straight!” post? Coolmetoo. Play along with me:

1.) Open your copy of U2 SHOW to pg. 19, where Paul McGuinness is being interviewed. Here’s the quote to note:

When I saw them in the Project I agreed to be their manager on the spot.

2.) Put that aside, please, and open up your copy of U2 by U2 to page 56. They’re talking about that first meeting — Paul and the band, May 25, 1978. Check the left column, this quote from Paul:

I thought, well, this could be the band, but we spent a few weeks, maybe months, kind of skirting around each other, inspecting each other and having meetings and just trying to find out whether the other people were smart or committed or on the same wavelength.

So I ask again: How’s a guy supposed to get the story right if it keeps changing?!? 🙂

For the record, I’m going with the second version (from U2 by U2) in my book.

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There Are 6 Brilliant Comments

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  1. bjoern says:

    Hi Matt,

    maybe thats just me, but I think these two stories do not contradict eachother. from what I`ve read: McGuinness was looking for a ‘baby-band’ and got hints at checking our U2. He met them, they talked, he spoke to other people trying to find out more about U2s background etc. It took time. Then he finally saw them play live and they signed the contract after this live gig – the first McGuinness saw. So that would put the two stories together.

    best

    b.-

  2. Matt says:

    Hi Bjorn — if you read through ppg. 54-56 of U2 by U2, he’s clearly talking about AFTER the gig on May 25. The U2 by U2 version totally contradicts the U2 Show version. 🙂

  3. bjoern says:

    damn, I should never travel without m U2 by U2 book. there should be a text-only version available 🙂

  4. rihannsu says:

    Well, he did sort of agree to be their manager on the spot as he did start to act as their manager but they danced around a while before they signed an actual contract. At least that’s the way I understood it.

  5. COca says:

    yes.. but. Remember:

    Contradiction is a balance 😉

  6. Bill Poskarbiewicz says:

    As a musician of over 25 years and member of countless bands, I can tell you its very easy to jumble up all these little details of who said/did what/when… Most of the time you have no idea that this little moment in an uneventful gig or meeting will be looked back on 20 years later as historic.

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