U2 were just beginning to come to the attention of the world, and the USA in particular, after their spectacular Red Rocks concert in Colorado in 1983 put them on the map, so in June 1985, Guitar Player caught up with The Edge for his first cover interview, catching him in classic early pose with iconic Gibson Explorer in hand, and slightly less iconic mullet on top.
The interview set out what has become The Edge manifesto over the subsequent 40 years. “What do I find challenging? Tearing up the rule book and saying, ‘Okay, given that this is my instrument, what can I do with it that no one else has done before?’ I try to approach it like, ‘This is the first time I’ve ever played a guitar. What am I going to do?’ That’s one way of getting straight through the conscious mind into the subconscious layer where the true creative spirit lies.”
At the time of publication, U2 were probably the biggest underground band in the world. A couple of months later, they had been the stars of Live Aid and nothing would ever be the same again.
You can read The Edge’s thoughts on what U2 were before the storm broke here.
