November 06, 2004

Hot Press reviews new U2 album

Hot Press's Peter Murphy reviews How to disable an atomic bomb in this weeks' Hot Press, the leading Irish music magazine. The article is available online for subscribers and gives the album 8.5 out of 10:

"But when early reports telegraphed this as Edge’s record, they were obviously referring to his choirboy melodic instincts as much as an addiction to noise. Atomic Bomb is positively Spector-esque in its ambition, although curiously enough, it’s not a showy record, the playing being mostly subservient to the songs."

Also in this issue, an interview with ex-Virgin Prunes Gavin Friday and Guggi, who have been promoting the re-release of their body of work on Mute Records. Murphy asks the two about their days in Shalom, the born again Christian movement U2 were a part of as well. We find out what happened to the movement's leader:

Gavin: “But the big, big tale was years later, when I opened up Mr Pussy’s Café Deluxe, Bono’s older brother Norman, who ran the restaurant, said, ‘There’s a few geezers down here who want to meet you.’ I was upstairs with Bono and Guggi having fish and chips. And I come down, there’s a big table of six transvestites – bonnets, bad wedding outfits – and I sit down and go, ‘Howya lads. What’s your name? I’m Gavin.’ And this one guy says, ‘No you’re not. You’re Fionan.’ And then I went, ‘Say that again.’

Guggi: “He had a very distinctive voice.”

Gavin: “You’re talking about someone in his mid-50s with a bonnet and a pink outfit, and he looked like . . .”

Guggi: “Crap make-up. Unshaven.”

Gavin: “Frightening. Yer da in drag. And then he goes, ‘Praise the lord.’ And I went (mimics panic attack), ‘Oh my god, it’s . . . Yer a fuckin’ trannie.’ It was the leader of the Christian movement.”