Star of Spiderman musical hangs with U2 in studio

Currently filming new Showtime series Penny Dreadful (also starring Josh Hartnett, Timothy Dalton) in Ireland, musician and actor Reeve Carney reunited with Bono last week – as his band continue work on their much-anticipated new album at home.

Speaking to HP's Craig Fitzpatrick in the Clarence Penthouse this afternoon, Carney said:
"I actually had the opportunity to hang out him in the studio the other night. Watching them work, I'm like, 'how are you guys still so hungry for this?' That's what's crazy to me. It's really inspiring to see guys who've had that much success still be like that. I'm not even sure I have that energy now!"

Carney was privy to "amazing" material likely to end up on the follow-up to 2009's No Line On The Horizon. "I'm really excited about it," he said.

He previously tweeted:

Just experienced the modern day equivalent of hanging with the Beatles all night, watching them work! Incredible. Story for the grandkids

— Reeve Carney (@reevecarney) January 31, 2014

Carney came to the world's attention playing Peter Parker in the Bono and Edge-scored massive Broadway musical Spiderman: Turn Off The Dark and has performed with the pair on the season finale of American Idol.

He says himself and the U2 frontman bonded over being "huge Beatles freaks" and even got some of that famous Bono advice:

"He said that, when you're dealing with record companies and all these people, you really have to have songs that are bulletproof. It doesn't matter if is a hit, unless everyone thinks it's a hit at the label."

Carney, a musician in his own right, is set to play The Workman's Club in Dublin on March 1. Tickets are €12 and on sale now. Bono has enthused of him: “Reeve was everything we could have hoped for: an amazing voice and a truly charismatic presence.”

The full interview with Reeve Carney, which touches on the highs and lows of working on Turn Off The Dark, how he ended up escorting Taylor Swift to the VMAs and more, will appear in a future issue of Hot Press.