THE U2 COVERS: No. 4, “Poll Voting Champions: U2”

February 19, 1982

Talking to Niall Stokes about their near clean sweep of the Readers’ Poll – sadly Female Singer and Best Trad Musician were beyond them - Bono asserted: “I don’t care what people are, whether they’ve long hair, short hair or they’re skinheads – if someone is being excited by the music, then I’m happy. I don’t care for clichés myself, or stock responses, but people get a chance to let go at our gigs and they do. As long as it’s not violent or too alcoholic – and by that I don’t mean being drunk, but becoming senseless. If people express themselves, then that’s good. And if elitist followers are put off by that, then that’s up to them.
“What I’d like to get across, without sounding trite, is that our belief in the people who come to see us is very strong,” he added. “That’s what’s important about our relationship with our audience.”
Despite winning Best Irish Album – The Undertones’ Positive Touch and Paul Brady’s Hard Station were respectively second and third – the Edge admitted that the reaction to October had been decidedly mixed.
“A lot of people who liked Boy were disappointed by it while people who didn’t like Boy preferred October. What the response indicates is that you can’t come to terms with our music in one or two listens. It’s like with ’11 O’Clock Tick Tock’ – that didn’t get a great reaction when it was released, but it came through a year later to be voted Best Single on Dave Fanning’s rock show. I think October will prove to be a very important album for the band.”
He wasn’t wrong! Interestingly the search for the new U2, AKA Most Promising Act, put Tokyo Olympics in pole followed by The Atrix, The Blades, Some Kind Of Wonderful and Teen Commandments.

You can also see all of U2's Hot Press covers in the flesh as part of our 40th Birthday Exhibition in the National Photographic Archive in Meeting House Square, Temple Bar, Dublin. Open seven days a week, admission free!