Tim Wheeler talks Slane past and present

“I’d forgotten that we only got to play Slane in 2001 with U2 because Foo Fighters, who’d originally been down to play, were forced to pull out with about a week to go. I think Taylor was taken ill, which was terrible for them but great for us! We got a phone call from management saying, ‘Whatever you’re doing next Saturday, cancel it!’

“Not being the headliners, we bussed it down rather than getting a helicopter like Thin Lizzy famously did in ‘81! We arrived early and were blown away when we saw the castle and the view from it of the stage and the River Boyne. We were even more blown away when we saw the castle from the stage! The setting and the fact that it’s a natural amphitheatre make it one of the most incredible venues we’ve ever played.
“The first person we ran into and ended up drinking with was Ardal O’Hanlon who got up and sang ‘My Lovely Horse’ with Moby. I kept thinking, ‘I’m talking to Dougal, I’m taking to Dougal!’ 
“It was the same day as Ireland’s crucial World Cup qualifier against Holland, which they decided to show in-between Nelly Furtado and ourselves on the big screen. Jason McAteer popped up and scored the winner in the 67th minute, which meant everyone was partying when we came on. I hate to think what the atmosphere would have been like if Ireland had lost – we’d probably have been bottled off!
“The gig, which was the second of the two Slanes U2 did that year, was just a week or so after Bono’s dad had died from cancer so it was an emotional affair all-round. I’d seen them lots of times before, and they’d always been brilliant, but there was definitely an edge – as well as The Edge! – to their performance that day.
“We’d become friends with U2 after doing the Good Friday Agreement Referendum gig with them in The Waterfront where David Trimble and John Hume shook hands in front of 2,000 school kids. That was definitely the most amazing show we’ve ever done, but being on the U2 Slane bill is a close second. We didn’t really have time to get nervous, but looking back it was a massive deal. Not just in terms of there being 80,000 people there, but because it was U2 at the height of their powers playing to Irish fans in the country’s most legendary venue. It was a good time for us as well because we’d come back with Free All Angels and had big tunes like ‘Shining Light’ and ‘Burn Baby Burn’, which everybody went mad for. I remember walking off after 40 minutes of blasting out the hits and thinking, ‘We’ve nailed it!’ There were about 85 members of the extended Wheeler family on the guest list, so afterwards was pretty insane! I’m sure all the third cousins, five times removed will be on to me again next month!
“It’s kind of apt that we’re going back to support the Foos who should have been playing that day, although the Ireland result would have been wasted on them I think! We got to know Dave Grohl really well when we were recording the follow-up to Free All Angels, Meltdown, in Los Angeles. He’d just finished the One By One tour and was really good friends with the producer on that record, Nick Raskulinecz, so he was round the studio a lot. Looking through the control-room window and seeing Dave Grohl air drumming along to ‘Clones’ was too fucking weird! You start off saying, ‘I’m not going to bring Nirvana up’, but of course you can’t help yourself! As it turns out, he doesn’t have any problems talking about Kurt. Nirvana were a big deal here, but in the States they’re a religion. I told him how we’d hung around the Europa to get their autographs after Nirvana played in Belfast. He remembered the show – but not us! – because it was the morning after that Kurt was taken ill and left the hotel in a wheel chair.
“Dave invited us – along with half of Hollywood! – to his house for a Halloween party. We drove up in a stretch limo with me dressed as Robin The Boy Wonder, our agent Steve Strange as Batman, Rick as The Grim Reaper and Charlotte as a witch! The most surreal bit was being greeted at the front door by Jack Black in an Incredible Hulk costume. We were the last to leave, which is what happens if you invite Irish people to drink in your house. He probably thought I was a weirdo at first because I was too awestruck to say anything, but you soon realise that multimillionaire ex-Nirvana drummer or not, he’s a really down to earth bloke who hates all the rock ‘n’ roll bullshit.
“We also became friends with his mum who came to see us when we played in Washington State. She’s a teacher and almost moved to Northern Ireland when Dave was a kid, so he could have been a founder member of Therapy? rather than of Nirvana.
“It’s become a cliché but he really is one of the nicest men in rock. Taylor’s great too – there’s a real cool surfer dude vibe off him and, boy, does he know his Queen albums! It was probably Steve Strange who said to them in that none too subtle way of his, ‘You should have the guys on the bill!’ Kaiser Chiefs were the main support last year on their South American tour, so I think it’s a case of having a few familiar faces around them!
“It used to be us that had to convince barmen we were old enough to have a drink; now that’s The Strypes’ job! I haven’t heard too much of their music, but they look really sharp. Living as I am most of the time in New York, there’s no escaping Hozier who’s just massive in the States. He’s got such a classic soul voice; not necessarily what you’d expect from somebody from Wicklow! I love the fact that Slane this year has a really varied, festival-like bill. I’ve never known the Foo Fighters not to deliver live, so it’s going to be a brilliant day.”