Voices On U2 – The Cranberries' Noel Hogan: "It sounded like nothing else at the time"

My first time hearing U2 was on a RTÉ TV show called MT-USA – they’d play ‘The Unforgettable Fire’ every week. It sounded like nothing else at the time. The atmosphere of the track was – and still is – amazing.

It can’t be said enough how important U2 were and are musically, especially for Irish musicians. When you see a band have a massive commercial success like The Joshua Tree and then go on a few years later to bring out an album like Achtung Baby – it goes to show you that there is always more to be done musically, no matter how big you become. It’s an inspiration.

Boy used to be on heavy rotation, among myself and my friends, after we discovered U2. They have always been the band to watch and see what comes next. The fact that they have constantly evolved is one of their greatest strengths.

They’ve always written great songs. When the tours are over and the band are gone, the song is the thing that will be there, on it’s own to be judged. Sometimes you hit that perfect thing of a song that works on a big stage, but it should always be about the song. U2 understand that.

There is a bond in a band because of everything you have been through together. That’s certainly true of U2. They have been friends for a long time. Each individual has their voice within the band. U2 have always been great to The Cranberries, from the very beginning. Always welcoming to us and there to give some advice when needed it. We will always be thankful for that.

With two anniversaries rolled into one, 2020 is an important moment for U2 – marking 40 years since their extraordinary debut album Boy, and 20 years since their marvellously resonant All That You Can’t Leave Behind. To celebrate, we released the Hot Press U2: 80-00-20 Special – out now!