The Day I Met U2 and my man Bono - 2001

Me and the B-man
Those who know me know that I love U2 and that I hold my man Bono in high regard. Just look at that picture of us... I will never wash my right shoulder ever again. Who'd have thought that this girl from Melaka would ever fulfil a lifelong dream of meeting her favourite band U2? Melaka girl done good!

Anyway, it was September/October 2001 and U2 had just released All That You Can't Leave Behind. I had just moved to London and was living in the lovely Maida Vale area. Within the Maida Vale area there is a BBC studio. Coincidence? I think not. So I heard from a reliable source one morning that U2 were going to be interviewed by Jo Whiley in... you guessed it... BB BLOODY C IN MAIDA VALE!!! Without so much as washing my face or brushing my hair, I raced down to the studios where sure enough, some fans were already loitering about. Apparently, I had just missed The Edge and Larry. But not Bono, no sirree no.

Within 10 minutes, Adam Clayton showed up. I asked for a picture and he obliged but the guy who I handed my camera to had no clue how to use it and I ended up with no picture of me and Adam. Fekker. Adam disappears into the studio and within another 10 minutes, THE B-MAN TURNS UP. Commotion all over the place (or maybe that was just me...). Bono, in the flesh, unfuckingbelievable! I managed to approach him first and asked him for a picture which he happily obliged and without me even having to ask, beg, bribe or plead, Bono voluntarily puts his arms around me, I kid you not (picture above is proof and for the last time, THAT IS NOT A WAXWORK OF BONO). Bono was tiny (in fact, they all were) and he reeked of booze, which was amusing considering that it was only 10 a.m. Rock n Roll!

Everyone else then clammered around him for pictures and autographs; they all had these valuable U2 memorabilia for Bono to sign while all I could offer Bono was my crappy WH Smith notebook. Won't fetch much on ebay I know that much. Bono was really obliging and chatted to us for ages before being whisked into the studios. Obviously, we loitered around outside until the session ended and this time, I got pictures and autographs of The Edge and Larry.

For the skeptics, U2 are genuinely nice people who have no qualms about making time for their fans. I was on a high for several days after that believe it or not and a naive part of me wants to believe that Bono still thinks about the day he met me...

P.S. Larry is really hot in real life, as suspected.