David Howell Evans (born 8 August 1961), better known as the Edge or simply Edge,
[McCormick (2006), pp. 21, 23–24] is an English-born Irish musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead guitarist, keyboardist, and backing vocalist of the
rock band
U2. A member of the group since its inception, he has recorded 14 studio albums with them as well as one solo record. His understated style of guitar playing, a signature of U2's music, is distinguished by chiming
timbre
In music, timbre ( ), also known as tone color or tone quality (from psychoacoustics), is the perceived sound quality of a musical note, sound or tone. Timbre distinguishes different types of sound production, such as choir voices and musica ...
s, use of rhythmic
delay
Delay (from Latin: dilatio) may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Delay 1968'', a 1981 album by German experimental rock band Can
* '' The Delay'', a 2012 Uruguayan film
People
* B. H. DeLay (1891–1923), American aviator and ac ...
,
drone
Drone most commonly refers to:
* Drone (bee), a male bee, from an unfertilized egg
* Unmanned aerial vehicle
* Unmanned surface vehicle, watercraft
* Unmanned underwater vehicle or underwater drone
Drone, drones or The Drones may also refer to: ...
notes,
harmonics
A harmonic is a wave with a frequency that is a positive integer multiple of the '' fundamental frequency'', the frequency of the original periodic signal, such as a sinusoidal wave. The original signal is also called the ''1st harmonic'', ...
, and an extensive use of
effects unit
An effects unit or effects pedal is an electronic device that alters the sound of a musical instrument or other audio source through audio signal processing.
Common effects include distortion/overdrive, often used with electric guitar in ...
s.
Born in England to Welsh parents and raised in Ireland, the Edge formed the band that would become U2 with his classmates at
Mount Temple Comprehensive School
Mount Temple Comprehensive School is a secondary school in Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland. The school operates under the patronage of the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin, and has, as a primary objective, the provision of state-funded second-l ...
and his elder brother
Dik in 1976. Inspired by the ethos of
punk rock and its basic arrangements, the group began to write its own material. They eventually became one of the most successful acts in
popular music
Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fu ...
, with albums such as 1987's ''
The Joshua Tree
''The Joshua Tree'' is the fifth studio album by Irish rock band U2. It was produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, and was released on 9 March 1987 on Island Records. In contrast to the ambient experimentation of their 1984 release, ' ...
'' and 1991's ''
Achtung Baby
''Achtung Baby'' () is the seventh studio album by Irish rock band U2. It was produced by Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, and was released on 18 November 1991 on Island Records. After criticism of their 1988 release ''Rattle and Hum'', U2 shifte ...
''. Over the years, the Edge has experimented with various guitar effects and introduced influences from several genres of music into his own style, including
American roots music,
industrial music
Industrial music is a genre of music that draws on harsh, mechanical, transgressive or provocative sounds and themes. AllMusic defines industrial music as the "most abrasive and aggressive fusion of rock and electronic music" that was "initial ...
, and
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commercial ...
. With U2, the Edge has also played keyboards, co-produced their 1993 record ''
Zooropa'', and occasionally served as co-lyricist. The Edge met his second wife,
Morleigh Steinberg
Morleigh Steinberg is an American choreographer and dancer with the production company Arcane Collective. She is married to the musician the Edge from the rock group U2.
Raised in Los Angeles and schooled in modern dance, Steinberg became a ...
, through her collaborations with the band.
As a member of U2 and as an individual, the Edge has campaigned for human rights and philanthropic causes. He co-founded
Music Rising, a charity to support musicians affected by
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
. He has collaborated with U2 bandmate
Bono
Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by his stage name Bono (), is an Irish singer-songwriter, activist, and philanthropist. He is the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band U2.
Born and raised in Dublin, he attended ...
on several projects, including songs for
Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician known for his impassioned singing style, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. His music was described by critics as ...
,
Tina Turner
Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the " Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue before ...
, and
Martin Garrix
Martijn Gerard Garritsen (; born 14 May 1996), known professionally as Martin Garrix and also as Ytram and GRX, is a Dutch disc jockey and music producer who was ranked number one on ''DJ Mag''s Top 100 DJs list for three consecutive years—201 ...
, and the soundtracks to the musical ''
Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark'' and the
Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...
's London stage adaptation of ''
A Clockwork Orange
''A Clockwork Orange'' may refer to:
* ''A Clockwork Orange'' (novel), a 1962 novel by Anthony Burgess
** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (film), a 1971 film directed by Stanley Kubrick based on the novel
*** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (soundtrack), the film ...
''. As a member of U2, the Edge has won 22
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
s and has been inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and ...
. Several music publications have ranked the Edge among the greatest guitarists of all time.
Early life
David Howell Evans was born on 8 August 1961 at the Barking Maternity Hospital in
Barking, Essex, the second child of Welsh parents Garvin and Gwenda Evans.
Both of his parents were from
Llanelli
Llanelli ("St Elli's Parish"; ) is a market town and the largest community in Carmarthenshire and the preserved county of Dyfed, Wales. It is located on the Loughor estuary north-west of Swansea and south-east of the county town, Carma ...
. His father was an engineer who worked for the local electricity board, and subsequently worked for the electronics company
Plessey
The Plessey Company plc was a British electronics, defence and telecommunications company. It originated in 1917, growing and diversifying into electronics. It expanded after World War II by acquisition of companies and formed overseas compan ...
.
Evans has an elder brother called
Richard
Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Old Frankish and is a compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' and ''*hardu-'' 'strong, brave, hardy', and it therefore means 'stro ...
(often called Dik) and a younger sister called Gillian,
and is a cousin of actress
Juliet Aubrey. The family initially lived in
Chadwell Heath. Around 1962, Garvin was offered a promotion which took the family to
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...
.
During his childhood in Dublin, Evans talked in two different accents, using a Welsh accent at home and an Irish accent whenever he was outside. He later said, "The reason for this dual identity was mainly to be understood by my peers but also to be accepted."
He later commented that there were times of frustration for him growing up in a Catholic country, and this may have played a part in his musical development.
Evans received his initial formal education at St. Andrew's National School in
Malahide
Malahide ( ; ) is an affluent coastal settlement in Fingal, County Dublin, Ireland, situated north of Dublin city. It has a village centre surrounded by suburban housing estates, with a population of over 17,000.
Malahide Castle dates from th ...
. As a child, he also received piano and guitar lessons, and practised music with Dik. He received his first guitar at the age of seven when his mother bought him a Spanish guitar. He did not know how to properly tune it or hold it and referred to it as "little more than a toy", but he was fascinated by how cool it was. At the age of nine, the "first proper guitar" came to the Evans household when his mother purchased an old acoustic guitar at a
jumble sale
A jumble sale (UK), bring and buy sale (Australia) or rummage sale (U.S and Canada) is an event at which second hand goods are sold, usually by an institution such as a local Boys' Brigade Company, Scout group, Girlguiding group or church, ...
for a
pound. He and Dik both experimented with this instrument, replacing the rusty wire strings with nylon ones and learning to properly play it.
The Edge said in 1982 of this early experimentation, "Me and my elder brother Dik both played it, plonking away, all very rudimentary stuff, open chords and all that."
Musical career
U2
![Edge Drammenshallen](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/Edge_Drammenshallen.jpg)
While the Evans brothers were at
Mount Temple Comprehensive School
Mount Temple Comprehensive School is a secondary school in Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland. The school operates under the patronage of the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin, and has, as a primary objective, the provision of state-funded second-l ...
in Dublin in 1976, they went along to a meeting in response to an advert posted by another pupil,
Larry Mullen Jr.
Laurence Joseph Mullen Jr. (; born 31 October 1961) is an Irish musician, best known as the drummer and co-founder of the rock band U2.
Mullen was born in Dublin, where he attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School. In 1976, he co-founded U2 ...
, on the school's noticeboard seeking musicians to form a new band with him. Among the several other pupils who also responded to the note were
Paul "Bono" Hewson and
Adam Clayton
Adam Charles Clayton (born 13 March 1960) is an English-born Irish musician who is the bass guitarist of the rock band U2. He has resided in County Dublin, Ireland since his family moved to Malahide in 1965, when he was five years old. C ...
. The band went through a number of reformations before becoming known as
U2 in March 1978 (Richard Evans having left before this to join another band, leaving his younger brother as the lead guitarist).
Early in the band's career, Evans was given the nickname "the Edge" by members of the Lypton Village surrealist
street gang
A gang is a group or society of associates, friends or members of a family with a defined leadership and internal organization that identifies with or claims control over territory in a community and engages, either individually or collective ...
to which Bono belonged. The nickname is commonly believed to be derived from the angular shape of Evans' head. However, the origin of the name is disputed and other theories include a description of his guitar playing and his preference for not becoming fully involved and therefore remaining on the edge of things.
![The Edge performing on Zoo TV Tour in Melbourne Nov 13 1993](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/The_Edge_performing_on_Zoo_TV_Tour_in_Melbourne_Nov_13_1993.jpg)
U2 began its public performance life in small venues in Dublin in 1977, occasionally playing at other venues elsewhere in Ireland. In December 1979, they performed their first concerts outside Ireland, in
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, and in 1980 began extensive touring across the
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isl ...
, developing a following. Their debut album ''
Boy'' was released in 1980.
In 1981, leading up to the
October Tour
The October Tour was a concert tour by Irish rock band U2 that took place in 1981 and 1982 to support the band's second studio album, ''October'', which was released in October 1981.
Itinerary
The tour followed a similar pattern to the previou ...
, the Edge came very close to leaving U2 for religious reasons, but he decided to stay.
[McCormick (2006), pp. 117–120] During this period he became involved with a group called the Shalom Fellowship, with which Bono and Mullen were also involved.
Shortly after deciding to remain with the band, he wrote a piece of music that later became "
Sunday Bloody Sunday".
Other musical pursuits
In addition to his regular role within U2, the Edge has also recorded with such artists as
Johnny Cash
John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his c ...
,
B. B. King
Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shimm ...
,
Tina Turner
Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the " Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue before ...
,
Ronnie Wood
Ronald David Wood (born 1 June 1947) is an English rock musician, best known as an official member of the Rolling Stones since 1975, as well as a member of Faces and the Jeff Beck Group.
Wood began his career in 1964, playing guitar with a ...
,
Jah Wobble,
Holger Czukay
Holger Schüring (24 March 1938 – 5 September 2017), known professionally as Holger Czukay (), was a German musician best known as a co-founder of the krautrock group Can. Described as "successfully bridg ngthe gap between pop and the avant-g ...
,
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one o ...
, and
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to th ...
. Through his working relationships with producers
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno (; born Brian Peter George Eno, 15 May 1948) is a British musician, composer, record producer and visual artist best known for his contributions to ambient music and work in rock, pop a ...
and
Daniel Lanois
Daniel Roland Lanois ( , ; born September 19, 1951) is a Canadian record producer, guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter.
He has produced albums by artists including Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Peter Gabriel, Robbie Robertson, Emmylou Harris, Willie ...
, the Edge connected with
Michael Brook
Michael Brook (born 1951) is a Canadian guitarist, inventor, music producer, and film music composer. He plays in many genres, including rock, electronica, world music, minimalism and film scores. His collaborations with musicians around the worl ...
(the creator of the
infinite guitar
The Infinite Guitar is a modified electric guitar created by Michael Brook, as a way of allowing a note to be held with infinite sustain (hence the name). It consists of an electronic circuit that takes the signal from a standard guitar pickup, amp ...
) and collaborated with him on the
score to the film ''Captive'' (1986). The soundtrack included the song "Heroine", the vocal of which was sung by a young
Sinéad O'Connor
Shuhada Sadaqat (born Sinéad Marie Bernadette O'Connor on 8 December 1966; ) is an Irish singer-songwriter. Her debut album, '' The Lion and the Cobra'', was released in 1987 and charted internationally. Her second album, ''I Do Not Want Wha ...
.
![U2 in Milan (31515306638)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/U2_in_Milan_%2831515306638%29.jpg)
The Edge has collaborated with U2 bandmate Bono on numerous musical projects outside of the group. They wrote the musical score for the
Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...
's London stage adaptation of ''
A Clockwork Orange
''A Clockwork Orange'' may refer to:
* ''A Clockwork Orange'' (novel), a 1962 novel by Anthony Burgess
** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (film), a 1971 film directed by Stanley Kubrick based on the novel
*** ''A Clockwork Orange'' (soundtrack), the film ...
'', which opened in 1990. The duo also wrote the
eponymous theme song of the 1995
James Bond
The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors hav ...
film ''
GoldenEye
''GoldenEye'' is a 1995 spy film, the seventeenth in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions, and the first to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Directed by Martin Campbell, it was the first in the se ...
'', which was performed by
Tina Turner
Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the " Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Ike & Tina Turner Revue before ...
. The Edge and Bono ventured into theatre again when they composed the music and lyrics for the musical ''
Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark'', which opened in 2011. A single titled "
Rise Above 1" by Reeve Carney, featuring Bono and the Edge, was released digitally from the musical's soundtrack. The music video was released on 28 July 2011. The Edge and Bono collaborated with Dutch DJ
Martin Garrix
Martijn Gerard Garritsen (; born 14 May 1996), known professionally as Martin Garrix and also as Ytram and GRX, is a Dutch disc jockey and music producer who was ranked number one on ''DJ Mag''s Top 100 DJs list for three consecutive years—201 ...
on the song "
We Are the People", which served as the official song of the
UEFA Euro 2020
The 2020 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2020 (stylised as UEFA EURO 2020) or simply Euro 2020, was the 16th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international men's football championship of Europ ...
tournament and was released on 14 May 2021.
The Edge wrote the theme song for seasons one and two of ''
The Batman
Batman is a fictional superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics.
Batman or The Batman may also refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media
Characters
* Batman (Terry McGinnis)
* Batman (Thomas Wayne)
* Batman (Earth-Two)
* Bat ...
'', which aired in 2004 and 2005 respectively.
In 2008, the Edge participated in the
Davis Guggenheim
Philip Davis Guggenheim (born November 3, 1963) is an American writer, director and producer. His credits include ''NYPD Blue'', '' ER'', '' 24'', ''Alias'', ''The Shield'', '' Deadwood'', and the documentaries ''An Inconvenient Truth'', ''It ...
-directed documentary film ''
It Might Get Loud
''It Might Get Loud'' is a 2008 American documentary film by filmmaker Davis Guggenheim. It explores the careers and musical styles of prominent rock guitarists Jimmy Page, the Edge, and Jack White. The film premiered at the 2008 Toronto Inter ...
''. The film examines the history of the electric guitar, focusing on the careers and styles of the Edge,
Jimmy Page
James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Page is prolific in creating guitar riffs. His style involves various alternative ...
, and
Jack White
John Anthony White (; born July 9, 1975), commonly known as Jack White, is an American musician, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the duo the White Stripes. White has enjoyed consistent critical and popular success and is widely c ...
. The film premiered on 5 September 2008 at the
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a perman ...
On 29 April 2016, the Edge performed in the
Sistine Chapel
The Sistine Chapel (; la, Sacellum Sixtinum; it, Cappella Sistina ) is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the pope in Vatican City. Originally known as the ''Cappella Magna'' ('Great Chapel'), the chapel takes its nam ...
as part of a conference for the Angiogenesis Foundation, making him the first rock artist to stage a concert at the site.
Musical style
Guitar playing
The Edge's style of playing guitar is distinguished by his chiming
timbre
In music, timbre ( ), also known as tone color or tone quality (from psychoacoustics), is the perceived sound quality of a musical note, sound or tone. Timbre distinguishes different types of sound production, such as choir voices and musica ...
s,
[Gulla (2009), pp. 57–65] echoing notes,
sparse
voicings
''Voicings'' was the last recording by the Minneapolis jazz vocal group Rio Nido. The album was one of the early recordings to feature live "direct to digital" recording techniques.
Track listing
# "Northern Lights" (D. Karr, L. Ball)
# "I'm ...
, and extensive use of
effects unit
An effects unit or effects pedal is an electronic device that alters the sound of a musical instrument or other audio source through audio signal processing.
Common effects include distortion/overdrive, often used with electric guitar in ...
s.
He favours the
perfect fifth
In music theory, a perfect fifth is the musical interval corresponding to a pair of pitches with a frequency ratio of 3:2, or very nearly so.
In classical music from Western culture, a fifth is the interval from the first to the last of five ...
interval and often plays
chords consisting of just two notes, the
fifth and the
root
In vascular plants, the roots are the organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often below the su ...
note, while eliminating the
third
Third or 3rd may refer to:
Numbers
* 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3
* , a fraction of one third
* 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute''
Places
* 3rd Street (disambiguation)
* Third Avenue (disambiguation)
* Hi ...
.
[McCormick (2006), pp. 72–75] This style is not explicitly in a major or minor
key but implies both, creating a musical ambiguity.
For these chords, he often plays the same notes on multiple strings, some of which are left
open
Open or OPEN may refer to:
Music
* Open (band), Australian pop/rock band
* The Open (band), English indie rock band
* Open (Blues Image album), ''Open'' (Blues Image album), 1969
* Open (Gotthard album), ''Open'' (Gotthard album), 1999
* Open (C ...
, creating an Irish-influenced
drone
Drone most commonly refers to:
* Drone (bee), a male bee, from an unfertilized egg
* Unmanned aerial vehicle
* Unmanned surface vehicle, watercraft
* Unmanned underwater vehicle or underwater drone
Drone, drones or The Drones may also refer to: ...
.
Against this drone, he changes other notes to imply a harmony.
Among the Edge's signature techniques are playing
arpeggio
A broken chord is a chord broken into a sequence of notes. A broken chord may repeat some of the notes from the chord and span one or more octaves.
An arpeggio () is a type of broken chord, in which the notes that compose a chord are played ...
s,
sixteenth note
Figure 1. A 16th note with stem facing up, a 16th note with stem facing down, and a 16th rest.
Figure 2. Four 16th notes beamed together.
In music, a 1/16, sixteenth note (American) or semiquaver ( British) is a note played for half the du ...
percussive strumming, and
harmonics
A harmonic is a wave with a frequency that is a positive integer multiple of the '' fundamental frequency'', the frequency of the original periodic signal, such as a sinusoidal wave. The original signal is also called the ''1st harmonic'', ...
,
the latter of which he described as "so pure and finely-focused that
hey havethe incredible ability to pierce through
heir
Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Offic ...
environment of sound, just like lightning".
Author Henrik Marstal said that his use of harmonics and chiming timbres "emulates the concept of bell ringing" and "embod
esa spiritual dimension".
The Edge takes a relatively understated approach to guitar playing, viewing notes as "expensive" and preferring to play simple parts that best serve their song. He eschews
virtuosity
''Virtuosity'' is a 1995 American science fiction action film directed by Brett Leonard and starring Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe. Howard W. Koch Jr. served as an executive producer for the film. The film was released in the United Stat ...
in favour of "atmospherics, subtlety, minimalism, and clever
signal processing
Signal processing is an electrical engineering subfield that focuses on analyzing, modifying and synthesizing '' signals'', such as sound, images, and scientific measurements. Signal processing techniques are used to optimize transmissions, ...
", according to ''
Guitar Player
''Guitar Player'' is an American popular magazine for guitarists, founded in 1967 in San Jose, California
San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and politica ...
''. Rather than emulate common playing styles, the Edge is interested in "tearing up the rule book" and finding new ways to approach the instrument.
He cited guitarists such as
Tom Verlaine
Tom Verlaine (born Thomas Miller, December 13, 1949) is an American singer, guitarist and songwriter, best known as the frontman of the New York City rock band Television.
Biography
Verlaine was born Thomas Miller in Denville, New Jersey and ...
of
Television
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...
,
John McGeoch
John Alexander McGeoch (25 August 1955 – 4 March 2004) was a Scottish musician and songwriter. He is best known as the guitarist of the rock bands Magazine (1977-1980) and Siouxsie and the Banshees (1980-1982).
He has been described as one ...
,
Rory Gallagher
William Rory Gallagher ( ; 2 March 1948 – 14 June 1995) was an Irish guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer. Due to his virtuosic playing, but relative lack of fame compared to some others, he has been referred to as "the greatest ...
, and
Patti Smith
Patricia Lee Smith (born December 30, 1946)
is an American singer, songwriter, poet, painter and author who became an influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album ''Horses''.
Called the "punk poet ...
as some of his strongest influences.
Marstal speculated that the Edge also found points of reference in the playing styles of guitarists
John McKay,
Stuart Adamson
William Stuart Adamson (11 April 1958 – 16 December 2001) was a Scottish rock guitarist and singer. Adamson began his career in the late 1970s as a founding member and performer with the punk rock band Skids. After leaving Skids in 1981, he ...
,
Stephen Fellows
Stephen Fellows is an English singer, songwriter and musician. From 1978 to 1995, he was frontman for the band The Comsat Angels. He also managed the band Gomez and helped guide the band the Little Glitches
Little Glitches are a folktronic ...
,
Keith Levene
Julian Keith Levene (18 July 1957 – 11 November 2022) was an English musician who was a founding member of both the Clash and Public Image Ltd (PiL). While Levene was in PiL, their 1978 debut album '' Public Image: First Issue'' reached No 2 ...
, and
Robert Smith.
![U2 performing in Belfast 10-27-18 (45611776892)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/U2_performing_in_Belfast_10-27-18_%2845611776892%29.jpg)
The Edge's guitar sound is frequently modulated with a
delay
Delay (from Latin: dilatio) may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Delay 1968'', a 1981 album by German experimental rock band Can
* '' The Delay'', a 2012 Uruguayan film
People
* B. H. DeLay (1891–1923), American aviator and ac ...
set to a
dotted eighth note for rhythmic effect.
After acquiring his first delay pedal, the
Electro-Harmonix
Electro-Harmonix (also commonly referred to as EHX) is a New York City-based company that makes electronic audio processors and sells rebranded vacuum tubes. The company was founded by Mike Matthews in 1968. It is best known for a series of gu ...
Memory Man,
[McGee (2008), pp. 29–31] he became fascinated with how to use its return echo to "fill in notes that
e's
is a Japanese shōnen manga series written and drawn by Satoru Yuiga. It was originally serialized in ''Monthly GFantasy'' from 1997 through 2005, and later published in 16 ''tankōbon'' volumes by Square Enix from March 18, 2003 to Februa ...
not playing, like two guitar players rather than one".
The effect unit became a mainstay in his guitar rig and had a significant impact on the band's creative output.
The Edge became known for his extensive use of effects units, and for his meticulous nature in crafting specific sounds and guitar tones from his equipment choices.
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...
guitarist
Jimmy Page
James Patrick Page (born 9 January 1944) is an English musician who achieved international success as the guitarist and founder of the rock band Led Zeppelin. Page is prolific in creating guitar riffs. His style involves various alternative ...
called him a "sonic architect",
while
Neil McCormick
Neil McCormick (born 31 March 1961) is a British music journalist, author and broadcaster. He has been Chief Music Critic for ''The Daily Telegraph'' since 1996, and presented a music interview show for Vintage TV in the UK, Neil McCormick's Nee ...
described him as an "effects maestro". Critics have variously referred to the Edge's guitar sounds as evoking the image of fighter planes on "
Bullet the Blue Sky
"Bullet the Blue Sky" is a song by Irish rock band U2, and is the fourth track from their 1987 album ''The Joshua Tree''. Lyrically, the song was inspired by a trip that lead vocalist Bono made to Nicaragua and El Salvador, where he saw firsthan ...
", resembling a "dentist's drill" on "
Love Is Blindness
"Love Is Blindness" is a song by rock band U2, and the twelfth and final track on their 1991 album ''Achtung Baby''. The song was written on piano by lead singer Bono during the recording sessions for U2's 1988 album ''Rattle and Hum''. Origina ...
",
and resembling an "airplane turbine" on "
Mofo". The Edge said that rather than using effects merely to modify his sound, he uses them to spark ideas during his songwriting process.
![EdgeAC30](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/EdgeAC30.jpg)
The Edge developed his playing style during his teenage years, partially as a result of him and Mullen trying to accommodate the "eccentric" bass playing of Clayton by being the timekeepers of the band.
In their early days, the Edge's only guitar was his 1976
Gibson Explorer
The Gibson Explorer is a type of electric guitar model by Gibson guitars, released in 1958. The Explorer offered a radical, "futuristic" body design, much like its siblings: the Flying V, which was released the same year, and the Moderne, whi ...
Limited Edition,
which became a signature of the group. However, he found the sound of the Explorer's bass strings unsatisfactory and avoided them in his playing early on, resulting in a
trebly sound. He said by focusing "on one area of the
fretboard
The fingerboard (also known as a fretboard on fretted instruments) is an important component of most stringed instruments. It is a thin, long strip of material, usually wood, that is laminated to the front of the neck of an instrument. The st ...
ewas developing a very stylized way of doing something that someone else would play in a normal way".
Other equipment choices contribute to the Edge's unique sound. His 1964
Vox AC30
The Vox AC30 is a guitar amplifier manufactured by Vox. It was introduced in 1958 to meet the growing demand for louder amplifiers. Characterised by its "jangly" high-end sound it has become widely recognized by British musicians and others, su ...
"Top Boost" amplifier (housed in a 1970s cabinet) is favoured for its "sparkle" tone, and is the basis for his sound both in the studio and live.
The Edge has also used
plectrums
A plectrum is a small flat tool used for plucking or strumming of a stringed instrument. For hand-held instruments such as guitars and mandolins, the plectrum is often called a pick and is held as a separate tool in the player's hand. In harps ...
manufactured by the German company Herdim that he turns sideways or upside down so the dimpled grip strums against the strings, resulting in a "rasping top end" to his guitar tone.
About his playing style, the Edge said in 1982:
Vocals
![U2 in Sydney (49121288753)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/U2_in_Sydney_%2849121288753%29.jpg)
The Edge provides the backing vocals for U2. Their 1983 live album and video release, ''
Under a Blood Red Sky
''Under a Blood Red Sky'' is a live album by Irish rock band U2, produced by Jimmy Iovine and released on 21 November 1983. The record's eight tracks were compiled from three concerts during the group's 1983 War Tour, including two songs fro ...
'' and ''
U2 Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky'' are good reference points for his singing (as are the live DVDs from the
Elevation Tour
The Elevation Tour was a worldwide concert tour by Irish rock band U2. Staged in support of the group's 2000 album ''All That You Can't Leave Behind'', the tour visited arenas across North America and Europe in 2001. Contrasting with the extrav ...
, ''
U2 Go Home: Live from Slane Castle'' and ''
Elevation 2001: Live from Boston''). For example, he sings the chorus to "
Sunday Bloody Sunday" (Bono harmonises on the final 'Sunday'). U2 used this tradeoff technique later in "
Bullet the Blue Sky
"Bullet the Blue Sky" is a song by Irish rock band U2, and is the fourth track from their 1987 album ''The Joshua Tree''. Lyrically, the song was inspired by a trip that lead vocalist Bono made to Nicaragua and El Salvador, where he saw firsthan ...
" as well. His backing vocals are sometimes in the form of a repeated cry; examples of songs that use this approach include "
Beautiful Day
"Beautiful Day" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the first track on their tenth studio album, ''All That You Can't Leave Behind'' (2000), and was released as the album's lead single on 9 October 2000. The song was a commercial success, ...
", "
New Year's Day" and "
Stay (Faraway, So Close!)
"Stay (Faraway, So Close!)" is a song by rock band U2. It is the fifth track on their 1993 album, '' Zooropa'', and was released as the album's third single on 22 November 1993. The song reached number one in Ireland and reached the top 10 in ...
". Another technique he uses in his backing vocals is the falsetto, in songs such as "
Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of", "
Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own
"Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the third track on their eleventh studio album, ''How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb'' (2004), and was released as the album's second single worldwide except in Nort ...
", "A Man and a Woman", "The Wanderer", live versions of "
The Fly", and "
Window in the Skies".
The Edge sings the lead vocal on "
Van Diemen's Land
Van Diemen's Land was the colonial name of the island of Tasmania used by the British during the European exploration of Australia in the 19th century. A British settlement was established in Van Diemen's Land in 1803 before it became a sep ...
" and "
Numb", the first half of the song "Seconds", dual vocals with Bono in "Discotheque", and the bridge in the song "
Miracle Drug
"Miracle Drug" is a song by Irish rock band U2, and is the second track on their 2004 album ''How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb''. The song's lyrics were written by lead vocalist Bono about a former schoolmate Christopher Nolan, who was paralys ...
".
He also sings the occasional lead vocal in live renditions of other songs (such as "Sunday Bloody Sunday" during the
PopMart Tour
The PopMart Tour was a worldwide concert tour by rock band U2. Staged in support of the group's 1997 album ''Pop'', the tour's concerts were performed in stadiums and parks in 1997 and 1998. Much like the band's previous Zoo TV Tour, PopMart w ...
and "Party Girl" during the Rotterdam Zoo TV show when it was Bono's birthday), and has sung the second verse of the "
Stand by Me" cover on a few shows. A solo acoustic version of the song "
Love is Blindness
"Love Is Blindness" is a song by rock band U2, and the twelfth and final track on their 1991 album ''Achtung Baby''. The song was written on piano by lead singer Bono during the recording sessions for U2's 1988 album ''Rattle and Hum''. Origina ...
", that is featured in the documentary film ''
From the Sky Down
''From the Sky Down'' is a 2011 American documentary film directed by Davis Guggenheim about rock band U2 and the production of their 1991 album ''Achtung Baby''. The film documents the album's difficult recording period, the band members' re ...
'', is sung by him as well.
Other instruments
He has played keyboards on many of the band's songs, including "I Fall Down", "
October
October is the tenth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and the sixth of seven months to have a length of 31 days. The eighth month in the old calendar of Romulus , October retained its name (from Latin and Greek ''ôc ...
", "
So Cruel", "
New Year's Day", "
Running to Stand Still", "
Miss Sarajevo
"Miss Sarajevo" is a song by U2 and Brian Eno, credited to the pseudonym "Passengers". It was released on 20 November 1995 as the only single from their album ''Original Soundtracks 1''. Luciano Pavarotti makes a vocal appearance, singing the ...
", "The Hands that Built America", and "
Original of the Species
"Original of the Species" is a song by rock band U2 and the tenth track from their 2004 album, ''How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb''.
Promotion
A live video clip of this song from the DVD '' Vertigo 2005: Live From Chicago'' is featured in a tele ...
" and others. In live versions of "New Year's Day", "
The Unforgettable Fire
''The Unforgettable Fire'' is the fourth studio album by Irish rock band U2. It was produced by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois, and released on 1 October 1984 by Island Records. The band wanted to pursue a new musical direction following the har ...
", "
Your Blue Room
"Your Blue Room" is a song by Passengers, a group composed of rock band U2 and producer Brian Eno. It is the third track on the group's only release, the 1995 album ''Original Soundtracks 1''. The track was written for the 1995 Michelangelo ...
", "
Moment of Surrender" and "Raised By Wolves", he plays both the piano and guitar parts alternately. In most live versions of "Original of the Species," piano is the only instrument played during the song. Although the Edge is the band's lead guitarist, he occasionally plays bass guitar, including the live performances of the song
"40" where the Edge and bassist
Adam Clayton
Adam Charles Clayton (born 13 March 1960) is an English-born Irish musician who is the bass guitarist of the rock band U2. He has resided in County Dublin, Ireland since his family moved to Malahide in 1965, when he was five years old. C ...
switch instruments.
Equipment
![U2 in Tokyo (49183050452)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/U2_in_Tokyo_%2849183050452%29.jpg)
The Edge plays electric guitar, acoustic guitar, keyboards, piano, bass guitar (on "40" and "Race Against Time") and
lap steel guitar. Detailed gear diagrams of the Edge's U2 guitar rig for the 1981 October Tour, the 1983
War Tour
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular ...
, and the 2009
U2 360° Tour
The U2 360° Tour was a worldwide concert tour by rock band U2. Staged in support of the group's 2009 album ''No Line on the Horizon'', the tour visited stadiums from 2009 through 2011. The concerts featured the band playing "in the round" o ...
are well-documented. In 2016,
Fender unveiled a signature model of guitar and amplifier designed in collaboration with the Edge: the Edge Signature Stratocaster and the Fender Edge Deluxe, respectively.
Personal life
![President Bill Clinton and musician the Edge look at a book](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/President_Bill_Clinton_and_musician_the_Edge_look_at_a_book.jpg)
Evans was raised as a
Protestant
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
and was, along with fellow band members Bono and Mullen, involved with non-denominational Christian group the Shalom Fellowship as an adult.
Evans married his secondary school girlfriend, Aislinn O'Sullivan, on 12 July 1983. They have three daughters named Hollie (born 1984), Arran (born 1985), and Blue Angel (born 1989).
The couple separated in 1990; Ireland did not have provision for divorce at that time but divorce was
legalised in 1995 and the couple divorced in 1996.
In 1993, he began dating
Morleigh Steinberg
Morleigh Steinberg is an American choreographer and dancer with the production company Arcane Collective. She is married to the musician the Edge from the rock group U2.
Raised in Los Angeles and schooled in modern dance, Steinberg became a ...
, an American professional dancer who was employed by U2 as a choreographer and dancer during the
Zoo TV Tour
The Zoo TV Tour (also written as ZooTV, ZOO TV or ZOOTV) was a worldwide concert tour by rock band U2. Staged in support of their 1991 album '' Achtung Baby'', the tour visited arenas and stadiums from 1992 to 1993. It was intended to mirror ...
. They have a daughter, Sian (born 1997), and a son, Levi (born 25 October 1999). The couple married in 2002.
Evans has been criticised for his efforts to build five luxury mansions on a 156-acre (63.13-hectare) plot of land in
Malibu, California
Malibu ( ; es, Malibú; Chumash: ) is a beach city in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, situated about west of Downtown Los Angeles. It is known for its Mediterranean climate and its strip of the Malib ...
.
The
California Coastal Commission voted 8–4 against his plans. The
Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy
The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy is an agency of the state of California in the United States founded in 1980 and dedicated to the acquisition of land for preservation as open space, for wildlife and California native plants habitat Natu ...
agreed to remain neutral on the issue following a $1 million donation from Evans and a commitment to designate 100 acres of the land as open space for public footpaths.
Philanthropy
![The Edge with Steve Censky and Dr William W Li at USDA HQ 6-19-2018](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/The_Edge_with_Steve_Censky_and_Dr_William_W_Li_at_USDA_HQ_6-19-2018.jpeg)
The Edge,
Bob Ezrin
Robert Alan Ezrin (born March 25, 1949) is a Canadian music producer and keyboardist, best known for his work with Lou Reed, Alice Cooper, Aerosmith, Kiss, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, Peter Gabriel, Andrea Bocelli and Phish. As of 2010, Ezrin's car ...
and
Henry Juszkiewicz co-founded
Music Rising in 2005, a charity that helped provide replacement instruments for those that were lost in
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...
. The instruments were originally only replaced for professional musicians but they soon realised the community churches and schools needed instruments as well. The charity's slogan is "Rebuilding the Gulf Region note by note" and has so far helped over a hundred musicians who were affected by Hurricane Katrina. The Edge also serves on the board of
the Angiogenesis Foundation
The Angiogenesis Foundation, is a United States 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1994 for the study of angiogenesis. The founders were former students of Dr. Judah Folkman, a pioneer of angiogenesis research.
The foundation focus ...
, a
501(c)(3) nonprofit organisation dedicated to improving global health by advancing
angiogenesis-based medicine, diets, and lifestyle.
Awards and recognition
The Edge has won numerous awards with U2, including 22
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
s
and two
Golden Globe Awards for Best Original Song (for "
The Hands That Built America
"The Hands That Built America" is a song by Irish rock music, rock band U2. It was released on the Gangs of New York: Music from the Miramax Motion Picture, soundtrack to the film ''Gangs of New York'', and was one of two new songs on the group's ...
" in
2003 and "
Ordinary Love" in
2014). In 2005, he was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and ...
as a member of U2, in the group's first year of eligibility.
In 2007, he received an honorary doctorate of music from
Berklee College of Music. At the 2017
Bonnaroo Music Festival, the Edge was honoured with the
Les Paul Spirit Award by the Les Paul Foundation for being someone who "exemplifies the spirit of the late, great Les Paul through innovation, engineering, technology and/or music".
In 2010,
Gibson
Gibson may refer to:
People
* Gibson (surname)
Businesses
* Gibson Brands, Inc., an American manufacturer of guitars, other musical instruments, and audio equipment
* Gibson Technology, and English automotive and motorsport company based
* Gi ...
ranked him the 23rd-best guitarist of all time, saying that he "created a sound that is distinctly his own – no small feat when you consider he's had to do it in the course of three decades while working shoulder-to-shoulder with one of the biggest personalities in rock, Bono". The following year, ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...
'' placed the Edge at number 38 on its list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time"; Daniel Lanois called him an "innovative mind", a "scientist, and a poet by night", and said he is "dedicated to note-taking" to "document every detail of his sound". In 2012, ''
Spin'' ranked him 13th on their list of the 100 greatest guitarists, saying that he "masked and flaunted his willful ignorance of how guitars are meant to be played with forgiving delay pedals, forging a sonic trademark so distinctive that his band's name became an adjective". In 2015, ''Rolling Stone'' ranked Bono and the Edge at number 35 on its list of the
100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time.
See also
*
Timeline of U2
*
List of people on the postage stamps of Ireland
This is a list of people on stamps of Ireland, including the years when they appeared on a stamp.
Because no Irish stamps were designed prior to 1929, the first Irish stamps issued by the Provisional Government of Ireland were the then-current ...
References
Footnotes
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
U2.com official U2 site
Music Rising a campaign for replacing the musical instruments lost or destroyed by the catastrophic 2005 US hurricanes
A study of the Edge's guitar delay
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edge, The
1961 births
Irish people of English descent
Irish people of Welsh descent
People educated at Mount Temple Comprehensive School
Living people
Alternative rock guitarists
British rock guitarists
British male guitarists
British post-punk musicians
Irish male singers
English people of Welsh descent
British emigrants to Ireland
Irish rock guitarists
Irish male guitarists
Golden Globe Award-winning musicians
Ivor Novello Award winners
Lead guitarists
Musicians from County Dublin
People from Dalkey
People from Chadwell Heath
Rock songwriters
Slide guitarists
U2 members
Irish Protestants
People from Killiney
Kennedy Center honorees