Information AboutThe Edge |
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Dave Howell Evans (born August 8 , 1961 , Barking , East London , England ) Stage Name '''The Edge''', is the lead Guitarist of the Irish Rock Band U2 . BIOGRAPHY Dave Evans, who was known as a loner in secondary school, took Piano and Guitar lessons and often performed with his brother Dik Evans before they both answered an ad posted by Larry Mullen, Jr. seeking musicians to form a Christian rock band. This band would go through several incarnations before emerging as U2 in March 1978 (Dik Evans left the band just before the name change). The Edge married his secondary school girlfriend but could not Divorce due to Irish law. They were divorced in 1996, after divorce was legalized in 1995 . In October 1997 , The Edge had a fourth daughter, Sian Beatrice Echo, with Morleigh Steinberg , a dancer from U2's early 1990s Zoo TV Tour . Their son Levi was born in September 1999. The couple married in June 2002. The Edge has become well-known for wearing a skull cap at all times in public, likely to cover up his balding head. He even wore his skull cap at his wedding to Steinberg in 2002. This cap has become part of his distinctive "look," as has wearing shirts with numbers on them during the Elevation Tour concerts. People continue to speculate how Evans received his nickname "The Edge". While his bandmate Bono has joked that he got the name because of his sharp mind, most of U2's biographers attribute the nickname to the sharp profile of his face and nose. However, the most widely accepted reason happens to be the "Edgy" sound he makes while playing guitar; this peculiar style sounds as if he were playing chords with the edge of a knife. In 1982, he came very close to leaving U2 for religious reasons, but he was persuaded to stay, and following this event " Sunday Bloody Sunday " was written. MUSIC As a guitar player, The Edge is recognised as having a trademark sound typified by understatement, extensive use of digital delay effects, and a focus on texture and Melody . 1987's '' The Joshua Tree '' is probably the best example of the 'U2 sound', with songs like " With Or Without You " and " Where The Streets Have No Name " being amongst the band's most critically acclaimed and best loved work. The album was recorded at the height of the 80's "shred-metal" era, but The Edge's guitar playing on it could not be further from the emphasis of the time on technique and speed (for example, Edge has suggested that ''With or Without You'' could easily have gone off into a huge guitar solo, ''a la'' November Rain , but instead resolves after a brief drum interlude to a relaxed and "chilled out" strummed guitar part, which he cites as his favorite from the album). The album showcases The Edge's approach to the guitar – rather than trying to push his guitar to the front of the mix and make his contributions obvious, The Edge focuses on the song and the mood, often contributing just a few simple lead lines given depth and richness by an ever-present digital delay. The intro riff to "Where the Streets Have No Name" is simply a repeated 4-note arpeggio, broadened by a modulated delay effect. Much like his contemporary, Tom Morello , The Edge has stated that many of his guitar parts are based around guitar effects. This is especially true from the '' Achtung Baby '' era onwards, although much of the band's 80's material made heavy use of echo. His influence as a guitarist can be seen on many bands still active such as Radiohead , Coldplay , and much of the indie/alternative scene. concert]] The Edge also supplies the backing vocals for U2's singer Bono. As a vocalist, his contributions to the band's overall sound are certainly underappreciated. U2's 1983 live album and video release, ''" and " New Year's Day ". The Edge sings the lead vocal on "Van Diemen's Land" ('' Rattle And Hum ''), " Numb " ('' Zooropa ''), the first half of the song "Seconds" from ('' War ''), The Falsetto part in Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of from All That You Can't Leave Behind and a verse in the song "Miracle Drug" ('' How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb ''). He also sings the occasional lead vocal in live renditions of other songs (such as "Sunday Bloody Sunday" during the Popmart Tour ). The Edge is a very underrated pianist, as well. He has played piano and keyboards on a myriad of the band's songs, including "I Fall Down," "October," "New Year's Day," "Running to Stand Still," "Miss Sarajevo," and "Original of the Species." In fact, in live versions of "New Year's Day," he will play both the piano and guitar parts simultaneously. After opening with the main piano melody, he will play the guitar and piano simultaneously on the first verse. Although The Edge is the band's lead guitarist, he has played the bass on at least one occasion. For the song "40" on both the album and live versions, The Edge and bassist Adam Clayton will switch instruments. In 2003, Rolling Stone Magazine named The Edge #24 on their list of "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Instruments: Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Keyboards, Piano, Bass (on "40"), Lap Steel Guitars Used; Gibson Explorer , Fender Stratocaster (with custom bridge pick-up), Gibson Les Paul , Gibson SG , Fender Telecaster , Rickenbacker 330-12 , Gretsch Country Gentleman , Variax Acoustic 700 SOLO RECORDINGS In addition to his regular gig playing with U2, The Edge has also recorded with artists like Johnny Cash , B. B. King , Tina Turner , and Ron Wood . The Edge connected with Eno and Lanois collaborator Michael Brook (the creator of the Infinite Guitar , which he regularly uses), working with him on the score to the film ''Captive'' ( 1986 ). He also created the theme song for the Batman Television Cartoon . SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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