Category Archives: Dave Evans

August 8, 2013

The Edge 7.8.13 Thought of the Day

“Most groups, I think, would have been taking their foot off the gas at this point. But we have the exact opposite instinct. We are flooring this rock ‘n’ roll band, and we’re just interested to see where we will end up.” — The Edge

The Edge – U2 360 Tour – Toronto (Photo credit: TonyFelgueiras)

David Howell Evans was born on this day in Barking, Essex, England in 1961. He is 52 years old.

He is the middle of three children born to Garvin and Gwenda Evans. He has an older brother, Dick and younger sister, Gill. In 1962 his father, an engineer who worked for the electricity board, was offered a promotion that involved a transfer to Dublin, Ireland.

He attended St. Andrew’s National School and Mount Temple comprehensive School. He did well academically and showed interest in becoming a doctor or in following his father into engineering. But then musical fate intervened.

In the fall of 1976 he spotted Larry’s note on the Mount Temple Comprehensive High School bulletin board asking for anyone interested in forming a band. He was the first to respond, and he went to the first meeting in Larry’s house with his brother Dick. The Edge showed guitar skills well beyond his age, and the chemistry among the group was obvious from the beginning. [atU2.com]

Band lead singer, Bono, gave Dave his nickname “The Edge”.

U2 in 1980. Shown from left to right: Clayton, Mullen, Bono, The Edge. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The nickname was inspired in the beginning by the sharp features of his face, but it also applied to his sharp mind and the way he always observed things from the edge. [Ibid]

As U2’s popularity increased Dave’s “unmistakable guitar sound — clean, sharp, incisive, and cutting-Edge” [Ibid] became part of the band’s trademark sound. Sometimes called an ‘anti-guitar hero’ because he eschews flashy solos, The Edge uses a number of delay effects and reverb to make the groups sound “shimmer.”

He stepped into the philanthropic ring in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina devastated the US’ Gulf Coast. He co-founded Music Rising a charity that replaces instruments lost because of the storm.