U2-Y follows the design story of one of the biggest bands in rock and roll history.
It aims to celebrate a unique relationship; The creative partnership between designer/art director Steve Averill and the band U2.
This collaboration thrived and endured for over four and a half decades.
Before the sleeves, before any poster or visual ephemera, came the name itself. Steve gave them this name.
'U2'. A letter and a number. We will explore how the name itself became a monolith of design, whether it’s use is dominant or invisible.
Just the 2ofUs.
Steve is guided through the story of his career by his son, giving the series a unique and personal tone.
‘In recent years, I became fascinated by the idea of this creative collaboration enduring for such a long time', Gareth Anton Averill says.
The relationship that my father had with U2 was unique. I recognise this as being one of the longest-running creative relationships in music history, if not any creative or cultural industry.
I believe this is worth exploring and celebrating and asking the question, 'Why?’.
Alongside Steve's personal story, U2Y delves deep into design specifics. Topics discussed include the process of the pre-digital age, early computer-aided design, the advent of the Compact Disc and the explosion of promotional materials.
In essence, U2-Y tells the story of one of the biggest bands in the world from a different perspective; the record sleeve.
From Punk to Pop.
The story begins in 1977 with the Cultural explosion that was punk. Ireland's first punk group, 'The Radiators From Space', founded and fronted by Steve (Rapid), was the catalyst for his connection with U2.
The U2-Y Podcast will examine an album per episode. It begins with the invention of the name, 'U2' itself. It then journeys through each major campaign, up to and including the hyper-vivid years of the Pop album and Pop-mart tour.
Out now:
Episode 1 - Introduction
Episode 2 - Boy
Episode 3 - October
Coming Soon:
May 8th - Episode 4 - War
May 15th - Episode 5 - Unforgettable Fire
May 29th - Episode 6 - The Joshua Tree
TBC - Episode 7 - Achtung Baby
TBC - Episode 8 - Pop
U2's catalogue appears courtesy of Universal Music Publishing.
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Bonus - Typesetting, Advertising and Liquid Lights
A short bonus episode, taken from an outtake from our very first conversation about Steve's early days as a young man in Ireland, obsessed with rock and roll and design.
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11 Aug 2023
Chapter 10 - Epilogue Part 2
The second of two parts that bring the U2-Y podcast to a conclusion.
Here in the final episode, Gareth and Steve look back across the the series and talk generally about the later stages of Steve's role with U2 and his retirement years.
NEWS: Steve's store is now live, featuring limited edition prints from his trip to Death Valley in 1986 with U2 for the Joshua Tree cover shoot.
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Thank you for listening.
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11 Aug 2023
Chapter 10 - Epilogue Part 1 - Q&A
The first of two parts that bring the U2-Y podcast to a conclusion.
Here in part one, Steve answers questions as submitted by you, the listener.
NEWS: Steve's store is now live, featuring limited edition prints from his trip to Death Valley in 1986 with U2 for the Joshua Tree cover shoot.
https://www.stephenaverill.com/store (https://www.stephenaverill.com/store)
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26 Jun 2023
Chapter 9 - Pop
U2's 9th full length release and possibly their most provocative to date, sees the boundaries pushed even further than before.
What U2 could look like and what they could sound like was challenged yet again, and possibly for the last time.
Firmly in the digital age of design, yet its biggest influences were from the Pop Art movement, the design policy for 'Pop' was born out of 'what would Warhol or Liechtenstein do with a computer?'.
With a highly elaborate tour programme release alongside a stage show that fed back into the sleeve design, there is plenty to talk about in our penultimate episode.
Got questions for Steve?
Ask him anything and we'll answer your questions on the finale.
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19 Jun 2023
Chapter 8 - Zooropa
Vorsprung durch technik .. or 'Advancement through technology'.
'Zooropa', U2's 8th record, is effectively a companion release for 'Achtung Baby' that sprung out of the Zoo TV and Zooropa tour.
This release holds great significance to our story. It is the first time the computer finds its way into the design studio and thus the first digital record sleeve that Steve art directed. It marked the dawn of a new era of design.
In this shorter chat, we talk about Zooropa and the wide gamut of merchandise in the campaign including the Propaganda magazine, U2's own dedicated publication.
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12 Jun 2023
Chapter 7 - Achtung Baby
Bono has said that 'Achtung Baby' is the sound of four men chopping down the Joshua Tree.
For graphic designer and art director Steve Averill, he would also take part in this ritualistic creative evolution to make way for the kaleidoscopic explosion that was the sleeve for U2's 7th LP.
Working for the first time with designer Shaughn McGrath, we explore what happened with U2's image and design sensibility after they went away, 'to dream it all up again'.
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5 Jun 2023
Bonus - Death Valley '86
Steve Averill and Marc Coleman in conversation in 2017 about their trip to Death Valley in 1986 to shoot the iconic cover sleeve for The Joshua Tree with photographer Anton Corbijn.
Steve and Marc add a beautiful and personal touch to the story of the great voyage to the inspiring landscape of Western USA.
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29 May 2023
Chapter 6 - The Joshua Tree
In 1986, a small crew embarked on a three day journey across the stunning landscape in the deserts of California.
This was the photoshoot for the upcoming 5th album from U2, then known by its working title of 'The Two Americas'.
The Joshua Tree would eclipse everything that came before it. It would become a critically acclaimed and top selling cultural touchstone that still looms large today.
With plenty to analyse in the cinematic design and iconic art direction for the sleeve, we come to realise that the personal stories of that journey were as important as the work carried out afterwards.
Next week we will publish a conversation from 2017 between Steve Averill and Marc Coleman, former U2 assistant, about their shared memories of being in the desert with U2 in 1986.
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22 May 2023
Intermission - The Night The Hype Became U2
We're taking a short break this week, but found something very interesting in Steve's archive and are briefly revisiting the night of March 4th 1978 ..
Normal service resumes next week.
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15 May 2023
Chapter 5 - The Unforgettable Fire
As U2 forge a hugely successful creative-partnership with production duo Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois on The Unforgettable Fire, the sleeve for the fourth LP brings a set of challenges.
The result is a much-loved album cover created in the 11th hour, bringing along with it some controversy and lessons learned.
We also discover how The Unforgettable Fire would lay the foundations for what would be their biggest breakthrough record (The Joshua Tree), and how some confusion amongst printers as to what colour 'magenta' actually was.
As big a record as The UF was, it ultimately was still the calm before the storm.
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8 May 2023
Chapter 4 - War
In the 4th episode of U2-Y, we discuss the album that closes the first trilogy of releases.
'War', released in 1983, was a highly respected record, with the design work itself netting Steve a Music Week award, much to his surprise.
We discuss how the record that gave us the iconic and potent track, 'Sunday Bloody Sunday', drew its influences from war photography, propaganda and newsprint iconography.
We also discuss the link back to the debut album and how the 'Boy' featured on one sleeve, who was once representing innocence, is now a symbol of tragedy.
This would also be the first time Steve would work with the great Anton Corbijn.
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28 Apr 2023
Chapter 3 - October
In the 3rd episode of U2-Y, we focus on the difficult second LP, 'October'.
This record, both from a sonic and visual point of view, has become the least celebrated of all U2's releases, notably by the band themselves.
However, this record is hugely important in establishing U2's honourable desire for creative control and the important of sticking to your guns.
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28 Apr 2023
Chapter 2 - Boy
In the second episode of U2-Y, we explore Steve's initial design work with the band, paving the way for their debut LP, Boy.
The bold and effective sleeve for 'Boy' was widely praised for it's minimalism and neo-classicism, but was not without some controversy ..
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28 Apr 2023
Chapter 1 - Introduction
In this introductory episode of U2-Y, we trace Steve's relationship with U2 back to it's origins.
We also explore how before there was any notion of Steve doing design-work for the band, he was given a simple task; to come up with a name for the burgeoning post-punk band known then as, 'The Hype'.
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4.9 / 5
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