Matt McGee ([email protected])
Wed, 7 Oct 1998 21:18:25 -0800
Hot Press, October 14, 1998
I'll Have Seen Everything When I See An Elephant Meet The Fly
So Says Chris Donovan as he takes up position ringside to watch U2
shoot their new video.
Off all the bizarre sights the residents of Fitzwilliam Street have been
privy to, this is undoubtedly the first involving and Indian elephant
called Rani.
It's 9am on Sunday and while the rest of D4 is recovering from the night
before, U2 are shooting the video for their next single, 'The Sweetest
Thing', which will be all over your TV screens this weekend.
Along with our generously-trunked friend -- that's the elephant, not Adam
-- the cast of hundreds includes Jean Butler, Steve Collins, Boyzone, the
Artane Boys' Band and a moonlighting troupe of Chippendales.
"It's like a cross between the Magical Mystery Tour and the Malteser ad,"
is the verdict of one-looker who's dead chuffed having spent the past five
minutes chatting to Bono. Apart from the Garda at either end of the road,
there's little in the way of security with celebs and fans mixing freely. A
little too freely, perhaps, for Ronan Keating who's averaging about ten
autographs a minute.
"The video we shot today is completely different to that one we met nine
days ago to discuss," laughs Dreamchaser Productions' Ned O'Hanlon. "The
original plan was to do a simple studio shoot with just the four members of
the band and a two-wall set but, in typical U2 fashion, that got scrapped
with The Edge remarked, 'We out to have Bono and Ali driving round Stephens
Green in a horse-drawn carriage.' Myself and Kevin Godley, the director are
used to these creative u-turns but one of the guys who was over with him
was horrified when somebody said, 'Yeah, and after that we can have a herd
of stampeding elephants!'"
The availability of elephants being what it is, the herd has dwindled to
just the one rock 'n' roll animal who apparently "bored" starts getting
stropping as tea-time approaches.
"As opposed to the band who've been their normal impeccably behaved
selves," O'Hanlon resumes. "Considering what might've gone wrong, it's all
gone very smoothly. We got into a rhythm of shooting which, even allowing
for elephantine tantrums, meant we were able to get things wrapped up by
the time the sun went down."
As for the end product: "It looks like Bono and his mates made it which is
a nice contrast to the bigness of Pop. I have to live with something for a
while before I can judge it, but I think it's one of the most successful
videos they've done recently."
_________________________________
Matt McGee / [email protected]
@U2 Web Page Curator
http://www.atu2.com
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