The Edge | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) The Edge performing in 2019 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | David Howell Evans (1961-08-08)8 August 1961 (age 64) Barking, Essex, England |
| Origin | Dublin, Ireland |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
|
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 1976–present |
| Labels | |
| Member of | U2 |
Spouses | |
David Howell Evans (born 8 August 1961), known by his stage namethe Edge or simplyEdge,[1] is an Irish and British musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead guitarist, keyboardist, and backing vocalist of therock bandU2. A member of the group since its inception, he has recorded 15 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 chimingtimbres, use of rhythmicdelay,drone notes,harmonics, and an extensive use ofeffects units.
Born in England to Welsh parents and raised in Ireland, the Edge formed the band that would become U2 with his classmates atMount Temple Comprehensive School and his elder brotherDik in 1976. Inspired by the ethos ofpunk rock and its basic arrangements, the group began to write its own material. They eventually became one of the most successful acts inpopular music, with albums such as 1987'sThe Joshua Tree and 1991'sAchtung Baby. Over the years, the Edge has experimented with various guitar effects and introduced influences from several genres of music into his own style, includingAmerican roots music,industrial music, andalternative rock. With U2, the Edge has also played keyboards, produced their recordsZooropa (1993) andSongs of Surrender (2023), and occasionally served as co-lyricist. The Edge met his second wife,Morleigh Steinberg, through her collaborations with the band.
As a member of U2 and as an individual, the Edge has campaigned forhuman rights and philanthropic causes. He co-foundedMusic Rising, a charity to support musicians affected byHurricane Katrina. He has collaborated with U2 bandmateBono on several projects, including songs forRoy Orbison,Tina Turner, andMartin Garrix, and the soundtracks to the musicalSpider-Man: Turn Off the Dark and theRoyal Shakespeare Company's London stage adaptation ofA Clockwork Orange. As a member of U2, the Edge has won 22Grammy Awards and has been inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame. Several music publications have ranked the Edge among the greatest guitarists of all time.
David Howell Evans was born on 8 August 1961 at the Barking Maternity Hospital inBarking, Essex,[2] the second child of Welsh parents Garvin and Gwenda Evans.[1] Both of his parents were fromLlanelli. His father was an engineer who worked for the local electricity board, and subsequently worked for the electronics companyPlessey.[1] Evans has an elder brother calledRichard (often called Dik) and a younger sister called Gillian,[1] and is a cousin of actressJuliet Aubrey.[3] The family initially lived inChadwell Heath. Around 1962, Garvin was offered a promotion which took the family toDublin.[1] During his childhood in Dublin, Evans talked intwo 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."[1] 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 has retained hisBritish citizenship into adulthood.[4]
Evans received his initial formal education at St. Andrew's National School inMalahide. 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 ajumble sale for apound. He and Dik both experimented with this instrument, replacing the rusty wire strings with nylon ones and learning to play it properly.[1] 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."[5]
While the Evans brothers were atMount Temple Comprehensive School in Dublin in 1976, they went along to a meeting in response to an advert posted by another pupil,Larry Mullen Jr., 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 werePaul "Bono" Hewson andAdam Clayton.[6] The band went through a number of reformations before becoming known asU2 in March 1978 (Richard Evans having left before this to join another band, leaving his younger brother as the lead guitarist).[7]
Early in the band's career, Evans was given the nickname "the Edge" by members of the Lypton Village surrealiststreet gang to which Bono belonged. The nickname is commonly believed to be derived from the angular shape of Evans' head.[8][9] 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.[10]
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, inLondon, and in 1980 began extensive touring across theBritish Isles, developing a following. Their debut albumBoy was released in 1980.
In 1981, leading up to theOctober Tour, the Edge came very close to leaving U2 for religious reasons, but he decided to stay.[11] During this period he became involved with a group called the Shalom Fellowship, with which Bono and Mullen were also involved.[12] Shortly after deciding to remain with the band, he wrote a piece of music that later became "Sunday Bloody Sunday".[11]
The Edge received his first production credit on the band's 1993 albumZooropa[13] for the extra level of responsibility he assumed in its creation.[14]
In 2024, the Edge co-directedV-U2 An Immersive Concert Film with his wifeMorleigh Steinberg. The film documents U2's 2023–2024 concert residencyU2:UVAchtung Baby Live at Sphere and will screen exclusively atSphere.[15]
In addition to his regular role within U2, the Edge has also recorded with such artists asJohnny Cash,B. B. King,Tina Turner,Ronnie Wood,Jah Wobble,Holger Czukay,Jay-Z, andRihanna. Through his working relationships with producersBrian Eno andDaniel Lanois, the Edge connected withMichael Brook (the creator of theinfinite guitar) and collaborated with him on thescore to the filmCaptive (1986). The soundtrack included the song "Heroine", the vocal of which was co-written and sung by a youngSinéad O'Connor. Larry Mullen Jr played drums on the track.
.jpg)
The Edge has collaborated with U2 bandmate Bono on numerous musical projects outside of the group. They wrote the musical score for theRoyal Shakespeare Company's London stage adaptation ofA Clockwork Orange, which opened in 1990. The duo also wrote theeponymous theme song of the 1995James Bond filmGoldenEye, which was performed byTina Turner. The Edge and Bono ventured into theatre again when they composed the music and lyrics for the musicalSpider-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.[16] The music video was released on 28 July 2011.[17] The Edge and Bono collaborated with Dutch DJMartin Garrix on the song "We Are the People", which served as the official song of theUEFA Euro 2020 tournament and was released on 14 May 2021.[18]
The Edge wrote the theme song for seasons one and two ofThe Batman, which aired in 2004 and 2005 respectively.
In 2008, the Edge participated in theDavis Guggenheim-directed documentary filmIt Might Get Loud. The film examines the history of the electric guitar, focusing on the careers and styles of the Edge,Jimmy Page, andJack White. The film premiered on 5 September 2008 at theToronto International Film Festival
On 29 April 2016, the Edge performed in theSistine Chapel as part of a conference for the Angiogenesis Foundation, making him the first rock artist to stage a concert at the site.[19]
In 2023, the Edge was a guest musician on the songs "Train with No Station" and "Noche Oscura" for the albumLos Angeles byLol Tolhurst,Budgie, andJacknife Lee.[20]
"Notes actuallydo mean something. They have power. I think of notes as being expensive. You don't just throw them around. I find the ones that do the best job and that's what I use. I suppose I'm a minimalist instinctively. I don't like to be inefficient if I can get away with it. Like on the end of 'With or Without You'. My instinct was to go with something very simple. Everyone else said, "Nah, you can't do that." I won the argument and I still think it's sort of brave, because the end of 'With or Without You' could have been so much bigger, so much more of a climax, but there's this power to it which I think is even more potent because it's held back... ultimately I'm interested in music. I'm a musician. I'm not a gunslinger. That's the difference between what I do and what a lot ofguitar heroes do."
The Edge's style of playing guitar is distinguished by his chimingtimbres,[22][23] echoing notes,[24] sparsevoicings,[25] and extensive use ofeffects units.[26] He favours theperfect fifthinterval and often playspower chords, which arechords consisting of just thefifth androot notes and that eliminate thethird.[27][28] This style is not explicitly in a major or minorkey but implies both, creating a musical ambiguity.[27][24] For these chords, he often plays the same notes on multiple strings, some of which are leftopen, creating an Irish-influenceddrone.[23][29][30] Against this drone, he changes other notes to imply a harmony.[31][32] Among the Edge's signature techniques are playingarpeggios,[33][31]sixteenth note percussive strumming,[34] andharmonics,[27] the latter of which he described as "so pure and finely-focused that [they have] the incredible ability to pierce through [their] environment of sound, just like lightning".[30] Author Henrik Marstal said that his use of harmonics and chiming timbres "emulates the concept of bell ringing" and "embod[ies] a spiritual dimension".[35]
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.[36] He eschewsvirtuosity in favour of "atmospherics, subtlety, minimalism, and cleversignal processing", according toGuitar Player.[37] Rather than emulate common playing styles, the Edge is interested in "tearing up the rule book" and finding new ways to approach the instrument;[24] he was inspired by guitarists such asTom Verlaine ofTelevision,Keith Levene ofPublic Image Ltd, andJohn McKay ofSiouxsie and the Banshees, who he thought "were all playing the instrument in a fresh way".[38] The Edge also cited guitarists such asJohn McGeoch,[39]Rory Gallagher, andPatti Smith as some of his strongest influences.[40][30]
.jpg)
The Edge's guitar sound is frequently modulated with adelay set to adottedeighth note for rhythmic effect.[23][41][42] After acquiring his first delay pedal, theElectro-Harmonix Memory Man,[43] he became fascinated with how to use its return echo to "fill in notes that [he's] not playing, like two guitar players rather than one".[44] The effect unit became a mainstay in his guitar rig and had a significant impact on the band's creative output.[43] 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.[26][45]Led Zeppelin guitaristJimmy Page called him a "sonic architect",[44] whileNeil McCormick described him as an "effects maestro".[46] Critics have variously referred to the Edge's guitar sounds as evoking the image of fighter planes on "Bullet the Blue Sky",[47] resembling a "dentist's drill" on "Love Is Blindness",[48] and resembling an "airplane turbine" on "Mofo".[49] The Edge said that rather than using effects merely to modify his sound, he uses them to spark ideas during his songwriting process.[41]
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.[27] In their early days, the Edge's only guitar was his 1976Gibson Explorer Limited Edition,[41][50] which became a signature of the group.[51] However, he found the sound of the Explorer's bass strings unsatisfactory and avoided them in his playing early on, resulting in atrebly sound. He said by focusing "on one area of thefretboard [he] was developing a very stylized way of doing something that someone else would play in a normal way".[5] Other equipment choices contribute to the Edge's unique sound. His 1964Vox AC30 "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.[45] The Edge has also usedplectrums 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.[24]
About his playing style, the Edge said in 1982:
I like a nice ringing sound on guitar, and most of my chords I find two strings and make them ring the same note, so it's almost like a 12-string sound. So for E I might play a B, E, E and B and make it ring. It works very well with the Gibson Explorer.
.jpg)
The Edge provides the backing vocals for U2. Their 1983 live album and video release,Under a Blood Red Sky andU2 Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky are good reference points for his singing (as are the live DVDs from theElevation Tour,U2 Go Home: Live from Slane Castle andElevation 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" as well. His backing vocals are sometimes in the form of a repeated cry; examples of songs that use this approach include "Beautiful Day", "New Year's Day" and "Stay (Faraway, So Close!)". 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", "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" and "Numb", the first half of the song "Seconds", dual vocals with Bono in "Discotheque", and the bridge in the song "Miracle Drug".[12] He also sings the occasional lead vocal in live renditions of other songs (such as "Sunday Bloody Sunday" during thePopMart Tour and "Party Girl" during the Rotterdam Zoo TV show when it was Bono's birthday),[52] 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", which is featured in the documentary filmFrom the Sky Down, is sung by him as well.
He has played keyboards on many of the band's songs, including "I Fall Down", "October", "So Cruel", "New Year's Day", "Running to Stand Still", "Miss Sarajevo", "The Hands that Built America", and "Original of the Species" and others. In live versions of "New Year's Day", "The Unforgettable Fire", "Your Blue Room", "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 bassistAdam Clayton switch instruments.
.jpg)
The Edge plays electric guitar, acoustic guitar, keyboards, piano, bass guitar (on "40" and "Race Against Time") andlap steel guitar. Detailed gear diagrams of the Edge's U2 guitar rig for the 1981 October Tour,[53] the 1983War Tour,[54] and the 2009U2 360° Tour[45] 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.[55]
Evans was raised as aProtestant[56] and was, along with fellow band members Bono and Mullen, involved with non-denominational Christian group the Shalom Fellowship as an adult.[57]
Evans married his secondary school girlfriend, Aislinn O'Sullivan, on 12 July 1983.[58] They have three daughters named Hollie (born 1984), Arran (born 1985), and Blue Angel (born 1989).[12] The couple separated in 1990; Ireland did not have a provision for divorce at that time but divorce waslegalised in 1995 and the couple divorced in 1996.[12] In 1993, he began datingMorleigh Steinberg, an American professional dancer who was employed by U2 as a choreographer and dancer during theZoo TV Tour. Their daughter, Sian Beatrice, was born in Los Angeles in 1997[59] and their son, Levi, was born in 1999 in the same city.[60] The couple married inNice, France,[61] in 2002.[12]
In 1992, the Edge and Bono bought and refurbished Dublin's two-star 70-bedroomClarence Hotel, and converted it into a five-star 49-bedroom hotel.[62] In 2019, they sold the hotel leasehold, but they continue to own the building withPaddy McKillen Sr.[63]
Evans has been criticised for his efforts to build five luxury mansions on a 156-acre (63.13-hectare) plot of land inMalibu, California, United States.[64] TheCalifornia Coastal Commission voted 8–4 against his plans. TheSanta Monica Mountains Conservancy 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.[64]
The Edge reportedly has a net worth of £330 million.[65]
After living in Ireland for 62 years, the Edge became an Irish citizen in June 2025 at the age of 63.[66]
| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | "Snake Charmer" / "Snake Charmer" (Reprise) (Jah Wobble with The Edge andHolger Czukay) "Hold on to Your Dreams"(Jah Wobble with The Edge) | Snake Charmer |
| 1986 | Various tracks | Captive soundtrack |
| 2011 | "Rise Above 1"(Reeve Carney featuringBono and The Edge) | Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark |
| 2021 | "We Are the People"(Martin Garrix featuring Bono and The Edge) | Non-album single |
| 2023 | "Train with No Station" / "Noche Oscura"(Lol Tolhurst,Budgie andJacknife Lee featuring The Edge) | Los Angeles |
The Edge,Bob Ezrin andHenry Juszkiewicz co-foundedMusic Rising in 2005, a charity that helped provide replacement instruments for those that were lost inHurricane Katrina. 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 ofthe Angiogenesis Foundation, a501(c)(3) nonprofit organisation dedicated to improving global health by advancingangiogenesis-based medicine, diets, and lifestyle.[67][68] In 2021, the Edge partnered with the charity Love Welcomes to sell a line ofguitar straps that were handsewn by refugee women and featured aMorse code pattern; proceeds from sales of the strap benefitted employment and support of refugee women.[69]
.jpg)
The Edge has won numerous awards with U2, including 22Grammy Awards[70] and twoGolden Globe Awards for Best Original Song (for "The Hands That Built America" in2003 and "Ordinary Love" in2014).[71] In 2005, he was inducted into theRock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of U2, in the group's first year of eligibility.[72][73] In 2007, he received an honorary doctorate of music fromBerklee College of Music.[74] At the 2017Bonnaroo Music Festival, the Edge was honoured with theLes 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".[75] In May 2024, theVenice Family Clinic presented its inaugural HEART Award to the Edge and his wife Morleigh Steinberg, who are longtime supporters of the center, at its inaugural HEART (Health + Art) Gala.[76]
In 2010,Gibson 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".[77] The following year,Rolling Stone 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".[78] The magazine re-ranked the Edge to 47th place on its expanded 2023 list of the 250 greatest guitarists.[79] 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".[80] In 2015,Rolling Stone ranked Bono and the Edge at number 35 on its list of the100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time.[81]
Footnotes
[The Edge:] My background is much more Tom Verlaine and John McGeoch.
Bibliography
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
Media from Commons
Quotations from Wikiquote
Data from Wikidata
