All Songs No Citrus Fruits
All Songs No Citrus Fruits
All Songs No Citrus Fruits

All Songs, No Citrus Fruits

U2's manager Paul McGuinness talks to U2.COM on the eve of Elevation 2001.Anyone want to buy a lemon? Mint condition, ...

24 Mar 2001
U2's manager Paul McGuinness talks to U2.COM on the eve of Elevation 2001.



Anyone want to buy a lemon? Mint condition, low mileage, one careful owner who no longer needs it and has no doubt it is all that he can leave behind.



Paul McGuinness, manager of U2, is keen to discuss serious offers for rock's most famous lemon with any interested parties. Citrus fruits are out of season for Elevation 2001.



'The Elevation tour is all about the music and that's what we want people to concentrate on,' he says. 'It was great doing those stadium shows with PopMart and ZooTV but we don't need mirrorball lemons this time.'



'Actually,' he adds, 'It's in storage in Belgium at the moment, maybe we could do an internet auction for it through U2.COM!'



McGuinness, speaking backstage during final rehearsals for Elevation 2001, has managed U2 for more than two decades. He has seen them play to the tiniest clubs and the biggest stadiums, with no props and with the strangest... but he has rarely seen them as hungry to get out on the road and perform as today.



'The band are the opposite of rusty at the moment,' he explains to U2.COM. 'They've played so many diverse events recently, from club shows to TV performances and award ceremonies, they are extremely keen to get into the groove of the tour now.'



Some members of the touring crew have been in Miami for three weeks in advance of the tour and, while the band arrived a week ago, they too have been rehearsing for some time in Dublin. They have rehearsed more than thirty songs.



'U2 have always been an intense and exciting live band, that was one of the first things that attracted me to them. And they've always been very ambitious, very competitive - they think that they are the best band in the world - and they're right.'



If proof were needed, McGuinness observes how unusual it is for a band to release what may turn out to be their most succesful album ever... twenty years into their career. It does occassionally happen that acts have their biggest album success many years after they formed... but they are usually dead by then.



All That You Can't Leave Behind, in contrast, is the work of a band at the peak of their creative powers and, album sales to date - approaching 8million in five months - suggest it might overtake The Joshua Tree, U2's biggest album thus far.



As for the singles, Beautiful Day, Stuck in A Moment and Walk On have all topped charts in different territories and there are at least three other songs under consideration for future release. Elevation, as widely reported, is set to be the next worldwide single but U2's manager thinks there is a strong case to be made for releasing tracks such as Wild Honey and In A Little While at some point.



'For me it is a great thrill that they have made such a successful record, that Beautiful Day won three Grammy's, that this tour has been sellng out faster than any we have ever done. 'Most artists start to coast a few years into their careers but there is no sign of that with U2, it wouldn't surprise me if they went on for another twenty.'



But they still won't need the lemon. Interested ? Check our sales video and e-mail us your offers to Lemon@U2.COM.



MORE NEWS

ALL NEWS
Carnaval De Luz Indie Record Store Edition
CARNAVAL DE LUZ

Limited Edition Third Man Records Yellow Vinyl of New Album Arrives November 13 at Independent Record Stores

30 SEP 2026
Central Bank Deputy Governor Vasileios Madouros presented the coin to Larry Mullen Jr.
50TH ANNIVERSARY

Central Bank of Ireland launches U2 commemorative coin marking 50 years since the band's formation.

28 SEP 2026
Fifty
50TH ANNIVERSARY

Live in Dublin fifty years on. Pat Carty was there for U2.com.

27 SEP 2026
'CARNAVAL DE LUZ' - New Album In November.
CARNAVAL DE LUZ

The band's first studio album in nine years will be released on November 13th. Silencio, second track from...

24 SEP 2026
It’s Arrived (with a surprise)
SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVES

The Days of Ash Propaganda Magazine & EP bundle is here… complete with a bonus Easter Lily edition...

17 SEP 2026
'2027 Persons of the Year'
HEARTS + MINDS

Band to be honoured by Musicares for 'five decades of musical achievement and humanitarian service'

10 SEP 2026
’Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah’
COMPILATIONS

Release of Pogues cover today, Friday, from stellar line up for '20th Century Paddy - The Songs Of...

28 AUG 2026
'Fireflies'
COLLABORATIONS

Out today!  Martin Garrix teams up with U2 on new track 'Fireflies', debuted live with Edge at Tomorrowland...

24 JUL 2026
'In a place called Mexico…'

Behind-the-scenes with band and crew on the shoot for 'Street of Dreams'.

17 JUL 2026
Street Of Dreams - The New Single is Here.
SINGLES

Listen to Street of Dreams, the first single from the band's upcoming studio album.

07 JUL 2026
’BALLROOM BOOM’
TV

'Ballroom Boom' screening at the Galway Film Fleadh this Thursday.

07 JUL 2026
What a wonder. They're calling it "The Obamalisk"
BONO

Bono and Edge performing City of Blinding Lights at the grand opening of the Obama Presidential Center in...

22 JUN 2026
SHOWING 12 OF 4770 STORIES KEEP SCROLLING FOR MORE ↓

LATEST COMMENTS

THE NEW ALBUM
CARNAVAL DE LUZ

The new album. Out 13 November 2026.

PRE-ORDER

SUBSCRIBE TO U2.COM

Special editorial and video, exclusive newsletters and events, 25% coupon for the shop and first access to ticket sales when the band tour.