Psst ... U2's coming to NZ (and it hasn't been announced yet)

Tony Johns new band Barelhouse. Photo/Supplied.

It was during an interview about his new band Barelhouse that former Whanganui musician Tony Johns dropped a bombshell. He'd had a call from no less than U2. On the 30th anniversary of the megaband's breakthrough album The Joshua Tree, they wanted to ask about another Whanganui music identity - one who is no longer with us.

It was the eve of the eighties and the Whanganui music scene was pumping.

Two cockney brothers in their mid and late twenties, the streets of London just a few short years at their backs, beat a punkish rythmn - developing their craft at gig venues like the old Rutland, Fosters and Criterion pubs.

Some four decades on Andrew Johns has left the music business and is a top CAD designer in Auckland while older brother Tony has made his way as a tv commercial director. He remains passionate about music.

His new band, Barelhouse, is an emsemble of forty years of being part of a music scene that has seen the digital revolution upend its business model, and of a deep passion for music that while lost for a brief time, has come surging back with avengeance.

Before he starts to explain, Tony has news.

"I had a call from U2," he opens matter of factly.

"They're doing The Joshua Tree and they're coming here next year."

U2 is one of the most successful mega groups of modern times.

Frequently featured on critics' lists of the greatest records, The Joshua Tree is one of the world's best-selling albums, with over 25 million copies sold.

U2 is commemorating the record's 30th anniversary with an anniversary concert tour and reissue. Tony's announcement that the band is coming to New Zealand is not on their website and maybe news to some.

"I'm pretty sure it's going to be in memory of Greg. They phoned me up asking for information about him - basically interviewed me - and asked if I had any photos of him."

Greg Carroll grew up in Whanganui and joined Tony and Andrew in a band called Strait Flash and later Blonde Comedy as their sound and lighting guy. A few year's later, on a dime, Greg became U2's stage manager and a personal friend of Bono, the band's famous lead singer.

Greg was killed in a motorcycle accident in Dublin in 1986.

The Joshua Tree album released in New Zealand (and Australia) contained an extra track: One Tree Hill - a song written by Bono in Greg's memory. Now one of U2's iconic tracks, it is rarely performed live as Bono says the emotion is still too raw.

"We spoke for quite a while regarding what Greg was like and things like that," Tony said of Harry, U2's guy on the phone.

Tony's not sure what U2 has planned but suspects Greg will feature in some way during many of the band's anniversary concerts which began in Vancouver this month.

Tony met Greg through their involvement in the late 1970s Whanganui music scene. Greg was a tinkerer and a problem solver, the brothers had dreams of playing music and getting paid for it.

"Greg got involved doing our sound. He was a great guy, from Ratana," Tony recalls.

With Greg on board as roadie they played and toured together for about a year in the late 1970s as Strait Flash, Andrew on the drums, Tony lead guitar and vocals, and another Whanganui musician Barry Filer on bass.

There were bands before and after Strait Flash, but none as good as what was to come after Greg's departure.

They moved to Auckland and pulled in two other Whanganui musicians Dave Mauger and Craig Smithpilling - and with a third new member Dave Wilco they formed Blonde Comedy, cutting an EP along the journey.

"We toured for heaps man.

"We also bought a huge truck that took all the gear. When we wasn't working Greg used to go out with the truck and work with other bands, like Hello Sailor. He toured with a lot of bands.

"When we went on the road he would drop that and tour with us because he was part of the band. Greg was looked upon as the fifth member (following the departure of Dave Wilco).

"At that stage I asked if he was interested in playing keyboards. He wasn't interested. He loved mixing with bands and touring and stuff. He never really had the drive to get into being on stage."

Greg left the boys behind in 1984 when during U2s New Zealand tour he found himself on One Tree Hill alongside one of the world's most famous rock stars of the time.

Diffuser FM reported: "Wide awake in the middle of the night (due to jet lag), Bono went out on the town with some Auckland locals who wanted to show him the city. One of them was Carroll, who had been hired as a roadie for the U2 concert. That night, Carroll and the others brought Bono up One Tree Hill (Maungakiekie), one of Auckland's spiritually significant volcanic peaks."

Greg joined U2 as a roadie, touring first Australia and then the US. He appeared at Live Aid when handing Bono the microphone.

After the tour he flew with the band to Dublin, where he became a personal assistant to Bono. In the course of a couple years, Greg not only became an important part of the band but a friend of the band's lead singer and his wife, Ali Hewson.

Before his death Greg was researching locations for cover artwork for the band's new album, The Joshua Tree. According to Bono in Diffuser FM: "His goal was to direct and produce videos and films."

Ironic. As that became Tony's path in later life.

Greg was killed in Dublin on July 3, 1986 after taking Bono's bike to his house on a rainy night. A car pulled out in front of him. Greg hit the side of the car and died instantly. He was 26.

Music writer Colin Hogg went to the tangi at Kai-iwi Marae, with Bono, and other band representatives. Later the band dedicated its song One Tree Hill, and the album The Joshua Tree, to Greg.

"I just remember being in this tiny marae north of Whanganui, and with Bono and Larry. It was quite a powerful gesture of respect. I'll never forget Bono sitting there singing Knockin' On Heaven's Door in ... the middle of nowhere,'' wrote Hogg.

Greg Carroll (left), Ali Hewson and Bono, lead singer of U2.

The memory of Greg lives on, through Tony's own associations as well as through U2s giant publicity machine.

After Greg's departure, the band fizzled out. "Blonde Comedy never actually officially stopped as a band. We just went on hiatus basically. We stopped touring and recording."

Tony's next band was perhaps his most successful, National Anthem, and whose album contains arguably his finest work. The band still has pockets of fans across the country.

Produced by Tony, and with lyrics written between Tony and Craig, the band had a big sound, which led to a big name, given to it by Don McGlashan of Blam Blam Blam.

"Don said 'call yourself National Anthem because you've got a big sound' and everybody agreed it was a good name so we went with it. Looking back on it now it wasn't a flash name to be honest, we really should have sat down and decided what name we were going to use. "

After National Anthem Tony took a music hiatus of his own.

He had been introduced to directing after producing music videos for the band and went on to direct dozens of popular television commercials, including commercials for some big brands including Coca Cola.

It was a birthday, a few year's ago, that bought him back to music.

"I decided we'd hire a pub and I'd do a couple of songs. I got the f....g bug back. It was really bad. I came off thinking f...k I've got to do this again.

"What I decided I really wanted to do is get into a band that played blues ... and so I auditioned some people ... we formed a band and we started gigging.

"There's a guy called John Beech, he's been with us all the time, and he's a keyboard player. He's also a lawyer as well. He's got the same drive as I have.

"We finally found a drummer, Mike Walsh, he's only 24. He's a f....g good drummer.

"And we also got Tony Lamberton. He's played with The Cure, Ella Fitzgerald, he's toured the world so many f....g times, he's lived in America - if you drop a name he would have played with them. He's f....g flash and he's also very dedicated as well.

"We now got a lineup that is very professional."

Including the latest addition, Joseph, Tony's son on rythmn guitar.

And that brings us to the present day.

Click here to listen to - Losing You

"It's not overly easy getting into a pub or doing gigs that are 100 per cent original. But you get better satisfaction and you build up a following. You don't really build up a following being in a cover's band.

"Up here there's quite a lot of gigs - its like open mikes but for bands - so we started doing them. But what we've been finding is we'd go up and do three or four songs and afterwards the organisers they ask us if we'd like to go back and feature as the feature band.

"And that's what we're doing now. We've got one on the 25th ....

Tony says it's his best music and he's keen to get back on the road.

"Yeah, totally. But it's not worth going on tour until you've got an audience.

"We could quite easily put all our stuff on Spotify, Amazon, Pandora ... we could start releasing stuff now, but it can't be a token gesture.

"We're going back in the studio in another month's time and I would say this time next year hopefully we'll have up to 18 or 20 tracks recorded and then it'll actually be worth releasing shit."

Watch this space.

To listen to Barelhouse music click here

Gigs:
1st June at Muriwai Beach Surf Club, Muriwai : 8.45PM

8th June at Kingslander, New North Rd, Kingsland : 8.30PM