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I'm still digging long-established bands like U2 - they're new to me!

There's only one band that could ever even pretend to assume the mantle of what the Beatles did, who have been so pre-eminent and world-dominating that they could effect a paradigm shift in the culture, who have been willing to leverage their success into musical change, and that is U2 - regardless of what the result of that is.

For us there's U2 music, and then there's everything else.

The great music for so many artists - the Beatles, the Rolling Stones - was always at the moment when they were closest to pop. It would be easy for U2 to go off and have a concept album, but I want us to stay in the pop fray.

Now U2's not my favorite band, but I do respect them, and in the same way I respect Bowie: They change without fear of change.

U2 is an original species... there are colours and feelings and emotional terrain that we occupy that is ours and ours alone.

I just don't get that new hot music. I don't know anything about all these groups like U2.

Rock 'n' roll is ridiculous. It's absurd. In the past, U2 was trying to duck that. Now we're wrapping our arms around it and giving it a great big kiss.

Hanging out with politicians and corporations is very unhip work. But I think that the U2 audience have turned out to be incredibly subtle in their understanding.

You know all these stadiums that U2 are playing? I've played in them. And I'm building up to it again.