KEY POINTS:
Rock megastars U2 came to town yesterday and so did the New Zealand media - in droves.
While only four fans had waited to greet the Dublin band when it arrived at Auckland Airport at 1am, a world leader would have been envious of their afternoon press conference.
Nearly 100 representatives from radio, television, newspapers and magazines the length and breadth of the country turned up to meet the group, which has been hailed the most important rock band of the decade and the biggest success story of the 80s.
TV3, in gearing-up phase, had one camera, while Television New Zealand was taking no chances with three to cover all possible angles in the side lobby of an Auckland Airport terminal lounge.
Forty minutes after the scheduled start of the conference, lead singer Bono, guitarists The Edge and Adam Clayton, and drummer Larry Mullen took their places on the platform behind four microphones.
Photographers were permitted a few minutes before the lucky person nominated to ask the first question kicked off the serious interviewing.
What did the band think of all the hype and how to cope with it was perhaps not the ideal choice in the circumstances.
The band seemed to despair at times of convincing others they were ordinary people, although as Larry Mullen said: "You think when you go back home that you are the same person and nothing has changed, but it has."
The Edge said money gave them freedom to control what they did in their music "...and Lear jets and houses in the south of France..." interrupted Bono.
They were slightly tired too, they said, of being asked their opinions on world affairs. "Solving the world's problems takes up a lot of time - but we've got the weekends."
Despite the occasion and atmosphere there was not a prima donna or superstar ego to be seen - on the platform at least - just four Irishmen who had retained their sense of humour and courtesy for all.
"We are not very happy about U2 at the moment - we are not so happy with what we have done over the last 10 years," said Bono.
"We feel we have a lot to do in the next 10 years."
Having denied they are "the greatest" but failing to convince most present, their efforts were further thwarted by the legendary BB King, who is touring with them and joined the band on the platform.
"They're A1... plus, I've been learning a lot from them every day," he said. As U2 admit to being fans of BB, this was praise indeed.
Their sell-out tour of four New Zealand concerts kicks off at Lancaster Park today, followed by Wellington's Athletic Park on November 8 and Auckland's Western Springs next Friday and Saturday.
