Reinventing the Edge

As I watched the IMAX production U23D this weekend, which was freaking amazing, I thought to myself, “Self, why do you suppose more bands aren’t going for these innovative productions?” As I sat there counting freckles on The Edge’s arm and watching the verbal foreplay Bono and Larry Mullen were having with lyrics and a drum, I couldn’t help but think of how these guys have stood the test of time. For me, it’s not because they’re Irish (go team!), but because they’re innovative.

U2 has consistently been out in front in terms of new things. Not novelty – lord no. But new areas in which to introduce music and their message. iPod commercials – they were the first. Thousands of television screens as a stage backdrop – again, they did it first. Music that evolved instead of sounding the same with each release (think Boston in the 1970s for an example of how to kill a career by keeping the same old same old going).

In all their years of making music, these boys have never rested on their previous success. They’ve pushed beyond what we expect of them. They’ve delivered more than we expect, and not always what we want (The Fly being my own personal least favorite). The lyrics are a huge part of what they do, but so is going where they haven’t been. They put their efforts into their music, their journey, and they take us along unselfishly. We’ve rewarded them, too. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Gazillions in record sales. Lumping them in the same company as The Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin. Coming back for more.

So tell me – when was the last time you did that for your clients? Did you deliver the goods, or did you deliver good enough? It’s all about leaving an impression that no one can do as good a job as you can. It’s about making them think you’re the one who must be called, the one who will wow them every time. That’s how you create urgency. That’s how people remember you as a real expert, a true professional. You give them more than they bargained for, and you appeal to their intelligence. That’s how you become the writing equivalent of a rock star.