Merry Christmas Dallas!
Just wanted to wish Dallas and the rest of the Schoo Crew out there a very Merry XMAS! Hope Dallas has a nice and relaxing to at home before he heads down with the U2 guys to Mexico in a couple months time. God bless all. Again, Merry XMAS!

Mike
11:21 AM 2 comments

Dallas calls from Charlotte!!
Hi you guys, how are ya! Just talked to Dallas a little bit ago, he was checking in from Charlotte. Said he's really looking forward to keeping it going next year, really loves the tour and his job of course. Really a big deal with them going to Mexico and S.A.

well, thats it for now. There may be something very HUGE coming in the way of this fanclub. Dallas and I are really sussed about the possiblity. So check back soon, we'll give you a heads up soon. Merry XMAS all!
6:02 PM 0 comments

Happy Birthday Dallas Schoo
Just wanted to wish Dallas a very blessed birthday. Toasted a few drinks to him last night! So just keep our favorite guitar tech in mind today! He really is the nicest, most genuine person you could ever meet. Thanks for everything, Dallas! Have a great day man!
12:28 PM 0 comments

Join The SCHOO CREW to celebrate Dallas Schoo's Birthday!!!!
It's time to celebrate the greatest guitar tech ever!! Join the Dallas Schoo Fanclub on November 19th, at Fado's in Washington, D.C. on 8th & F at 8 pm to toast a many drink to Dallas Schoo. Dallas will be turning a year older on November 20th so please stop by to meet the rest of the Schoo Crew! Any questions just contact Mike Sturgess at sturgess@hotmail.com or just look for more contact information here! Hope to see plenty of you there!
4:47 PM 0 comments

Dallas and I.....at the MCI
I'll start the day off by saying we werent even going to show up at the MCI Center till 5 or so. We had GAs but we couldnt take off work yet again. So Cristy goes into work ...apparently she must have looked so terrible from lack of sleep from the 2 previous days because her boss sent her home cos he thought she really was sick!!! Lol. So of course she headed right down to the venue at like 10. She was about 80th in line. Not bad! She texted me and all I could think was wow ...maybe this is a good sign ya know, being that we didnt get into the bomb shelter the two previous shows. Maybe luck was gonna be on our side tonight ...little did I know.

She waited in line with these very nice people.....I finally arrived a little after 5. She had made a pact with the couple behind us....if you get into the ellipse we'll get in with you and if we get in so on...so the mad rush starts at 6pm....I made it down first and got the PROCEED TO FLOOR as did she! So we run and meet up with the couple that was behind us who also did not get in...we waited on Adam's side....the security guard that was in front of Cristy on wednesday night comes over and says hello to us....BTW...I had made yet another shirt for Dallas (I had made and gave him one in Philly back in May) saying....Dallas Schoo Fan Club...the picture of Bono holding my Fan Club sign in Dublin. But anyway, I thought well hey this guy remembers my wife and was very nice, maybe he could give it to Dallas for me sometime before or after. So we called him over and asked and he was happy to oblige.

About 15 mins later, we see Dallas in the Ellipse; talking to some guests he was showing around. So we get the guards attention and throw him the shirt. We see him head over to the other side where Dallas was in the ellipse and shows him the shirt and points over. Dallas looks over, laughs, and we wave as he does. So Dallas starts walking towards the exit sign of the Ellipse on our side. He checks before he heads out to make sure he knows where we were. I wave again letting him know. LOL....next thing I know...here he is...heading over to me with that great smile that Dallas Schoo can only have. We shake hands, he thanks me, we give each other a nice hug, gives us some picks, talk for a few minutes. I introduce him to Cristy and he remembered the wedding and asked how that all went and so forth, then he tells a funny story about Bono the previous show night about him complaining that one of Edges amps wasnt working properly ...in which he was telling Bono ...."Which amp man...we got seven of these things" he laughs. We talk for a couple more minutes about the fanclub/website ....and he tells me he tried calling me Monday night because he was sitting next to Bono and Bruce and he was going to get them to talk to me but he ended up getting some calls himself ....WOW ...how cool would that have been. But oh well. I would have rather talked to him anyway. LOL.

So Dallas says...."Mike I need to talk to you in private....if maybe you can come over to the side here, you and Cristy if you can and not lose your spot". So of course we did and he is talking to the security guards to get us OVER the barrier....yes OVER....so after Dallas and I explaining that we wouldnt lose our spot or anything and I think Dallas convinced the event security guys it would be ok I head over, get caught up a bit, and this HUGE security guy who kinda looked like shaquille oneal just said "grab my shoulders: and he hauled me the rest of the way. Then this small security dude just picks up Cristy and pulls her over! Haha. One strong dude!

So Dallas says "Mike, man, Ive been wanting to do this for awhile, and we'll have to be quick, but I want to take you guys back and show you around" ....ok mind you my heart was already doing cartwheels, so now its at like 300 bpm. LOL. Are you serious? Really couldnt believe he was doing this. INCREDIBLE!

So off we go and he lifts the curtain under Adams side of the stage and he first introduces up to Phil Docherty, Bono's tech who was working on Bono's Irish Falcon guitar - that guitar is soooo pretty upclose! He was really friendly and shook our hands and exchanged pleasantries. Then Dallas shows us Monitor World as he explains the consoles and monitors really quick saying that Bruce Springsteen & Pearl Jam and the like only uses one and U2 uses FOUR!!!!

So up on stage we go as Dallas takes us up the stairs and ON TO THE STAGE!!!! He takes us behind Larry's drum kit and says....ok give me your camera ( OH BTW AT THIS POINT OUR CAMERA WAS DEAD SO WE BORROWED THE CAMERA FROM THE COUPLE NEXT TO US....THANKFULLY!!!!) so he says to face him and takes a picture....I'm just looking out into the crowd thinking.....Wow so this is what it feels like to be U2!!!!!!!!!!! Sick, just sick man! LOL. So he and my lady switch and me and him take a pic together. I ask him if he got to swim today and he chuckled that I remembered and said yeah that he was able to head down to Georgetown U to get his swimming in. But anyway...lol he walks us over to the Edges guitar rig....explains how they have developed this together over the years...shows us the pedals and effects he "likes" ..lol. My favorite Dallas word ...sorry had to add that. No time to explain that one. But yeah, Edges rig ...wow... couldnt believe I was inches from that thing! I mean that is legendary stuff man! Off to Edges piano now and Dallas takes a picture of us again...then its off to Schoo World!!! Where Dallas is in his element! Down we go those stairs to his area!!!

OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Was the first thing to come to mind. And there they were ...in Dallas' Ultimate Guitar Stand Rack! Those guitars are beautiful, the Tele (Vertigo guitar) ...the Rickenbacker ..the Les Paul, and so on! WOW!.....then he says.... "Here Mike, this is Edge's 1976 Gibson Explorer which was Edges first guitar" ...straps the damn thing on me!!!!! "oh my god..wow..Oh my God" was about all I could manage. I just looked down and couldnt believe I was holding that baby in my hands. So Cristy takes a picture of us with me holding it and then he shows us where he tunes and switches Edge's sounds and so forth.....Then he takes out Blackie and tells Cristy that this is the Streets guitar and straps it on her!!!!! Cristy hold this guitar says how shiny it was ..lol and he takes yet another pic of her holding it with me next to her!!!!! He takes it off her and says follow me....so we follow him behind and says...this is where the band goes during the encores, discuss what they will play, a chance to relax.....it was so fucking cool - the whole thing. Just couldnt believe it was happening really. Dallas walks us out of the back and says...I better get you guys back because the lights were about to go down (for Damien Marley) and he had to get to work. So were walking back (towards the outside of the ellipse)...and Dallas turns around and says....How bad do you guys want to go back out to the outside of the ellipse??? Cristy says....Not bad at all!!! LOL...so out of his pocket he pulls out wristbands!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He puts them around us ...and I tell him this is Cristy's first time into the ellipse....so he takes her by the hand and walks us into the ellipse and tells her.... "alright all you have to do now is relax and enjoy the show"...is he not the friggin coolest guy EVER. I swear! Lol. We both thanked Dallas he gave me 2 more guitar picks and a big hug....and that great smile as he headed back to work!

Really, I am still speechless...though you wouldn't think after all that reading. Haha. But its been playing thru my head all day today. Probably still hasn't sunk in all the way. Really it was in the stars for this to happen. Cant thank enough people....my wife's boss. haha. The security guy for giving Dallas the shirt for me. The security guys who let us....er... helped us over the barrier. The folks next to us for letting us borrow the camera...and finally, the man, the coolest, friendliest guy ever on this universe and I mean this...Dallas Schoo. What he does for fans, what he does for Edge and other folks he works for is just amazing! And of course its more than that, and some of it you just cant explain. But one thing is for sure, I will be a Dallas Schoo fan for the rest of my days and I will never, ever take for granted what he has done for me over the past few years. I cant wait to figure what were gonna do in regards to doing something on the website for all the fans. Yes we talked about that too. So be on the look out for that as well. But again, Dallas man, thank you so much! Really cant thank you enough... I mean this. For the rest of the Dallas fans out there, keep supporting our guitar man and give him a wink or a wave when you can and remember to thank him for what he's done for U2 and you too!
9:06 AM 6 comments

New Schoo Interview!!!
Hello, Hello! Hope everyone is enjoying the site so far. Just wanted to pass along the new profile that U2.com did of Dallas. Of course you must be a site member to view the entire profile. I may try and aski permission to use it here. Its a really good - really good profile on the Man! Just shows yet again what a dedicated, hard worker Dallas is, and not to mention one of the friendliest, down to earth, sweetest people on this planet! So head over and enjoy. Here's a tad snippet!

In The Studio
In the last two years, during the making of the ‘HTDAAB’ record, I lived in Dublin because they wanted me involved and it was one of the best experiences of my career ever. In the past Edge would get me in to do some guitar overdubs but this time it was during the recording, getting involved in how to present the sounds in the best way. I was in the studio every day, working with Adam, Bono and Edge and their instrument technicians, getting guitar sounds for the album which is the first time I have been involved with the band on this level.

5:22 PM 2 comments

A Hello From Portugal
Hi you guys, How is everyone? Got some new Dallas news, as Dallas gave me a ring yesterday afternoon from Lisbon....where it was mighty hot he noted! Dallas just wanted to give a shout to everyone and that they have a bit of a break before they head back to North America in about a month's time. Dallas sounded in high spirits as always!

So for now enjoy the new features of the site and be on the look out for tons of new pics and some new video! Also if you have any Dallas news at all, please don't hesitate to send it over so I can post it right away! Thanks! Bye Bye.

Mike
1:54 PM 1 comments