Today we are offering you an interview with Harry Kantas, contributor to the U2 exhibition at the Little Museum of Dublin! We let Monica Martino,”old member” of our forum and who visited the exhibition, speak:
How many times have I been to Dublin? I do not know, I’ve stopped counting but enough to think there was nothing left new to see.
But … I suggested to some friends to go and see The Little Museum of Dublin, truly a gem of a museum that sums up history of the city in “modern” time. And it turned out that there is now also a U2 exhibition!
I decide to go in the morning of a cloudy day. I quietly look around the ground floor of the museum and the first floor.
The second floor was opened to the public recently. I climb the stairs and like children who followed the Pied Piper I magically follow the notes of Out of control to the room to the right.
I stop before entering, I couldn’t believe to my eyes. I had the same distinct feeling of the first time I went to a Disney park : the room of dreams, the desire to jump into the midst of all those things like Uncle Scrooge in the money. I could not stop laughing.
Then I realized that I was not alone so I reassumed an adult behavior.
The first things that catches my attention are the headlights of the Trabant (saying the truth, a piece of Trabant) in the middle of the room. How not to get back with my mind on the first concert of ’93 in Rome …
And then McPhisto, peacefully standing by the fireplace, his back to the front door but by a strange game of perspective (or autosuggestion ?) seems to follow you with his eyes in every point of the room.
I begin to look at objects and photos on display (the idea of a “theft” came to my mind….) and while walking around the trabant I realize that the dashboard is fitted with a small screen showing any kind of video on the band. The time of the birth of the Zoo TV Tour stage is on so I sit there, with headphones on, and the time seems standing still.
Videos I have seen over and over but yet I am not sick. Until I realize there is a girl looking at me saying with her eyes when will it be my turn to play?
And so I leave my seat, unwillingly…definetely.
I finish my tour, I do not know what to look at more or less… flipping through books, touching pictures, smiling in front of the strangest gadgets…
And then I convince myself to go out.
Before the door I see an inscription with due thanks to the designers, builders and contributors to the exhibition.
So many names, one quite familiar: Harry Kantas. Could it be him? A greek known outside the HQ Studios and with whom I spent hours, along with others, to pursue and achieve a dream.
I decided to get in touch with him.
– Harry, I was at the exhibition at the Little Museum. I read a name among those under “special thanks”. Are you THAT Harry Kantas ?
– Yes, that’s me. The exhibition is great, isn’t it?
– Yes definitely . Listen … would you care to answer a few questions for u2place ?
– Sure, why not!
1)Who had the idea for a U2 room at the Little museum and which was the reason?
The guys over at the Little Museum had a U2 Early Years photo exhibition (news) that went really well, and had visitors from all over the world. They thought about that a bit, and decided it was such a shame that there was no permanent exhibition anywhere to promote the biggest band to come out of Ireland, so they took it upon themselves to set one up.
2) How did you get involved? What did you do and was it hard to do?
Simon from the Little Museum was invited to the Tom Dunne’s radio show to talk about the Museum’s plans for the exhibition. I was invited too as a fan of the band, and a collector, to discuss on-air. We got to talking, and offered to help out any way I could, as I thought this was a great project, and one definitely missing in Dublin.
3) Which is the most precious item in the exhibition?
There are many nice items from fans all over the world, and items the Museum financed themselves. I don’t like to distinguish items by price, as it’s mostly about the sentimental value, and what an item can mean to you. Remember, U2 is a very personal thing, so each fan will surely identify with different items in the exhibition.
4) and which one instead for you is “the most precious” one and why?
Again, I won’t talk about ‘precious’ in the context of a price. I will however say there are items in there, that even hardcore U2 collectors would appreciate.
For me personally, one item with a great sentimental value, is my promo Sweetest Thing candy bar, signed by Bono and The Edge. I remember handing this out to Edge, and him laughing his arse off..!
I also have a promo 12″ Popmart Sampler, that I gave Bono to my birthday, and then proceeded to draw a doodle of himself on it. He made sure to draw a big enough nose, I like to think we have a nice solidarity thing going on as men with big noses! 🙂
5) What would you like to have in the exhibition?
As a collector, I would love to see one of the only 3 available All I Want Is You green 12″ records displayed. You know, rumour has it that Larry Mullen Jnr owns one of the 3 copies.
As a fan, I wouldn’t have a preference really, walking in to a room, and being surrounded by U2 history is amazing as it is.
6) Is the exhibition a permanent one? will the items be changed in the future?
The exhibition is permanent. We have not discussed about changing things around yet, but I would be happy to refresh some of the items every few years, to keep it interesting for new fans, and keep it interesting for the fans that have already visited once.
7) You are not irish. Did U2 make you move to dublin? Did you ever meet them?. What do they mean for you and which is the song you love the most?
Yes, definitely. I did not exactly decide to leave my home and move here for U2. I have always been a geek at heart, so there came a point in my life where I decided I would have better opportunities outside Greece to build up my career. Out of all the available options at the time, Dublin may not have been the most obvious one, but U2 tipped the scale, no questions asked.
It’s a great feeling growing up listening to U2 since you’re 5 years old, and thinking “one day I will meet them”, and then being determined, and lucky enough to make it happen.
Blessings, not just for the ones you kneel. Luckily… 🙂
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We also invite you to visit The Little Museumweb site