Born on 8 August: David Howell Evans, alias The Edge, guitarist with U2

 

He was born in 1961 in Barking (London) to Welsh parents, but like his U2 mates, The Edge became Irish at heart.

The birth of the most popular quartet ever to emerge from Dublin was a logical consequence of the times. Four teenagers living in the same neighbourhood and sharing a common passion decided to form a band.

In this case, The Edge responded to an advert posted by drummer Larry Mullen Jr on the door of the very Catholic Mount Temple Comprehensive School. It was on the benches of this school that the four boys of U2 spent their youth. At the age of 12, Paul ‘Bono’ Henson also met his wife Alison Stewart there. It was also here that the band found graphic designer Steve Averill, who would go on to design their album covers.

Hekate Café and Elixir Lounge has all the trappings of a trendy bar in New York’s East Village. A selection of beers and spirits line the walls, and newcomers and regulars sit chatting, soaking in the witchy vibes — spell books and Tarot readings both available to purchase — and alt-rock music.

But there is one important difference: all the drinks in Hekate are alcohol free.

“This is one of the last spots of old New York where you get the queers, the occultists and the weird leftists like myself plotting, hanging out, sharing stories and shooting the sh*t,” one regular, sitting at the bar, tells The Independent.

Of course, Hekate’s clientele isn’t limited to those three specific demographics, but the welcoming and inclusive nature of such bars, combined with changing modern attitudes towards alcohol consumption mean that the concept is gaining a stronger footing across the US.

According to the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), non-alcoholic alternatives compromise one of the fastest growing subsections of the overall alcoholic drinks market – with the no-or-low-alcoholic beers, wines, and spirits currently valued at above $13 billion.