Steve Averill

Steve Averill (born 1950) is an Irish graphic artist, art director, writer, musician, and former punk rock vocalist. He, along with his company, AMP Visual (previously Four5One Creative), has designed all the album covers for the Irish band U2. Averill also brainstormed the name "U2" that the group selected for themselves.

Life Averill was educated at Mountjoy and Marine school, which became Mount Temple School in Clontarf, Dublin. His parents thought his interest in musical acts such as the Tornados, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Shadows were all just noise. Even at the age of twelve, he was interested in the album cover art.

Averill had a short career as the singer Steve Rapid in Ireland's first punk band the Radiators from Space who were not very highly thought of by the musical establishment. The Radiators developed from Averill's involvement with Pete Holidai in two earlier bands: Greta Garbage and the Trashcans. with Thin Lizzy. with Chiswick Records.

Averill realized his vocal limitations and wanted to express himself through art and design. He considered himself "a tone-deaf singer with no musical talent",

Influences In September 2016, Averill referenced the artist Russell Mills as a source of current inspiration for the web project Just Six Degrees. "I have long been aware and an admirer of the work of Russell Mills. From his early work with Brian Eno - both the album cover designs as well as their book More Dark Than Shark - through to his gallery installations and his work with Nine Inch Nails. So it was a pleasure to meet him in person when we shared a stage at the recent Offset event in Dublin. The real inspiration came from meeting and talking to Russell and being able to hear him talk about the ideas and thought processes behind his work and to then see some of his work close up at the accompanying exhibition. But it was from the man himself and his attitude to his work and life that I drew some personal motivation."