U2 Biography

In October 1976, 14-year-old Larry Mullen, Jr stuck a notice on the board at school, looking for musicians to join a band.

The boys that joined the young drummer would still be together nearly 30 years later, as the rock group U2. Adam Clayton became the bassist, Dave Evans played lead guitar and Paul Hewson became their vocalist and frontman.

Hewson took the name 'Bono' from a local hearing aid shop called Bonavox, and decided that 'The Edge' was a good name for, and description of, Dave Evans. Evans's brother Dik joined at first as a second guitarist, but around the time that the group dropped the name 'The Hype', Dik dropped the band.

By March 1978 they had adopted the four-man lineup, and spent the next two years building a local following in Dublin and releasing singles on a small label. In March 1980, they signed to Island records and released four albums in a little over four years.

'Boy', 'October', 'War' and 'The Unforgettable Fire' grew more popular with each release. With the powerful sound of the band coupled with their spiritual, dense and political lyrics, U2 built up a critical and popular following as one of the rising rock bands of the eighties.

1985 and 1986 were marked by two 'charity' performances. Live Aid at Wembley stadium offered an outlet for the band's views on famine and debt relief that they still campaign on to this day. Their 13 minute rendition of 'Bad' stayed in the memories of many who saw it. The next year, they were the headliners on the Amnesty International 'Conspiracy of Hope' tour, which tripled its membership in the U.S. over the course of the six dates.

Over the course of the next albums, U2's music became more experimental and their stage show ever more elaborate. From the stark simplicity of 'the Joshua Tree' to the elaborate production and layed conception of 'Zooropa', the band have proved themselves unafraid of change, growth and making themselves look ridiculous.

Evidently seeing no problem with campaigning on the world stage over third world debt one night, and mocking their pose as superstars on-stage the next, U2 pose a challenging mixture of the sardonic and the serious. Still commercially successful, their output has slowed over the last ten years, as they pick up individual projects and campaigns.