Mount Temple School to U2 - Part 1

I found this intresting story about the Legendery band U2 while I was surfing on the web looking for information about them. The story of how they begun in Dublin forming a band in Mount Temple School to all the way becoming U2 the greatest rock acts of all times ... the story goes like this..

The story of U2 began at Mount Temple School in north-east Dublin in the autumn of 1976. Larry Mullen advertised on the school notice board asking if anyone wanted to join a band. Those who responded, with varying degrees of enthusiasm, included Paul Hewson, Dave Evans and his brother Dick, and Adam Clayton. These five agreed to start up a band, calling themselves Feedback. Larry himself was a competent drummer and Adam had a bass guitar, but the other roles were not yet settled.The band was allowed to rehearse in a classroom at Mount Temple, although their initial efforts were fairly haphazard, and with no recognized vocalist. Paul Hewson did not see himself as a singer, but he was a natural actor and his vocals were better than his guitar playing, so he became the "front man" for the band. Paul Hewson belonged to a "clan" of local teenagers who called themselves Lypton Village. They all invented nicknames for each other. Paul adopted the name Bono Vox, usually shortened to Bono. Dave Evans, although not a member of the "Village", was called The Edge, a reference to the shape of his chin and his guitar playing style.Feedback had their first public performance at a talent contest organized at Mount Temple School. Although they didn't win the contest, they were the most popular act with their school friends, and the experience gave them the confidence to continue. Shortly afterwards the band changed their name to Hype for their second gig at St. Fintan's Hall.Adam Clayton had taken on the role of manager, and succeeded in arranging a number of gigs in local pubs and clubs. The band had added some more songs to their repertoire, including some Rolling Stones numbers, but they were all cover versions, and they had little to set them apart from any other pub band. But at least the line-up was beginning to take shape.That shape did not include Dick Evans, who dropped out in early 1978 (according to some reports there was a farewell concert). Shortly afterwards Dick joined Gavin Friday and other members of the Lypton Village crowd in another musical venture, The Virgin Prunes.It became clear to the band that they would have to find some new material. Bono in particular wanted to write his own songs. Their first original song, Street Mission, was not impressive but at least it was a start. Adam was now spending most of his time trying to organize gigs for Hype, and as a result he was asked to leave Mount Temple School. He continued his efforts to get the band noticed, but not always with much success, although Hype had appeared at McGonagles, a major Dublin rock venue.Adam pestered anyone in the music business that he though might be able to help. His targets included DJs, the music press, and other bands such as the Boomtown Rats. One of the people Adam talked to was Steve Averill (aka Steve Rapid of the Radiators) who also worked for an advertising agency. Out of this conversation came the conclusion that the band could and should find a better name. A few days later, Steve came up with an idea which he suggested to Adam - U2.Adam liked the name, but the rest of the band was initially doubtful. According to legend, the band played the first half of their next set as Hype, and the second half as U2, then asked the audience which name they preferred. Adam had entered the band as Hype in a major talent contest organized by the Evening Press and Harp Lager, and he lost no time in changing their name on the entry form to U2.The contest was held in Limerick in March 1978. As well as a ?500 prize, the winners would get an opportunity to spend a day in a recording studio to cut a demo disc for CBS Ireland. U2 duly won the contest, and a few weeks later had the promised session at the Keystone Studios in Dublin. The demo was adequate but not particularly impressive. Although CBS Ireland offered them a recording deal which was typical for new bands, the band felt uncertain and in need of advice.They spoke to Bill Graham of Hot Press, then Ireland's only major music paper. It was clear that they needed a manager who could handle the business side. Bill Graham knew Paul McGuinness, who had managed an Irish folk band, and suggested that they should meet. Paul was not enthusiastic at first, thinking from Bill's description that U2 were a punk band, but when he attended a gig at the Project Arts Centre in Dublin he not only liked what he heard, but he also saw the band's potential for the future. So he quickly reached an agreement with the band that ensured that U2 now had a proper manager.Paul McGuinness arranged another demo session, again at Keystone Studios. Paul got Barry Devlin of Horslips to produce the demo, comprising three songs: Street Mission, The Fool, and Shadows and Tall Trees. The recording session went well, and both Paul and the band were happy with the results, but Paul found it hard to persuade the London record companies that U2's demo was any different from the dozens that they received every week. U2 continued to play gigs in Ireland, including the now legendary Dandelion Market afternoon concerts in a disused car park in Dublin.Although the band got good reviews, especially in Hot Press, a record deal was slow in coming. Jackie Hayden of CBS Ireland still wanted to do something with the band, but could not interest CBS UK. So an agreement was reached whereby U2 would record for CBS in Ireland, but would be free to seek a deal elsewhere for sales in the rest of the world. So another session with CBS produced their first record, a three-track single called U2-3. A thousand copies of the single were pressed and they quickly sold out. U2 also recorded a concert for Irish TV. The band had achieved their first success, albeit only in Ireland.Despite the continuing efforts of Paul McGuinness, the UK record industry still showed no interest in the emerging band. So Paul arranged a series of gigs in London. The band had struggled to finance the tour and The Edge was struggling with an injured hand, but the gigs were well received by the fans and the critics. More important, they had at last attracted some record company interest, notably from Gem and Island. But no firm offers were yet forthcoming.

In January 1980 U2 won five categories in the Hot Press readers' poll. But without a record deal they could not afford further overseas tours. So Paul McGuinness arranged an Irish tour that ended in the National Boxing Stadium in Dublin, and a new single, Another Day, was planned for released by CBS Ireland. Meanwhile, Island Records were debating whether or not U2 were worth backing. One of the first to be convinced was Bill Stewart, and he and other Island executives attended gigs in Belfast and Dublin to take a further look at the band. They all came away impressed with what they saw, so Bill Stewart agreed a deal for four albums, with finance up-front to cover recording and touring costs.

U2's first recording for Island was the single 11 O?clock Tick-Tock, produced by Martin Hannett, noted for his work with Joy Division. The single was released in May 1980, and attracted rave reviews but disappointing sales. Neither did the relationship with Hannett take off, partly because the producer was affected by the suicide of Ian Curtis. So Island asked Steve Lillywhite to produce U2's next single, A Day Without Me, intending that he should also produce their debut album if things worked out.

The single made little impact outside Ireland, but U2 and Steve Lillywhite struck up a rapport which was to last through three albums and beyond. A tour of Britain and Europe followed to promote the single and to prime the market for the forthcoming album. Steve Lillywhite came to Dublin to record the album at Windmill Lane Studio, Dublin. The Boy featured on the album cover is Peter Rowen, the younger brother of two of Bono's Lypton Village friends.

Although the UK sales of U2's singles were disappointing, the tour was reasonably successful, and when the album came out the record buying public at last took some notice. The opening track, I Will Follow, would force anyone to sit up and take notice! The critical reaction to Boy was particularly enthusiastic, hailing it as one of the best debut albums of all time.
U2 followed up the album with more concerts in the UK, but Paul McGuinness already had his eyes on the American market. He persuaded promoter Frank Barsalona to arrange a short introductory tour at the end of 1980. The success of this in turn persuaded Warner Brothers to release the album in the US, so a longer tour was arranged for the spring to promote it.

1981 started with another tour of the UK, ending with a sell-out concert at the Lyceum Ballroom in London in February. U2 had acquired a reputation as a stunning live act. This was not just down to their music, but to the way it was presented by sound engineer Joe O'Herlihy and to Bono's dramatic stage presence.