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Irish Shows 1976-1978

10/00/1976 Mount Temple Comprehensive School - Dublin, Ireland
Show Me The Way, Bye Bye Baby, Beach Boys medley
encores: Bye Bye Baby
comment: Appearing under the name "Feedback", U2 perform their first concert at the encouragement of a teacher. The messy ten minute set consists solely of covers, but the students apparently enjoyed the performance enough to call the band back for more. As the band know very little material, they repeat Bye Bye Baby as an encore. This show took place in October (or possibly November) 1976 but the exact date is unknown.

04/11/1977 St Fintan's School - Dublin, Ireland
Show Me The Way, Johnny B. Goode, Nights In White Satin, Peaceful Easy Feeling, Suffragette City, Witchy Woman, Heart of Gold, Beach Boys medley
comment: U2 appear under the name Feedback. It is their first "proper" show after performing to essentially captive audiences at school. This performance includes two female backing singers, one of whom also plays the flute. The setlist above is incomplete and in no particular order; the complete performance lasted about 40 minutes and was a shambolic affair consisting solely of covers of songs then popular at local Saturday night discos.

06/00/1977 Church Hall - Raheny, Ireland
Don't Believe A Word
comment: Setlist is incomplete. U2, then known as The Hype, perform at a church hall in Raheny on an unknown date, presumably in the second half of 1977. This show definitely took place after the gig on 11 April 1977, as that was the band's first "proper" public gig and they were still known then as Feedback. By the time this show took place, they were The Hype. Only one song from the setlist is known, a Thin Lizzy cover.

06/00/1977 Slack Alice Nightclub - Dublin, Ireland
setlist not available
comment: U2, then known as The Hype, perform at Dublin nightclub Slack Alice, presumably in the second half of 1977. This show definitely took place after the gig on 11 April 1977, as that was the band's first "proper" public gig and they were still known then as Feedback. By the time this show took place, they were The Hype.

10/00/1977 Mount Temple Comprehensive School - Dublin, Ireland
Batman Theme
comment: U2, then known as The Hype, perform in the sixth form common room of their school on an unknown date in October 1977. The set includes a cover of the original Batman theme - many years later, The Edge would go on to record his own Batman theme in 2004 for a new Batman cartoon series.

10/07/1977 Marine Hotel - Sutton, Ireland
2-4-6-8 Motorway, Anarchy In The UK, Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment, Suffragette City, What’s Going On (The Hype)
comment: Incomplete setlist. U2 appear under the name The Hype and play a number of covers, including Suffragette City with Gavin Friday. They also perform an original song called What's Going On (not the famous song of the same title by Marvin Gaye that U2 covered at all shows on the third leg of the Elevation Tour). Larry in U2 By U2 says they did a couple of original songs and also some Stranglers covers.

10/15/1977 Suttonians RFC - Sutton, Ireland
setlist not available
comment: U2 appear under the name The Hype.

12/00/1977 Nucleus - Raheny, Ireland
Brown Sugar (snippet) / Jumpin' Jack Flash, Eagles cover
comment: This show took place on an indeterminate date in late December 1977, back when the band still included Dik Evans, The Edge's brother, and was called The Hype. The band got drunk before the show, leading to a rough performance. At one point, Bono calls out for a cover of the Rolling Stones' Jumpin' Jack Flash; Dik Evans mixes up Stones songs and begins playing Brown Sugar instead. The band also performed an Eagles cover, though the specific song is unknown. No other setlist details are known.

12/17/1977 Howth Presbyterian Church - Howth, Ireland
setlist not available
comment: Performed under the band name The Hype.

01/01/1978 McGonagle's - Dublin, Ireland
setlist not available
comment: Appearing under the name The Hype, the band support Revolver at a show on an indeterminate date in early 1978. The setlist includes several Stranglers and Sex Pistols covers.

02/00/1978 McGonagle's - Dublin, Ireland
2-4-6-8 Motorway
comment: U2, then known as The Hype, perform for the first time at McGonagle's, a Dublin club at which they will go on to play many gigs. Setlist is incomplete. The date of this show is a bit unclear - it was in February, and possibly on the 10th. However, a show at Mount Temple is also believed to have been on the 10th and as they were both evening performances, they could not have been on the same night. Since it is possible the Mount Temple show was on a different Friday in February, this show may have indeed been on the 10th. For now we have left it dateless.

02/10/1978 Mount Temple Comprehensive School - Dublin, Ireland
Street Missions, The Fool, What’s Going On (The Hype), 2-4-6-8 Motorway, Anarchy In The UK, Dancing in the Moonlight
comment: U2, appearing under the name The Hype, perform in a basement room at Mount Temple. Setlist is incomplete and not in order: only six songs are known. It is possible this show happened on a different Friday night in February.

03/01/1978 Howth Community Centre - Howth, Ireland
setlist not available
comment: Appearing under the name The Hype.

03/04/1978 Presbyterian Hall - Sutton, Ireland
setlist not available
comment: Performing under the name The Hype.

03/08/1978 Celebrity Club - Dublin, Ireland
2-4-6-8 Motorway
comment: U2 perform as The Hype and play two sets. One set includes 2-4-6-8 Motorway; all other details are unknown.

03/15/1978 Celebrity Club - Dublin, Ireland
2-4-6-8 Motorway, Anarchy In The UK
comment: U2 perform as The Hype and play two sets. Only two songs are known from these sets.

03/17/1978 Project Arts Centre - Dublin, Ireland
2-4-6-8 Motorway, Anarchy In The UK
comment: Billed under the name The Hype. Setlist is incomplete.

03/18/1978 Harp Lager Contest - Limerick, Ireland
Street Missions, Life on a Distant Planet, The Television Song
encores: Street Missions, Life on a Distant Planet, The Television Song
comment: U2 win the Harp Lager Talent Contest at the Savoy Cinema. The prize includes a chance to audition for CBS Records. Entrants auditioned on the 16, 17, and morning of the 18th with the finals taking place in the evening. All competitors were instructed to keep their audition under 9 minutes in length. U2's audition is known to have taken place on the morning of the 18th before playing the finals in the evening. The played the same three songs at both. We list the audition as the main set and the finals as the encore.

This is one of the earliest appearances of the band as U2 rather than Feedback or The Hype. One report incorrectly calls them "U2 Malahide". Setlist is complete but the order of both sets is unconfirmed. First known performance of "Life on a Distant Planet" and only known performances of "The Television Song". Only time "Street Missions" is known to be played outside of Dublin. "The Television Song" is an early U2 original named because the band felt it resembled the sound of the band Television; judge Jackie Hayden has said it was an early version of "An Cat Dubh". A clip of "The Television Song" can be heard via U2Songs here.

03/20/1978 Church Hall - Dublin, Ireland
Dancing in the Moonlight, Glad To See You Go, Shadows and Tall Trees
comment: This show is believed to be the last appearance of The Hype - the band that involved Edge's brother as well. At the end of The Hype's set, Bono announces the end of The Hype and states that the four-piece U2 will return for a later set. Between the two sets, Adam and Edge are guests during The Virgin Prunes' set, and Adam is also a guest during The Modern Heirs' set. The setlist above is incomplete: The Hype's set is known to have been solely covers, of which two were Dancing In The Moonlight and Glad To See You Go, and U2's set is known to have been solely original songs, including Shadows And Tall Trees.

03/22/1978 Celebrity Club - Dublin, Ireland
2-4-6-8 Motorway, Anarchy In The UK
comment: Setlist is incomplete.

04/11/1978 McGonagle's - Dublin, Ireland
setlist not available

04/27/1978 McGonagle's - Dublin, Ireland
setlist not available
comment: U2 begin a four-week residency supporting The Vipers, with whom they had already played in February at McGonagle’s.

05/04/1978 McGonagle's - Dublin, Ireland
setlist not available
comment: Second show of U2's four-week residency supporting The Vipers.

05/11/1978 McGonagle's - Dublin, Ireland
setlist not available
comment: Third show of U2's four-week residency supporting The Vipers.

05/18/1978 McGonagle's - Dublin, Ireland
setlist not available
comment: Final show of U2's four-week residency supporting The Vipers.

05/25/1978 Project Arts Centre - Dublin, Ireland
Mannequin
comment: The set is incomplete but U2 are known to have covered Wire's "Mannequin". Paul McGuinness sees U2 live for the first time at this concert. After their set he has drinks with the band and agrees to represent them in the future.

06/00/1978 Mount Temple Comprehensive School - Dublin, Ireland
setlist not available
comment: U2 play an outdoor show on the steps of Mount Temple School near the end of the school year. The exact date is unknown but the show took place in June or - less likely - July. The well-known photos of a very young U2 performing outdoors on a building's steps come from this show.

07/02/1978 Blackrock Park - Dublin, Ireland
setlist not available
comment: U2 cancel their performance at an open air festival after outdoor amps that were hired for the event do not arrive. It is possible some other bands also cancelled, while most carried on with poor quality indoor amps. The members of U2 attend to support the other bands and Adam can be seen in at least one photo of the event.

07/07/1978 Stardust Club - Cork, Ireland
setlist not available
comment: U2's first gig in Cork, and apart from their performance at the Harp Lager Contest in Limerick in March 1978, it is their first anywhere outside the Dublin area. U2 are billed as "U-2". The drummer for the support band, Asylum, is Sam O'Sullivan, who later goes on to become Larry's drum tech.

07/23/1978 McGonagle's - Dublin, Ireland
Out of Control
comment: Setlist is incomplete. Earliest known performance of Out Of Control. As Bono wrote it on or near his eighteenth birthday (10 May 1978), this must be one of its earliest ever performances.

07/24/1978 McGonagle's - Dublin, Ireland
Out of Control
comment: Setlist is incomplete.

07/30/1978 McGonagle's - Dublin, Ireland
setlist not available

07/31/1978 McGonagle's - Dublin, Ireland
setlist not available

08/05/1978 Phoenix Park - Dublin, Ireland
setlist not available
comment: U2 perform on the first day of an ill-fated three day event called the Free Peace Festival featuring a large bill of mostly local bands. Although thousands are expected to attend, only a few hundred show up on the first day, increasing to around 3,000 on the third; the weather is poor; fights broke out amongst the crowd; there is dissension amongst the road crew; and the organiser is arrested for assault.

08/26/1978 Moran's - Dublin, Ireland
setlist not available
comment: Billed as “U-2”. Only time U2 play this venue, at which many famous Dublin rock bands of the mid and late seventies made their live reputations.

09/09/1978 Top Hat Ballroom - Dublin, Ireland
setlist not available
comment: Before the concert, Bono gets in a fight with the main act, The Stranglers, over their treatment of U2 as a support act. During the show, U2 break into The Stranglers' room and steal their wine.

09/18/1978 Project Arts Centre - Dublin, Ireland
setlist not available
comment: U2 headline the last show of a two week "New Wave Festival" at the Project Arts Centre. Bono also performs a couple of songs with The Virgin Prunes during their support set. Patti Smith kicked off the festival a fortnight previously, and other bands that performed sets during the festival were The Vipers, Revolver, Berlin, and Sacre Bleu.

09/23/1978 Arcadia Ballroom - Cork, Ireland
setlist not available
comment: The student union of University College Cork organised live music under the name "Downtown Kampus" at the Arcadia Ballroom. This is the first of many times that U2 play one of these gigs, and this time they are low on the bill - though in future they will headline or receive prominent billing as a support act. The sound crew on this evening is led by Joe O'Herlihy, who goes on to become U2's director of sound.

09/30/1978 Arcadia Ballroom - Cork, Ireland
setlist not available
comment: U2 are billed as "U-2". XTC also played three dates in Dublin at McGonagle's but it is unknown whether U2 supported them there or not.

10/00/1978 Hollyrood Hotel - Bray, Ireland
setlist not available
comment: The band play to only two paying audience members along with a number of guests. The precise date of this concert is unknown but it was sometime in October 1978.

10/26/1978 Trinity College - Dublin, Ireland
setlist not available
comment: U2 play two gigs on 26 October 1978. This lunchtime show in the Arts Block of Trinity College is the first one; U2 are billed as "U-2".

10/26/1978 Bagnall's Pub - Mullingar, Ireland
setlist not available
comment: U2 play two gigs on 26 October 1978. This show in Mullingar is the second, after a lunchtime gig at Trinity College. U2 are billed as "The U2 Band".

11/00/1978 Crofton Airport Hotel - Crofton, Ireland
setlist not available
comment: This show takes place on an unknown date in late 1978. Reports claim that only six people attend this gig, three of whom thought a different band was playing.

11/02/1978 Trinity College - Dublin, Ireland
setlist not available
comment: U2 play an evening show in the Arts Block, Trinity College as part of a four-band line-up.

11/10/1978 Belfield Campus, University College Dublin - Dublin, Ireland
setlist not available
comment: U2 perform a lunchtime gig at UCD.

11/17/1978 Belfield Campus, University College Dublin - Dublin, Ireland
setlist not available
comment: U2 are scheduled to perform an evening gig at UCD. It is possible, though unconfirmed, that this show was cancelled because of the death of Larry's mother.

11/18/1978 Trinity College - Dublin, Ireland
setlist not available
comment: U2 are scheduled to perform in The Buttery at Trinity College. It is possible, though unconfirmed, that this show was cancelled because of the death of Larry's mother.

11/20/1978 Greengrove - Ennis, Ireland
setlist not available
comment: U2 are scheduled to perform in Ennis. It is possible, though unconfirmed, that this show was cancelled because of the death of Larry's mother.

11/22/1978 St Anthony's Hall - Dublin, Ireland
My Way
comment: “Punk Festivel”, from which U2 withdrew after organisers would not move them up the bill. Band members attended to support their friends and Bono sang a punk version of “My Way” with The Citizens. The New Versions featured Regine Moylett on vocals, who would go on to do PR work for U2.

12/20/1978 The Stardust - Dublin, Ireland
Out of Control
comment: U2 open for The Greedy Bastards, a supergroup featuring members of Thin Lizzy and the Sex Pistols. U2 do not get a soundcheck so they begin the show with an extended intro to Out Of Control so they can check their instruments. However, their sound is still bad and they are heckled by the crowd. Rest of the setlist is unknown.

12/21/1978 The Stardust - Dublin, Ireland
setlist not available



More detailed listings from this tour can be found here.

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