The band returned to Mount Temple Comprehensive School where they formed, performed early hits and new material for students and staff, then delivered an impromptu balcony set on Grafton Street for hundreds of fans.
U2 performed on the Mount Temple school grounds 50 years to the day after drummer Larry Mullen Jr. first gathered classmates to form the band.
The band played early tracks including I Will Follow and Out of Control, later giving a surprise balcony performance on Grafton Street for crowds below.
They included recent songs such as Silencio and honoured Dublin songwriter Glen Hansard with a performance of Falling Slowly.
They closed the Mount Temple set with "One," accompanied by music students playing violins, cellos and harps. Bono and The Edge traded light remarks with Ireland's national broadcaster RTE, with Bono joking about ticket refunds because the show was free and The Edge commenting that the sound and his tuning felt better this time.
A few hours after the school show, crowds gathered on Grafton Street amid rumours of a free concert. U2 appeared on the balcony of Bewley's Cafe and performed for the people below. The Grafton Street set included early songs such as "I Will Follow" and "Out of Control," staples like "Where the Streets Have No Name" and "With or Without You," and the new single "Silencio."
During the impromptu performance the band paid tribute to Glen Hansard, a songwriter and longtime Grafton Street busker who died in July. U2 performed "Falling Slowly," a song associated with Hansard and the film Once, acknowledging his connection to Dublin street music and the city's annual Christmas Eve charity busk.
U2 formed after Larry Mullen Jr. posted a note on a school noticeboard seeking musicians. Photos of the band in the same school building date back to 1977, three years before their first album release. The band's estimated global sales place them among major recording artists, and they announced a new album, Carnaval de Luz, due in November. The new record includes a track co-written with Dolly Parton.
These events tied the anniversary directly to U2's origin story by staging performances where the band began and in a public Dublin space associated with busking and everyday music-making. The combination of historical reflection, student participation, new material and a public surprise gig created a public moment that connected local audiences with the band's five-decade history.
The surprise gig featured hits, rarities and the debut of the band's latest single. Continue reading…
See photos, footage and more from what went down as the rock legends returned to their former high school and played a surprise set from the balcony of Bewley’s Cafe on Grafton Street in Dublin to mark 50 years since they formed The post U2 celebrate 50th anniversary with concerts in Dublin and their former high school
U2 have returned to their former school in Dublin for a special performance marking 50 years since the band first came together.
They first performed together at Mount Temple Comprehensive School more than five decades ago. U2 Return to Their Dublin High School for 50th Anniversary Concert Eddie Fu
LONDON (AP) — Irish band U2 returned to school Friday to put on a surprise class in rock and roll where they formed a half century ago.
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