Key facts
- U2 played a gig at Mount Temple Comprehensive School in Dublin to mark their 50th anniversary.
- The band formed at the school in 1976.
- Pupils welcomed the band with signs and cheers.
- U2 performed seven songs, including "I Will Follow", "Vertigo", "Beautiful Day", "Out of Control", "Silencio", "One", and "With or Without You".
- The band announced their 16th studio album, Carnaval de Luz, will be released in November.
- The album will feature a song co-written by Dolly Parton, "Torn".
Exactly 50 years after they formed, U2 returned to Mount Temple Comprehensive School in Dublin to play a gig in the playground. The band, who were all pupils at the school in the mid-1970s, were met with a hero's welcome from current students. Bono described the event as "escaping from the lab" and expressed emotion at returning to the stage where the band made their debut in 1976.
The band performed seven songs, including hits like "I Will Follow", "Vertigo", "Beautiful Day", "Out of Control", "Silencio", "One", and "With or Without You". Teachers were seen dancing along with students during the performance.
The U2 story began five decades ago when 14-year-old Larry Mullen Jr pinned a note to the school noticeboard seeking musicians. Auditions were held in his parents' kitchen on September 25, 1976, leading to the formation of the band with Bono, The Edge, and Adam Clayton. Initially called Feedback and then The Hype, they eventually rose to global fame as U2.
Larry Mullen Jr revealed that his father suggested he form a band due to his drumming frustrations. Bono added that his father "got the three of us" to join. Adam Clayton, who couldn't play bass at the time, was chosen for his appearance, while Bono, wanting to play guitar, didn't bring one to the first practice.
Despite a chaotic first practice, signs of future success emerged when a group of girls attempted to climb the garden wall. Adam Clayton noted that Mullen already had a fan club, which seemed promising. Bono humorously recalled Mullen using a hose on the fans, which Mullen defended as a playful act on a hot day.
U2's career has seen them evolve from a punk outfit to stadium-conquering rock titans, embracing electronic music and dance influences in the 1990s with albums like Achtung Baby and Zooropa. They also revolutionized stadium concerts with the Zoo TV tour. The Edge attributes the band's longevity to their lack of formal training, which allows for musical unpredictability.
Bono thanked the school for its support, stating that "maybe all we needed was around us, just under our feet." The performance was dedicated to school councillor Jack Heaslip, who later became a travelling pastor for the band before his death in 2015. The set concluded with an orchestral arrangement of "One", featuring students from the Music Generation program, which U2 helped fund.
Earlier, the band announced their 16th studio album, Carnaval de Luz, set for release in November. It follows their February EP, Days of Ash. The new album is described as featuring "loud guitars, deep bass [and] ecstatic rhythms." The track "Torn" on the album was co-written by Dolly Parton and marks her final recorded performance.