U2

In 1976, in response to a postcard on a notice board at Mount Temple High School in Dublin, Paul Hewson, David Evans, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen and Dick Evans met and started practicing at Mullen's house, calling themselves Feedback.

Originally playing cover versions at local engagements, the band eventually changed their name to The Hype and then to U2, during which time Hewson and Evans turned themselves into Bono and The Edge, respectively.

Bono was named after the Bonavox Hearing Aid shop, off Dublin's O'Connell Street (and was not pleased until he discovered that his new name meant "good voice" in Latin), while Evans was given the name 'The Edge' by Bono because of the shape of his head.

The band soon won a talent contest sponsored by Guinness, which led to a record deal. U2 released their first record, the EP U2:3 in 1979, although it was sold only in Ireland. Their first live show on the UK mainland was at the Hope & Anchor pub in north London. Only nine people showed up - a situation probably not helped by being billed as "V2" on posters and publicity material!

Success did not come overnight, and the first three U2 singles were flops. Although their debut album Boy (1980) wasn't a huge hit either, their constant gigging started to pay off. Their second album October, released a year after its predecessor, made it to Number 11 in the UK charts.

By 1983, with the single New Year's Day at Number 10 in the UK charts and a sold-out British tour under their belts, U2 released their third album War. Produced by Steve Lilywhite, the album had everything - passion, glory, bombast and angst. Fuelled by these ingredients, it entered the UK charts at Number 1.

A live album, Under A Blood Red Sky, (which actually managed to capture the band's intense and charismatic stage presence) was released in November '83 and it was no surprise that the album was a big hit - especially as it was accompanied by an equally powerful video. The album was to become one of the best-selling live sets ever.

The Live Aid concert in 1985 turned U2 into a global concern. Afterwards, Bono took a 'fact-finding' trip to Ethiopia, El Salvador and Nicaragua, and his experiences found their way into the themes of the band's next album, The Joshua Tree. The result was U2's 'coming-of-age' record. Songs such as Where The Streets Have No Name and With Or Without You were designed to be heard in U2's new environment: the sports stadia and amphitheaters of their next tour.