U2

Foundation and early years (1976-1979)

U2 was formed on September 25, 1976 in Dublin ^[5] . Larry Mullen, when he was 14 years old, posted a short note on the school bulletin board: “Drummer seeks musicians to form band.” (“Drummer seeks musicians to form a band”) ^[6] . At the audition held in the Mullen kitchen, seven teenagers came. The band, called The Larry Mullen Band (“ Larry Mullen Band ”), included Mullen ( drums ), Adam Clayton ( bass ), Paul Hewson ( Bono ), Dave Evans ( Edge ) and his brother Dick Evans, as well as Ivan McCormick and Peter Martin are two of Mullen's other friends. ^[7] Soon the name was changed to Feedback - the only technical term that came to their mind. Over the next couple of weeks, Martin and McCormick left the group.

In March 1977, the group became known as The Hype ("Dust in the Eye") ^[8] . Dick Evans, who was older and was already in college , was redundant - the rest of the participants were inclined to the quartet. At one of the concerts, Dick defiantly left the stage. The remaining four continued the concert under the name U2 ^[9] .

The origin of the name U2 is not clear. It's the name of the Lockheed U-2 American reconnaissance aircraft, but Steve Averill , a punk rock guru from The Radiators From Space , claims that the name was chosen by members of a group from a list compiled by him and Adam Clayton . In an interview with Larry King, Bono said: “In fact, I do not really like the name U2” and “Honestly, I never thought of him as“ you too “( Eng. You too )” ^[10] .

On St. Patrick's Day 1978, U2 won a contest, the prize of which was 500 pounds and money for demo recording ^[9] . They recorded a demo tape at Keystone Studios , Dublin, in April 1978 ^[11] . In May of that year, the group appeared manager Paul McGuinness .

At first, the sound of U2 was influenced by bands such as Television and Joy Division , and had a “sense of joy” that was the result of Edge's “radiant chords” and Bono's “scorching vocals” ^[12] . The first single , entitled “Three,” was released only in Ireland ( 1979 ) and quickly reached the top of the charts ^[13] . In December 1979, the band performed in London . This was their first performance outside of Ireland, and it passed by the attention of the public and critics. In February 1980, their second single “Another Day” was released on the CBS label, but again only for the Irish market ^{[14] [15]} .

Boy and October (1980-1982)

Island Records signed U2 in May 1980 , and " 11 O'Clock Tick Tock " was the band's first single released abroad. In October, the Boy album appeared, which was named one of the best debuts in the history of rock ^[16] . Despite the rather abstract and clearly improvised lyrics written by Bono, hope and a feeling of disappointment in youth are the main lyrical themes of the album ^[17] , which concern the fear of sex , the difficulties of self-determination, death and a constant unjustified change of mood ^[18] . The album includes the hit “I Will Follow”. The release was followed by a tour of the group in Ireland and the UK . Despite the band being unpolished, their early concerts nonetheless showed the potential of U2. Critics called Bono a “charismatic” and “passionate” showman ^[19] . U2 appeared on American television in April 1981 as members of The Tomorrow Show , where they performed “I Will Follow” and “Twilight” ^[20] .

The second album of the group - October - was released in 1981 ^[21] . It contained spiritual songs : Bono, Edge and Larry did not hide their Christian worldview. These three members of the group joined the Dublin religious community called the Brotherhood of Shalom ( English Shalom Fellowship ), which led them to reflect on the relationship between rock and roll and the Christian faith ^[22] . Although the Bible remains the main source of inspiration for Bono, October is the group's most religious record. Both critics and fans believe that this is the least successful work of the team ^[23] .

In February 1982, the group met Anton Corbein , a photographer who worked with Depeche Mode and Joy Division. This was the beginning of a long collaboration: Corbain became the main photographer of U2, and it was he who greatly influenced the image of the group and its public image ^[24] .

War and Under a Blood Red Sky (1983)

In 1983, U2 released their third album, War (War). The album included the song “ Sunday Bloody Sunday ” (“Bloody Sunday”) - the group’s reaction to the unrest in Northern Ireland. Rolling Stone magazine noted that the ability to use a large number of images in a song originally talking about religious hatred , and turning it into an appeal to all Christians to unite and proclaim victory over evil and death, demonstrate the group's ability to write deep and expressive lyrics ^[25] . The song " New Year's Day " ("New Year") became the group's first international hit and entered the hit parade of Great Britain and the United States ^[26] . The video clip of the song was in constant rotation of the MTV channel, which contributed to the familiarity of the U.S. public with U2.

For the first time , there were no empty seats at the band's concerts in Europe and the USA . After a tour in support of the War U2 album, in November 1983, the album Under a Blood Red Sky was released, which included individual songs recorded at concerts in Boston , Denver and St. Gorshausen . Then the same video was released with a concert of the group on June 5, 1983 in the famous amphitheater in Red Rocks Park. War album was well received by both radio and television and increased the number of fans of the group ^[27] .

Meanwhile, an unfavorable band contract with Island Records was drawing to a close, and in 1984 the group signed another. Having abandoned the large initial fee , they agreed to return the rights to their own songs, increase the royalties, and also review some general clauses of the agreement ^[28] .

The Unforgettable Fire and Live Aid (1984-1985)

The Unforgettable Fire ("Unforgettable Fire") - the fourth studio album - was released on October 1, 1984. Much more abstract than War , it became a sharp change of direction for the group ^[29] . The title of the album and a significant part of the material is inspired by a visit to the eponymous exhibition of paintings and drawings at the Peace Museum in Chicago , painted by people who survived the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ^[30] .

U2 was afraid that after the open, simple rock of the War album, she would become an “annoying” and “noisy rock band” ^[31] . However, the success of Under a Blood Red Sky gave them creative and - for the first time - financial freedom ^[29] . Therefore, instead of becoming a typical, gray group, they are actively experimenting ^[32] . Adam Clayton notes: “We were looking for something more serious, pretentious” ^[33] . Edge admired the ambient and "otherworldly work" of Brian Eno , who, along with his sound engineer Daniel Lanua, agreed to produce the recording. Chris Blackwell , one of the leaders of Island Records , tried to dissuade the group from this choice, arguing that Eno “would bury them in vanguard delirium” ^[30] .

The recording was carried out in the Dublin castle of Slane , in the Gothic hall, built specifically for musical performances. A relaxed, experiential atmosphere reigned in the sessions ^[34] . Much more atmospheric than War , The Unforgettable Fire has a rich and harmonious sound ^[29] . Under the leadership of Lanua, Larry’s game became freer and more skillful, and Adam’s more “subconscious”, such that the bass guitar no longer burst, but merged into the overall sound of the songs ^[34] .

Lyrics of the album’s songs can be interpreted in different ways, which together with the atmospheric sound gives, in the words of the group, “a very visual feeling” ^[29] . Bono, who began to get involved in fiction, poetry and philosophy , realized that his vocation to create lyrics, performed before with little desire, consists in actually writing poetry ^[34] . The last two weeks, however, have been desperate attempts to finish the lyrics, so Bono seems that the songs " Bad " ("Bad") and " Pride (In the Name of Love) " ("Pride, or In the Name of Love") have remained "Outline" ^[30] . The title track “ The Unforgettable Fire ” has a rich sound based on guitar ambient and groovy rhythm ; his poetic “sketch” is a “touching story about a journey” with a “sincere feeling of longing” ^[35] . In the song “Bad,” Bono tried to describe the effects of heroin ^[30] . “Pride (In the Name of Love)” ^[36] - the song most accurately showing the features of U2 music of those years - about Martin Luther King became a hit.

The release of the album was followed by a self-titled tour, which started in Australia in September 1984 . It was rather difficult to perform studio recordings live ^[29] . One way out of the situation was to use synthesizers , which the group had previously used with great reluctance. U2 was able to cope with the difficulties of the live performance of such soundly worked out songs as “Bad” and “The Unforgettable Fire”, and since then they began to use synthesizers at almost every performance ^[29] . It was noted that some of the "unfinished" and "vague" songs sounded better on stage.

U2 participated in a charity concert “ Live Aid ”, the purpose of which was to help the starving in Ethiopia . The concert was held at Wembley Stadium in London in the summer of 1985 ^[37] . During the performance of “Bad,” Bono jumped off the stage to dance with his fan. This episode showed how close it can be to the audience ^[38] . Due to the time limit of 20 minutes, this move did not allow U2 to play their hit “Pride (In the Name of Love”), and after the performance ended, there was a heated conversation between the band members. However, to the group’s great surprise, their performance was called one of the best. ^[39]

“We were really very surprised that people were constantly talking all around about the performance of U2. I thought this was a joke. I was sure that we screwed up. But about a week later, I began to understand what really happened. Bono sought contact with the audience and literally demolished all the barriers to get it, in the physical sense. ”

- Edge ^[39]

In the same year, Rolling Stone magazine called U2 a group of the eighties ^[40] .

The Joshua Tree and Rattle and Hum (1986-1989)

After The Unforgettable Fire, the group experimented with jazz , country and gospel , trying to compensate for the “lack of tradition” and “cosmicity” of their music ^[41] . Irish music was also given attention. The musicians had a feeling that the original Irish music was mixed with American folk ^[42] . Friendship with Bob Dylan , Van Morrison and Keith Richards not only inspired the band to look at the origins of rock, but also helped Bono focus on his ability to write songs ^[43] . U2 wanted to complement the atmosphere of The Unforgettable Fire , as well as strive for a more impressive and effective sound, without going beyond the traditional structure of songs ^[44] .

In 1986, U2 participated in the A Conspiracy of Hope Tour, organized by Amnesty International . The experience gained during the tour allowed us to add intensity and power to the music and focus on exactly what they wanted to say ^[45] . Bono's trips to San Salvador and Nicaragua , where he first saw the suffering of peasants involved in internal conflicts, greatly influenced the album. These feelings are especially pronounced in the song “Bullet the Blue Sky” (“Bullets in the sky”). The hostility to America and the anger associated with US policy in Central America were mixed with a sense of admiration for the country, its openness and freedom ^[46] . The group sought to create songs with a “sense of place”, drawing inspiration from images created by American writers ^[47] .

The new album was called The Joshua Tree (“Joshua Tree”), which was more a “tribute” to America than a “metaphor” ^[46] . He was released in March 1987 and quickly took first place in the charts in the UK and the USA . For the album, the group received two Grammy Awards : “Album of the Year” and “Best Rock Band” ^[48] . Rock and roll bolero ^[49] “ With or Without You ” and the rhythmic gospel “ I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For ” climbed to the first line in the Billboard Hot 100 . U2 became the fourth group (after The Beatles , The Band and The Who ), whose photo was posted on the cover of Time magazine , which called them "the hottest rock tour (Rock's Hottest Ticket)." The album raised them to a new peak of fame, and it is often called one of the greatest rock albums ^[50] . At The Joshua Tree Tour, they first played at such huge venues as stadiums .

The Rattle and Hum documentary, which included the video from The Joshua Tree Tour, was released along with the self-titled album, which had nine studio songs and six from concerts. Released in October 1988, the album and film were directed to the American public. The film, partly shot in Memphis , partly in Dublin, contained songs performed with Bob Dylan and BB King , as well as the song “ Helter Skelter ” (“Cavardac”) by The Beatles and “ All Along the Watchtower ” by Bob Dylan. Despite the positive feedback from fans, Rattle and Hum received conflicting reviews from critics ^[51] .

Achtung Baby , Zoo TV , Zooropa (1990-1993)

The band began work on a new album in East Berlin , again with Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois . The work went slowly, because the musicians argued for a long time about what the album should be like. Adam and Larry believed that he should keep up with the previous ones, and Bono and Edge, inspired by alternative and European dance music, should change the sound . The weeks of controversy and uncertainty ended when Edge proposed a new chord sequence that quickly turned into the song " One ." In November 1991, the Achtung Baby album was released, in many ways innovative and inharmonious ^[52] . He was more personal and darker than his previous work. The group described the new sound as “four people chopping a Joshua tree” ^[53] . The changes affected not only the sound - the group radically changed the image. Achtung Baby is one of the band's most successful albums; he, like The Joshua Tree , is often called one of the best rock albums ^[54] .

Zoo TV Tour (1992-1993) was a multimedia show. The scenes were used to stage the scene, which confused the audience ^[55] : dozens of video screens suspended upside down by the “ Trabants ” upside down, fake radio towers and shocking characters performed by Bono: The Fly (Fly), Mirror-Ball Man (Man - a mirror ball ) in America and Mr. MacPhisto (Mr. MacFisto) in Europe and elsewhere who made calls to US President George W. Bush and to the UN . U2 used the show to make fun of the excesses of rock and roll, taking advantage of these very excesses. The ostentatious calls to President George W. Bush during the speeches, as well as the teleconference with the war-torn Sarajevo , provoked conflicting feelings among the audience ^[56] .

In 1993, during a break in the Zoo TV Tour, the Zooropa album, designed in the Achtung Baby concept, was recorded. Originally planned as an EP , it evolved into a full-fledged LP and was released in July 1993. This album deviated even more from the style of their previous recordings, including elements of techno and electronic music . Most of the songs from the album were played at least once on tour in Europe, Australia , New Zealand and Japan ^[57] .

Passengers, Pop, and PopMart Tour (1995-1998)

After a break and participation in third-party projects (soundtracks for the films “ Batman Forever ” and “ Mission Impossible ”, as well as the title song for the James Bond film “ Golden Eye ”, performed by Tina Turner ), the group released a trial album Original Soundtracks 1 . Brian Eno, producer of the band’s three previous albums, this time contributed to both writing and performing. Due to the experimental nature of Original Soundtracks, the band decided to release it on behalf of Passengers to separate this album from the traditional ones. He was not particularly critically acclaimed, although the song “ Miss Sarajevo ”, performed with Luciano Pavarotti , (in combination one of Bono’s most beloved songs ^[58] ), became a hit.

With the album Pop (1997), U2 was experimenting again. Using loops , programming, and sampling added something from techno and disco to the album. Released in March, the album took first place in the charts of 35 countries and received mostly positive reviews ^{[59] [60]} . Rolling Stone magazine even wrote that U2 created "the best music of their life." But American fans disappointed the album. Bono later admitted that the album ended in a hurry before the tour, planned before working in the studio ^[61] .

PopMart Tour ideologically continued Zoo TV Tour. The tour began in April 1997 . The scenery included a 30-meter golden yellow arch, a 50-meter screen and a 12-meter mirror lemon . Both PopMart and Zoo TV were aimed at the attention of those who accused U2 of commercialization ^[62] .

U2 was the first widely known band to hold a concert in post-war Sarajevo ^[63] . Bono said: "This [concert in Sarajevo] was one of the hardest and sweetest nights in my life." And Larry Mullen described it as “an experience that I will not forget for the rest of my life, and if I needed to spend 20 years in a group just to perform on this show, then having done it, I think it was worth it” ^[64] .

PopMart became the second most profitable tour of 1997 (after the Rolling Stones' Bridges to Babylon Tour ): its fees amounted to $ 170 million, but more than 100 million were spent on its organization ^[65] . The first performances, planned and organized before the release of the album itself, were negatively affected by the group’s decision to reduce rehearsal time to complete the delayed Pop ^[66] .

In May 1998, the group performed in Belfast in front of an audience of two thousand, three days before the adoption of the Northern Ireland Peace Agreement ^[67] . Later that year, U2 took part in a fundraising campaign for victims of the terrorist attack in Om , where 29 people died and more than 200 were injured ^[68] . At the end of the year, the minor track “ The Sweetest Thing ” from the single “ Where the Streets Have No Name ” was re-recorded and re-released as a single in The Best of 1980-1990 .

All that You Can't Leave Behind and Elevation Tour (2000-02)

After the relatively disappointing reviews of the Pop album, U2 members announced that they were “re-applying to work ... the best band in the world” ^[69] , and they have since pursued a more conventional rock sound mixed with the influences of their musical studies of the 1990s ^{[70 ]} . All That You Can't Leave Behind was released in October 2000 and was produced by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. After an intense experiment in the 1990s, the album was considered a return to grace ^[71] ; Rolling Stone called it the “third masterpiece” of U2 alongside The Joshua Tree and Achtung Baby ^[72] . The album debuted at number one in 22 countries and its world hit, “ Beautiful Day ” received three Grammy awards, the remaining three singles of the album also received awards.

Elevation Tour in support of the album took place in arenas with a heart-shaped stage and a ramp, which made the group closer to the public. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, the new album received an additional resonance, and in October U2 performed at Madison Square Garden in New York. Bono and Edge later said that these shows in New York were among their most memorable and emotional performances. In early 2002, U2 performed during the Super Bowl XXXVI break in New Orleans; this performance was named Sports Illustrated as the best show in the Super Bowl break ^[73] .

How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb and Vertigo Tour (2003-06)

Work on How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (“How to Defuse an Atomic Bomb”) began in late 2003 ^[74] . In July 2004, in Nice , France , the "raw" record of an album was stolen. In response, Bono said that if the album appears in peer-to-peer networks, it will immediately begin to be distributed through the iTunes store, and within a month it will appear on the shelves.

The first song of the album - “ Vertigo ” (“Vertigo”) - was aired on September 22, 2004 and became an international hit. Apple, along with U2, has released a special edition of the iPod . The model was distinguished by a red scroll wheel and autographs of the band members engraved on the back cover of the player. An exclusive set of The Complete U2 (“Full U2”) was released on iTunes , including previously unreleased content. The proceeds were transferred to charitable organizations ^[75] .

The album was released on November 22, 2004 , starting No. 1 in 32 countries, including Ireland, the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. In the United States alone, over the first week, 840,000 copies of the album were sold, which is about two times more than the sales of All that You Can't Leave Behind at the same time; this was the band’s personal record. ^[76]

In March 2005, U2 went to the Vertigo Tour in the United States. Subsequent tour performances were held in Europe and Latin America . At the concerts, a large number of songs were performed, including those that the audience had not heard from the beginning of the 80s: “The Electric Co.”, “An Cat Dubh / Into the Heart” and others. Like the Elevation Tour, the Vertigo Tour enjoyed great commercial success ^[77] .

In the same year, Bruce Springsteen introduced U2 to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ^[78] , and Paul McCartney recorded with them a version of the famous Beatle song “ Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band . "

On February 8, 2006, U2 received Grammy Awards in each of the five categories in which they were nominated: “Album of the Year” (for How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb ), “Song of the Year” (for “ Sometimes You Can’t Make It on Your Own ")," Best Rock Album "(for How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb )," Best Rock and Vocal Performance "(for" Sometimes You Can't ... ")," Best Rock Song "(for" City of Blinding Lights ") ^[79] .

On September 25, the group published an autobiography called U2 by U2 (“U2 on U2”). Continuing the theme of looking into the past, a collection of U2 18 Singles (“18 U2 Singles”) was released on November 21, 2006, which includes the band’s 16 most famous songs, as well as a bonus two new ones: “ The Saints are Coming ” (“Saints Go” ), performed with the band Green Day , and “Window in the Skies” (“Window in Heaven”). The two-disc collector's edition contains DVDs of fragments of the 2005 Milan Vertigo Tour concert. At the same time, the U2 18 Videos DVD was released with U2 18 Singles with video clips and bonus materials. In October 2006, U2 members, after many years of collaboration with Island Records , signed a contract with Mercury Records , which, like Island Records, is a subsidiary of the Universal Music Group . On January 23, 2008, the group released the U2 3D 3D movie recording the concerts of the 2006 Vertigo Tour ^[80] .

No Line on the Horizon and 360 ° Tour (2009—2011)

As reported in July 2006 , U2 is recording a new album with Rick Rubin at Abbey Road Studios . Members of the group said that their sound would not remain the way it was at the moment ^[81] . In an interview with Q magazine in December 2006, Edge announced that the new album would be very melodic. Bono also, according to Rolling Stone magazine , said: “We have reached the end of where we have been the last two albums. I want to go to a new level. "

In August 2008, a fan from the Netherlands who was watching under Bono's windows managed to record four songs on his mobile phone and put them on the YouTube portal ^[82] . The official release of the band's twelfth album, No Line on the Horizon, took place on February 27, 2009 ^[83] in Ireland and March 2 throughout the rest of the world.

The tour in support of the album, the U2 360 ° Tour , was well received by both critics and the audience. During the tour, which lasted 2 years, completely new songs and compositions that were not played at concerts for a long time were performed ^[84] .

Songs of Innocence (2014)

As Irish Examiner reported, citing data from the record company Mercury Records , U2 planned to release a new album in September-November 2013, but the album never came out at the indicated time. According to the musicians, the album will be an experiment on which the group decided after No Line on the Horizon , but never released it, because “the sound was too uncharacteristic of the style” ^[85] . The producer was Danger Mouse .

The album ^[86] was announced on September 9 at the presentation of the Apple iPhone 6 smartphone and was automatically added to iCloud by all iTunes users ^[87] . The album was received by more than 33 million iTunes users, and it was impossible to delete it manually. Later, Apple released a special program and posted on the tech support pages ^[88] instructions for removing the album from the phone. For the exclusive rights to the album, Apple paid $ 100 million ^[89] . In 2015, an iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Tour was held in support of Songs of Innocence . In August 2016, U2 confirmed that the next album, Songs of Experience, will be released in 2017. Edge stated that about 50 songs were prepared for the disc ^[90] .

Songs of Experience (2018)

In 1985, Bono, along with the Irish band Clannad, recorded the song In a Lifetime . Also in 2001, U2 and The Corrs sang songs like When the Stars Go Blue and wrote The Skids by The Saints are Coming .

In addition to musicians, U2 collaborated with writers, including an American, William S. Burroughs , who took part in their video clip Last Night on Earth shortly before his death. His poem, A Thanksgiving Prayer, was used as a video clip on the Zoo TV Tour. Others are William Gibson and Allen Ginsberg . In 2000, the group recorded two songs for the soundtrack of Wim Wenders ' Million Dollar Hotel movie, including The Ground beneath Her Feet , written in words by Salman Rushdie . Charles Bukowski also influenced songs written by Bono, especially Dirty Day from Zooropa's album.

Musicians say they were most influenced by Joy Division , Echo & the Bunnymen , The Who , The Clash , The Ramones , The Beatles , Led Zeppelin and Patti Smith . In turn, other musicians were influenced by the works of U2 . U2 songs were performed by Mary J. Blige , Johnny Cash , The Chimes , Joe Cocker , Pearl Jam , James Blunt , Pet Shop Boys , Radiohead , Keane , Coldplay , The Bravery , The Smashing Pumpkins , Sepultura , Kane .

Since its inception, U2 has created and maintained an easily recognizable sound with an emphasis on melodic instrumental and expressive singing, which is partly the result of the influence of producer Steve Lilliwight at a time when the group was still little known. When playing the guitar, Edge uses equally echo, tonal and dimensional delays, syncopes, drones inspired by Irish music, which gives a clear ambient and atmospheric sound . Bono developed his opera falsetto and showed a remarkable penchant for social, political and personal themes while maintaining the highest mastery of songwriting.

Despite this, with each new album, U2 brought something new to their music. Starting with the post-punk and simple instrumental of Boy and October albums, their sound through War turned into more multifaceted and aggressive with elements of rock psalms, funk and dance music. Two albums by Rolling Stone magazine were called “muscular and assertive”: The Unforgettable Fire , in which Edge plays more keys than the guitar, and The Joshua Tree , which was greatly influenced by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanua. Songs from The Joshua Tree and Rattle and Hum show a greater emphasis on the inspired Lahua rhythm, so they mixed different styles of American gospel and blues . In the 90s, U2 was updated, starting to use synthesizers, distortion, electronic rhythms borrowed from alternative and dance music and even from hip-hop in Pop and Achtung Baby . In the 2000s, U2 returned to a simpler sound with less use of synthesizers and effects and a more traditional rhythm.

Social and political issues (often with religious and spiritual images) are the foundation of U2 songs. Some songs, such as Sunday Bloody Sunday ("Bloody Sunday") and Mothers of the Disappeared ("Mothers of the Missing"), are based on real events. Moreover, Bono’s personal conflicts and family problems are reflected in the songs Mofo (“Mofo”), Tomorrow (“Tomorrow”), Kite (“Kite”). Longing, longing, waiting for a miracle are also common themes of songs, such as, for example, in the songs of Yahweh ("Yahweh") and Please ("Please"). In the most general approximation, a sense of loss, longing, but also hope for the best, prevailing in The Joshua Tree , formed the basis of many works of U2 .

U2 musicians are also known for their charitable activities ^[91] . Since the beginning of the 80s, both individually and individually, the band members have been collaborating with musicians, celebrities and politicians on issues related to illness, poverty, injustice in Africa, Asia and Europe.

In 1984, Bono and Adam Clayton participated in the Band Aid action, organized by Bob Geldof , then the lead singer of Boomtown Rats . This joint project, designed to raise money for the starving Ethiopia , spawned the single “Do They Know It's Christmas?” (“Do They Know It's Christmas?”) And became the first for U2 and Geldof. In July 1985, U2 took part in Live Aid , a concert similar to Band Aid with the same goals ^[91] .

In 1986, at the invitation of World Vision, Bono and his wife Ali visited Ethiopia, where he himself could see the human tragedy that occurred due to hunger and local decline. This visit will be the basis for several songs and Bono's campaign for helping Africa. After this trip, Bono participated in the A Conspiracy of Hope Tour in support of Amnesty International and Self Aid to pay attention to unemployment in Ireland . Around the same time, Bono and his wife visited Nicaragua and El Salvador at the invitation of the Shelter movement.

In 1992, U2 held a Stop Sellafield concert ("Stop Sellafield ") in support of Greenpeace's struggle to close the world's oldest nuclear power plant . A few years later, the events in Sarajevo during the Bosnian war inspired the group to write the song Miss Sarajevo ("Miss Sarajevo"), which was first performed on the show "Pavarotti and Friends", where Bono and Edge spoke in support of War Child .

The promise given earlier and the end of the war in Bosnia forced U2 to hold a concert in Sarajevo during the Popmart Tour. In 1992, U2 performed in Belfast a few days before the conclusion of the Good Friday Agreement, inviting politicians David Trimble and John Hume , who contributed to the adoption of the agreement. Later that year, all proceeds from the sale of the single The Sweetest Thing (“The Sweetest Thing”) were transferred to support the project “Children of Chernobyl ” ^[92] .

In 2001, U2 offered assistance to Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi , creating and devoting her the song Walk On (“Go”) for her social activities and the struggle for freedom. Bono and Edge participated in the 46664 concert series organized by Nelson Mandela to draw attention to the HIV / AIDS epidemic in South Africa. In 2005, the whole group participated in Live 8 concerts (again with Bob Geldof), which were held in parallel with the Make Poverty History campaign. The first task of Live 8 is to pay attention and put pressure on the G8 members to provide further assistance to Africa. In 2005, U2 and their producer Paul McGuinness were awarded the Amnesty International Prize for their work in the field of human rights ^[93] .

However, the public work of U2 and Bono was not criticized: the Counterpunch political bulletin often reproaches them for being close to power and their attempts to help, which are harmful and not beneficial ^{[94] [95]} .

In January 2010, the Vatican's official press organ, the newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, published an article in which U2's work was deemed “charitable.” According to the Holy See , the songs of Irish rockers are filled with spirituality and, in one form or another, are “turned to God” ^[96] .

Single job

Since 2000, Bono has been participating in social campaigns separately from the group. He was involved in the “Jubilee 2000” campaign with Geldof, Mohammed Ali, and others, with the goal of helping to lift the debt of African countries during the “Great Jubilee” ^[97] . In January 2002, Bono and members of Jubilee 2000 established the multinational non-governmental organization DATA (DSTA - Debt, AIDS, Trade in Africa), which aims to improve the political, social and economic situation in Africa. He continued his campaign of debt cancellation and the fight against HIV / AIDS , visiting Africa in June 2002. In 2006, he contributed to the creation of the Product (RED) brand (“Red Product”), which aims to raise funds for the Global Fund. The continuation of Make Poverty History in the USA - The ONE Campaign - was created by his efforts. Bono joins forces with Yahoo! in promoting The ONE Campaign . He joined the Ask the Planet project Yahoo! Answers , where celebrities ask users questions.

Edge also created a brand of humanitarian work. In 2005 , after the hurricanes Katrina and Rita , which damaged the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico , Edge organized the Music Rising campaign to help musicians who lost their equipment during a natural disaster ^[98] .

On August 25, 2010 the first (and so far only) concert of the group in Russia took place . He went on as part of the U2 360 ° Tour at Luzhniki Stadium ^{[99] [100] [101]} , in an arena designed for 82 thousand spectators (including the stalls). According to various estimates, about 60 thousand tickets were sold ^{[102] [103] [104]} . Online and offline Russian stores sold a large number of T-shirts and souvenirs with photos of musicians and the U2 360 ° Tour logo ^[105] . To watch the montage of the unique gigantic scene “The Claw”, or, as Bono himself calls it, of the “Space Station”, in BSA Luzhniki, a small group of journalists was invited, after which a lot of photos of the erection of the outlandish construction appeared in the media, which began 7 days before the date of the Moscow concert.

As usual at his concerts, Bono addressed the public with a story about social problems in the world, including in Russia ^[106] . Bono also praised Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and his idol, former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev , who was present at the stadium ^{[106] [107]} . On the eve of the concert, Bono met with Dmitry Medvedev in Sochi, where they discussed some social issues ^[108] . Bono said he liked Moscow and the Russians. “You have an amazing city, amazing people and artists. Here is an amazing singer Yuri Shevchuk, ”he said.

Bono's Assistance in Solving the Khimki Forest

During the performance of Bob Dylan’s song “ Knockin 'on Heaven's Door ” he invited Yuri Shevchuk to the stage, who sang a verse in Russian and two chorus in English together with Bono ^[109] . After a meeting between Bono and the President of the Russian Federation and a joint speech with Yuri Shevchuk, Dmitry Medvedev suspended the construction of a road through the Khimki forest ^[110] .

• Bono ( lat. Bono ) (Paul David Hewson) - vocals , rhythm guitar , keyboards, harmonica
• Edge ( Eng. The Edge ) (David Howell Evans) - lead guitar , keyboards , synthesizer , vocals ;
• Adam Clayton - bass , extra keys;
• Larry Mullen - drums , percussion , beats.

• Boy ( 1980 )
• October ( 1981 )
• War ( 1983 )
• The Unforgettable Fire ( 1984 )
• The Joshua Tree ( 1987 )
• Rattle and Hum ( 1988 )
• Achtung Baby ( 1991 )
• Zooropa ( 1993 )
• Pop ( 1997 )
• All That You Can't Leave Behind ( 2000 )
• How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb ( 2004 )
• No Line on the Horizon ( 2009 )
• Songs of Innocence ( 2014 )
• Songs of Experience ( 2017 )

In a magazine published by Rolling Stone in 2004, the group ended up in twenty-second place on the list of the hundred most popular artists ^[111] and the list of the five hundred best songs of the rock and roll era contains the following songs of the group: One , I Still Haven't Found What I m Looking For , With or Without You , Sunday Bloody Sunday , Pride (In the Name of Love) , New Year's Day ^[112] . As of the end of 2006, seven U2 singles were number one on the UK National Singles Chart : Desire (1988), The Fly (1991), Discotheque (1997), Beautiful Day (2000), Take Me to the Clouds above (2002, dance remix by LMC ), Vertigo (2004), Sometimes You Can't Make It on Your Own (2005). Hold Me Thrill Me Kiss Me Kill Me (1995), Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of (2001), City of Blinding Lights (2005), One (2006, duet) ranked second in this prestigious hit parade. with Mary J. Blige), The Saints Are Coming (2006, along with Green Day ).

American magazine Billboard named U2 the highest paid musicians of 2009. The group earned $ 108.6 million per year ^[113] .

In 2011, the movie “ Kill Bono ” was released, showing an alternative view of the success of U2 . The film is based on an autobiographical book by Neil McCormick, who is Ivan McCormick’s brother and Bono’s school friend. ^[114]

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• Flanagan, Bill (1995). U2 at the End of the World . Delacorte Press. ISBN 0-385-31154-0
• McCormick, Neil (ed), (2006). U2 by U2 . HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0-00-719668-7
• Parra, Pimm Jal de la (2003). U2 Live: A Concert Documentary . Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-7119-9198-7
• Stokes, Niall. Into The Heart: The Story Behind Every U2 Song. - Australia: HarperCollins Publishers , 1996. - ISBN ISBN 0-7322-6036-1 .
• Wall, Mick, (2005). Bono . Andre Deutsch Publishers. ISBN 0-233-00123-9 (Promotional edition published by Paperview UK is association with the Irish Independent)

• - official site of U2
• U2 YouTube Video Channel