Sonic Editions

"Drummer seeks musicians to form band" - Handwritten and posted on the Mount Temple Comprehensive School bulletin board by a 14-year-old boy in 1976. Three answered. They were the Larry Mullen Band. Then the Feedback, then the Hype. And finally U2.

Bono's free-form and soulful vocals, The Edge's use of delay, reverb and chiming effects, Larry Mullen Jr on drums and bassist Adam Clayton: U2 became the sound of postmodern pop-rock. In 1980, they released their first of thirteen albums: 'Boy'. A fitting coming of age venture, they delivered a kind of optimism and youth that rejected the typical nihilism and debauchery associated with rock at the time. Spring 1987: ˜The Joshua Tree" album and its release in March sparks immediate critical acclaim. The album, widely recognised as one of the best and fastest-selling records of all time, has now been selected for preservation in the American National Recording Registry as ‘culturally and historically significant. Such was U2's ability to speak across borders; an Irish band's perspective on America, now widely regarded as one of the best 'American' albums ever to be produced. ˜Thank you for letting us back into your lives' cries Bono, July 8th 2017, 30 years after Joshua Tree at Twickenham Stadium. As the band plays, they are reminded of a long career of storied hits, mainstream success, and vital messages of social change. These images stand in parallel to their career - a true visual representation of the evolution of U2.