Anyone here big U2 fans before Live Aid?

A proper fan pre Live Aid. Had all the albums. Had been to concerts etc. There were a lot of these fans. 

Be interested to know what had made you take an interest in the first place.

Was it word of mouth on the live performances. Taking a punt on an album after hearing a single. Or are you Irish & they were the only worthwhile Irish band around.

Maybe it was a performance on 'The Tube' or 'The Rolling Stone' cover. Or Bono's solo on Band Aid.

Was aware of them pre Live Aid. But nothing had prompted me to investigate further. Although was at an age when should be finding my own music rather than listening to my parents.

They were not in Smash Hits or No1 enough for me to investigate further & I didn't know the band members names. 

Sorta? I heard NYD on KROQ when it came out, I was 10. I bought the album and was as big a fan as a 10 year-old can be, I guess. Things went to the next level in 1987.

A proper fan pre Live Aid. Had all the albums. Had been to concerts etc. There were a lot of these fans. 

Be interested to know what had made you take an interest in the first place.

Was it word of mouth on the live performances. Taking a punt on an album after hearing a single. Or are you Irish & they were the only worthwhile Irish band around.

Maybe it was a performance on 'The Tube' or 'The Rolling Stone' cover. Or Bono's solo on Band Aid.

Was aware of them pre Live Aid. But nothing had prompted me to investigate further. Although was at an age when should be finding my own music rather than listening to my parents.

They were not in Smash Hits or No1 enough for me to investigate further & I didn't know the band members names.

WAR and UABRS were total lift off for me.

Was in front of the TV early that day to watch it all live. Jaw dropped after Bad.

Had seen them a few months earlier on the TUF tour.

Sorta? I heard NYD on KROQ when it came out, I was 10. I bought the album and was as big a fan as a 10 year-old can be, I guess. Things went to the next level in 1987.

That was young.

Buying an album on the strength of one song. It does happen quite a bit. Then it's up to the album to be strong enough to hook you in.

U2 played a few early 80's festivals. These may have enticed people.

Quote from: Zoo adam on April 14, 2023, 06:32:00 PM

A proper fan pre Live Aid. Had all the albums. Had been to concerts etc. There were a lot of these fans. 

Be interested to know what had made you take an interest in the first place.

Was it word of mouth on the live performances. Taking a punt on an album after hearing a single. Or are you Irish & they were the only worthwhile Irish band around.

Maybe it was a performance on 'The Tube' or 'The Rolling Stone' cover. Or Bono's solo on Band Aid.

Was aware of them pre Live Aid. But nothing had prompted me to investigate further. Although was at an age when should be finding my own music rather than listening to my parents.

They were not in Smash Hits or No1 enough for me to investigate further & I didn't know the band members names.

WAR and UABRS were total lift off for me.

Was in front of the TV early that day to watch it all live. Jaw dropped after Bad.

Had seen them a few months earlier on the TUF tour.

What made you buy War, the singles?

Pre Live Aid for me, U2 were in the mix with Big Country, The Alarm, Simple Minds, The Cult, Echo & the Bunnymen, The Cure.

Not pop bands who relied on looks to get teenage fans. However young & songs strong enough to make the charts. But miles away from having number 1's.

Have since investigated & realised how big they were pre Live Aid.

Quote from: MPare1966 on April 14, 2023, 06:41:54 PM

Quote from: Zoo adam on April 14, 2023, 06:32:00 PM

A proper fan pre Live Aid. Had all the albums. Had been to concerts etc. There were a lot of these fans. 

Be interested to know what had made you take an interest in the first place.

Was it word of mouth on the live performances. Taking a punt on an album after hearing a single. Or are you Irish & they were the only worthwhile Irish band around.

Maybe it was a performance on 'The Tube' or 'The Rolling Stone' cover. Or Bono's solo on Band Aid.

Was aware of them pre Live Aid. But nothing had prompted me to investigate further. Although was at an age when should be finding my own music rather than listening to my parents.

They were not in Smash Hits or No1 enough for me to investigate further & I didn't know the band members names.

WAR and UABRS were total lift off for me.

Was in front of the TV early that day to watch it all live. Jaw dropped after Bad.

Had seen them a few months earlier on the TUF tour.

What made you buy War, the singles?

It was in fact one of my teachers in 10th grade. He was someone very much into new artists and recommended I give a spin to WAR, which had been out for a few weeks.

At the time, I was very much into The Police. They quickly dropped a spot.

Quote from: Zoo adam on April 14, 2023, 06:49:04 PM

Quote from: MPare1966 on April 14, 2023, 06:41:54 PM

Quote from: Zoo adam on April 14, 2023, 06:32:00 PM

A proper fan pre Live Aid. Had all the albums. Had been to concerts etc. There were a lot of these fans. 

Be interested to know what had made you take an interest in the first place.

Was it word of mouth on the live performances. Taking a punt on an album after hearing a single. Or are you Irish & they were the only worthwhile Irish band around.

Maybe it was a performance on 'The Tube' or 'The Rolling Stone' cover. Or Bono's solo on Band Aid.

Was aware of them pre Live Aid. But nothing had prompted me to investigate further. Although was at an age when should be finding my own music rather than listening to my parents.

They were not in Smash Hits or No1 enough for me to investigate further & I didn't know the band members names.

WAR and UABRS were total lift off for me.

Was in front of the TV early that day to watch it all live. Jaw dropped after Bad.

Had seen them a few months earlier on the TUF tour.

What made you buy War, the singles?

It was in fact one of my teachers in 10th grade. He was someone very much into new artists and recommended I give a spin to WAR, which had been out for a few weeks.

At the time, I was very much into The Police. They quickly dropped a spot.

So word of mouth/reccomendation.

Wish that had happened to me. Was one of those 80's U2 fans who had to admit only became a fan after Live Aid.

There was no internet/social media in the 80's.

Remember seeing Muse perform 4 songs on a TV show in 2006 & liking them.

I then had the chance to Google them & read reviews from both critics & the public.  Which made me buy Black Holes...

They were not in Smash Hits

They didn't reach the lofty heights of Duran Duran.

Bono was on the cover of Smash Hits. With Moya Brennan.

They became more attached to the likes of Q Magazine & Mojo after becoming huge.

There was no internet/social media in the 80's.

Remember seeing Muse perform 4 songs on a TV show in 2006 & liking them.

I then had the chance to Google them & read reviews from both critics & the public.  Which made me buy Black Holes...

Bro, I wasn’t just a fan. I was literally a Preacher of the Gospel of U2.

Quote from: The Exile on April 14, 2023, 06:38:24 PM

Sorta? I heard NYD on KROQ when it came out, I was 10. I bought the album and was as big a fan as a 10 year-old can be, I guess. Things went to the next level in 1987.

That was young.

Buying an album on the strength of one song. It does happen quite a bit. Then it's up to the album to be strong enough to hook you in.

U2 played a few early 80's festivals. These may have enticed people.

Oh I was hooked! From that day to this the only song on War I don't like is Red Light. I don't think I've heard it in 30 years, haha. I miss the days when U2 was this "secret" that most mainstream people didn't really know about.

Quote from: Zoo adam on April 14, 2023, 06:47:38 PM

Quote from: The Exile on April 14, 2023, 06:38:24 PM

Sorta? I heard NYD on KROQ when it came out, I was 10. I bought the album and was as big a fan as a 10 year-old can be, I guess. Things went to the next level in 1987.

That was young.

Buying an album on the strength of one song. It does happen quite a bit. Then it's up to the album to be strong enough to hook you in.

U2 played a few early 80's festivals. These may have enticed people.

Oh I was hooked! From that day to this the only song on War I don't like is Red Light. I don't think I've heard it in 30 years, haha. I miss the days when U2 was this "secret" that most mainstream people didn't really know about.

Certainly under the mainstream rador pre Live Aid.

Building up their fan base through tours and albums. Rather than Smash Hits & Razzmatazz.

But a well known secret going by some of the concerts & album sales.