1978-04-27

McGonagles, Dublin, Ireland

Set List of Show:

Known Songs (Incomplete):

"2-4-6-8 Motorway"

Additional Music

Snippets of Other Songs Performed by U2:

Show Details:

U2 get a slot supporting the band The Vipers, and will play each Thursday night with them over the next few weeks. The show ran from 11pm – 3am, and took place in the Memphis Rock Room. Little information is available about this show. The set list is not known, however Dave Moloney, the drumer with The Vipers, has mentioned that the first song he ever saw U2 play, was when they opened at McGonagles, and was “2-4-6-8 Motorway.”

Terry O’Neill, the promoter who ran McGonagles in 2016 in Hot Press magazine recalls that the first date U2 performed at McGonagles was April 27, 1978. That would make this show with The Vipers the first that U2 played at the venue, however there are reports that U2 may have played the venue earlier with Revolver while they were still known as The Hype, but we have not been able to confirm this show had happened.

U2 played McGonagles a number of times in the late 1970s. The venue, located at 21A South Anne Street, started hosting concerts in 1978 and continued to do so until 1992. Prior to that, it was known as The Crystal Ballroom. Bono’s parents, Iris and Bob would often go dancing at The Crystal Ballroom and Bono would later write about the venue in “The Crystal Ballroom”: “My mother died when she was at her father’s funeral. I was only 14. And in this song I am singing, “Everyone is here tonight, everyone but you.” And it’s me wanting to see my mother dance again in the Crystal Ballroom and for her to see what happened to her son.” On July 1, 2018, Bono remembered from stage that U2 had played McGonagles 29 times in their career. That night was their 30th performance at Madison Square Garden, making it U2’s most played venue, but up until that point, McGonagles appears to have been the most played.

Officially Released Tracks