1979-05-31

McGonagles, Dublin, Ireland

Set List of Show:

Additional Music

Snippets of Other Songs Performed by U2:

Show Details:

Little is known about this performance at McGonagles. Ticket stubs for the invite specify that this was a nighttime show. This show was ahead of The Jingle Balls shows which ran in June and July. But this show would be the first of a run of weekly shows at McGonagles on Thursday nights. Originally Revolver was advertised as playing this show early in the week, and it looks like U2, or U-2 as they are listed on the ticket, may have stepped in to fill in.

Record producer Chas de Whaley has memories of seeing U2 play for the first time at McGonagles, on a trip over in May 1979. This is the likely the show, although de Whaley does mention it was early May in some interviews. There may be undocumented shows at McGonagles earlier in the month. de Whaley specifies that it is an evening show, and that Paul McGuinness is upset that due to licensing there’s a smaller crowd then there could be had it been an all ages show.

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.”

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