1980-10-16

Vera, Groningen, Netherlands

Set List of Show:

Known Set List:

"The Ocean"
"11 O'Clock Tick Tock"
"I Will Follow"
"Touch"
"An Cat Dubh"
"Into the Heart"
"A Day Without Me"
"The Electric Co."
"Things to Make and Do"
"Stories for Boys"

Known Encore Songs:

"11 O'Clock Tick Tock"
"I Will Follow"

Additional Music

Snippets of Other Songs Performed by U2:

Show Details:

U2 play a full show in Groningen in The Netherlands. The full set list is unknown, but partial recordings allow us to fill in some of the gaps. The show was sparsely attended, with Lonely Planet quoting about 30 people in their tourism guide to Vera. A source for this number is not given. However, it is likely the attendance was somewhat higher, as press at the time of the show mentioned 180 in attendance.

During the show Bono asks if the crowd had heard them on KRO radio and if they enjoyed it. He also mentions the show at the Milkyway, where “some people were sleeping”.

A review in Nieuwsblad van het Noorden called the show disappointing. The reviewer, Eddy Determeyer, says that in the slow songs, “drummer and guitarist have a tendancy to lower the tempo further. The music of U-2 therefore acquires the character of a concrete mixer. Soggy cement rock.” He mentions that the band from Dublin “have the appearance and allure of youngsters who live around the corner” and that Bono “places a lot of soul and bliss” in the songs. And the reviewer finally comes to the conclusion that since U-2 won five categories in the Hot Press awards, that the music climate in Dublin must be considerably worse than it is in Groningen.

Officially Released Tracks