1981-03-07

Ritz, New York, NY, USA

Set List of Show:

Main Set:

  • "The Ocean"
  • "11 O'Clock Tick Tock"
  • "Touch"
  • "An Cat Dubh"
  • "Into the Heart"
  • "Another Time, Another Place"
  • "The Electric Co."
  • "Things to Make and Do"
  • "Stories for Boys"
  • "Twilight"
  • "I Will Follow"
Encore:

  • "Out of Control"
  • "11 O'Clock Tick Tock"
  • "The Ocean"

Additional Music

Snippets of Other Songs Performed by U2:

    "Cry" (U2) / "Send in the Clowns" (Stephen Sondheim from A Little Night Music) /

Show Details:

U2 return to New York to once again play the Ritz, at a show which is standing room only. The show is attended by Chris Blackwell, the founder of Island Records. The show is a strong one with an enthusiastic crowd. When asked if the crowd is there for the booze by Bono, a round of loud voices crying “no” can be heard. Bono continues, “These people are here to see us! OK. Maybe some of you don’t know who we are. Well, hello! I’m Bono, I’m the singer. This is The Edge, the guitar player. This is Adam. This is Larry. This is the Ritz. This is ‘Out of Control’!”

During the show the band includes “Cry” and “Send in the Clowns” as part of “The Electric Co.”

The show is reviewed by Stephen Holden in The New York Times saying, “The Irish rock quartet U2, which has received extravagant critical praise in the British press, made a strong showing at the Ritz on Saturday. For such an accomplished band, U2 is unusually young. Ranging in age from 18 to 20, its members met three years ago at a Dublin secondary school. Yet their sound, and eclectic hard rock with a mystically romantic strain, makes them one of the most harmonically sophisticated rock bands to emerge in recent years. U2’s musical focus is its gifted guitarist, ‘‘The Edge’‘ Evans, whose extended lyrical guitar flights have a muscularity and an exotic flavor similar to Tom Verlaine. Mr. Evans knows exactly how far to push his mysticism without its turning sickly, and his best solos have a passionate emotionality that is rare in rock these days. Bono Hewson, U2’s lead singer, has a moderately strong voice that was partially drowned out at the Ritz. This was a shame, since the band’s material is of considerable interest. Most of the songs on its debut album, ‘‘Boy,’‘ are visionary reflections of adolescence, with lyrics that have a consciously poetical ring. Their stark imagery is well served by extended modal melodies. Where poetically ambitious rock bands tend to get mired in their visions, U2 brings to its purpose a healthy balance between energy and lyricism.”

Related News

Officially Released Tracks

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