1981-03-24

Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, Canada

Set List of Show:

Known Set List: (Incomplete)

"The Ocean"
"I Will Follow"
"Stories for Boys"
"Out of Control"

Known Encore: (Incomplete)

"I Will Follow"

Additional Music

Snippets of Other Songs Performed by U2:

Show Details:

Tickets are $5.99. The show is presented by CFOX and Perryscope, and the show is labeled as “Cheap Thrills No. 26” which was the name of an ongoing music series being held at The Commodore. The show started at 8:30pm with doors opening at 8pm.

During the show, Busta Jones, the bass player for Talking Heads, joined the band on stage. He’s in town to play with Chris Spedding the next night at the Commodore, and there is some embarrassment as he is initially introduced as Buster Johnson. “I Will Follow” is played twice during the show, once in the main set and again in the encore.

A review of the show by Tom Harrison in The Province mentions, “Bono’s is the clear, plaintive voice of a kid who still wants to know and simply believes. Believes in U2’s intensely-felt idealism, the power it can summon at will, the electric arsenal that is rock and roll. U2 has got life in its pocket, is full-blooded and strong and is on tour to announce these facts to the world. The quartet puts on a great show; certainly the best the Commodore has seen this year.”

Fiona McQuarrie in the Vancouver Sun mentions “Tuesday night at the Commodore, the band made their Vancouver debut in front of a sellout crowd, and made such an overwhelming impression that they were called back for three encores.” and later adds “The ‘open’ sound of Boy is reproduced reasonably well in a concert setting, with Adam Clayton’s bass and Larry’s drums thundering out an anchoring beat for The Edge’s ringing guitar chords and Bono’s earnest vocals. The delicate dynamics are intact, and an extra edge of aggression is apparent in the live show — a little more push, a little more strength — which makes the music even better.” Her review also mentions “The Ocean” (beautifully moody), “I Will Follow” (especially energetic), “Stories for Boys” (outstanding), and “Out of Control” (burst of manic power.)

Officially Released Tracks