Editing U2 (section)

=== Formation and early years (1976–1980) ===
[[File:MountTempleClock.jpg|thumb|The band formed in 1976 while attending [[Mount Temple Comprehensive School]] (pictured in 2007) in Dublin.]]
In 1976, [[Larry Mullen Jr.]], then a 14-year-old pupil of [[Mount Temple Comprehensive School]] in Dublin, Ireland, posted a note on the school's notice board in search of musicians for a new band.<!--as an Irish topic, this article uses international dating, i.e., dd/mm/yyyy not American dating mm/dd/yyyy.--> For the first practice, which was held on 25&nbsp;September in Mullen's kitchen, Mullen played drums and was joined by at least five other people: [[Bono|Paul Hewson ("Bono Vox")]] on lead vocals; [[The Edge|David Evans ("the Edge")]] and his older brother [[Dik Evans]] on guitar; [[Adam Clayton]], a friend of the Evans brothers, on bass guitar; and Ivan McCormick. Mullen later described it as "'The Larry Mullen Band' for about ten minutes, then Bono walked in and blew any chance I had of being in charge." Peter Martin, a friend of Mullen and McCormick, loaned his guitar and amplifier for the first practice,<ref name="mccorm27">McCormick (2006), pp. 27, 29–30</ref> but he could not play and was quickly phased out;<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.hotpress.com/news/THE-UNBELIEVABLE-BOOK/1488562.html|title=The Unbelievable Book|magazine=[[Hot Press]]|first=Neil|last=McCormick|date=3 December 1987|issue=11|volume=23|access-date=16 December 2016|archive-date=22 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170322182616/http://www.hotpress.com/news/THE-UNBELIEVABLE-BOOK/1488562.html|url-status=live}}</ref> sources differ on whether he was in attendance at the first meeting or not.<ref>Sources stating that Martin attended the first practice: {{bulleted list|Chatterton (2001), p. 130|Jobling (2014), p. 16|McGee (2008), p. 9}}
Sources disputing Martin's attendance: {{bulleted list|{{cite web|url=https://www.u2songs.com/news/u245_forty_five_years_of_u2_with_ivan_mccormick|title=U245: Forty Five Years of U2 with Ivan McCormick|website=U2Songs.com|first=Aaron|last=Sams|date=25 September 2021|access-date=19 October 2021|archive-date=18 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211018064904/https://u2songs.com/news/u245_forty_five_years_of_u2_with_ivan_mccormick|url-status=live}}}}</ref> Within a few weeks, McCormick was also dropped from the group.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hotpress.com/U2/music/interviews/U240-U2-It-was-40-Years-Ago-Today/18931799.html|title=#U240 U2: It was 40 Years Ago Today|website=Hot Press|first=Colm|last=O'Hare|date=25 September 2016|access-date=16 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201174751/https://www.hotpress.com/music/u240-u2-it-was-40-years-ago-today-18931799|archive-date=1 December 2020|url-access=subscription}}</ref> The remaining five members settled on the name "Feedback" for the group because it was one of the few technical terms they knew. Early rehearsals took place in their music teacher's classroom at Mount Temple.<ref name="mccorm27"/> Most of their initial material consisted of [[cover version|cover songs]], which they admitted was not their forte.<ref>McCormick (2006), pp. 35, 40</ref> The emergence of [[punk rock]], in particular the influence of acts such as [[the Stranglers]],<ref name='strangledu2'>{{cite magazine |title=Hugh Cornwell talks to Adam of U2|magazine=Strangled|issue=20|publisher=SIS|date=February 1985|pages=4–9|url=https://archive.org/details/strangled-vol-2-no-20-1985-02/page/4/mode/2up|access-date=5 December 2021|quote="to be very honest, in those early days The Stranglers were much more of an influence than The Clash or The Pistols. The Clash were so much of an English working class movement we didn't feel part of"}}</ref> [[the Jam]], [[the Clash]], [[Buzzcocks]], and [[Sex Pistols]], convinced them that musical proficiency was not a prerequisite to success.<ref>McCormick (2008), p. 37</ref>

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 | quote  = We couldn't believe it. I was completely shocked. We weren't of an age to go out partying as such but I don't think anyone slept that night&nbsp;... Really, it was just a great affirmation to win that competition, even though I've no idea how good we were or what the competition was really like. But to win at that point was incredibly important for morale and everyone's belief in the whole project.
 | source =&nbsp;—The Edge, on the band's winning a 1978 talent contest in [[Limerick]]<ref name="U2_by_U2_46-48"/>
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In April 1977, Feedback played their first gig for a paying audience at [[St. Fintan's High School]]. Shortly thereafter, the band changed their name to "The Hype".<ref>McGee (2008), pp. 11–12</ref> Dik Evans, who was older and by that time attending college, was becoming the odd man out of the group. The other members were leaning towards the idea of a four-piece ensemble.<ref name="U2_by_U2_46-48">McCormick (2006), pp. 46–48</ref> In March 1978, the group changed their name to "U2",<ref>McGee (2008), p. 14</ref> selecting it from a list of six options suggested by [[Steve Averill]], a punk rock musician with [[the Radiators from Space]] and a family friend of Clayton. The band chose U2 for its open-ended interpretations, visual strength on posters, and because it was the name that they disliked the least.<ref>McCormick (2006), p. 44</ref> Dik Evans officially left the band with a farewell concert at the Presbyterian Hall in [[Sutton, Dublin|Sutton]] on 4 March. During the show, which featured the group playing cover songs as the Hype, Dik ceremonially walked offstage. The remaining four members returned later in the concert to play original material as U2.<ref name="U2_by_U2_46-48"/><ref>{{cite podcast|url=https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5hY2FzdC5jb20vcHVibGljL3Nob3dzLzY0NGI5ZmRmZDBmNmUyMDAxMjdjZjQ3Nw|title=Intermission - The Night The Hype Became U2|work=U2-Y|first=Gareth|last=Averill|date=22 May 2023|access-date=9 July 2023|via=[[Google Podcasts]]|archive-date=9 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230709073158/https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5hY2FzdC5jb20vcHVibGljL3Nob3dzLzY0NGI5ZmRmZDBmNmUyMDAxMjdjZjQ3Nw|url-status=live}}</ref> Dik joined the [[Virgin Prunes]], a band made up of mutual friends of U2; early on, the Prunes served as U2's default [[opening act]], and the two groups often shared members for live performances to fill in for occasional absences.<ref>McGee (2008), p. 20</ref> On 18 March, the four-piece U2 won the "Pop Group '78" talent contest sponsored by the ''[[Evening Press]]'' and [[Guinness]]'s [[Harp Lager]] as part of [[Limerick]] Civic Week.<ref>{{bulleted list|{{Cite web|url=https://www.u2songs.com/news/pop_group_1978|title=Pop Group 1978|website=U2Songs.com|first=Aaron J.|last=Sams|date=18 March 2022|access-date=9 July 2023|archive-date=9 July 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230709080812/https://www.u2songs.com/news/pop_group_1978|url-status=live}}|{{cite news|title=Dublin boys top of Pops!|newspaper=[[Evening Press]]|date=20 March 1978|page=3}}}}</ref> The win was an important milestone and affirmation for the fledgling act.<ref name="U2_by_U2_46-48"/> The contest prize consisted of {{GBP|500}} ({{Inflation|UK|500|1978|fmt=eq|cursign=£|round=-1}}) and a recording session for a demo that would be heard by the record label [[CBS Records International|CBS Ireland]].<ref name="mcg16">McGee (2008), pp. 16–18</ref> U2's demo tape was recorded at Keystone Studios in Dublin in April 1978,<ref name="mcg16"/> but the results were largely unsuccessful due to their inexperience.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.hotpress.com/U2/music/interviews/STORIES-OF-BOYS/549279.html|title=Stories of Boys|magazine=Hot Press|first=Jackie|last=Hayden|date=5 June 1985|access-date=29 December 2016|volume=9|issue=12|archive-date=3 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170103173926/http://www.hotpress.com/U2/music/interviews/STORIES-OF-BOYS/549279.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:U2 plaque in Limerick commemorating Pop Group 78 contest win (cropped).jpeg|thumb|upright=0.85|A plaque commemorating U2's victory in the 1978 Limerick Civic Week "Pop Group" music talent contest]]
Irish magazine ''[[Hot Press]]'' was influential in shaping U2's future; in addition to being one of their earliest allies, the publication's journalist [[Bill Graham (author)|Bill Graham]] introduced the band to [[Paul McGuinness]], who agreed to be their [[Talent manager|manager]] in mid-1978.<ref name="mcg16"/><ref>McCormick (2006), pp. 53–56</ref> With the connections he was making within the music industry, McGuinness booked demo sessions for the group and sought to garner them a record deal. The band continued to build their fanbase with performances across Ireland,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uncut.co.uk/features/u2-the-early-years-there-was-a-presence-a-magnetism-4226|title=In the Name of Love|magazine=[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]|first=Stephen|last=Dalton|date=December 1999|issue=31|access-date=30 December 2016|archive-date=2 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702130919/http://www.uncut.co.uk/features/u2-the-early-years-there-was-a-presence-a-magnetism-4226|url-status=live}}</ref> the most famous of which were a series of weekend afternoon shows at Dublin's [[Stephen's Green Shopping Centre|Dandelion Market]] in mid-1979.<ref name="mcg21">McGee (2008), pp. 21–24</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.u2songs.com/news/u2_at_the_dandelion_an_interview_with_john_fisher|title=U2 at the Dandelion: An Interview with John Fisher|website=U2Songs.com|first=Harry|last=Kantas|date=24 February 2020|access-date=19 October 2021|archive-date=20 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020033824/https://www.u2songs.com/news/u2_at_the_dandelion_an_interview_with_john_fisher|url-status=live}}</ref> 

In August 1979, U2 recorded demos at [[Windmill Lane Studios]] with CBS talent scout Chas de Whalley as producer, marking the first of the band's many recordings at the studio during their career.<ref>McGee (2008), pp. 23, 29</ref> The following month, three songs from the session were released by CBS in Ireland as the EP ''[[Three (U2 EP)|Three]]''. It was the group's first chart success, selling all 1,000 copies of its limited edition 12-inch vinyl almost immediately.<ref name="mcg21"/> In December 1979, the band performed in London for their first shows outside Ireland, although they were unable to gain much attention from audiences or critics.<ref>de la Parra (2003), p. 10</ref> On 26 February 1980, their second single, "[[Another Day (U2 song)|Another Day]]", was released on the CBS label, again only for the Irish market. The same day, U2 performed at the 2,000-seat [[National Stadium (Ireland)|National Stadium]] in Dublin as part of an Irish tour.<ref name="mcg27">McGee (2008), p. 27</ref><ref name="legends">{{cite episode|title=U2|series=[[VH1's Legends|Legends]]|network=[[VH1]]|season=1|number=6|airdate=11 December 1998}}</ref> Despite their gamble of booking a concert in such a large venue, the move paid off.<ref name="mcg27"/> Bill Stewart, an [[A&R]] representative for [[Island Records]], was in attendance and offered to sign them to the label.<ref name="RStone397">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/blessed-are-the-peacemakers-u2-102912/|title=Blessed Are the Peacemakers|magazine=Rolling Stone|last=Henke|first=James|date=9 June 1983|access-date=2 July 2018|issue=397|pages=11–14|archive-date=2 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702204755/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/blessed-are-the-peacemakers-u2-102912/|url-status=live}}</ref> The following month, the band signed a four-year, four-album contract with Island, which included a {{GBP|50,000}} advance ({{Inflation|UK|50,000|1980|fmt=eq|cursign=£|round=-1}}) and {{GBP|50,000}} in tour support.<ref name="mcg29">McGee (2008), pp. 29–31</ref>