U2 Tour De France Feb 1980

Support; unknown
Attendance; unknown
Admission; unknown
Set List; Out Of Control, Boy – Girl, Concentration Cramp, The Dream Is Over, Inside Out, Shadows & Tall Trees

Support; The Shade
Attendance; unknown
Admission; £1.20
Set List; Out Of Control, Boy – Girl, Concentration Cramp, The Dream Is Over, Inside Out, Shadows & Tall Trees

Picture from the In Dublin gig guide.

For some reason this U2 tour got lost in the mists of time. Apart from the dates in Dublin, Cork & Sligo the other gigs remained unknown until they were discovered in the pages of Hot Press by myself in 2011. Why this tour & the later Come Out To Play (May 1980) were forgotten is unknown, maybe no one bothered to ask anyone in Ireland.

The Shade & Kidz provided the support on this tour. Both bands are known to have played the National Stadium gig in Dublin.

Support; The Shade or The Kids
Attendance; unknown
Admission; unknown
Set List; Out Of Control, Boy – Girl, Twilight, Another Day

Support; The Shade or The Kids
Attendance; unknown
Admission; unknown
Set List; Out Of Control, Boy – Girl, Twilight, Another Day

Support; The Shade or The Kids
Attendance; Sold out
Admission; £1.50
Set List; Silver Lining, Out Of Control, Boy – Girl, Twilight, Another Day, Stories For Boys

U2 are to be paid £100 or 70% of the gross receipts.

Support; unknown
Attendance; unknown
Admission; unknown
Set List; Out Of Control, Boy – Girl, Twilight, Another Day, Stories For Boys

Support; The Blades
Attendance; unknown
Admission; unknown
Set List; Out Of Control, Boy – Girl, Twilight, Another Day, Stories For Boys

This concert is part of the University College Galway Rag week.

Support; unknown
Attendance; 400
Admission; £2.00
Set List; Out Of Control, Boy/Girl, Stories For Boys, Another Day, Twlight.

This venue is a late addition to the tour, Limerick is not listed as one of the venues on the original tour poster.

As far as I know this is the one and only time U2 play in Limerick, there is a small amount of trouble in the crowd. U2 don’t go down well in Limerick, after Bono criticises the the Limerick crowd in the Irish Press (he called them “Boot Boys”). This leads to U2 not being able to play a venue in Limerick for their May 1980 “Come Out To Play” tour.

John Dundon (The Experts)

“U2 played the Crescent Hall only, I was at the gig – the audience was small and a row broke out, I don’t have a good memory of the gig as I was not fond of getting kicked – because I was great pals with Ber Angley and also knew Brendan Murray RIP I have / had the poster of the gig which I gave to Mick Dolan a few years ago for his 50th birthday and he now has it mounted in our main Limerick music venue Dolans of which I am a good frequenter , my wife , guitarist in the Experts said I was mad but sure better on a wall for all to see than up in the loft”. 

“I had seen U 2 a good few memorable nights at the Arcadia in Cork in 78 /79 and thought they were amazing along with D C Nien who I also loved, so I was disappointed at the poor and embarrassing Limerick reception”. 

“I reckon maybe the Shade played support in the Crescent as I have their 7 inch and I always buy something at a gig or most times any case” 

Support; Virgin Prunes, Headliners Berlin
Attendance; unknown
Admission;
Set List;