Tag: u2

You wouldn’t imagine U2’s strangest merchandise item in a million years

The problem is that the blow from critics and the public had questioned them and they needed, yes or yes, a renewal. Said and done: thus ‘Achtung baby’ was born.

In the early 1990s, U2 had a very serious problem. ‘The Joshua Tree’ and ‘Rattle and Hum’ (a project that was both an album and a movie) had turned them into a highly serious band that addressed real societal issues. However, the critical and public backlash had put them in a difficult position, and they needed a makeover, no matter what. And that’s how ‘Achtung Baby’ was born.

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Watch out, babies!

‘Achtung Baby’ was an album that created tensions within the group because no one was quite sure where they should be heading. In fact, there were even a few months when they separated to try to find a solution. Eventually, when it was released, it sold 18 million copies, became a massive success, and hits like ‘One’ or ‘The Fly’ found their place on the charts.

But of course, an album meant nothing in 1991 without an epic tour to match. And they couldn’t be the same old U2; this time, they had to surprise everyone and show that you could have fun with U2 too. Thus began the Zoo TV Tour, which had its first concert in Lakeland, Florida, on February 29, 1991, and ended, 157 concerts later, in Tokyo on December 10, 1993.

Along the way, everything changed: the show was much more fun and dynamic; they knew how to poke fun at themselves and earned positive nicknames wherever they went. If their previous concerts had been minimalist and very intimate, now they were breaking the stage and proving that they were a proper rock band, mimicking the style of morning radio shows.

To emphasize this almost humorous shift, they launched some unexpected merchandise items during the concerts: condoms (two in each pack) with a crossed-out baby on them and the words “Achtung Baby!” Obviously, at this point, they can’t be used (who would want to?), but if you’re curious, you might be able to find a pack for around 20 euros. Unopened, of course. Naturally.

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That time Bono called himself Steinhegvanhuysenolegbangbangbang as a stage name

To find out why Bono originally had this impossible name, you have to go back to when he was 14 years old, when his mother died and he decided to withdraw from reality, spending much more time on Irish streets full of kids without adults to control them.

There are people who are convinced that Bono, the lead singer of U2, is named Bono, which is like thinking that “The artist formerly known as Prince” has a huge ID where his entire name fits. The fact is that the singer of the Irish band had such a peculiar and tumultuous adolescence that soon the name Paul David fell short for him. He was something more. He was… Steinhegvanhuysenolegbangbangbang.

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Bang, bang, bang

To understand why Bono originally had this impossible name, we have to go back to when he was 14 years old, when his mother passed away and he decided to escape from reality by spending much more time on Irish streets filled with kids without adult supervision. A bit like 2023, but the opposite. In one of these instances, Bono and his friends decided to form a kind of artistic band more similar to Monty Python than Banksy. For example, they would board a bus with ladders, a drill, saws, and bananas, and perform small surprise acts before running away. If you have ever been on public transportation, we know you just sighed thinking, “Oh, dear God, no.”

The thing is, the group, Lypton Village (apparently named by Bono himself), had the tradition of changing the names of its members as a way to break free from everything. “It’s the ultimate way to rebel against your father: not accepting his name. But still, you weren’t allowed to choose it.” As part of their comedy and adolescence, Paul David became, as we know him now, Steinhegvanhuysenolegbangbangbang.

Gradually, the singer adjusted his nickname, now as part of a teenage group called Feedback (which would later become U2). He first became Steinvic von Huyseman, which evolved into Houseman. Then he was Bon Murray until one day, while strolling on O’Connell Street, he saw a shop selling items for the deaf called Bono Vox and said, “That’s it, this is me.” Bono Vox became Bono, Feedback became The Hype, and The Hype became U2.

In 1980, U2 released their first album, ‘Boy’… and 43 years later, the band is still ready to go on tours worldwide. It’s a great opportunity to see Steinhegvanhuysenolegbangbangbang live… although by the time you finish shouting his name, he may already be comfortably at home. Bono: a genius and an enigmatic figure.