BONO VERSUS THE DUBLIN DOCKER ?

The Boys are back in town … to play a series of sold out shows at The Point  , or the 3 Arena as they call it now.  Over thirty years ago, it was a different audience that U2 played to in the North Docks . On the 17th July 1982 they played their famous roof-top show in Sheriff Street. Here are two audio recording from the event, and even if you’re not a fan it’s a great piece of local history.

Were you there? Please share your memories of the event; we’d love to hear an eye witness account.

Here is an excerpt from “U2: A DIARY” in which Bono recalls the gig:

U2 perform a free, rooftop gig at the Inner City Looking On festival on Sheriff Street in Dublin. It’s a dangerous neighbourhood that’s known for crime and unemployment. While U2 play on a roof to a crowd below, about 30 people climb the only stepladder to the roof and join U2 on stage. One boy joins Larry behind the drum kit, and a young girl jumps into Bono’s arms as he sings. An older man takes the mic away from Bono, and sings for so long that Bono has to unplug that mic and use another.

“I JUST STOPPED THE SHOW AND STARTED TO SING…”

Bono remembers one of the dangerous moments of U2’s rooftop gig on Sheriff Street. “ This guy who looked six feet wide, a docker, just walked on stage and stood in front of me. ‘Let’s twist again like we did last summer’ he said. ‘Play it’.

“The whole crowd quieted –this was the confrontation: were we chicken or not? I must admit, I was chicken. I just stopped the show and started to sing, no accompaniment, ‘Let’s twist again, like we did last summer…’ And I looked at the crowd, and all the kids, the mothers, fathers, the wine and whiskey bottles in their hands, started singing and dancing. And the guy smiled.”

from “U2: A DIARY” (Omnibus Press 2011).

“We gotta keep it a bit quieter , because there’s somebody trying to get a sleep in number 9″