Top 20 U2 Fun Facts and Gossips You Might Not Know

From global rock legends to humanitarian icons, U2 has been shaking the world since the late ’70s — and there’s so much more to the band than meets the eye. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or just getting into their music, these 20 fun facts and juicy gossips about Bono and the crew will surprise even the most devoted listeners. Get ready to dive deep into behind-the-scenes secrets, unexpected trivia, and stories you probably never heard before.

1- Did you know nearly every meal Bono ate as a teenager was airline food? This was because his brother bought them cheap and were also the only food that Mount Temple Comprehensive would supply.

“My brother, who used to work in the computer division of the national airline, discovered that he could buy airline food at a cheap rate. So he used to bring these packaged meals home, and our fridge was full of it…Our high school was near the airport. They didn’t do lunches then, but they decided they were gonna do school lunches. So they bought them at the airport. So, I used to eat airline food at lunch. I would go home, eat the same f****** airline food for dinner. What happens then? You join a rock n’ roll band and spend the rest of your life eating airline food.”

2- Adam lives in the leafy suburbs of south Dublin in an area called Rathfarnham in a house (mansion) originally rented by the band to write (and record) some of the Joshua Tree. The house itself backs onto an exclusive boarding secondary school called “St. Columbas College” – the school he was expelled from before going to Mount Temple to meet Bono and the boys.

To date, almost every year, Adam still goes to the school to give the boys a talk.

Also, whenever the school decides to get an ariel picture of the school, Adam insists that the photo does not include his house.

U2’s guitar repair guy, Derrick Nealson. works from a park called Marley Park (there’s a workshop area set up – it’s not like he has a stall in the middle of a field!!) which is about two minutes walk from Adam’s house.

3- As a child, Bono used to pull my aunts hair at Church. My dad always calims that “the little XXXX would someday make it big in music or business” because of his messing in Church. When you consider how serious he takes religion as an adult, obviously something rubbed off.

And some more family stories – my dad’s eldest sister (my aunt obviously!!) used work with Bono’s mum in an ice cream factory. Her son (my cousin) has two kids who play soccer with Larry’s son, Elvis.

4- On the Zoo tour, in the back of a limo while watching TV, every time it was turned over it would be turned back to the same channel it was previously on. Edge was asked to have a look and found the same problem. Little did everyone know, Larry had the remote hidden under his leg and kept turning the channel back!

5- Larry has or had a house in the New York suburb of Nyack and hangs out with Chris Noth (Mr. Big) when in Manhattan. Adam always sent flowers to Naomi Campbell’s mother when she was battling cancer even after he and Naomi had long broken up. Bono seems to have nicknames for everyone. He calls supermodel friends Helena Christensen “H Bomb” and Christy Turlington “Finn” which she went on to name her own child.

6- Did you know “Achtung Baby” got its name because during the start of the band U2 vowed never to use the word “baby” within any of their songs, and with this album they completely descecrated the rule, by stating “baby” over one-hundred times.

7- Did you know that the club in Dublin, The Baggot Inn (the gig venue is now closed but the bar is still serving beer!!!), hosted not only a young pre-famous U2, but hosted in its day the likes of David Bowie, Thin Lizzy and Tracy Chapman. And whey ho, daveyg played bass there in his day once or twice! Sigh. Those were the days!!

Eddie, the owner of the Baggot Inn in its current guise, always tells the story to anyone I bring in that Bono was refused entry to the Baggot because he was underage until the doorman was convinced he was the singer of the headlining band that night!

In fact, in the days I used play in the Baggot in the early to mid 90s, there was a guy called Rob who used do all the band bookings for the venue. Lovely guy. I got to know him well enough through the band (I was an Adam protogé as I was bass player/manager for the band!), and I remember going to see ZooTV in 1993 in Dublin, and who walks out on stage with Adam’s bass to tune it up before the gig? Rob – the band organiser from the Baggot!! Luckily, the singer from the band I was playing with was with me to see who it was! Led to a few interesting conversations with Rob at our gigs afterwards.

8- Bono’s Glasses Aren’t a Gimmick

Bono has glaucoma, which is an incurable condition that can end up damaging the optic nerve. He wears glasses to protect his already sensitive eyes.

9- They Weren’t Always U2

In fact, before they began calling themselves U2, they tried out the Larry Mullen Band, the Hype, and Feedback. “U2” ended up being the name that they liked the most.

10- Adam Clayton Has Worn the Same Bracelet Since He Was 21

Clayton was given a jade bracelet when he was 21 years old that he has amazingly never taken off. However, there is no special significant to the bracelet; he simply says that he is unable to take it off.

11- Bono Is Comfortable With Change

Bono is not a big fan of people telling him that he hasn’t changed. Though they might mean it as a compliment, Bono has said that he associates change with growth, and so for someone to tell him that he hasn’t changed is actually more of an insult than a compliment.

12- The Edge Has Been to Coachella

In 2014, the Edge went to Coachella to scope out the talent. He said that he was a big fan of Cage the Elephant, Broken Bells, and Skrillex.

13- Mullen Speaks Out When He Has To

It’s true. Mullen has said that he has no problem speaking up when he feels like something is wrong.

14- Larry Mullen Is Too Good at the Drums

It’s true! While making Songs of Innocence, a producer actually wanted Mullen to change his performance so it was “less perfect.” The producer said he wanted the song to sound “live,” despite the fact that it literally was being played live.

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Bono Channeled Bob Dylan for “Every Breaking Wave”

In fact, Bono initially wanted the song to have a similar sound to Bob Dylan‘s “Every Grain of Sand.” Bono began imagining the song in the vein of Dylan after he learned that “Every Grain of Sand” was Steve Jobs’ favorite song

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They Have a Song That Features a Conversation Between Bono and his Younger Self

It’s true. Specifically, the second verse of “Volcano” involves Bono‘s younger self saying things to his current self.

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They Are Afraid of Being Ignored

In an interview, the Edge revealed that part of the reason U2 developed that controversial deal with iTunes is because they were afraid their album would be ignored. They mentioned that they had seen so many artists release good albums that just went unnoticed, and though they have a loyal fanbase, they feared it would happen to them as well.

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“Raised by Wolves” References Bono’s Political Awakening

Specifically, the car bombing referenced in the lyrics of “Raised by Wolves” is what initially sparked Bono’s political awakening. He said that the car bombing reminds him of how coincidence can shape a person’s life.

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Bono Is a Fan of Future Islands

Bono has said that he’s a big fan of the indie band Future Islands. He said, “That song, ‘Seasons’? A miracle, that is.”

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They’re Not Afraid of Guitar-Based Music

Though electronic music has exploded onto the scene over the past few years, U2 are not afraid of sticking to their specific brand of rock. The Edge said in an interview that the important part is that the music is at least a little “defiant.”