Into The Heart of U2 Podcast

In part two of our look at the Unforgettable Fire era, we talk about the band's change of approach on stage in contrast to the War Tour. We go through the awkward beginning of the Unforgettable Tour, the participation of the Band-Aid project and the "Do You Know It's Christmas" single and how it all leads to Live Aid and the band's now iconic 12 minute performance of "Bad" highlighted by Bono leap...

War was the band's first big breakthrough so obviously they go big with War II right? Nope. U2 decides to go to art school with Brian Eno. In this episode we dive into the band's time recording at Slane Castle with Eno who brings along Daniel Lanois to join the production team. We go through all the tracks and what was left off and the time crunch to finish the record before the tour was set to st...

It's impossible to talk about War without getting into the War Tour. In part two, we talk about the three essential gigs from the War Tour that solidified U2's standing as the best live act in rock and roll: the US Festival, Red Rocks and U2's first headlining arena show in the States: Los Angeles Sports Arena when Bono takes things a little too far which finally convinces him to change course as...

U2 return home from the October Tour after the record falls decidedly short of expectations and face a make it or break it moment. They pool their money and rent a small cottage in Howth, Ireland. It's August 1982 and while Bono and Ali are off on their honeymoon, Edge, still full of apprehension about whether he should continue in U2 decides to stay in Dublin to work on songs. One afternoon, Edge...

In this episode we talk about the birth of U2's difficult second album, October. The one they seem uncomfortable and a bit embarrassed to talk about even today. We examine the three things October is notorious for, the external and internal pressures that created such an unusual rock and roll album, Edge's crisis that almost ended the band, the critical reaction to October, how Island Records almo...

In this all new expanded Boy episode released in tandem with our new U2 Origin Story episode, we pick up the story after U2 pulls off the big rouse at their now legendary gig at the National Stadium in Dublin that gets them signed to Island Records. We go over why they turn from Joy Division producer Martin Hannett and pivot to Steve Lillywhite to produce Boy. We cover Lillywhite's crucial contrib...

You thought you knew U2's origin story? Well, did you know no one actually responded to Larry Mullen's post about wanting to start a band on the Mt Temple bulletin board? Or, did you know that the band once had a flutist and two female backing vocalists onstage? Or that they scored their first TV appearance by fooling the RTE booker into thinking they wrote the Ramones' "Glad to See You Go"? Or th...

Give a listen to the manifesto to the all new Into The Heart of U2 Podcast - the most comprehensive deep dive into the history of U2, album by album and tour by tour, the fan experience, and the perception of U2 in cultural consciousness. Hosted by author and musician Bill See and Melody Muraca, founder of one of the first notable U2 fanzines, the Into The Heart of U2 Podcast takes a close and cri...