U2 goes back to school to put on a show where it all began 50 years ago

Irish rock band U2 returned to their roots on Friday to perform a surprise concert for students at Mount Temple Comprehensive School in Dublin, where they formed the group 50 years prior. The seven-song set, including an encore of "With or Without You," was met with enthusiastic cheers from the hundreds of students who gathered in the schoolyard and nearby construction workers lucky enough to catch the performance.

Bono, the band's lead singer, compared their school days to a science experiment, saying, "We escaped the lab—how's the experiment going for you?" The group, originally known as Feedback and later renamed U2, began as a high school project when 14-year-old drummer Larry Mullen posted an ad seeking musicians. Bono, now the band's frontman, was joined by guitarist David Evans, also known as The Edge, and bassist Adam Clayton.

Their first album, "Boy," was released in 1980, featuring the hit "I Will Follow." The brief concert was part of a promotional push for their latest album, "Carnaval De Luz," which includes a duet between Bono and the late Dolly Parton. Students, some from classroom windows, sang along and captured the moment on their phones. Bono expressed gratitude to the school, acknowledging that the band's foundation was built on the support of their community.