35 years ago today a few young lads from Dublin met up in Larry Mullen's parents' kitchen to form a band. Amongst them, the four people who would soon become U2. Not many bands (are there any others?) can say that they have been together 35 years in an unchanged lineup, real friends who went to school, work and socialise together. I think the closeness between the band members is one of the things that make them special, it's a precious thing to have friends you've grown up with and who've been there for you through life's ups and downs.
How much longer will they continue as a band? With REM's break up last week it made me think about that, because there are a lot of parallels between them and U2. No one knows of course, but the sadness I felt at the disbanding of REM made me realise that I would miss U2 soooo much, even though I have a love/hate relationship with them at times. They have been in the background of my life for almost 30 years, their music has given me strength when I needed it, it's also given me much joy and the live shows are simply stunning. I've met wonderful people who've become best friends, travelled to amazing places and had amazing experiences. Let's hope they keep going for a while yet.
Below is a great video covering the musical and visual history of U2. It certainly brought back some memories for me. Like them or loathe them, it can't be denied that they are one of the most important rock bands around.
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