Boy Tour
Encyclopedia
The Boy Tour was a concert tour by Irish
rock
band U2
that took place in 1980 and 1981 to support the band's first studio album, Boy
, which was released in October 1980.
between September and December and consisted of 56 shows. This was immediately followed by a short leg in North America
seeing the band play 9 venues in 10 days. To further promote the album, U2 ended 1980 and began 1981 with another European leg, entertaining 28 more venues. A larger North American leg took place between March and June of 1981 and subsequently was the largest leg of the tour with 60 concerts taking place. U2 finished the tour with 4 finals shows in Europe. The tour was one of U2's largest and was played in small venues, many of which only had 4 or 5 people in it. U2 played 4 concerts at a European Summer Festival before recording October
. The band received negative reviews throughout the tour, with one reporter labelling them "a joke."
being performed with the exception of "Shadows and Tall Trees". Content from U2 3 was played, as were "11 O'Clock Tick Tock
", "Touch", and "Things to Make and Do". Towards the end of the tour, songs from the upcoming October were played, including "Fire" and "I Fall Down". "The Ocean", "11 O'Clock Tick Tock", and "I Will Follow
" were often played twice due to the band's small catalogue at the time. Most shows began with "The Ocean" and closed with "11 O'Clock Tick Tock". Three unreleased songs, "Father is an Elephant", "Carry Me Home" and "The Cry" were also performed. Throughout the tour, Bono
would include snippets of other songs not recorded by U2 - "Send in the Clowns
" was often tagged onto the end of "The Electric Co.
"
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
that took place in 1980 and 1981 to support the band's first studio album, Boy
Boy (album)
Boy is the debut album from Irish rock band U2, released October 20, 1980. Produced by Steve Lillywhite, the album received generally positive reviews. Common themes among the album's songs are the thoughts and frustrations of adolescence. The album included the band's first United Kingdom hit...
, which was released in October 1980.
Itinerary
The tour consisted of five legs, the first leg was a 3 month stint in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
between September and December and consisted of 56 shows. This was immediately followed by a short leg in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
seeing the band play 9 venues in 10 days. To further promote the album, U2 ended 1980 and began 1981 with another European leg, entertaining 28 more venues. A larger North American leg took place between March and June of 1981 and subsequently was the largest leg of the tour with 60 concerts taking place. U2 finished the tour with 4 finals shows in Europe. The tour was one of U2's largest and was played in small venues, many of which only had 4 or 5 people in it. U2 played 4 concerts at a European Summer Festival before recording October
October (album)
October is the second album by Irish rock band U2, released in 1981. The album featured spiritual themes, inspired by Bono, The Edge, and Larry Mullen, Jr.'s memberships in a Christian group called the "Shalom Fellowship", which led them to question the relationship between the Christian faith and...
. The band received negative reviews throughout the tour, with one reporter labelling them "a joke."
Setlist
The setlist varied each night throughout the tour, with all songs from BoyBoy (album)
Boy is the debut album from Irish rock band U2, released October 20, 1980. Produced by Steve Lillywhite, the album received generally positive reviews. Common themes among the album's songs are the thoughts and frustrations of adolescence. The album included the band's first United Kingdom hit...
being performed with the exception of "Shadows and Tall Trees". Content from U2 3 was played, as were "11 O'Clock Tick Tock
11 O'Clock Tick Tock
"11 O'Clock Tick Tock" was U2's second single, released 23 May 1980. It followed their debut EP "Three" and the single "Another Day". It was released prior to their debut album, Boy.-History:...
", "Touch", and "Things to Make and Do". Towards the end of the tour, songs from the upcoming October were played, including "Fire" and "I Fall Down". "The Ocean", "11 O'Clock Tick Tock", and "I Will Follow
I Will Follow
"I Will Follow" is a song by rock band U2. It is the opening track from their debut album, Boy, and it was released as the album's second single, in October 1980. Bono wrote the lyrics to "I Will Follow" in tribute to his mother who died when he was 14 years old."I Will Follow" is the only song...
" were often played twice due to the band's small catalogue at the time. Most shows began with "The Ocean" and closed with "11 O'Clock Tick Tock". Three unreleased songs, "Father is an Elephant", "Carry Me Home" and "The Cry" were also performed. Throughout the tour, Bono
Bono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
would include snippets of other songs not recorded by U2 - "Send in the Clowns
Send in the Clowns
"Send in the Clowns" is a song by Stephen Sondheim from the 1973 musical A Little Night Music, an adaptation of Ingmar Bergman's film Smiles of a Summer Night. It is a ballad from Act II in which the character Desirée reflects on the ironies and disappointments of her life. Among other things, she...
" was often tagged onto the end of "The Electric Co.
The Electric Co.
"The Electric Co." or "Cry/The Electric Co." is the tenth song by Irish rock band U2 from their debut album Boy, released in 1980.- History :...
"