![\"Bono](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Bono-Singer-U2-U-2-2019-Far-Out-Magazine-1140x855.jpg\")
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(Credits: Far Out \/ YouTube Still)<\/p>\n
Sat 28 February 2026 14:00, UK <\/p>\n
There\u2019s no better way to pay tribute to another artist than to perform a cover of their work, and as one of the biggest rock bands in the world, U2<\/a> have likely been on the receiving end of this on many occasions.<\/p>\n Whether it\u2019s \u2018I Still Haven\u2019t Found What I\u2019m Looking For\u2019 being covered by Cher<\/a>, or \u2018Beautiful Day\u2019 being covered by a bunch of blokes down the local pub, the Irish group exist at a level of infamy whereby it\u2019s possible to have anyone perform a rendition of one of their songs, and it be instantly recognisable. Reaching this level takes something special and requires you to have written a song with universal appeal in the first place, and that\u2019s something that you can\u2019t take away from U2.<\/p>\n Their humble origins as something more akin to a post-punk group in the early 1980s were a far cry from the purpose-made stadium rock they\u2019ve turned their hand to now, and while some of their earlier albums received critical acclaim, they had to push themselves in a particular direction in order to earn themselves the right to be performing in some of the biggest venues in the world.<\/p>\n U2 worked hard to get where they are now, but they arguably pulled from a far more varied pool of influences when they were in their early days, some of which they leaned into in more obvious ways than simply utilising them as influences. <\/p>\n When you don\u2019t have much of your own material, you\u2019ll quite often lean on covers as a way of bolstering your setlist. As mentioned, while this is a good way of paying respect to your idols, it only ever seems like a mark of respect if the cover is good in the first place, and if you\u2019re going to completely butcher the work that your favourite artists have produced, then it\u2019s probably not a good idea to be venturing into this territory.<\/p>\n As a huge Thin Lizzy<\/a> fan, as many rock fans in Ireland are, Bono wanted to do his best to pay tribute to the iconic group when his own band were first starting out as teenagers. However, by his own admission, they lacked the musical aptitude to be able to replicate the magic that the famous Dublin rock group had when they attempted to work some of their material into the early U2 shows. <\/p>\n \u201cWe were 16 when we formed the band, and we were trying to learn other people\u2019s songs, and we weren\u2019t very good at it,\u201d Bono<\/a> later recalled during an interview with Hotpress. \u201cOccasionally one would speak to us, and I remember us trying to work out \u2018Don\u2019t Believe A Word\u2019, and I couldn\u2019t understand exactly what he meant.\u201d <\/p>\n