PIC: U2 were paid £300, sandwiches, and beer for 80s gig

They’re one of the biggest bands in the world, and have been for decades, but it’s far from sell-out stadiums U2 were raised.

Nowadays, the group may be used to luxury jets, worldwide tours and teams of people carrying their gear, rigging their lighting and generally catering to their every whim and desire, but at the very beginning the band just wanted sandwiches, beers, and a few bottles of soft drink.

“They were a small band looking for publicity and looking for gigs and they were very personable and easy to get on with,” said Eoin Ronayne, who booked a fledgling U2 for a gig in February 1980.