MAY 7: U2 starts 'The Unforgettable Fire' in Slane Castle / Bono dedicates a song to his brother Norman / starts 'ZOOTV' in Europe / Bono creates MacPhisto / Larry accepts flowers / 17th VERTIGO show!

"Boy" tour - may 7, 1981. U2's show in Birmingham, Alabama is cancelled.

"War" tour - may 7, 1983. U2 perform in Albany, New York at the State University of New York as part of "Mayfest". Support are Robert Hazard and David Johansen.

"U2 hole up in Slane Castle" - may 7, 1984. U2 hole up in Slane Castle, Co. Meath, to record with new producers Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois. Four weeks later they move back to Windmill Lane Studios to complete work on their fourth studio album. Eno, who was known for his electronic wizardry with such bands as Roxy Music, and lesser known solo albums, "Music for Films", "Music for Airports", and "Discreet Music", is actively recruited by U2 to help with the new album. When he was first approached by the band, Eno turns them down. Eno later would recall, "They just kept nagging me, so much so that I listened to some of their old material, which didn't inspire me...I was mystified by their reasons for wanting me. Once I'd met Bono I knew I had to work with him. There was something about him. He talked about the band in a way that I hadn't heard anyone doing in a long while and so, on that basis, out of curiousity I agreed to work with them." A fourty-five minute documentary on the recording of the album is made by Barry Devlin, which eventually finds it's way onto the "The Unforgettable Fire" video.

"The Joshua Tree" tour - may 7, 1987. U2 perform in Hartford, Connecticut at the Civic Center. The first night Bono must teach the American audience the words to "People Get Ready"--an American folk song. Bono dedicates the song to "somebody really special to me: my big brother Norman" who is at the show. "He taught me how to play guitar, he taught me about three or four chords and that's all you need to write..." Support is "Lone Justice".

"ZOO TV" tour - may 7, 1992. The European leg of the ZooTV tour opens with a gig in the Palais Omnisports De Bercy Centre in Paris. Ticket sales for all 25 dates are announced literally at the last minute. The crowds are relatively small, and as a result, this European leg will lose money. The Edge remarks during an interview: "It's good to be back in a part of the world that's older than 200 years." After the performance of "The Fly", Bono/The Fly comments the he, "ran into Jim Morrison the other night, and he said 'Buy as many U2 albums as you can afford, and the world will be a better place." Bono/The Fly raises his arms in faux-innocence and explains, "Just passing on the message..." Support is B.P. Fallon and "Fatima Mansions".

"ZOO TV - Zooropa" tour - may 7, 1993. U2 perform in Rotterdam, Holland at Feyenoord Stadium. Bono creates MacPhisto. U2 play a dress-rehearsal for the upcoming European tour in front of a small group of fans in Rotterdam. Bono creates a new character for the European tour, and wears a red version of his black, leather "Fly" outfit. When the tour begins, this new character would be called "MacPhisto" and would not wear the same costume tried out tonight, instead donning a gold lame suit and devil's horns.

"Elevation" tour - may 7, 2001 - Columbus, OH - Nationwide Arena. "The Edge just couldn't get any better than he was tonight. Many people, other the U2 fans, don't realize the magnitude of Edge's guitar work. Simply perfect." by Mark Muterspaw. Edge is a madman during "I Will Follow"; Larry accepts flowers at the end; Edge wears red shirt#3, this night.

17th 'VERTIGO' show - may 7, 2005 - Chicago, IL - United Center - Kings of Leon. Keanu Reeves, Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin were in the audience. Love and Peace: spotlights in hand panning the crowd built up the anticipation of a great beginning. Vertigo was carried by the Edge, he owns that song. 40 as a closer. Back to the good old days...Adam and Edge switched sides...the AB trilogy. Zoo-The Fly-Mysterious Ways, so great to hear them in order and sounding great with other standards....The Edge again rips up Fly. Larry, the Fischer-Price keyboard during Yahweh. Edge played like 18 guitars including a huge one for Yahweh. There was a lot of chatter between songs by Edge and Bono. Edge was bluesy on Bullet, electric on Vertigo, and pulsating on the AB trio. Coldplay was there, he (Bono) mentioned it...He (Bono) grabbed a U.N. flag a girl threw from behind the stage and tied it around his neck...He (Bono) did apologize for the ticket mess up...no pulling someone on stage to play guitar, no Pope story. Very little talking. Some photos on: U2tours.com