There are people who are convinced that Bono, the lead singer of U2, is named Bono, which is like thinking that “The artist formerly known as Prince” has a huge ID where his entire name fits. The fact is that the singer of the Irish band had such a peculiar and tumultuous adolescence that soon the name Paul David fell short for him. He was something more. He was… Steinhegvanhuysenolegbangbangbang.
Bang, bang, bang
To understand why Bono originally had this impossible name, we have to go back to when he was 14 years old, when his mother passed away and he decided to escape from reality by spending much more time on Irish streets filled with kids without adult supervision. A bit like 2023, but the opposite. In one of these instances, Bono and his friends decided to form a kind of artistic band more similar to Monty Python than Banksy. For example, they would board a bus with ladders, a drill, saws, and bananas, and perform small surprise acts before running away. If you have ever been on public transportation, we know you just sighed thinking, “Oh, dear God, no.”
The thing is, the group, Lypton Village (apparently named by Bono himself), had the tradition of changing the names of its members as a way to break free from everything. “It’s the ultimate way to rebel against your father: not accepting his name. But still, you weren’t allowed to choose it.” As part of their comedy and adolescence, Paul David became, as we know him now, Steinhegvanhuysenolegbangbangbang.
Gradually, the singer adjusted his nickname, now as part of a teenage group called Feedback (which would later become U2). He first became Steinvic von Huyseman, which evolved into Houseman. Then he was Bon Murray until one day, while strolling on O’Connell Street, he saw a shop selling items for the deaf called Bono Vox and said, “That’s it, this is me.” Bono Vox became Bono, Feedback became The Hype, and The Hype became U2.
In 1980, U2 released their first album, ‘Boy’… and 43 years later, the band is still ready to go on tours worldwide. It’s a great opportunity to see Steinhegvanhuysenolegbangbangbang live… although by the time you finish shouting his name, he may already be comfortably at home. Bono: a genius and an enigmatic figure.
