September 2026 - Image of the Month

Bono at The Astoria - by Andy Paradise 

When Paul Hewson’s gang was handing out nicknames, he got Steinhegvanhuysenolegbangbangbang. At the time they had no idea that Paul’s career choice would make such a handle difficult, not least for the headline writers.

So, it was good fortune that after a couple of changes, he ended up as just Bono, a shortened version of Bono Vox,

according to Wikipedia  hearing aid shop in O'Connell Street, Dublin.

U2 are in celebration mode and this year marks the 50^th anniversary of the iconic band's foundation.

September 25, 1976, saw the forming of the band in Dublin and they now have 15 albums to their name and an estimated 160m record sales. With 46 nominations and 22 wins they hold the record for most Grammy awards. It’s also mooted that Bono has a personal wealth of around £500m.

Rumours are that the September anniversary date will trigger the release of their first new album in nine years, and there is to be a major exhibition about U2 at the Irish Cultural Centre in Paris, running from September 23 to December 18.

Andy Paradise started taking pictures just a year before this shot was taken. He had left the Kent Institute of Art & Design with a BA Hons degree in editorial and advertising photography in 1999 although his learning of the medium began much earlier in the labs of Pinewood Film Studios. From the start of 2000 he primarily worked for The Independent as a staff photographer, but went freelance at the beginning of 2003.

During his time on the staff photographer Paradise went on a wide variety of assignments, from portraits of A-list US actors to gritty news and politics. After just nine months as a professional he won his first prize at the Picture Editors Awards for best black & white image of 2000.

The gig for U2 was an intimate affair for a mere 1,500 competition winners, plus invitations to headline grabbers at the time such as Roy Keane, at the time captain of Manchester United, Elvis Costello, Salman Rushdie and Mick Jagger, who it is claimed spent his time at the gig texting messages.

The gig was in advance of the major Elevation Tour that was 113 shows throughout 2001, the highest grossing global tour of the year making $144m.