"Looking for a band to headline a festival is always going to be difficult especially when it is your first but from the very start U2Baby have been nothing less than a joy to work with. I first contacted them in autumn 2015 with a view to having them headline my 80sFest in July 2016. I had thought very hard about the headline act and wanted a band that had the visual and musical acuity to be able to carry a headline slot. I first came across U2Baby when I was looking through vast quantities of U2 tribute bands on You Tube. I was struck by not only how note perfect they were but also the moves and mannerisms were like the actual U2. I showed their footage to a friend who is a very strong U2 fan and they replied with one word “yes”. I then contacted the band to discuss terms and was struck immediately on how approachable and enthusiastic they were. Their management team were most concerned that their fee should be within my budget and from then onwards began a collaboration period with the band on how to present them to their best and also how they could re-create a 1980s U2 gig.
I had an idea to have a finale singing Heroes by David Bowie honouring the number of 1980s musical icons we had lost in the preceding months and immediately they were on board with this plan and worked on their own arrangement of the song adding lyrics from both Steve Strange’s Visage and Purple Rain by Prince. They also created promos for the event which they promoted heavily across social medial. Finally they also took it upon themselves to recreate the Live Aid moment of embracing a member of the audience. It was this attention to detail that created such a buzz at the festival itself. So many people came up to me after the gig to say how wonderful they were as a band and more than one said that they felt it was THE real U2 on stage due to the careful attention to detail. I cannot recommend this band highly enough. They were professional from the outset, not one shred of diva-like behaviour, no demands made and above all polite, courteous and more than happy to meet members of the public; in fact they even chose themselves to mingle in the crowd during other sets, posing for photos and watching the other acts. I would have absolutely no hesitation in engaging them again, recommending them to others or travelling to their gigs in the future. They are welcome back at 80sFest as guests at any time in the future."
Gillian Potter-Merrigan, Director, 80sFest