Richard G. "Dik" (also "Dick") Evans (born 1957) is an English-born Irish musician best known as a founder of the band

Virgin Prunes Virgin Prunes were an Irish post-punk band formed in 1977 in Dublin, Ireland. They disbanded in 1986 after the departure of singer Gavin Friday. The other members continued under the name The Prunes until they split up in 1991. History The Vir ...

and an early member of the band that would become U2. Dik and his younger brother David "the Edge" Evans, U2's guitarist, were among U2's co-founders.

Early life

Evans was born in England to Welsh parents. At a young age, the family moved to Ireland. He first began to learn how to play guitar with an acoustic guitar bought by his brother, which the two shared.

Career

The band that would eventually be named U2 formed in Dublin on 25 September 1976. Dik and his brother Dave were two of six people to respond to a note that

Larry Mullen Jr. Laurence Joseph Mullen Jr. (; born 31 October 1961) is an Irish musician, best known as the drummer and co-founder of the rock band U2. Mullen was born in Dublin, where he attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School. In 1976, he co-founded U2 ...

posted on the notice board at

Mount Temple Comprehensive School Mount Temple Comprehensive School is a secondary school in Clontarf, Dublin, Ireland. The school operates under the patronage of the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin, and has, as a primary objective, the provision of state-funded second-l ...

in search of musicians for a new band. The group set up in Mullen's kitchen, with the Evans brothers on guitar; at the first meeting, the duo shared a single home-made instrument between them. They soon whittled down the lineup to a five-piece and settled on the name "Feedback" because it was one of the few technical terms they knew.McCormick (2006), p. 30 Most of their initial material consisted of

cover songs In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

, which the band admitted was not their forte. Some of the earliest influences on the band were emerging punk rock acts, such as

the Jam The Jam were an English mod revival/ punk rock band formed in 1972 at Sheerwater Secondary School in Woking, Surrey. They released 18 consecutive Top 40 singles in the United Kingdom, from their debut in 1977 to their break-up in December 1 ...

the Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the wa ...

Buzzcocks Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band formed in Bolton, England in 1976 by singer-songwriter-guitarist Pete Shelley and singer-songwriter Howard Devoto. They are regarded as a seminal influence on the Manchester music scene, the independen ...

, and

Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they were one of the most groundbreaking acts in the history of popular music. They were responsible for ...

. The popularity of punk rock convinced the group that musical proficiency was not a prerequisite to success. In April 1977, Feedback played their first gig for a paying audience at St. Fintan's High School. Shortly after, the band changed their name to "The Hype". Dik, who was older than the other band members and by this time at college, was becoming the odd man out. The rest of the band was leaning towards the idea of a four-piece ensemble.McCormick (2006), pp. 46–48 In March 1978, the group changed their name to "U2".McGee (2008), p. 14 That same month, U2, as a four-piece without Dik, won a talent contest in

Limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...

References

Footnotes Bibliography * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Evans, Dik 1957 births People educated at Mount Temple Comprehensive School Alternative rock guitarists British alternative rock musicians British people of Irish descent British rock guitarists British male guitarists British post-punk musicians Irish people of Welsh descent Irish rock guitarists Irish male guitarists Living people Musicians from County Dublin People from Barking, London U2 members Virgin Prunes members