Early U2 photo sold for thousands

An early photograph of Irish rock band U2 taken by Dutch photographer Anton Corbijn was sold to an anonymous buyer for 12,000 euros (NZ$22,500) at a Dublin auction.

The signed photo, taken a year before U2 scored their first top-10 spot in the charts with the 1983 single "New Year's Day", features the four rockers posing moodily in a field of long grass.

"We believe it to be the earliest photo of the band by Corbijn to reach the auction market to date," said Jane Beattie, head of the fine art department at auctioneers James Adam & Sons.

Corbijn, who has also photographed Bon Jovi, Metallica and famously captured David Bowie clad only in a loin-cloth, is credited with helping fashion U2's image over the years.

His picture of lead singer Bono (born Paul Hewson), guitarist The Edge (born Dave Evans), drummer Larry Mullen Jr. and bass player Adam Clayton was taken in Sweden in 1982 during his first photo shoot with the band.

U2's designer Steve Averill had given the photograph to the seller whom the auction house did not identify.

- REUTERS