Even prior to entering the studio for their debut full-length, the Irish band Cactus World News secured timely assistance from a fellow countryman. In 1985 the musicians mailed a demo tape to U2’s Bono, who immediately booked studio time for the recording of their EP The Bridge. Formed in Dublin, Ireland, Cactus World News would likely have drawn comparisons to U2 regardless of that introduction. Eoin McEvoy’s moody, passionate vocals and Frank Kearns’ soaring electric guitars echoed the early sound of U2, most notably on the anthems “Worlds Apart” and “The Bridge,” both featured on the band’s first album, Urban Beaches. Issued by MCA Records in 1986, Urban Beaches arrived amid expectations that it would prove a breakthrough debut. Yet extensive press coverage and an appearance on MTV failed to generate meaningful U.S. sales. Once heralded as the next major act, Cactus World News found its audience confined largely to college radio. In 1989 the group delivered its second album, No Shelter. MCA, unconvinced of the LP’s commercial prospects, deleted the title before it reached stores. Many fans questioned whether the record had ever existed until file-sharing networks began circulating copies years later. Cactus World News disbanded in 1990.
