New "U2 Live: A Concert Documentary"?

[ZOOTVTOURist]

Hi y'all,

does anyone know, if a new volume of "U2 Live: A Concert Documentary" is in progress at the moment? The last edition covered U2's live career until the 'ELEVATION' Tour. So since then a lot has happened, including one of the best live periods of the band ever ...
I do know, that there's Internet now with a lot of infomation, but a book has another kind of quality. And it is a kind of nice tradition to continue with the work and analysis of publishing U2's live concerts.
By the way, I don't think this project comes close to a kind of "bible" regarding U2's gigs - as often stated by fans - but it is the best book dealing with this kind of subject, even with the mistakes or problematic commentaries, it does include.

 

[corianderstem]

I would certainly love an updated version. I hope one's in the works.

 

[pattip2000]

I wouldn’t be surprised if there was one on the way because Barnes and Noble have had the current version in their bargain books.

 

[Chizip]

whoever came up with this book idea was a genius, knowing people would buy essentially the same book over and over again after every tour

 

[rihannsu]

The original author was just a regular U2 fan who had no connection to U2 and never asked for anything from them. He died while in the process of doing the last update. It was completed in honor of his memory. I don't know if they will continue to update it in the future. As for it being a "bible" of live shows, U2 treats it as such according to Willie Williams who wrote a forward in the last edition. He keeps one with him and the band keeps one on the plane and uses it to settle arguements about dates and such, so that's a pretty good endorsement for it being considered the bible of U2 shows.

Dana

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

whoever came up with this book idea was a genius, knowing people would buy essentially the same book over and over again after every tour

I think it was Paul McGuiness...

 

[Blue Room]

I think it was Paul McGuiness...

Nope, it was done by a fan who just loved U2. He used to run a fanzine called Collectormania out of Holland (great magazine also, I thought it was better than Propaganda). Basically it was a magazine doing the same thing the book does plus some other articles. Alot of the info and pictures in the book are right out of some of the magazines. He originally did a book for David Bowie shows and then did the U2 one. Pimm passed away several years ago and the update for Popmart and Elevation was carried on by other fans that knew him. There is no direct involvement with the band. Most of the information and pictures come from fans and from bootleg recordings. Its the best U2 book there is IMO. As another person said the band themselves use the book and take it on the road with them.

I doubt an update is coming for Vertigo. They will probably wait until there is another tour to add to it so there are two complete tours that havent been updated. Which is essentially what they did with the last update (IE Popmart and Elevation).

 

[corianderstem]

He keeps one with him and the band keeps one on the plane and uses it to settle arguements about dates and such,

If that's true, I find that completely hilarious and awesome.

 

[Blue Room]

If that's true, I find that completely hilarious and awesome.

Its true, there was an interview with McGuiness on Vertigo and he indicated its his favorite U2 book and they take it on the road with them.

 

[corianderstem]

Then it IS hilarious and awesome!

I'm sure there's lots of mistakes in it here and there, but there was something wrong with the entry about the Madison WI Popmart show (or maybe it was the ZooTV show).

I don't remember what the mistake was, but since I was at both shows, I noticed it and was all "HEY!!!!" and "NUH-UH!!!"

 

[Blue Room]

Then it IS hilarious and awesome!

I'm sure there's lots of mistakes in it here and there, but there was something wrong with the entry about the Madison WI Popmart show (or maybe it was the ZooTV show).

I don't remember what the mistake was, but since I was at both shows, I noticed it and was all "HEY!!!!" and "NUH-UH!!!"

Hmm, I just looked at both reviews of Madison 92 and 97 and I'm not sure what was wrong. The setlists are definately correct (which is what the band uses the book for primarily, to remember what they played in certain cities). The only error I see is the 97 entry says the last time they played Madison was 1982, when it was obviously 1992.

 

[corianderstem]

Ah, that was it! The date mention. That mistake makes me laugh, just to think a little cross-referencing in the same book could eliminate that error.

I wish he'd put in the off the cuff "shut the fuck up!" Bono put into the middle of "Unchained Melody" in the '92 show when the mic was giving him problems.

It was probably the only thing worth mentioning from that show. Even I barely remember it.

 

[AndrewCowley]

It is a great book. The best U2 book out there. But with so much information on the internet thesedays you have to wonder is an update needed? The 1st edition of the book pre-dated the internet and as such the book really was a bible unto itself. There was nowhere else to get this information from. That isn't the case anymore.

 

[ZOOTVTOURist]

I doubt an update is coming for Vertigo. They will probably wait until there is another tour to add to it so there are two complete tours that havent been updated. Which is essentially what they did with the last update (IE Popmart and Elevation).

Hopefully, you're wrong - though you may be right - because VERTIGO is a long, long tour with a lot of stuff to be written about and a lot of pictures to be inserted. On the other hand the book gets thicker and thicker, but that's the way it should be, I guess. By the way, it is not quite correct, what you write about the volumes, because there weren't only issues dealing until ZOO TV or the last one including POPmart and ELEVATION. Inbetween, versus '98/'99, there actually was another volume published: with No-hair-Bono on the cover front and dealing with the very first POPmart shows, too. Though apart from many critics I have and that I do very much like the books, this "half-step" didn't convince me at all.

 

[bono_man]

I LOVED the original author. He wrote up to Zoo TV. I still read it to this day. Its definately my favourite U2 book.

When I saw a new edition was out I was so excited! However, the new author just doesnt do it for me at all. Soooo over-critical! He/She sounds like someone from Interference!!

Im sorry...I was at the show in London just after Bono's dad died in 2001. I, and everyone else there knows how AMAZING that show was. I couldnt believe they slammed it and said it was poor cause the band werent 'on'.

 

[last unicorn]

I don't have the book, I have heard about it. I would love an updated version covering all the tours including Vertigo, but I don't want to read commentary, critical or not, I just want a documentation with facts and pictures, that would be so awsome.

 

[ZOOTVTOURist]

You should buy it, but is not only about statistics and facts. The concerts are analyzed, often with very subjective, longer statements, by fans. That's part of the project ...

 

[An Cat Gav]

I LOVED the original author. He wrote up to Zoo TV. I still read it to this day. Its definately my favourite U2 book.

When I saw a new edition was out I was so excited! However, the new author just doesnt do it for me at all. Soooo over-critical! He/She sounds like someone from Interference!!

Im sorry...I was at the show in London just after Bono's dad died in 2001. I, and everyone else there knows how AMAZING that show was. I couldnt believe they slammed it and said it was poor cause the band werent 'on'.

I was there that night too, the first concert after his father died, and you're right, it was such an emotional and brilliant concert. I love the book by Pimm De La Jaar(I know that's not quite his name ). but I agree with the other poster about the edition with a shaven headed Bono on it.
It's the second greatest U2 book, Bill Flannagans will always be top for me.

 

[DevilsShoes]

It was Caroline Van Oosten De Boer who updated this book, I read an interview with her a couple of years ago and she said that she wanted to do another volume and keep updating what Pimm Jal De La Parra had started. She tried to continue in the same style as him and think did well. I don't find her too critical really, for the most part she's just relaying what happened honestly. I really like this book and look at it often, it's great for setlists and giving you the background details of certain shows as well as snippets about what the band were doing when not touring, I find all that stuff really interesting.

She also updated Bill Graham's The Complete Music Of U2 and has covered everything up to The Best of 1990-2000, she is critical in this and gives Hands That Built America a good slamming. She's not as insightful as Graham though and certainly doesn't know the band as well as he did and the update does suffer because of it.

 

[jedi Larry]

The only U2 book better than this one is Bill Flanagan's tome by a slight margin.

They're both excellent books and some of the best rock references period.

All fans should own these two books.

Alot of Flanagan's writing still makes me LMAO. It's a great read. Covers the period of the Hansa Achtung sessions up to the Passengers sessions.

 

[Blue Room]

Hopefully, you're wrong - though you may be right - because VERTIGO is a long, long tour with a lot of stuff to be written about and a lot of pictures to be inserted. On the other hand the book gets thicker and thicker, but that's the way it should be, I guess. By the way, it is not quite correct, what you write about the volumes, because there weren't only issues dealing until ZOO TV or the last one including POPmart and ELEVATION. Inbetween, versus '98/'99, there actually was another volume published: with No-hair-Bono on the cover front and dealing with the very first POPmart shows, too. Though apart from many critics I have and that I do very much like the books, this "half-step" didn't convince me at all.

Well, they did a little insert of about 10 more pages and put some Popmart Pictures in there and covered the first couple of shows. I believe the publisher did it to try to sell more calling it an update. It really wasnt to me at all. There was more information contained in the Zooropean Magazine (which took over for Collectormania during Popmart) than was in that minor update. Really there was the original that went through Zoomerang and then the latest update that covered all of Popmart and Elevation. I dont really count the other one, I never even bought it. If they do that again I wont buy it either. I will wait for a real update.

 

[Blue Room]

I LOVED the original author. He wrote up to Zoo TV. I still read it to this day. Its definately my favourite U2 book.

When I saw a new edition was out I was so excited! However, the new author just doesnt do it for me at all. Soooo over-critical! He/She sounds like someone from Interference!!

Im sorry...I was at the show in London just after Bono's dad died in 2001. I, and everyone else there knows how AMAZING that show was. I couldnt believe they slammed it and said it was poor cause the band werent 'on'.

I think she did fine continuing it. The only question I have about what she did is what she chose to put in the book. She had alot more inside information about the behind the scenes of Elevation that she didnt put in there. I'm not sure why. But its splitting hairs really. Still a great book, and I'm sure its alot of work to put together a new major update. So I will cut here some slack on it.

 

[ZOOTVTOURist]

Yes, that's what I said - Even with all the critics one may have regarding the update version, it still is the best book dealing with U2's gigs. So I really do hope, that there will be a new, perhaps in the "old" chapters even revised version. "U2 Live: A Concert Documentary" even would work now, at least for me...

 

[ZOOTVTOURist]

Yes, that's what I said - Even with all the critics one may have regarding the update version, it still is the best book dealing with U2's gigs. So I really do hope, that there will be a new, perhaps in the "old" chapters even revised version. "U2 Live: A Concert Documentary" even would work now, at least for me...

Do we have any updates here regarding an updated version? Thanx for letting us know ...

 

[ZOOTVTOURist]

.. any update on this project, friends?

 

[irish mick]

Dug this old thread up again.

Any plans on an update ?

Since Caroline's updated version, we've had the Vertigo and 360 jaunts around the world, plus lots inbetween. An essential new version would be fantastic.