U2's Private Archives

[DevilsShoes]

Hello all
To the best of my knowledge every single U2 concert has been professionally filmed by their own team since the early eighties. Listening to some of my favourite bootlegs of some great concerts, I started to think about (as I often have) how great it would be to actually be able to see the footage of the band performing these gigs with proper soundboard quality. Wouldn't it be fantastic to go down into the bands vaults and look through the archives of all their live performances. I'd be like a kid let loose in a sweet shop, I wouldn't know which to look at first. So if you could actually do this, which shows would you choose to watch? Think about your all time favourite bootlegs and the shows you would have loved to attend. Lets go for your top three.

I think I'd choose:

10th January 1990 Rotterdam
The Sydney Bomb Scare Night from the same tour, which apparently made for a great show.
Milan 1992: The band were on fire that night.

So what three concerts would you choose to watch?

 

[Galeongirl]

Popmart Sarajevo, no doubt about that...
one of the NYC elevation shows after 9/11
Zooropa rotterdam, first night macphisto showed up

 

[Blue Room]

Actually its every single show (for the most part) since 1992. Alot of the third leg of Joshua Tree was also filmed. But nowhere near every single show prior to that and most of Lovetown was not filmed. Adelaide, Sydney and the last show in Dublin, thats it for that tour. Now every show has been recorded since 1982. So there is audio, but not video of most shows since then.

 

[JCOSTER]

I would choose:

1. The Joshua Tree Arizona, Tempe (???) when Adam stood infront of Bono because of a death threat while singing MLK.
2. the After 9/11 Elevation @ MSG
3. The Italy show where there were 150,000 fans.

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

If this ever happened I'd have to spontaneously combust.

There's too many shows to choose from.

 

[kennerado]

Blue Room how do you know the Adelaide Lovetown show was filmed? I know for a fact that the audio boots came from a soundboard source and not a video.

 

[Blue Room]

Just what I was told. Could be wrong, but I think it was at a minimum partially filmed. I'm not claiming to be an expert on the video thing anyway.

Thinking about it again. I believe there were a couple of other archived shows from Lovetown also. So I think there were about 7 or 8 that were filmed in some fashion.

 

[J_NP]

Vertigo São Paulo II , Of Course My only u2 show
A complete video pro shot of Lovetown , I crave for this
Popmart Rio , Their 1st visit to South America

And as Edge said in U2/U2 :

If Tokyo was the capital of ZOOTV , Then Rio was of Popmart

Or somethin like

 

[DevilsShoes]

In my u2 Live book it says that on the Lovetown tour, the November 17th, 18th and the 19th concerts were all professionally filmed by Australian director Richard Lowenstein, so there's three shows right there. The second night was the night of the infamous bomb scare referred to above. This show would no doubt make a great DVD and would probably resemble the official releases we already have. u2 and Lowenstein have been sitting on these films for years, so goodness knows when, if ever, they will be publicly released.

 

[J_NP]

Do you guys know which show resulted that live video of All Along the Watchtower , coz I would kill to see the whole show , that perfomance along with LT last night , it's best of it

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

i would assume that they have the footage from any show that's used video screens archived somewhere... would probably just be close ups of the band members though.

i was told by JOH though that every show's soundboard is archived, and each member of the band (+paul) gets their own copy of the show after every show to review.

 

[Blue Room]

In my u2 Live book it says that on the Lovetown tour, the November 17th, 18th and the 19th concerts were all professionally filmed by Australian director Richard Lowenstein, so there's three shows right there. The second night was the night of the infamous bomb scare referred to above. This show would no doubt make a great DVD and would probably resemble the official releases we already have. u2 and Lowenstein have been sitting on these films for years, so goodness knows when, if ever, they will be publicly released.

Its never been confirmed that the third night was filmed although its a definate possibility. The first two were for sure though. I included those in my estimate though anyway. If you read my original post I said the Sydney shows.

 

[SpaceOddity]

It's a safe bet the audio of every show has been recorded, but how do we know for sure about video, out of curiousity? For example, I didn't see any guys walking around with pro cameras at the concert I went to... Like Headache said, they probably only keep the footage that appears on the screens.

 

[Blue Room]

What I have been told is that its basically a cam of each member of the band and one wide shot of the whole stage (like the camera angle choices were for the South Bend 2001 webcast for an example). Thats why most since 1992 are archived, because that is when they started using screens for every show.

 

[U2FanPeter]

One of the problems with the footage of every gig is that there usually no crowd ambience and they may or may not have footage of the "show". Watch Phili '87 and LA '87 on youtube for examples.

Also, sometimes the cameras get really shakey when the crod jumps up and down.

Lastly, the Zootv footage may be dark - check out U2 with Lanois on the acoustic stage that featured ont he JT Classic Albums DVD.

That aside, it would make great fanclub only releases.

u2fp

 

[CTU2fan]

1987-12-20 Tempe
1989-11-18 Sydney (1989-12-30 Dublin, if it existed)
1992-03-12 Hartford (my first show, and the audio I've got is poor)

 

[StoneRoses]

If i could go through U2 archives the video footage id like to see most would be

Zoo TV Wembley Stadium 11th August 1993 (Would be great to see Zooropa and Babyface performed live)

Zoo TV Dublin 28th August 1993

I really think this is a great idea, something the band should definitley think about. Letting the real fans get to see their favorite bands favorite performance.
They could easily make this available to the subscribers with an additional fee for the footage?

 

[gump]

For me, it would have to be Dublin Point Depot 26th December 1989... I'd be happy with One Tree Hill and God Part II alone.

 

[blueeyedgirl]

Blue Room how do you know the Adelaide Lovetown show was filmed? I know for a fact that the audio boots came from a soundboard source and not a video.

If there were cameras there, they were bloody well hidden, I never saw them.

From memory, U2 announced they would film the final 3 Sydney shows with Lowenstein as they were the rescheduled shows that U2 cancelled when Bono lost his voice. They got the backing singers, sisters Zan and Sherine Abeyratne, in purposely for those shows.

 

[DevilsShoes]

Just pulled all this off another thread, so I not sure how much can be substantiated.

Cork Opera house, 05/10/1979 - this was broadcast by RTE on 06/12/1979 and repeated on 21/01/1980, the programme was called 'Bogey Boys'. RTE's betacam master was stolen from their library in 1995

SLF & U2 Play Belfast, 23/01/1981 - 4 songs from each artist were broadcast on 12/08/1981, I will Follow was also broadcast as part of Sounds of the 80's on 16/02/1996. The full show does not exist in BBC's London library but may exist in BBC Belfast library, i'm currently waiting to hear back from them. An unknown high gen source of the full show did surface in 1987.

Victoria Apollo, London, 18/12/1983 - Granada TV filmed the whole thing for future release, it was going to be a Greenpeace benefit video with all artists similar to the Stop Sellafield video but was scrapped.

Europe Oct/Nov/1984 - Several shows were recorded for a planned live album/video release which was also scrapped, some of the footage was used for Bad & Sort of homecoming videos,

Meadowlands, 15/04/1985 - BBC did record the full show, only part of Wire was shown, no longer in their vaults.

Dublin, 31/12/1989 - RTE did film the full show and the 1st 2 songs were broadcast live, there were plans to show more footage which never materialised, RTE no longer hold any of the footage.

There is also a lot of newsreel footage floating around leading to rumours of full concerts existing. In most cases it was only the 1st 3 songs that the tv station received, there are too many of these to list.

ISO: 'Rock Follies', Beursschouwburg, Brussels, 10/02/1981 - broadcast on RTBF Belgian/French channel on 14/02/1981, any further help tracking this down will be appreciated

Like I say I'm not sure how much of this can be verified.

When Pop was first released, the band did a documentary called a Year In Pop, there were lots of archive clips in that, especially from Zoo TV. The Achtung Baby Interference VHS release also includes clips from early tours, someone brought up the clip off the Joshua Tree Classic albums release on Lanois with the band on the B stage performing I still Havent Found. On the Best of 1990-2000 DVD the Sarajevo documentary includes a breif segment of London 1993, Bono saying goodbye to the two girls on the screen just as the sequencer for Bad has started, I'm virtually certain this is the same night Jo Shanker joined them with the violin, so footage defintely exists of this night, plus on the History Mix DVD there is a similiar clip of Bologna 1993, this time a man is telling his wife or girlfriend he is still alive, Bono is wearing a pink shirt and once again the sequencer for Bad is running. Incidentally a quick look on Youtube throws up lots of interesting stuff, Popmart Tokyo, All I want is You in Berlin 2005, Bad from Hamilton 2001 and Streets from Sydney 2006. I don't know if any of this is any help, but it does seem to suggest that there is alot out there.

 

[U2FanPeter]

A couple early shows from the Elevation tour were filmed with extra cameras for use a tv clips in tv specials. Definitely Miami and Atlanta.

MuchMusic had 4 seperate cameras rolling for the whole Toronto2 '01 gig. 9 camera angles total if u2's 5 cameras are added. Some brief clips of songs from later in the set. Was "STAY" used for UK TV?

How many shows did Rattle & Hum FILM?(as apposed to jumbotron videotape)

4(?) b&w film cameras and CNN raw footage colour video(bootlegged) for the 1987 "Save The Yuppies" concert.

Multi-angle videotape would also exist for Bono's appearances with Bruuuce and the Stones from a couple years ago. Possibly Bono's appearance with Bowie in 1990 as some live video was used in that show.

Mysterious Ways from Brits 2001 has never surfaced in any form.

USTVs "Farm Club" shot a 15 interview with the entire band that was never used.

Rotterdam 1997 TV special complete concert.

Both Vancouver 2005 gigs were filmed with upwards of 9 camera angles.

Some of Live Aid was FILMED(1-2 cameras only, some Bowie footage as extra on LA DVD). I also think the raw camera angles for u2s performance exist.

Gateshead 82 - Police as Headliner?

82/83/85/86/87 shows in San Fran that would now possibly be in Wolfgang's vault? The 1981 footage is circulating.

1992 Hershey rehearsal video would be cool as it has that breif version of Acrobat and also the only time Bono wore the red PVC flysuit and red flygoggles.

u2fp

 

[Blue Room]

If there were cameras there, they were bloody well hidden, I never saw them.

From memory, U2 announced they would film the final 3 Sydney shows with Lowenstein as they were the rescheduled shows that U2 cancelled when Bono lost his voice. They got the backing singers, sisters Zan and Sherine Abeyratne, in purposely for those shows.

Like I said, its what I was told. When I say "filmed" I'm not saying full production or even necessarily multiple camera angles. Back in the days before all the video stuff they would sometimes just set up a camera of the full stage back at the sound desk. I have never seen it though so I dont know for sure.

Regarding Sydney, its confirmed the first 2 shows were definately filmed obviously the documentary is from night 2 so that was obviously filmed and I confirmed with someone that attended the first show that it was as well and "others" have confirmed it by other means. Most likely the third was also, but I have never heard independent confirmation of it.

I would also add that just because "clips" exist of some shows it does not mean the full show was filmed in that fashion. Especially when they do promotional filming they typically only film a few songs from the pit, or other spots. But they typically dont film the entire show from those angles when they do that. IE San Diego night 1 from Vertigo. They released promotional clips of it, but it doesnt mean they filmed the whole show that way.

 

[Blue Room]

I guess I should actually go with the topic of the thread. My picks would be shows that didnt get bootlegged audio or video or there are only incomplete versions circulating. Audio or video of any of these would be outstanding.

Dublin December 82 shows
Honolulu 83
Christchurch 84 complete
Honolulu 85
Lark by the Lee Festival 85
Birmingham, AL November 87 Louie, Louies bar
Perth Sept 21, 1989
Auckland 89 first night
Detroit Sept. 9, 1992 complete
Chicago Sept 15, 1992
Mexico City 1992 (some of these are out there, but the quality stinks)
Brisbane 1993
Rio 97 (there is a boot of this, but its AWFUL)