Earliest U2 Concert Bootleg, Audio and Video?

[STING2]

So is the October 5, 1979 show at the Cork Opra House still considered to be the earliest U2 bootleg out there? This entire show was shown on Irish TV back then, does anyone have a copy of it?

The earliest 100% complete U2 show I have on video is the November 4, 1981 show in Berlin on the October tour. Is there an earlier show that is 100% complete and on video? I have 4 songs from the January 1981 Belfast show at Queens University, does anyone happen to have the entire show?

 

[kennerado]

I don't know if he was being serious but u2rulesmyworld said something about having a video of them playing at a school dance in '76.

Anyway to answer your question:

Oldest known bootleg audio:

Bono Works At McGonagles
June 1979.

Oldest known bootleg video:

Boy Belfast (Incomplete)
23 January 1981

Trojan Horse (Complete)
12 February 1981

Looking For The Light In San Francisco/Out Of Control In San Francisco
15 May 1981 (Great quality and complete)

 

[cmcmc]

Only the audio for the Cork 79 show has surfaced, a video of this is the Holy Grail for fans of early U2, the only reference i've seen regarding any existance of it is in Pimm's book.
Hopefully RTE still have it in their library, not many people had vcr's in Ireland back then, but hopefully it will show up one day.

Belfast 81 does exist as a complete show, but i've yet to see it in good quality, an unknown gen copy surfaced around 1987 but nothing else since.

A lot of Irish tv broadcasts have yet to make it to dvd from a master source
1985 Wide awake in Dublin
1986 Self-Aid
1986 TV GaGa
1987 Today Tonight
1987 Visual Eyes

Maybe dvd recorders are still expensive in ireland

 

[sugarraycreed66]

The school dance video was shown on U2 night on RTE back on June 25th.I may have it on vcr,ill have a look.

 

[packcrush]

Just out of interest, was Wide Awake In Dublin a complete UF tour concert?

 

[STING2]

I don't know if he was being serious but u2rulesmyworld said something about having a video of them playing at a school dance in '76.

Anyway to answer your question:

Oldest known bootleg audio:

Bono Works At McGonagles
June 1979.

Oldest known bootleg video:

Boy Belfast (Incomplete)
23 January 1981

Trojan Horse (Complete)
12 February 1981

Looking For The Light In San Francisco/Out Of Control In San Francisco
15 May 1981 (Great quality and complete)

Thanks for the information! What type of quality is the bootleg for "Bono Works At McGonagles"? Is it it similar in sound quality, performance, and setlist as the October 5, 1979 Cork show?

Also, do you have a date for the "Street Mission" video? I have the video and it says March 1978, but I think that is to early because they won their "trophy" at the end of March 1978, for the talent contest in Limerick, which is displayed on one of the amps during the video.

 

[STING2]

Only the audio for the Cork 79 show has surfaced, a video of this is the Holy Grail for fans of early U2, the only reference i've seen regarding any existance of it is in Pimm's book.
Hopefully RTE still have it in their library, not many people had vcr's in Ireland back then, but hopefully it will show up one day.

Belfast 81 does exist as a complete show, but i've yet to see it in good quality, an unknown gen copy surfaced around 1987 but nothing else since.

A lot of Irish tv broadcasts have yet to make it to dvd from a master source
1985 Wide awake in Dublin
1986 Self-Aid
1986 TV GaGa
1987 Today Tonight
1987 Visual Eyes

Maybe dvd recorders are still expensive in ireland

Just how bad is the January 23, 1981 Belfast "Complete" show in terms of quality? Do you own a copy yourself?

 

[STING2]

The school dance video was shown on U2 night on RTE back on June 25th.I may have it on vcr,ill have a look.

WOW, a school dance from 1976! If this really exist, then this is the earliest recording of the band both audio and video. This is actually "Feedback" playing live though. Edge's brother Dick was in the band. The band first met each other at Larry's house on a Saturday in September 1976. If this school Dance video is for real and was in 1976, then it probably took place only a couple of months after they all met each other for the first time.

 

[u2rulesmyworld]

WOW, a school dance from 1976! If this really exist, then this is the earliest recording of the band both audio and video. This is actually "Feedback" playing live though. Edge's brother Dick was in the band. The band first met each other at Larry's house on a Saturday in September 1976. If this school Dance video is for real and was in 1976, then it probably took place only a couple of months after they all met each other for the first time.

IT was a joke and if i had such a video i would die of hapiness

 

[Blue Room]

Thanks for the information! What type of quality is the bootleg for "Bono Works At McGonagles"? Is it it similar in sound quality, performance, and setlist as the October 5, 1979 Cork show?

The quality is actually a little better than the Cork recording. It is a board recording but its pretty raw and its also incomplete. But it is the earliest audio of U2 live circulating.

 

[Miricale_Drug]

There is a U2 Live at the BBC 1978 recording though isn't there? or is that somebody who slightly reashed the contract demos, because it sounds soundboard at least

 

[jimjam]

The quality is actually a little better than the Cork recording. It is a board recording but its pretty raw and its also incomplete. But it is the earliest audio of U2 live circulating.

Have you seen the Cork Recording? Does anybody knopw where info on it can be got.

 

[Blue Room]

There is a U2 Live at the BBC 1978 recording though isn't there? or is that somebody who slightly reashed the contract demos, because it sounds soundboard at least

U2 were not on the BBC in 1978, they didnt even have single out or a record contract at that point. I believe they were first on the BBC radio in 1979/80. Their first television appearence was the Cork 79 show and that was on RTE in Ireland.

The contract demos were done in late 1978 obviously, so that is the earliest recording of U2. But the oldest recording of U2 live in circulation is the June 79 audio.

 

[CTU2fan]

I've seen that "BBC 1978" boot floating around, does anyone know the true date/venue? Blue Room is certainly correct, no U2 on BBC in '78...

 

[neutral]

I've never been able to track down the real info about "BBC 1978".

 

[Blue Room]

I've never been able to track down the real info about "BBC 1978".

What is the track listing on it?

 

[neutral]

Pre-Boy Era. 'BBC Live Broadcast -1978'.

01 Another Time Another Place
02 Alone In The Light
03 False Prophet
04 Inside Out
05 Jack In The Box
06 Tonight
07 The Dream Is Over
08 The Fool
09 The Magic Carpet
10 Street Mission
11 Trevor
12 Shadows and Tall Trees

 

[Blue Room]

Has anyone heard this bootleg? My "guess" is that its spliced together from several recordings. This is not what U2's setlist order looked like in that era for the most part. I can almost guarantee you though that if they are live, they are not from 1978, most likely 1979.

There was a radio show that was done in the mid 80's that featured alot of these older tracks live. It may have been the BBC or RTE. But it was all separate tracks put together with interviews in between not one full concert. The recordings however were form 1979 and 1980 primarily. Not from 78.

 

[u2music]

This “BBC Live Broadcast -1978“ seems to bee the compilation of various studio demos (but some are maybe played live)...
I have listened to and compared songs from “BBC Live Broadcast –1978” and songs from “CONTRACT DEMOS”.
Here is what I found:

1. Another Time Another Place - CONTRACT DEMOS
2. Alone In The Night - CONTRACT DEMOS
3. False Prophet (I Realize)
4. Inside Out
5. Jack In The Box
6. Tonight (Night Fright)
7. The Dream Is Over - CONTRACT DEMOS
8. The Fool - CONTRACT DEMOS
9. Magic Carpet - CONTRACT DEMOS
10. The Mission - CONTRACT DEMOS
11. Trevor (Touch)
12. Shadows And Tall Trees - CONTRACT DEMOS

Source:
1. February 1979. Dublin, Ireland. Eamon Andrews 4-Track Studio
2. February 1979. Dublin, Ireland. Eamon Andrews 4-Track Studio
3.
4.
5.
6.
7. December 1979. London, England. CBS Studios
8. November 1, 1978. Dublin, Ireland. Keystone Studios
9. February 1979. Dublin, Ireland. Eamon Andrews 4-Track Studio
10. November 1, 1978. Dublin, Ireland. Keystone Studios
11.
12. November 1, 1978. Dublin, Ireland. Keystone Studios

Many of these 12 tracks (same versions) could be found on the bootlegs like:
- CONTRACT DEMOS
- RARE TRACKS (1979-1993) VOL. 4
- LIVE DATES VOL. 3
- AT THE BEEB

 

[kennerado]

Hey look what I found, could this be from the BBC bootleg?

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=1PBF4T6

 

[u2granny]

I have that somewhere. I haven't listened to it in a loooong time so I don't remember whether it is demos or not.

 

[Seeking Adam]

Is it true the band played Bono's hs graduation

 

[uwwedoogie]

The school dance video was shown on U2 night on RTE back on June 25th.I may have it on vcr,ill have a look.

what was this? i have the whole night, i can upload it here...

 

[Jdragonfly]

Do you know if savefile.com is not compatible with Macs? It downloaded but only opened my Excel program.(that I don't use.) Thanks.

Jess

 

[Jdragonfly]

oops, sorry if I snuck in!

 

[u2granny]

Do you know if savefile.com is not compatible with Macs? It downloaded but only opened my Excel program.(that I don't use.) Thanks.

Jess

I don't know anything about Macs. Sorry.