The Definitive U2 Bootleg Collection

[atikicat]

Not every U2 fan can, or even wants to collect every bootleg out there, but what's the one bootleg from each tour/era that every fan should have? When making your choice, consider not only set list/performance, but also sound quality as well. If you'd like to point people in the direction as to where they might find these recordings, please do so.

 

[RademR]

Tough calls, good question. I can't give great advice about the early tours because I dont own that many bootlegs from the 80s. I've collected a lot of Zoo TV, Popmart, and Elevation bootlegs. Here is a couple:

from ZOO TV - SECOND LEG (EUROPE):

5-22-1992 - Milan, Italy
(just for the performance, stunning although sound quality is average. It's a favorite of mine because of the crowd, during "The Fly" you hear the crowd shout the chorus louder than Bono! Its great!

6-11-1992 - Stockholm, Sweeden
(very high quality, amazing show as Bono talks throughout the concert to a MTV contest winner from England on the TV Screens. Bono is hilarious, the crowd is very into it. Also, Benny from ABBA appears to perform "Dancing Queen" on the BStage. I love "Bullet" and "Love is Blindness" performances here, great guitar by Edge.

 

[RademR]

from ZOO TV - THIRDLEG (OUTSIDE BROADCAST):

6-15-1992 - Washington DC!!!!
(One of the best of the whole tour. Good sound, but the band just had fun on this one! Great performances, love TTTYAATW as Bono brings up one of the many girls he had on stage that night. Great performance of "Bad" (Bono jumps in some guys lap and sings while he carries him). Also, havent mentioned the setlist because ZOOTV...well, there was only about one! But they play "Sunday Bloody Sunday" in DC and its a great performance. Also, the classic phone call to George Bush at the end).

 

[RademR]

from ZOO TV - 1ST LEG (USA):

3-27-1992 - Detroit, MI
(Good sound, great crowd. Bono orders 10,000 pizzas over the phone and a few are actually delivered to the Palace. They are frisbeed into the crowd. Good performance and great atmosphere, this bootleg makes you feel like you're there).

 

[Lara_Croft]

I'm listening right now Xmas at the point depot 1989 and the 27th of december! Great soundboard and emotions

 

[neutral]

Here's some of my favorites per era, from what I have heard which has not been everything.

Boy: 03/06/81 Paradise in Boston, I don't know if mine is the first or second show from that night.

October: not sure

War (Pre-War?) 12/82. Manchester,

UF: don't know.

JT: Denver 11/87 or Tempe 12/87, LA 87 for DVD, I guess you just meant audio though?

Lovetown: I can never decide between 12/31/89 and 12/26/89 but right now I am totally enamored with the Sam Beckett passage at the intro of Streets on 12/26

Zoo: Sydney '93, DC 92 is fantastic.

Popmart: Sarajevo, 9/97, Sao Paulo 01/98, I also like the Johannesburg show in 3/98 a lot, although I think most people say they sound too tired that night.

 

[RademR]

from ZOO TV - FOURTH LEG (EUROPE):

5-10-1993 - Rotterdam
(superb show, good sound. It's Bono's Birthday so I think the band celebrated a bit before the show, and its shows a little. Edge performs "Party Girl" by himself and the band performs a rare "I Will Follow". This whole bootleg is worth it for Bono's phone call to Schipol Airport, it had me on the ground the first time I heard it).

8-11-1993 - London
(I think this is a must just for the performance, great quality sound as well. This is the first time ever the band played "Zooropa" and "Babyface". Bono calls Salman Rushdie. Great concert in Wembley, "is this an away game or should we feel at home?")

8-28-1993 - Dublin
(must have! Perfect soundboard sound and what a concert, great performances which just shines even more with the hometown crowd there. Bono calls the UN at the end, hilarious!! Just as perfect as it gets, in my opinion).

 

[RademR]

thats about all the expertise i can give, I own a lot (and i mean A LOT) of bootlegs from other tours, but ZOO was always my favorite! Here are some others I would highlight:

POPMART TOUR:
7-18-1997 Rotterdam (first show in Europe, classic)
9-20-1997 Reggio Italy (not the greatest, but had 150,000 people in audience!)
Sao Paulo Brazil (Popmart perfection, cant remember date though).

 

[ryanu23]

Boy--2.26.1980--U2 signed after the show.
War--The Complete Boston Tapes May '83.
Lovetown--12.31.1989 (technically 1.1.1990 as it starts at midnight (Second greatest U2 boot in my opinion; a CLOSE 2nd to 8.28.93)
ZOO TV--8.28.93 Dublin (THE essential U2 boot)


These to me are the must have; any tour; any year; any time.

 

[V Nura]

Some of my faves

I listen to soooo many bootelgs that honestly if I had to name them all I'd basically hijack this thread.


Red sun at midnight
Rocks hottest ticket 1
Rocks hottest ticket 2
Point depot 1-1-90
Zoo europa
Dancing Zoo tv ( the version with bono talking to the MTV contest winner)
Wembley nights (all four shows)
MexiMofo
popmart live from johannesburg
Disconnect ( or some soundboard version of the sarejevo show)
Sao Paulo Brazil (Popmart perfection, cant remember date though).
Irving plaza
Elevation from cleveland

 

[OzAurora]

Hey there, some of these boots sound so cool. I only have one boot to trade and it aint that great, its from the Brisbane Pop Mart Show, but if some kind and generous person would like to send some things my way, I would be so happy

vanessabh77@bigpond.com

 

[RademR]

Elevation from cleveland

never heard this one, might have to get it. Do you have dates? thanks.

 

[mikal]

Boy: Dublin, 2/26/80

October: Riverboat President

War: The Complete Boston Tapes

Unforgettable Fire: Chicago, '84

The Joshua Tree: Denver '87

Lovetown: New Year's Night

ZooTV: Stockholm '92

Zooropa: Sydney '93

Popmart: Rotterdamn, Sarajevo, Las Vegas

Pre ATYCLB: Irving Plaza

Elevation: New Jersey, Slane 2, and Phoenix(2nd US Leg).

Misc: Zoocoustic, Bono Solo 1, 2, 3, and 4, Fruit Mixes, Salome Outtakes(sorry edge ), Rattle & Hum Outtakes, and Jesus Was A Cool Guy.

 

[u2granny]

JT Austin 11/87. I'm brain dead at the moment from sitting in a hospital. I can't think of any more.

 

[Blue Room]

Not every U2 fan can, or even wants to collect every bootleg out there, but what's the one bootleg from each tour/era that every fan should have? When making your choice, consider not only set list/performance, but also sound quality as well. If you'd like to point people in the direction as to where they might find these recordings, please do so.

Speak for yourself, I want EVERY bootleg out there!

My suggestions:

Pre Boy:
2-26-80 Dublin, decent FM broadcast, alot of early U2 tunes that didnt make Boy and appeared as demos are played at this show.
There is also a good soundboard boot from 1978 that is incomplete that is U2 performing at McGonagles Bar which is the earliest known live recording of U2 circulating. Its worth a listen also. U2 have come a LONG way! LOL

Boy:
3-6-81 Boston, excellent FM broadcast, probebly the best quality boot from the Boy tour.
5-8-81 New Orleans, very good audience recording, I put this here because it has one of the first performances of I Fall Down, done without the piano here. Also a good early show.

October:
11-13-81 Albany, excellent board recording, good crowd, good show.
12-13-81 Lido Beach, this is the common soundboard from this tour. Good quality but I think it could be a bit better for a soundboard.

War:
The obvious choices are
5-5-83 Boston, an absolutely perfect soundboard recording of the entire show, many of the songs from this show are what appeared on UABRS.
5-30-83 Devore, the US Festival, shorter show but a great performance. Open with Gloria instead of Out Of Control. This is one of my favorite earlier era boots.
6-5-83 Red Rocks, the complete show. Great recording and a historic show. This is most fans obvious choice for good reason.

The Unforgettable Fire:
10-23-84 Nantes, complete direct soundboard, this is the best sounding board recording from this tour. Plus Indian Summer Sky is performed.
11-21-84 Dortmund, from a TV broadcast, unfortunately its incomplete. Only 10 songs, 13 were played. This was part of a German festival line up, this is why the setlist was shorter to begin with.
2-5-85 Bologna, excellent audience recording and a very rowdy crowd.
3-21-85 Chicago, another excellent audience recording.

The Joshua Tree:
4-29-87 Chicago (Rocks Hottest Ticket) great audience recording, just about everyone has this one.
5-8-87 Hartford, great audience recording, outstanding setlist!
11-7-87 Denver, the remaster direct from the VHS tape (not Mountains and Deserts), this is the best recording quality wise of this tour period. Its a must have.

Lovetown Tour (one of my favorite tours):
11-18-89 Sydney, very good audience recording. Bomb scare right before the show. Open with Hawkmoon, simply one of U2's best shows ever. Alot of the footage for the Lovetown documentary was shot at this show. This show is one of my favorites period.
All four 1989 Dublin shows are either soundboards or FM broadcast. Personally I like 12-26-89 (best version of One Tree Hill EVER) and 12-30-89 (fantastic setlist) the best out of the four. Most pick the New Years eve show, which is good, but I think the setlists are better at the two I mention.

Zoo TV:
Indoor leg:
4-21-92 Tacoma, excellent audience recording, great setlist, first real changes in the setlist on the tour (ie Slow Dancing, When Love Comes To Town (very rough version) and Stand By Me are all done here)
6-11-92 Stockholm, there is a satellite feed audio version that is decent of this but I prefer the excellent audience recording of this show, fuller sound. Half of ABBA joins U2 for Dancing Queen.

The Outside Broadcast:

8-16-92 Washington DC, raw board recording taken from the pro shot video. Good early show from this leg. It rains the entire time, one of the few times SBS and Bad are played at the same show on Zoo.
9-18-92 Chicago, great setlist, Party Girl is played, personal fave as I was there, just a great show, one of the best of this tour.

Zooropa:
Alot of great audience recordings from this leg of the tour.
All the Rotterdam and London recordings are top notch.
8-28-93 Dublin, the FM broadcast, the show most people have, perfect quality, standard setlist.
11-16-93 Adelaide, good raw board taken from a pro shot video. A bit more relaxed show than Dublin or Sydney.
11-27-93 Sydney, (Get the Westwood One pre FM version), great recording with more of the Zooropa songs.

Popmart:
6-15-97 Edmonton, taken from a pro shot video, get the remaster, its better.
8-28-97 Leeds, FM broadcast, missing Mysterious Ways, otherwise complete. They finish the show with a cover of The Beatles "Rain".
9-23-97 Sarajevo, historic show, FM broadcast, Bonos vocals are shot, however musically the band are very tight.
1-31-98 Sao Paolo, from a television broadcast, great show, the end with a short version of 40. One of the best Popmart shows performance wise.
2-11-98 Santiago, another television broadcast, fantastic show, good setlist, Bad and Mothers of The Disappeared are performed.

Elevation:
5-15-01 Chicago, ALD recording, the no dropout version. Great show, great quality. 11 O'clock and Out Of Control played for the first time on the tour. I was at this one also, a great show.
10-10-01 South Bend, taken from the direct satellite feed (not the webcast), absolutely perfect, open with Beautiful Day, one of the smallest venues of the tour, very intimate. I was at this one and it was almost like seeing U2 in a theater.
10-31-01 Providence, Larrys birthday, decent audience recording, great setlist! Party Girl, Slow Dancing and Wild Honey are all done.
11-16-01 Oakland, decent audience recording, another great setlist though. Slow Dancing and an impromptu version of A Sort Of Homecoming is done.
****there are really a ton of great Elevation shows, these are the ones that come to my mind first******

Well, thats pretty extensive. Whats bad is that I just did that off the top of my head!

Hopefully this will help some of you that are just getting started collecting. Its a very addictive hobby!

 

[mikal]

great choices Blue Room. i totally forgot to mention the greatness of Lovetown Sydney, and how great Hawkmoon was the 2 times they played it!

 

[Blue Room]

great choices Blue Room. i totally forgot to mention the greatness of Lovetown Sydney, and how great Hawkmoon was the 2 times they played it!

Actually it was played 7 times on the Lovetown tour. But who is counting!

 

[rjhbonovox]

6-11-1992 - Stockholm, Sweeden
(very high quality, amazing show as Bono talks throughout the concert to a MTV contest winner from England on the TV Screens. Bono is hilarious, the crowd is very into it. Also, Benny from ABBA appears to perform "Dancing Queen" on the BStage. I love "Bullet" and "Love is Blindness" performances here, great guitar by Edge.

This ones on ebay at the moment I think. Called dancing zoo tv, looks a good set but its a bit overpriced. Is the picture quality and sound quality good you reckon?

Also the Washington gig from zoo tv I got this and I love the version of New Years Day where the Edge fuc#s it up first then Adam fu#kc it up next in the first chorus and you see Bono throw his arms in the air when Edge gets it wrong at the start, makes me laugh, great bootleg concert.

 

[neutral]

Re: Re: The Definitive U2 Bootleg Collection

Well, thats pretty extensive. Whats bad is that I just did that off the top of my head!

What is ALD recording? Some kind of earpiece feed....? Never heard that term.

 

[Blue Room]

Re: Re: Re: The Definitive U2 Bootleg Collection

What is ALD recording? Some kind of earpiece feed....? Never heard that term.

Assisted Listening Device, its the system the hearing impaired can use at a venue.

 

[rjhbonovox]

Hey whose got a Great quality bootleg (DVD, Video) from the early POPMART shows, I have always been looking for one when they played Miami Live, cos I went to see them twice during Popmart and they played Miami twice(Wembley & Roundhay Park) but it wasn't on the official Mexico release, cos they had started playing Sunday Bloody Sunday again. Anyone suggest a really good early popmart bootleg to look out for?

 

[mikal]

Actually it was played 7 times on the Lovetown tour. But who is counting!

damn you factition!

it's definitely a song that should have been played more, IMO.

blue room, what are your favorite "non-concert" boots?

 

[rjhbonovox]

Re: Re: The Definitive U2 Bootleg Collection

Popmart:
6-15-97 Edmonton, taken from a pro shot video, get the remaster, its better.
8-28-97 Leeds, FM broadcast, missing Mysterious Ways, otherwise complete. They finish the show with a cover of The Beatles "Rain".

I was at the Leeds show, great gig, I was wondering what the Edmonton show is like? Notice there is a copy on ebay of this, anyone think this would be any good?

 

[mikal]

Hey whose got a Great quality bootleg (DVD, Video) from the early POPMART shows, I have always been looking for one when they played Miami Live, cos I went to see them twice during Popmart and they played Miami twice(Wembley & Roundhay Park) but it wasn't on the official Mexico release, cos they had started playing Sunday Bloody Sunday again. Anyone suggest a really good early popmart bootleg to look out for?

Las Vegas and Rotterdam both have Miami on the setlist. i don't have Edmonton personally, but i heard it's good.

Rotterdam Popmart can be downloaded at u2rome.com if you don't mind mp3's and registering at the site.

 

[Blue Room]

damn you factition!

it's definitely a song that should have been played more, IMO.

blue room, what are your favorite "non-concert" boots?

Probebly the obvious choices.

The 7 disc Salome Achtung Baby outtakes/demos and the early contract demos from 1979 (Like I said about the Dublin 80 show, U2 have come a LONG way LOL). But some of those early demos are pretty cool.

 

[rileybug]

Have to jump in here and say FREEDOM OF THE SPIRITS, which was the final show of the Lovetown Tour. This has to be my absolute fave of all time. Great intro with Stand By Me, great Bad, great set with BB King, great everything. Sound could have a bit more bass but it is really good anyway.

 

[RademR]

This ones on ebay at the moment I think. Called dancing zoo tv, looks a good set but its a bit overpriced. Is the picture quality and sound quality good you reckon?

I have "Dancing ZOO TV". It has great sound.

 

[Lara_Croft]

well,
this afternoon i went to a comics convention and there were a couple of stands not selling comics but u2 bootlegs, something from the early years...i remember dortmund....well really expensive....40€ per 1 cd is silly!

I prefer to download them online!

 

[rjhbonovox]

I got Dortmund 1984 on DVD from a tv broadcast, pretty good quality.

 

[ponkine]

well,
this afternoon i went to a comics convention and there were a couple of stands not selling comics but u2 bootlegs, something from the early years...i remember dortmund....well really expensive....40€ per 1 cd is silly!

I prefer to download them online!

CIAO LARA !!!!! Is nice to see you here too

Well, after listening more than 400 U2 shows, here´s my definitive and TRULY MUST HAVE performances. Plese note this are U2´S best performances, not necessary U2´S best souning bootlegs.

1- Boy Tour: Belfast 23-01-1981 ( awesome performance, also first real performance - not TV shot - filmed. Available on pro Shot DVD bootleg )

2- October Tour: Hattem 14-05-1982 ( Extraordinary, simply a must have show. Far better than famous ones like "Riberboat President concert" or "Last Night At The Ritz", "St Patrick´s Day", etc . Also included an awesome performance of U2´s most rare single: A Celebration )

3- War Tour: Sgt Goarshausen ( loreley ) 20-08-1983 ( no doubt, THE BEST show from War Tour. After listening this peformance, is not hard to know why 5 songs from this concert were put on Under A Blood Red Sky Lp- I Will Follow, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Electric Co, New Year´s Day and "40". Also Available on pro Shot DVD bootleg )

4- Unforgettable Fire Tour: Dortmund 21-11-1984 ( Extraordinary. Best ever versions of MLK, Gloria, New Year´s Day and "40". Another great concert filmed on pro shot. You must have the DVD )

5- Joshua Tree Tour: Chicago 29-04-1987 ( The famous "Rock´s Hottest Ticket", is such a great concert and contains an awesome audience sound quality. IMO, better than third leg´s concerts like Tempe, Denver or Los Angeles. Extraordinary performances of ISHFWILF, With Or Without You, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Bad, Unforgettable Fire, etc. Also rare and great performance of Springhill Mining Disaster )

6- Lovetown Tour: Rotterdam 09/10-01-1990 ( Simply you must get both shows, AWESOME. The last Rotterdam show contains extraordinary versions of Bad, One Tree Hill, Van Diemend´s Land, All Along The Watchover, etc. Also rare setlist. 09-01 contains best 80´s Running To Stand Still and the best ever Angel Of Harlem. I know many fans love Dublin concerts, but trust me, Rotterdam shows are better. Also great sound quality )

7- Zoo TV Tour: Stockholm 11-06-1992 & Dublin 20-08-1993 ( just classic concerts. The first one is the famous "MTV" concert, since MTV transmited live that one. Awesome performances of Mysterious Ways, UTEOTW, Dancing Queen, Bullet The Blue Sky, Running To Stand Still. The second one is another REAL must have. Best Zoo TV Bullet The Blue Sky, best ever Stay, etc. Even better than the oficial Live From Sidney. Both concerts have outstanding sound quality )

8- Pop Mart Tour: Santiago 11-02-1998 ( NO WORDS, simply THE best show from the whole Pop Mart Tour. Trust me, don´t go with Saraevo, Mexico City, Sao Paulo nor Johannesburg, this is the one you´ll have to get. Best ever setlist from the Pop Mart Tour. Such a great audience, awesome performances of EBTTRT, UTEOTW, ISHFWILF, Bad ( unlike Zoo TV, without ANY falseto ), WTSHNN, One and Mothers Of The Dissapeared. Bono´s voice is just great, blowing away Mexico City´s performances. The most emotional show, togheter with Sarajevo 1997. Available on Pro shot DVD bootleg )

9- Elevation Tour: Miami 24-03-2001 & Kansas City 27-11-2001 ( Since, like Zoo TV tour, the setlist was very changed between first and third Elevation leg, I recomend you one show from each leg. First Elevation night - unlike Zoo TV and Pop Mart - isn´t full of mistakes, and is a GREAT performance. Bono´s voice is far better than any 2000 performance. Discotheque/ Staring At The sun is amazing, as well Bad, WTSHNN and The Fly. Included rare Swetest Thing and The Ground Beneath Her Feet. Kansas City is another great one, with Bono´s voice on top. Just listen the fantastic acoustic version of Please, and the hans down Bad/ When I Look At The World - first and last ever performance of this song )

Peace