Bootleg Round Table Show Summaries

Originally posted by djrlewishttp://www.u2start.com/topic/2090///930/58/#70228[/url]]

Reviewed by Sergio, Drew, Patrick, Dan, Gerard, Casper and Tim

Notes

The Joshua Tree 2nd leg: Europe
Although U2 had extensively toured Europe in the past, this was their first Spanish gig. It appropriately featured the first ever performance of Spanish Eyes.

Originally posted by Sergio 125,000 people. Awesome. Biggest show until 1997. There were only 95.000 scheduled tickets to sale, but a ***** promoter sold 30.000 more. That could have been a massacre with all that people, but it was eventually fine. And how fine was it... Biggest concert so far in Spain, and 2nd biggest on U2's history...

Sound

Decent audience recording with an outstanding crowd make this a 3-star recording. Some bits are better than others but it's very listenable. Try not to turn the volume up too loud and remember it’s done from the audience 20 years ago.

Performance

This show was popular with all reviewers. We had one exceptionally biased reviewer (;) – humm, now let’s think who that could be…) but his review gave us lots of little extra snippets of information – check it out:-
http://www.u2start.com/topic/2090///870/56/#69521.

The crowd provide great energy, which is palpable from the recording, especially at the beginning and during the encore. The band, and Bono in particular, pick up on this and feed off it. This provides the little sparkle that adds something extra to some U2 shows.

A lot of the songs are average, decent Joshua Tree tour standard – i.e. very good. Several were picked out for special mention and we all seemed to agree on:-
The Unforgettable Fire
The Electric Co.
I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For

Originally posted by Drew"Este es un lugar GREANDE, pero U2 y vosotros somos MUCHO MAAS grandes!!" ("This is a huge place, but U2 and you, we are MUCH bigger!!")

Spanish Eyes – live debut and in front of a home crowd. Brilliant
“40” – widely regarded amongst reviewers as the best ever performance of this song

Overall
Very strong band (and audience, to be fair) performance and good enough sound make this an essential listen for anyone with even a passing interest in Joshua Tree Tour bootlegs (umm, that will surely be, like, everyone, yes……..)
A unique crowd size (at the time at least) and a live debut for Spanish Eyes are an extra bonus.
Not the best JT souvenir, but very good. Try it, you’ll not be disappointed.

Originally posted by djrlewishttp://www.u2start.com/topic/2090///1275/83/#85023[/url]]

Reviewed by Ali, Drew, Casper, Gerard, Tim, Dan, Nate, Patrick, Sergio.

Notes

This review is for an older version of the bootleg; that has since been upgraded. For more information on the upgrade and what it may add to your listening pleasure, please go HERE

Lovetown Tour 2nd leg: Europe
New Year's Day is in the original setlist before Pride but is not played
4-star audience recording here at the moment
Last ever performance of The Unforgettable Fire.

Originally posted by CasperThe energy and commitment of U2 was awesome back then. Bono was at his prime. His voice was a mix between the Joshua Tour and the upcoming Zoo TV. And U2 really enjoyed what they were doing. Lovetown was not a show, it was no entertainment like Zoo TV or Popmart. It wasn’t a show with political context, like Vertigo. It was based on music, pure music…pure rock and roll. And you can feel the excitement and joy of U2 trough these shows. I guess they enjoyed every bit, like the audience.

U2’s first European success was actually founded in Holland, where the single ‘I Will Follow’ became a giant hit. Bono mentions this during this Rotterdam show when they start ‘Love Rescue Me’, when he says: “And this is also a good place to end, because we more or less started here ten years ago. You’ve been very good for us, thank you!”. The crowd was ecstatic.

Sound

One of the very best audience recordings available on this site. More than worthy of it's 4-stars and maybe more.
A little murky in places, but does not detract from the overall listening enjoyment.

Special mention was made by nearly all reviewers of the crowd. They elevate this recording to a higher level. Bono questions at one point whether they will lift the roof off, and is right to do so. Superb audience

Performance

Popular with all reviewers bar one (more later). Some excellent reviews were submitted and are worthy of reading in their own right - starting HERE.

Lovetown is a popular tour with all the BRT members and this was evident in the number of reviews.
It is questioned whether the other shows in Rotterdam are of even higher quality than this one. Gerard certainly felt that the show lacked 'something' compared to the other nights (particularly the 9th and 10th). Sergio agreed that this was his feeling too.

Standout track - Running to Stand Still. Excellent unknown snippet at the end and audience participation.
Also worthy mentions - ISHFWILF, MLK and The Unforgettable Fire on its last ever live outing (so far? )
All other tracks are at least good.
The BB KIng section did not find as much favour with reviewers as the preceding tracks (it was the largest contributing reason for Gerard's dissatisfaction with the show), so you may feel the show tails off a little.

Overall
Very strong band (and even stronger audience, to be fair) performance and good sound make this an essential listen for anyone with even a passing interest in Lovetown Tour bootlegs (which, really, should be all of you).
The nostalgia for The Unforgettable Fire and possibly the strongest pre-Zoo RTSS make it essential listening.

Not the best Lovetown, but very much one you should download and listen to.

Try these too:-
1990-01-09 - Rotterdam, Netherlands - Sportpaleis Ahoy
1990-01-10 - Rotterdam, Netherlands - Sportpaleis Ahoy

and all 4 Point Depot shows from Dublin (get them HERE)

Originally posted by djrlewishttp://www.u2start.com/topic/2090///1320/84/#86554[/url]]

Reviewed by Sergio, Patrick, Drew, Casper, Nate & Gerard (sort of), Reclinerman, Remy, Dan

Notes
ZOO TV 2nd leg: Europe
Rated 5-star audience here
The concert is broadcast live to the house of an MTV contest winner. Bjorn and Benny from ABBA join U2 for Dancing Queen.

Originally posted by GerardSTOCKHOLM. Well tonight was the one. It was the night that I stopped during the gig and thought to myself ''This is the high point on my career''. The entire gig from the Globe in Stockholm was broadcast live to just one person's house - that of Mr John Harris of Nottingham, England. He won an MTV competition, so got the private broadcast. His small living room was piled high with TV's and of course everybody from the whole street was in there. There was also a camera at their end, sending pictures back to us, so at various points during the show, the living room in Nottingham would appear on the stage video walls. Bono would break to speak to them and they would reply of course. Of course by 10pm everyone at the Nottingham end was blind drunk, which made it all the more entertaining. Technologically it was flawless too, which was pretty astounding.

So later on, Benny and Bjorn - the guys from ABBA - appear. We have U2 and ABBA performing 'Dancing Queen' beneath the mirrorball trabant, being broadcast live from a giant spherical building in Sweden to one terraced house in Nottingham. I rest my case.

Sound
A 5-star recording worthy of it's status. Crisp, clear and very listenable. Every reviewer found it to be a pleasurable listening experience

Performance

Popular with all reviewers doesn't even begin to summarise the love felt for this gig. Ever single review was heaped with praise.

Originally posted by SergioThat crowd was witnessing one of the most astonishing shows ever, with lights, industrial sounds, jokes, surrealism and great music, all mixed up.

Originally posted by PatrickThis is one of the most flawless performances of U2 ever. The show is full of energy and creativity from the beginning to the very end, this was the peak of the arena period of the monstre tour, yet it still has its human sides, which was definately lost after they turned towards stadium performances. This footage reveals the humourous side of Zoo TV (few recordings has that), it's hard not to find the irony behing the floating disco-Trabant during 'Satellite of Love'.
During some concerts, the complexity of Zoo TV failed to continue for the whole 2 hours of the show, but this Stockholm perforaance is not one of those. Just wish the whole tour would have been like this. The audience breathes together with the band, their continous input gives the energy the band needs to give them an unforgettable experience.

Originally posted by RemyI absolutely love the "I could've lost you" intro of the first legs of ZooTV, stunning.

Gerard and Nate found it so good they couldn't even see a value in writing anything about it.
Not one bad song, not one bad performance by any band member or an insane crowd:-

Originally posted by ReclinermanYou Europeans have what I call Passionate Mannered Insanity. I mean that in the highest compliment.

Some highpoints to be singled out (but, really, it's all good)

+ WGRYWH - top-notch performance of a ZooTV rarity
+ Angel of Harlem / Dancing Queen - well, what do you expect with half of Abba on stage in their home-country!!
+ Ultraviolet without MacPhisto

Overall
Arguably the best arena show of Zoo TV. Milan may challenge it and there are highlights in some of the American legs (WOWY in Washington, One in Tacoma), but as an overall record of '92 ZooTV you can't go wrong. Have this and Dublin 28/08/93 and you have the perfect record of this monster tour.

Essential. Download now.

Originally posted by djrlewisWhale song filtered through chocolate blancmanche