That's not a joke, I listen to U2 sice I was born, because my parents are big fans (not so much as I am ). I remember myself with about 4 or 5 years old, sitting in my living room and asking to my mother to put the Sydney 93's video on! And I remember that my favourite song was Lemon!!
But 'm a bootleg-fan since 2005' December; my first bootleg was Madrid 1987-07-15...I love it even today!!!
I used to like U2 since new year's day, sunday bloody sunday, pride.
But they really changed my mind in 1987, when I bought The Joshua Tree LP!
I was 16 at that time. I remember to listen to wtshnn, ishfwilf and with or without you over and over and over.
Then i learned to love the rest of the album.
My first bootleg was a cassete copy of an album called "cork connection", from a show with the edge's birthday, I think.
I saw them 3 times in Pop Tour (Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo twice) and 2 times in feb 2006, in São Paulo, Vertigo awesome Tour!
Maybe later I will tell you more about loving and U2' music.
Cheers!
I'm 45 years old and a fan since 1980. Back then on Dutch Public Radio (KRO Hilversum 3) I was listening to a show in which they played a song (I will follow) from a young Irish band called U2 who just released their first album Boy. That song was amazing; so I rushed to the recordstore to buy their album. On October 28th 1981 I attended for the first time a U2-concert in my then hometown Leiden in The Netherlands in a small venue called the Stadsgehoorzaal. There were about 800 people present that night and ticketprices were 12,50 guilders = 5,75 euro. After this first concert I attended their shows everytime they were on tour and came to The Netherlands up till now.
I loved Desire when it came out but didn't really know who U2 were. I succumbed in 1992 when they released Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses; I bought Achtung Baby and after realising that for me the reason I'd bought the album was actually one of the weaker songs I was hooked!!
I remember listening to Dublin ZooTV on the radio and virtually wearing out my taped copy, I'd never realised the songs I'd loved on the radio were by U2!
I'm so glad we have this amazing site to relive those memories. My first live show was Popmart at Wembley and it's brilliant to hear it again, even if the qualities not stunning. Elevation was something else too as my show was Earl's Court 4, the day after Bob died. Bono was wrecked but the emotion and performance were earth-shattering. I never thought it could be topped until Cardiff Millenium Stadium Vertigo - Edge's Homecoming!!
How long?.......since 1984.I remember Under A Blood Red Sky doing the rounds in my last year at school,but you had to be one of the "cool" kids to be allowed to take it home and play it.I don't profess to being "cool".
I started work in the same week that Pride was released in the UK,took notice,remember taping it off the radio,played it at full volume and thought..."....fuckin' hell this is amazing",been hooked ever since.(Sorry for swearing,but you get what I'm saying). So the symmetry in my working life and fanatisism for U2 has run parallel for nearly 23 years now.
Buying the back catologue of records / tapes from then on (only 3 years worth so I suppose I was lucky) was a great buzz,discovering thier previous tunes,and I remember thinking back then,that this band is something special.When I finally got to see Under A Blood Red Sky on a TV broadcast,I understood what the fuss was all about back in school.
Taking the day off work to buy a new album on the day of release,listening to an album for the first time,(for all you youngsters out there,that means going the record store as opposed to downloading,God I'm sounding old there ), remembering where you where the first time you heard the "new" single being played on radio,the mad panic to buy a concert ticket so you don't miss out,the first time you see 'em live........I wouldn't have missed it for the world.
And as the "B" man says........."....we're just getting started".