Audio bootleg general information
What is a bootleg?
A bootleg recording, in the case of U2, is a recording that has not been officially released by U2. They usually take the format of a "live recording" of a U2 performance. Some prefer to call those recordings that are sold "bootlegs" and do not use that term for recordings that have been made of live material which are traded but not sold. In some countries bootlegs of concerts are legally available for sale. These are often refered to as "live imports." If you decide to buy bootlegs, you must consider that the artists get no royalties for the sales. (source: U2faqs.com)
How does U2 feel about bootlegs?
In 1991, when a bootleg of U2's studio sessions called The New U2 (the first version of what would eventually become the Salomé bootleg) was being distributed, Island Records took out a full-page ad in the British publication Music Week warning record stores that the label would "take legal proceedings" against anyone selling the bootlegs. U2 manager Paul McGuinness issued a press statement saying the bootleggers were cheating fans by distributing inferior material.
In a later interview about the incident, Bono said: "The only thing that can piss you off is if people are charging a lot of money for something that isn't very good. It [the Achtung Baby working tapes] got bootlegged in Berlin and it was just like having your notebook read out. That's the bit I didn't like about it. There were no undiscovered works of genius, unfortunately, it was more just gobbledy-gook."
During 2001, several other comments were made by the band regarding the recording of their shows. They made it clear that they were fine with people recording their performances and trading them. They did make it clear that they were opposed to people making money from those recordings. As Bono says, "We invite people to bootleg our shows. We invite people to make copies, we've no problems with that, but if some guy is gonna make money off the back of this, we're gonna find out where he parks his car." Even with those comments being made, those recording cannot openly do so at a show, as security does still take steps to prevent that.(source: U2faqs.com)
Where can I upload bootlegs?
You can use any free and reliable download service, we recommend Rapidshare.com, Mediafire.com and if both really don't work you can also use Megaupload.com.
Where can I find the latest upgrades?
You can find a list of the latest upgrades on the audio tab of the show pages.
How is the show of the month chosen?
Generally the crew decides this, often we will also involve other members in the forums or with a poll (You Too at the frontpage).
Do I have to pay for the bootlegs?
No, and you'll never have to, our bootleg collection is absolutely free available for anyone in the world. You don't have to upload or do anything in order to use our bootleg collection. That's what U2 fans are all about in our opinion. But, when you download bootlegs you often have to deal with upload/download services that have certain limits on downloading files, for example: on Rapidshare you can download a file, but you'll have to wait about 90 seconds. And when you want to download another file, you'll have to wait for another couple of hours after your first download. That's annoying sometimes, especially as you want to download lots of bootlegs on one day. You can decide to become a premium member of Rapidshare or Megaupload or any other site to solve that problem, then you'll pay for the bandwidth you use with downloading all these files. You pay that to their service and absolutely not to U2start, and you don't pay money for the bootlegs but only for the bandwidth you use. But you don't have to pay anything in order to download, but sometimes you'll have to wait a bit to get what you want.
How do I know which bootlegs I already have and which not?
When are you browsing the catalogue of bootlegs, you will see icons that will mark bootlegs that you already have and which not. You can manage this using the menu on the left.
Can you specify the rating stars of bootlegs?
Thanks to member ReclinerMan who compiled this list we can, here you go:
5 stars: Near-Perfect Proper Recording; could be released as a proper live album (it may have already).
4.5 stars: Good Proper Recording; recording sounds great, but doesn't properly represent event i.e. improper mix/incomplete soundboard (poor audience to band ratio/one sided to a certain performer).
4 stars: Excellent Audience Recording; top-tier recording of the show from the crowd with all elements clear and audible, as it should be.
3.5 stars: Great Audience Recording; quality recording of the show from the crowd but minor problems start occurring (screaming or talking/shifts in quality/age or poor handling).
3 stars: Good Audience Recording; fine recording of the show but the minor problems begin occurring more frequently.
2.5 stars: Average Audience Recording; the performance is there but major problems begin popping up (too much screaming or talking/unwieldy shifts in quality/source damage beyond repair).
2 stars: Fair Audience Recording; no performance just problems with the source.
1.5 stars: Poor Audience Recording; you were standing outside the performance area, weren't you?
1 star: Abysmal Audience Recording; mind as well be two hours of you babbling your finger against your lips.
Can I download a specific file or do I need to download the whole bootleg?
You cannot download a specific file, you'll have to download the whole bootleg in order to get to the file(s) you want to have. That's unless the upload/download service Savefile is used, only then you'll be able to download particular tracks at once.
What is a soundboard recording?
These are "live" concerts recorded with professional equipment. During a concert the signal from the instruments usually channels through the central mixing station, or soundboard, before going to the PA system. A soundboard recording is a recording that takes place at the soundboard. These recordings are high quality.
What is an ALD (Assisted Listening Device) recording?
Bootleggers can request an ALD (Assisted Listening Device) headset at an arena concert (required by law for hearing impaired fans), which provides a high-quality feed of a live show using a low-level FM frequency broadcast inside a facility. Bootleggers will tape this headset feed, giving the bootleg not usual problems like random crowd noise or distortion.
What is an IEM (In Ear Monitors) recording?
In Ear Monitors are devices used by performers to hear a mix of microphones and/or instrument pickups that are on the stage. They are often custom fitted to the individuals ears and provide a high level of noise reduction from stage noise. An IEM recording is a recording of this wireless audio feed, there can be a difference between an IEM recording from Bono's feed and the recording from Adam's for instance.
What is a matrix recording?
A matrix recording is a new recording consisting of different tapes from the same show. An example can be that you have an audience and IEM recording (both have their own (dis)advantages) and you want to mix them in one recording, that would be a matrix.
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