Performance:
Passing Thoughts:

--Stand by Me was weak.
--After I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, weird foreshadowing occurred.
1. "This is not a disco concert!" PopMart encore, anyone?
2. "The only difference (between the people in front vs. the people in the back) is you all have made us all very rich." The Fly, anyone?
--People Get Ready ruled for three reasons.
1. The show finally picked up steam with this song.
2. A fan got to play Bono's gutair and was pretty good too.
3. "Listen guy, one more piece of s**t outta you and you're outta here."
--One Tree Hill & Streets are a dynamo combination.
--Bono messing up some of the lyrics to Bad made me cringe. Other than that it was awesome.
--Bullet the Blue Sky was intense as usual.
--Slow Dancing was beautiful. That was a B-Side!?
--Any U2 & B.B. King part of a Lovetown show is worth the price of admission. This was no exception.
--Desire featured a very odd snippet of "The Money Song" from Cabaret (substituting the lyrics "a buck" for "a yen" in the said snippet). I seem to be the first one who has noticed this. Weird.
--"40" was very spirited and it shows off Bono and the crowd.

Audience:
I've heard better but at least they participated in clapping a lot.

Sound quality:
Not bad for a 20 year old recording. Though it should be noted that Adam's bass was muddled throughout the entire show. The only time it was ever clear was during Gloria, when it is always clear.

Overall:
This show is noted by many as being a "backwards gig". The songs at the end and the songs at the beginning switched places for the night. However, this change was my exact problem with the show.

A good show knows how songs should flow and by place Pride, New Year's Day and I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For first, the vibe of the show is completely out of whack. It was only until People Get Ready when the show finally took off for me.

So the sound was good, the band was good, but the setlist was not good. There are better Lovetown gigs.

Performance:
--Zoo Station & The Fly always set the atmosphere right.
--Even Better Than the Real Thing killed.
--I loved the shouting during the beginning of Mysterious Ways.
--Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses is good but not quite right.
--More "fish needs a bicycle!" Yay!
--Dancing Queen was incredible. Hooray for Bjorn and Benny.
--Bad sounded strange to me. Both in structure and that crazy effect that Edge uses.
--Bullet... Oh... My... God. They sounded like they wanted to take on the entire world and win.
--Nice to hear Stand by Me. Still a magnificent song.
--Desire & Ultra Violet were incredible as well.

Audience:
You Europeans have what I call Passionate Mannered Insanity. I mean that in the highest compliment.

Sound quality:
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Overall:
Now this is a show to admire. The band was on fire (even though Bono was exhausted by the end) and the crowd was very passionate. If I performed this gig, I'd be on Cloud Nine. The audio quality was excellent as well. By the way, that John is a lucky freaking sap!

Performance:
-I couldn't understand any of Carry Me Home, could you?
--Love the I Will Follow, both times.
--An Cat Dubh & Into the Heart was on fire (stupid clappers have no rhythm).
--October songs sound strange to me live.
--The Electric Co... Oh. My. God. That song sounded like they were going to destroy the world.
--Things to Make and Do was a nice bookend for Electric Co.
--I'm a Believer made Boy-Girl fun.

Audience:
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Sound quality:
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Overall:
I can't help but think of Bono's quote, "We had nothing but 'it'." This gig really shows. They're just four men in overdrive, not planning to stop for anything. It's cool to hear that.

Historical note: This was the gig attended by Bruce Springsteen & Pete Townshend that would be referenced in Bruce's Intro for U2's Induction and in U2 by U2.

Performance:
--Hawkmoon was so awesome. I wish they would play that more.
--Desire continues the awesome.
--All Along the Watchtower has the final verse this time. Neat.
--Bullet was raw and rough, in both the good and bad way.
--A lot more talking than usual, i.e. Running to Stand Still/I Will Follow.
--Streets was holy, duh, and love the Heartland snippet.
--Taping was screwed up during All I Want Is You & Pride, dang it!
--Bring on the B.B. King Orchestra - People Get Ready & Angel of Harlem were fun.
--B.B. King owned his section with them.
--New Year's Day & Party Girl rocked.

Audience:
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Sound quality:
This show was a bad intro for me into the Lovetown tour and for one reason... THE SOUND! This recording was made on cheap cassettes and it shows. After listening to the UF Chicago bootleg, which sound better even though it's older, it shows that even cassettes can sound better than this.

Overall:
The show was pretty awesome, though. But the sound...

Performance:
--Already they're behaving like a big band. Bringing the cameras up the show that the music and people are bigger than "this place."
--Wire was awesome and I loved the John Lennon snippet.
--Sunday Bloody Sunday & The Electric Co. were on fire.
--A Sort of Homecoming is better live, like so many U2 songs.
--Bad felt weak to me. Still haven't found its power yet.
--Pride and 40 exuded power.

Audience:
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Sound quality:
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Overall:
I'm amazed at the audio quality of this gig, it barely sounds like an audience recording. This gig was strong as well. I think if anything, Bono was out of breath a lot. I bet he was running and jumping and raising the roof to have a magnificent vocal. But it shows his commitment to the people in front of him.

A great find.

Performance:
--It's nice to hear Bono a bit flustered when he talked about the band's newfound success. All they just wanted was for people to see them...
--The Unforgettable Fire was awesome. Better than the studio version.
--Interesting how Bullet doesn't sound quite right yet.
--Exit wasn't right yet either, but it wasn't interesting.
--Bluesy Maggie's Farm. Neat.
--Bad featured a not very good performance from Larry. It felt weird.
--Hooray for Pride accuracy.
--Everybody seemed to know the chorus to Gloria. Pretty incredible for Latin.
--I Shall Be Released & Knockin' on Heaven's Door with Bob Dylan... there aren't enough 's in the world.

Audience:
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Sound quality:
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Overall:
This was a great gig. I thought that Bono's voice was strong, and they were mostly together two weeks into the tour, which is more you can say for PopMart. Bob Dylan's appearance makes this show legendary.

Performance:
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Sound quality:
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Overall:
To say that the early PopMart dates are rough is an understatement. This show went down in flames. As I listened to it, I felt that the band played amateurishly and Bono wasn't even trying to get the words and rhythm right. The only song that wasn't a complete embarrassment was "With or Without You," and even that wasn't great. Obviously, this comes from the lack of rehearsal that the band had at the time. But if I was paying for this show, I'd want my money back.

It's sad, really. Too sad.

Performance:
--Both performances of Vertigo just owned. It's the brother to I Will Follow.
--The Electric Co., in my opinion, is better on the Vertigo Tour than any of the other tours. This was no exception. Awesome.
--No yell during New Year's Day? What's up with that?!
--City of Blinding Lights is an amazing song live, though I hate it in the middle of the set, it's a better show opener. I hope on their next tour, it's an encore opener. (By the way, it's the brother to Streets)
--The trinity of pain (aka Love and Peace or Else, Sunday Bloody Sunday and Bullet the Blue Sky) rocked also.
--Streets and One are always holy songs in any show, as well as a chance to proclaim their love for each other. I love you, Adam Clayton!
--Zoo Station & The Fly, same opinion as The Electric Co. although it varies more.
--Yay! My Sweet Lord! Peace George Harrison.
--I don't know the lyrics to Party Girl either, Bono!

Audience:
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Sound quality:
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Overall:
It's nice to hear a good audience bootleg of this tour. I want to hear more of them. Peace from Gelsenkirchen.