1990-01-10 - Rotterdam: The final show before they ''dream it all up again'' took place in January 1990 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. The show was part of four shows to make up for two earlier cancellations in Amsterdam earlier in the tour. Fans from all over the world made the trip to be part of the end of tour party. U2 put on a mindblowing show to wrap up the Lovetown tour, with an incredible enthusiastic audience and legendary performances of Desire and Bad. Over the opening notes of Love Rescue Me, Bono speaks of his admiration for the band and crew, listing all of his life's heroes. The Lovetown tour couldn't have a more fitting ending, with a show that stands for everything this tour had to offer: energy, emotion and incredible performances.
1992-02-29 - Lakeland: The new U2 presented themselves in February 1992 in Florida with their first American concert since 1987. The first show of the tour showed that this was a massive departure for U2. A huge stage with 36 television screens, six Trabant cars, a b-stage and a DJ playing a set from a seventh Trabant car before U2 come on stage. New music, new looks, a new tour: this is the U2 who dreamed it all up again and the start of what would turn out to become U2's greatest tour of their career. This show featured the live debuts of 10 songs from Achtung Baby, some of which performed in slightly different arrangements than later in the tour (such as Mysterious Ways, Wild Horses and Ultra Violet). With the excitement of the audience and world's press, the excitement of the band being back on the road and the fantastic music of Achtung Baby in this incredible live setting, this show is more than just historical. It's a must-listen.
1992-05-22 - Milan: This show is one of the highest rated shows on our site. It is close to perfect. U2 were scheduled to play two shows in Milan with the first to take place on May 20th, however this show was postponed until May 22nd due to a truck breakdown delaying the tour equipment arriving at the venue. U2 put on an outstanding show here hoping to make up for the troubles two days earlier. With a crazy Italian audience singing along to every bit, many songs performed to perfection from a band making up for something. Our great audio recording captures everything perfectly: from the energetic start of the show, the audience singing along to every word and the first live appearance of So Cruel as a snippet during Bad. This show represents U2 at the absolute peak of their powers playing to an equally fired up crowd. Absolutely essential.
1992-06-11 - Stockholm: this show, famous under its name "Dancing Zoo TV", is another classic from the Zoo TV tour. Besides fthe fact that this show is available in an amazing quality (video and audio), the show itself is yet another example of everything Zoo TV had to offer. The band (and in particular Bono) were truly on fire, bringing the audience one of the best performances of Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses, Mysterious Ways, Ultra Violet (Light My Way), Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World and Bullet The Blue Sky. Making this show more legendary was the performance of Dancing Queen, where Bjorn and Benny from ABBA joined U2 on stage for a thrilled and energetic audience. A show to admire, a U2 essential.
1993-08-12 - London: the second year of the Zoo TV tour gave the tour a whole new setting, with the addition of songs from the Zooropa album and the tour going outdoors. This show in Wembley Stadium featured the last performance of Zooropa until 2011, an amazing version of Bad with a violinist and the performance of four Zooropa songs in a row (Numb, Zooropa, Babyface and Stay). This show is a must for fans of the Zoo-era, there is a lot of emotion in this show (Bullet The Blue Sky being an example, performed with a lot of anger with Bono going nuts at the end) and to hear early live versions of many Zooropa songs is something very rare. On top of all of this, there was also a satellite link with Sarajevo, adding another layer to the show. A show that truly has it all.
1993-08-28 - Dublin: U2 coming home is always something special, and for the last Zoo TV tour in Europe U2 bring it all together. The show is broadcast on radio radio ("Zoo radio") to an estimated 400 million listeners across Europe and America. As with the Dublin shows in 1989 there was a lot of excitement and anticipation in the days leading up to the show. Thousands of fans from all over the world come to Dublin for a festive and powerful show. This show features the last Zoo TV performances of Desire, Bad, Ultra Violet and When Love Comes To Town and an unforgettable performance of Ultra Violet. Another special mention goes to the segue of Bad into Bullet The Blue Sky with a great snippet of The First Time. This show is not only one of the best audio recordings you can find, but also one of the best shows there is. It's a classic ending and representing one of U2's finest tour legs: Zooropa.
1993-11-27 - Sydney: the two shows U2 performed in Sydney are memorable for a few reasons. The first night marks U2's first performance without one of his members as Adam feels too sick to perform, leaving bass technician Stuart Morgan to fill in. The second show (with Adam back in place) was broadcast live to pay per view audiences and later officially released as "ZooTV live from Sydney". This show is the official documentation of the Zoo TV tour and stands alongside Red Rocks and Live Aid as U2's most televised and globally exposed concert footage. U2 put on a solid performance with strong performances of Dirty Day, Lemon and Daddy's Gonna Pay For Your Crashed Car. While U2 may not put on their most legendary performance, this show certainly shows and captures everything that Zoo TV was all about.
1997-08-28 - Leeds: Bono responded to George Harrison's assertion that no one will remember U2 in 30 years with the middle finger and a memorable show in Leeds. A lighting storm lingered all day but miraculously stopped for U2's set. This concert showed G. Harrison and critics that with all its paraphernalia, Popmart could connect with the people. Miami never sounded this good and Singing In The Rain for Edge's Karaoke is a real treat. Last Night On Earth feels at home in Leeds as the cartoon characters speak in a Yorkshire accent. Despite feeling hurt by Harrison, the band plays tribute to him with snippets of Something and My Sweet Lord in Mysterious Ways, and also by closing the show with Rain, a fitting end to a legendary concert.
1997-09-20 - Reggio Emilia: U2 takes their biggest tour stage yet to their biggest crowd ever. More than 150, 000 fans gather in Reggio Emilia (almost the city's entire population!) to see a Popmart show. Alas, the recording of this show kept the audience distant, but we can still hear their presence in songs like All I Want Is You and With Or Without You. The concert had very festive moments, like Bono embracing his narcissistic side shouting "Viva Bono!" before EBTTRT; but it also had a serious, heartfelt moment when Bono dedicated the concert to Andrea Gianotti, a young U2 fan who died of a heart attack while at the Rome show. For Edge's Karaoke, we had the very popular, if not cliché, Italian song "Volare". For a moment during One, Bono started singing acappella and the crowd responded very well. "May the road rise up with you... go safely home. Good night, Arrivederci, Reggio Emilia!"
1997-09-23 - Sarajevo: A show 4 years in the making and probably their most transcendental concert ever. Popmart represented the first major event in the city after the war. For that day, the requirement of visas is suspended, and the first passenger trains with fans of all ethnics and creeds arrive to Sarajevo. For the first time in a long time, the city feels like part of the world. We are blessed to have an excellent FM broadcast of the show. During the first songs, the band give their all and some more, but after one of the best renditions of LNOE, Bono's voice starts to crack until becoming a whisper during Pride. The audience carries him for the rest of the show. Instead of Miami, The Edge plays an acoustic version of Sunday Bloody Sunday that never felt more adequate. Bono returns and his voice improves. We have one if not the best Please in the tour and Brian Eno comes for a special performance of Miss Sarajevo. At the end of the show, the crowd spontaneously starts to applaud the troops that were given permission to attend the show. It all ended in a cheerful celebration of life, all differences put aside for one show.
1998-02-06 - Buenos Aires: U2 visited South America for their first time, and Popmart lived its best moments here. To move the equipment from Brazil to Argentina, the crew had to pass through a rain forest, so many of the gear was damaged. Miraculously, the screen survives. In Buenos Aires, Bono met with the Madres de Plaza de Mayo, whose sons disappeared during the military junta in the late 70's, early 80's. The second show on Feb. 6th was broadcasted live, and thankfully we have it in our show pages to enjoy. This concert features one of the best performances of Please, Bono giving it all at the end for a dramatic touch. During Desire, Bono plays a borrowed harmonica from a fan. In Staring At The Sun, Bono references Maradona and his "hand of God" goal in 1986. Introducing One, Bono talks about the Madres again and the show concludes with Mothers Of The Disappeared while the screen shows footage of them and the crowd sings "El Pueblo Vencerá". As our user PatoU2 puts it, "And then the Mothers came in. They represent so much for our history, one of our darkest chapters. It was a really emotional moment. It still moves me to this day."
1998-02-11 - Santiago: U2 plays for the first time in Santiago, in a stadium where many civilians were tortured during the Pinochet years. Before the concert, a vital part of the lemon is ruined so someone from London flies with the part almost at the last minute. The show is also broadcasted, making it one of the best sounding bootlegs of the tour. There are many memorable performances in this concert. From the first notes of Mofo with a shout to "La Roja" (Chile's football team), to Staring At The Sun and Bono's homage to Pablo Neruda. The performances of Last Night On Earth and Mysterious Ways are among the best in that tour. We also have one of the few renditions of Bad during Popmart. During One, a Mothers movement similar to the Argentinian appear onstage, Bono challenges Pinochet to tell these mothers where their sons are. As in Buenos Aires, the show closes with Mothers Of The Disappeared and El Pueblo Vencerá, while one by one, the Mothers grab the mic to mention the names of their sons, husbands or brothers disappeared years ago. They demand justice but not everyone in the crowd agrees with the sentiment, as Pinochet is still Commander In-Chief of the Army. Regardless, the crowd is fired up and the national chants mark one of the most memorable ends of a U2 show ever.