U2
Sports Arena
San Diego, CA
April 15, 1992
Mike Millard Master Tapes via JEMS
The Lost and Found Mike the MICrophone Tapes Volume 92
Recording Gear: AKG 451E Microphones (CK-1 cardioid capsules) > Nakamichi 550 Cassette Recorder
Transfer: Mike Millard Master Cassettes > Yamaha KX-W592 Cassette Deck > Sony R-500 DAT > Analog Master DAT Clone > Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 > Sound Forge Audio Studio 13.0 capture > Adobe Audition > iZotope RX8 > iZotope Ozone 8 > Audacity > TLH > FLAC
01 Zoo Station
02 The Fly
03 Even Better Than the Real Thing
04 Mysterious Ways
05 One
06 Until the End of the World
07 Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
08 Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World
09 Angel of Harlem > Dancing Queen
10 Satellite of Love
11 Van Diemen's Land
12 Bad > All I Want Is You
13 Bullet the Blue Sky
14 Running to Stand Still
15 Where the Streets Have No Name
16 Pride (In the Name of Love)
17 I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
18 *With or Without You
19 *Love Is Blindness
Known Faults: U2 did not perform the normal four-song, ZooTV tour encore in San Diego, so the show does not feature "Desire" or "Ultra Violet (Light My Way)."
* Their two-song encore of "With Or Without You" and "Love Is Blindness" was not recorded by Mike Millard for unknown reasons. We have patched those two songs in from KeithM's master recording. We've included two different back covers, one with Mike's captured set and the other including the alternate two-song encore.
Introduction to the Lost and Found Mike the MICrophone Series
Welcome to JEMS’ Lost and Found Mike the MICrophone series presenting recordings made by legendary taper Mike Millard, AKA Mike the MICrophone, best known for his masters of Led Zeppelin done in and around Los Angeles circa 1975-77. For the complete details on how tapes in this series came to be lost and found again, as well as JEMS' long history with Mike Millard, please refer to the notes in Vol. One: http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=500680.
Until 2020, the Lost and Found series presented fresh transfers of previously unavailable first-generation copies made by Mike himself for friends like Stan Gutoski of JEMS, Jim R, Bill C. and Barry G. These sources were upgrades to circulating copies and in most instances marked the only time verified first generation Millard sources had been directly digitized in the torrent era.
That all changed with the discovery of many of Mike Millard’s original master tapes.
Yes, you read that correctly, Mike Millard’s master cassettes, long rumored to be destroyed or lost, have been found. Not all of them but many, and with them a much more complete picture has emerged of what Millard recorded between his first show in late 1973 and his last in early 1992.
The reason the rediscovery of his master tapes is such a revelation is that we’ve been told for decades they were gone. Internet myths suggest Millard destroyed his master tapes before taking his own life, an imprudent detail likely concocted based on the assumption that because his master tapes never surfaced and Mike’s mental state was troubled he would do something rash WITH HIS LIFE’S WORK. There’s also a version of the story where Mike’s family dumps the tapes after he dies. Why would they do that?
The truth is Mike’s masters remained in his bedroom for many years after his death in 1994. We know at least a few of Millard’s friends and acquaintances contacted his mother Lia inquiring about the tapes at the time to no avail. But in the early 2000s, longtime Millard friend Rob S was the one she knew and trusted enough to preserve Mike’s work.
The full back story on how Mike’s master tapes were saved can be found in the notes for Vol. 18 Pink Floyd, which was the first release in our series transferred from Millard’s original master tapes:
http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=667745&hit=1
http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=667750&hit=1
U2, Sports Arena, San Diego, CA, April 15, 1992
Volume 92 of the Lost and Found series takes us to 1992 and Mike Millard's recording of U2 at the Sports Arena in San Diego on the indoor Zoo TV tour.
Mike recorded U2 three days earlier at the Sports Arena in LA, and along with two Dire Straits shows in February, the four dates constitute the only confirmed shows we know he recorded that year. There is evidence to suggest Mike may have recorded Neil Young at the Greek in September and U2 again at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego in November, but we haven't been able to fully confirm either date, at least so far.
That Mike would record fewer concerts in the last years of his life is not entirely surprising, given that we know his mental health issues increased over the course of the next 31 months. In fact, until recently, we believed this to be Mike's last known and therefore potentially final recording, but we now know did taped at least one show in 1993, which we will release next week.
This concert is significant to me as it is the last of five gigs where, unbeknownst to me at the time, Mike and I both attended and recorded the same show. Our longtime ally Exit Club used my other ticket that night and helped me take in the gear. I'm happy to report he is still a huge fan and collector to this day and part of the extended JEMS family. Our tape of the San Diego show has circulated for many years, but I don't think Mike's has.
U2's San Diego set is unusual for two reasons, one good, one bad. The good is that the show featured the rarely played "Van Dieman's Land," performed only six times on the tour. The bad is that the band's normal four-song encore was cut short by two songs, for reasons unknown. Even though the show was shorter than usual, Mike did not record the encore, which we have confirmed from two different copies of his recording, one transferred to DAT by Rob S, and a first-gen, Millard-made copy given to Ed F.
We have patched the missing encore with our pal KeithM's master recording. KeithM himself is a SoCal taping legend, having recorded hundreds of shows staring in the early '80s, notably some of the most important U2 shows that took place in the area. We thank him for his fine work which completes the San Diego show.
First-leg Zoo TV shows are some of the best U2 performances I ever witnessed and San Diego is no exception. Imagine how confident you have to be to start your show with eight songs from your new album and having the audience fully embrace it.
As Millard master recordings go, this one is a bit on the distant side, not in the sweet spot (indoor Zoo TV shows in SoCal were an EXTREMELY tough ticket), but still sounding punchy and clear. Samples provided. KeithM's master more than holds its own for the last two tracks.
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JEMS is proud to partner with Rob, Jim R, Ed F, Barry G and many others to release Millard's historic recordings and to help set the record straight about the man himself.
We can’t thank Rob enough for reconnecting with Jim and putting his trust in our Millard reissue campaign. He kept Mike’s precious tapes under wraps for two decades, but once Rob learned of our methods and stewardship, he agreed to contribute the Millard DATs and cassettes to the program. Our releases would not be nearly as compelling without Jim’s memories, photos and other background contributions. As many of you have noted, the stories offer an entertaining complement to Mike’s incredible audio documents.
A few extra folks to thank this week: Exit Club for your continued friendship and support. KeithM for collaborating with JEMS on your outstanding U2 recordings. Professor Goody for pitch-tuning and MVP mjk5510 for post production and artwork.
Finally, cheers to the late, great Mike the MICrophone. His work never ceases to impress. May he rest in peace.
BK for JEMS
