{"id":2445929,"date":"2019-07-02T10:18:43","date_gmt":"2019-07-02T16:18:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/?p=854696"},"modified":"2019-07-02T10:18:43","modified_gmt":"2019-07-02T16:18:43","slug":"u2-fans-discover-oldest-known-live-recording-of-band","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/music-news\/u2-fans-discover-oldest-known-live-recording-of-band\/","title":{"rendered":"U2 Fans Discover Oldest-Known Live Recording of Band"},"content":{"rendered":"
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When U2<\/a> played an afternoon show at Dublin\u2019s Dandelion Market on August 11th, 1979, they were just four teenagers in a struggling band. They had never played outside their native Ireland or released so much as an EP to the public. But after three years of work, they had enough of a following to headline this tiny venue above another local band, The Stougers, whose guitarist Pete McCluskey brought a recorder to the show and captured U2\u2019s set on tape.<\/p>\n

The tape sat half-forgotten in his collection for decades, but with help from the definitive U2 fan site ATU2<\/a>, it\u2019s finally been resurrected. As far as anyone knows, it is the earliest known U2 recording in existence. Prior to this, the earliest U2 show in circulation was their set at the Cork Opera House on October 22nd, 1979. \u201cI am pleased that I recorded the show,\u201d McCluskey told ATU2<\/a>, \u201cand hadn\u2019t realized the significance of it and its place in history until quite recently.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Dandelion Market tape<\/a> captures U2 at a pivotal point in their development. Songs like \u201cOut of Control,\u201d \u201cStories For Boys\u201d and \u201cShadows And Tall Trees\u201d that would later appear on their 1980 debut Boy<\/em> were just coming into focus. Early songs they\u2019d later deem unworthy of release such as  \u201cCartoon World\u201d and \u201cStreet Mission\u201d were still in the set, but most intriguing is the presence of \u201cIn Your Hand\u201d and \u201cConcentration Cramp.\u201d Neither song has ever been heard before (though \u201cConcentration Cramp\u201d is very similar in structure to \u201cLive My Life Tonight,\u201d another early U2 song) and it\u2019s possible this recording is the only place where they appear on tape. The full recording from this show hasn\u2019t been released, but you can hear samples of \u201cIn Your Hand\u201d and \u201cConfrontation Camp\u201d right here.<\/p>\n