U2.Com 2014 Membership Package.

[Aaron]

http://www.u2.com/news/title/classic-live-set-double-vinyl

Rare live set from 1980, now on double vinyl and digitally remastered.
Introducing our 2014/15 subscription offer.

North Side Story brought our subscribers the inside track on U2's formative years. Now this classic 1980 live set captures the sound of that young band as they head out on tour.

Recorded in a small club, with just a few hundred passionate fans, this vintage live set captures a time when the band were taking songs like The Electric Co, I Will Follow and Out of Control on the road across Ireland and the UK .

There was no internet or digital downloading in 1980 - even the CD was still to arrive - the band's debut LP Boy was released on vinyl. In keeping with that history, and in tribute to the return of vinyl, as a U2.com subscriber you'll receive this limited edition live set on two 10" vinyl albums in a bespoke gatefold sleeve.

Like it's companion piece North Side Story, this limited edition release will not be on sale online or in store.

New subscribers have the option of choosing the double vinyl OR North Side Stories, which also comes with the poster, 'Wandering In U2's Dublin', charting the band's connection to their home city over 35 years.

As well as this limited edition gift, subscribers to U2.com gain access to distinct content on the site and are first in line for ticket presales when the band head out on tour.

Subscribe or renew your subscription here.

The cover, title and tracklisting of this special release will be announced in the next few weeks. Delivery of the physical product is expected in Spring 2015.

[Aaron]

U2.COM SUBSCRIPTION PACKAGE

CLASSIC 1980 LIVE SHOW. VINYL & DOWNLOAD.
A rare live set from 1980, now digitally remastered and presented on double 10" vinyl in bespoke gatefold sleeve.

Recorded in a small club with just a few hundred in the audience, this rare live set comes from a period when the band were taking early songs like The Electric Co, I Will Follow and Out of Control on the road across Ireland and the UK.

The ideal companion to North Side Story, the definitive account of the band's Dublin rise from Out of Control to Under A Blood Red Sky (see below), this limited-edition release is only available to U2.com subscribers.

Produced on vinyl, true to the show's original vintage, you'll also be able to digitally download the entire set.

(Cover artwork, title and tracklisting to be announced. Physical delivery expected Spring 2015. Some tracks available to download in advance)

[Aaron]

This one makes me really happy.  And very nice that they are offering a download to go with the vinyl.  Now can we only hope they finally get on the FLAC wagon and give us a download that's CD quality?

[George]

This new package sounds interesting, though I'm not totally sold on it.  If it was offered alongside Northside Story instead of separately, then sure, great, it'd be on par with the From the Ground Up and Edge's Picks package.

I'm also not really interested in the vinyl.  Sure, it seems nice, but it'll really just sit on a shelf.  I won't be playing it ever.  I certainly do hope to get the downloads in lossless format for once.

[miryclay]

Here is a list of recordings from 1980 that are known to exist.

http://www.u2start.com/shows/catalogue/#tours%5B%5D=3&view=per-recording

It could be the National Stadium gig or it could be a typo and actually the Paradise from March 81'

Cartoon World from this gig was on Boy Deluxe so it is my bet.

[Aaron]

They make mention of touring across Ireland and the UK during 1980, so I'm thinking it's one of those and not a show from later in North America...if they've identified one already - u2.com has been known to change details after announcing these things.  As for shows existing, it is known that Joe O'H has been recording shows since the outset.  That list is a list of bootlegs that are known about,  but in the vault somewhere there is any number of shows that have never been released.  So it really could be something else other than what is on that list.

I find that even with CD gifts now they just sit on the shelf after i rip them the first time.  So the vinyl won't be any different in that regard.  If it's a nice package it will make me happy.

Happy to be resubscribing, but now wondering if i should re-sub now with 4 months to go on my subscription, or if i should wait and see if there's a ticket offer that pops up now for live shows, and another one that pops up when you resub? 

[miryclay]

whenever I have re-subbed earlier they just top up a year after the expiry date.

[u2hmtmkmkm]

Remember when Achtung Baby was reissued and it came with a link to a website that carried .wav and .mp3 files? I know little to nothing about sound and whathaveyou, but I assume the .wav was a lossless version, even if it wasn't .flac. Sounds like a good option to me as opposed to just downloading from U2.com where we know it's lossy.

I'm very excited for this one. Any live performance is good, but one as old and rare as that is definitely worthy of a subscriber gift.

[slaneman]

'Recorded in a small club with just a few hundred in the audience, this rare live set comes from a period when the band were taking early songs like The Electric Co, I Will Follow and Out of Control on the road across Ireland and the UK.'

This is all we have to go on so far. I would think the Dublin National gig wouldn't qualify as a 'small club'. Collectors have had that radio broadcast since forever. I'm hoping for something else. Check out the new U2Tour site to get a proper idea of where this gift set might be from, in case you haven't looked around there yet--

http://tours.atu2.com/tour/u2-3

It's nicely laid out and easy to navigate.

There's lots of possibilities, pre-Boy release, and just after... and some 'set list unknown' shows that would qualify and be amazing to hear. Most of the boots from this era have very muffled sound and speed problems due to the many generations down the years, and not pleasant to listen to..but I'm hoping for something no one's ever heard before. Like Aaron said, they have many treasures stored away. At some point, they should release more of these. Love those early shows.


I second the request---Lossless download option--PLEASE! Most of us don't have turntables, but still want the real deal. Unless you have an audiophile rig and know that you're doing, that DL is going to sound better, anyway.

[morgan1098]

The choice of double 10" vinyl is interesting. I doubt a U2 club gig in those days would have run more than 45 minutes anyway, so I'm guessing they technically could have put this on a single 12".  But it's all good. This should be a cool set.

[u2hmtmkmkm]

This is all we have to go on so far. I would think the Dublin National gig wouldn't qualify as a 'small club'. Collectors have had that radio broadcast since forever. I'm hoping for something else. Check out the new U2Tour site to get a proper idea of where this gift set might be from, in case you haven't looked around there yet--

http://tours.atu2.com/tour/u2-3

It's nicely laid out and easy to navigate.

There's lots of possibilities, pre-Boy release, and just after... and some 'set list unknown' shows that would qualify and be amazing to hear. Most of the boots from this era have very muffled sound and speed problems due to the many generations down the years, and not pleasant to listen to..but I'm hoping for something no one's ever heard before. Like Aaron said, they have many treasures stored away. At some point, they should release more of these. Love those early shows.

The description on the U2.com website states "the band's debut LP Boy was released on vinyl." If those words are to be taken literally, the album was released on October 20, 1980, according to an albeit uncited reference on Wikipedia, which puts the gift as a concert recorded between November 7 to December 2, omitting the December 3 show which was in France.

http://tours.atu2.com/tour/boy-1st-leg-europe

Interestingly, and very excitingly, all but four of these shows have unknown setlists. Those four, the November 11, 21, 26 and 28 shows have a song called Father is an Elephant (which surely has never been released officially?), however the November 26 show wasn't a full set, according to that link. November 27 also looks like a short set so I can't imagine they would be it. Either way, if the gift is from this batch of dates, it could include that rare song.

[Andrey_VI]

Vinyl in 21-st century? I'm not an antiquarian! Totally useless thing for me
Why not a CD? CDs are playable everywhere: from PCs to cars. But vinyl?
Looks like I'll have to register on e-bay soon…

[sleus]

Vinyl in 21-st century? I'm not an antiquarian! Totally useless thing for me
Why not a CD? CDs are playable everywhere: from PCs to cars. But vinyl?
Looks like I'll have to register on e-bay soon…

Yeah I expect loads of this 10" eet offered on ebay as hardly anyone has a turntable nowadays.

But I do, so I'm really happy with this gift. I love vinyl!

[PatrickM]

I simply loved it! I had such low expectations for this one, so this is really a welcome surprise.

Among the possibilities, I would love it to be the full recording from Marquee, London (September 22, 1980).

They have already released two tracks from the gig -- Boy-Girl [IWF single] and 11 O'Clock [Boy Remaster] -- so a SDB recording definitely exists. It's a UK club gig around-ish Boy Release Date and has never been bootlegged -- at least that I know of.

So, this would be perfect. Now my bar is set high on this one.

[Aaron]

I simply loved it! I had such low expectations for this one, so this is really a welcome surprise.

Among the possibilities, I would love it to be the full recording from Marquee, London (September 22, 1980).

They have already released two tracks from the gig -- Boy-Girl [IWF single] and 11 O'Clock [Boy Remaster] -- so a SDB recording definitely exists. It's a UK club gig around-ish Boy Release Date and has never been bootlegged -- at least that I know of.

So, this would be perfect. Now my bar is set high on this one.

That's one of those shows where the setlist remains in the "unknown" category despite there being a recording of it in the archives somewhere.  I'd love to see a full show with some rare pieces intact - the whole show.  No edits.  Just release it with a minimum of sonic cleanup.  Even better if it fills in some mystery such as an unknown set list.  Would be nice if they actually did revisit a few more in coming years as well.  I know i'd pay to download a couple of early shows. 

Ever since this album has been launched I've been wondering if the band is looking back at these older songs and older tours.  I wouldn't be surprised if we see some songs from "Boy" creep into the setlist this time around as fixtures on a tour.  Which is fine by me as "Boy" is still a favorite and there's some fine songs in there that I wouldn't mind hearing a few more times.