U2’s Oldest Live Concert Bootleg Uncovered By Fan Website

A small cassette tape holding audio from a 40-year-old U2 concert is now being crowned as the oldest live recording of U2. 

The show took place at Dublin's Dandelion Market on August 11th, 1979.

AtU2.com, a fan site dedicated to everything U2, acquired the tape that holds live versions of Concentration Cramp and In Your Hand.

Pete McCluskey's band, The Strougers, supported legendary rockers U2 during their 10-show run at the Dandelion Market, from May to Christmas of '79.

"I had arrived at the soundcheck and Bono was very nervous sitting in the center of the concert room, checking out the sound, as there were several A&R folk arriving for the gig that night, presumably from CBS London to check out these Irish youngsters," said McCluskey in an interview with AtU2.com.

The tape holding the relic audio almost didn't happen if it weren't for a mistake.

"I had acquired a tape machine and took it that night to record the gig, but unfortunately in my excitement managed to press play instead of record. And thus, nothing was recorded," said McCluskey.

The following day he fixed that mistake by recording that 1979 show in its entirety.

Previously, the oldest fan bootleg was a 1980 show in Tullamore, Ireland.

This 1979 concert bootleg was recorded before U2 released it's first EP, Three.

The EP featured songs like Out Of Control and a cover of Led Zeppelin's song Black Dog.

Written by Ronnie Gonzalez.