Add this to your collection of rare, early U2 audio clips. This is U2 performing “Out Of Control” at the Dandelion Market in August 1979. The sound quality is pretty darn good for a recording that’s just surfaced now, some 32 years later.
The audio comes from Pete McCluskey, who was in the Irish Independent this weekend sharing a photo from backstage at a different gig when his band, The Strougers, opened for U2.
By the way, this Dandelion gig is one of those where the date isn’t certain. On Pete’s video, he lists it as August 11, 1979. But when I interviewed Chas de Whaley a couple years ago for U2-A Diary, de Whalley was certain that the gig happened on August 4th, because he was in town that weekend to record the songs that later showed up on the U2-3 EP.
But nevermind the exact date uncertainty — it’s a really unique piece of audio from way back when.
UPDATE: We now have confirmation that the gig did happen on August 11th, and the Howth performance was on August 10th, instead. We’ll update out site to reflect that.