Happy St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day Hideawayheads! 

U2 - Bad (Live)

U2 - Springhill Mining Disaster (Live)

U2 - "40" (Live)

Today’s posts serve a three-fold purpose. Firstly, I gotta post some songs by an Irish Band since it’s St. Patty’s Day. Who would be better than U2? Secondly, I’ll be posting some Live U2 from 1987 when they were on their Joshua Tree tour and I’m making sure to post songs from the second disc of the live set since I’ve already burned the first disc for Buster. And as far as I can tell, he’s one of the few people who regularly downloads what I post up here. And, thirdly, these songs are dedicated to one of my oldest friends, a guy I’ve grown up with and have known literally my entire life. I just found out from his brother last night that he’s been going through a seriously rocky period in his life. So, these songs are in honor of him, especially since I first heard U2 from being around him. In fact, I went to see U2 @ Soldier Field w/ him, his brother and my brother during U2's PopMart tour.

All these songs come from the double disc bootleg set “Rock’s Hottest Ticket” which was recorded at the Rosemont Horizon arena in Chicago back in 1987. It was just after Time magazine had put them on the cover. “Bad” could very well be my all-time favorite U2 song. It sounds amazing live, and it’s just such a great song. What else is there to say? “Springhill Mining Disaster” is my St. Patty’s day tune, it’s an old Irish folk song that U2 used to regularly play in concert. I’ve got another rare bootleg version of this song with Larry Mullen Jr. singing it from my “Zoocoustica” bootleg, but he REALLY can’t sing. This version’s kinda funny because in the middle of the song Bono tells the crowd to “shut up for a second” and “stop whistling”, because he’s not in the Beatles! The third song, “40”, is the last song of the show and it’s another one of my all time favorite U2 songs. U2 used to end their concerts with this song. It is based on Psalm 40 (that’s right, King Koopa’s a man of faith). This song’s been a source of inspiration for me during some low times in my life and I’m sending it out to my buddy. I’m praying for ya bro. Here’s an excerpt from Psalm 40:

I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord….For innumberable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head; therefore my heart faileth me. Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me: O Lord, make haste to help me. Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil.