Recorded live at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in New Haven, Connecticut on August 27, 1986, the concert was the band's first video release and was part of the 5150 Tour, supporting the album of the same name, Van Halen's first with lead vocalist Sammy Hagar.

[3][4] All tracks are written by Edward Van Halen, Alex Van Halen, Sammy Hagar, and Michael Anthony, except where noted.Songs appear in the concert film in a sequence that differs from the original performance, and at least four songs from the live show ("You Really Got Me", "Dreams", "Good Enough", and "Wild Thing") were omitted from the film entirely.

The same performance footage that aired during the MTV VMA's continued to include "Love Walks In", further illustrating the re-arranging of the playlist order for the edited home video version.

Originally released on VHS and LaserDisc, Live Without A Net was re-released on DVD in 2004 with both Stereo and Surround Sound - Dolby 5.1 and DTS mixes.

There is an Easter egg on the 2004 DVD, a short, silent clip of a man driving a small car and playing guitar.