Friday, 13 June, 1980 – Effenaar, Eindhoven, The Netherlands 

  1. S.Mithering
  2. How I Wrote Elastic Man
  3. City Hobgoblins
  4. In My Area
  5. Totally Wired
  6. No Xmas for John Quays
  7. Impression of J. Temperance
  8. Flat of Angles
  9. New Puritan
  10. A Figure Walks
  11. Dice Man
  12. New Face in Hell

NOTES

As far as is known only this date survives from the tour. This is unique due to the presence of Steve Davies on drums or more appropriately percussion on some of the tracks. Its readily apparent that Davies has had little rehearsal time and does not possess Paul Hanleys dexterity in the percussion area. Hanley was absent doing his school examinations. We are left with the band playing over some rather lumpen drumming or madness on Bongoes, several dropped beats and the sound resolving into a mad mix between the Glitter Band and that band that did “My Sharona”. At one point during “John Quays” Smith yells “…and the drummer better get the f***ing beat right”.

Having said that this is an entertaining evening because of its peculiarity. Smith spends quite a deal of time advising the audience on the numbers. An altogether insane early version of “Stop Mithering” leads into a jaunty “Elastic Man”, this is followed a reasonable take on “Hobgoblins” which misses Hanleys touch. “In my area” features the bongo madness of Steve Davies and is very strange indeed. A Glitter Band version of “Totally Wired” sort of gets there.

“John Quays” is madness personified – rhythmically all over the place but uniquely compelling. Davies manages to get the martial beat on “J Temperance” just about right. Oddly Hanley and Scanlon seem slightly off the pace and only manic keyboard scribbles from Riley hold it together.

“Flat of Angles” hangs together quite well and is followed by a dense and memorable reading of “New Puritan”. Davies, again, cannot handle the rhythm of “A Figure Walks” and there is an odd mixture of him being exactly on the beat but struggling at other times. The version of “Dice Man” is completely unlike any version I have ever heard – again it seems to work in this peculiar alternative form.

Smith intones “Its Gramme Friday 13, 13” before the band – again bongoed up – stumbles through “New Face in Hell”.

Essential due to the unique nature of the line-up and the oddness of the performance but hardly the group at their best.

Support was from the band Nasmak (thanks to Dannyno for sourcing this)