Saturday, 8 February, 1986 – Royal Court, Liverpool, England

  1. My New House
  2. Bombast
  3. L.A.
  4. Rowche Rumble
  5. Lay of the Land
  6. Hey! Luciani
  7. Couldn’t Get Ahead
  8. Hot Aftershave Bop
  9. Lie Dream of a Casino Soul
  10. Cruiser’s Creek

 

NOTES

45 minutes

Audience Audio Recording

There are a couple of versions of this available

Version 1 – Good quality audience recording. Vocal and bass dominate initially but then settles down very well. Some minimal audience chatter. Misses the opening weirdness of the intro tape.

Version 2 – Excellent audience tape – very clear throughout – (taped from the balcony by The Big Bopper)

This was a benefit gig for striking Liverpool Council workers which also featured New Order and the “other” Smiths on the bill.

This is a remarkably well recorded gig and the band are on fine form. The contemporary material is graced with a couple of older tunes. The third gig of a short UK tour before a trip to the States. This was a fine line-up of the band the core of Hanley/Scanlon/Burns added to by tones and textures of Rogers keyboards and Brix’s melodic guitar lines.

On the first version I have the opening from the “Mansion” riff, I assume on tape, is unfortunately cut short this is followed by good versions of a trio from “This Nations Savings Grace”. The alternate recording reveals the opening tape. The back catalogue is effectively mined with an exceptionally brash reading of “Rowche Rumble” featuring some effective yelping from Mr Smith. This is followed by an amazingly speedy version of “Lay of the Land”. Refreshing also to hear a guitar led take on “Hey Luciani” which is more rocky than later versions with Brix playing a key role in delivering a middle 8 guitar riff piece,

Very fast version of “Couldn’t get ahead” is followed by a lengthy “Hot Aftershave Bop” again both more intense than later version – interesting combination of three guitars giving the band a more orchestral sound. Back four years then to Wigan and a band that had seconds before was in danger of slipping into rawk mores gets back to the core of its being with a tour-de-force charge through “Lie Dream” – suitably charged and challenging apart from the awful synth patch Rogers chooses for the break in the middle which is a little weedy.

It finishes with a very good version of “Cruisers”.

All in all a good gig – useful to have as a clear recording of this line-up.