- Hip Priest
- Wings
- Just Step S’ways
- I’m into CB
- Fantastic Life
- Surrogate Mirage
- Who Makes The Nazis?
- Mere Pseud Mag Ed
- The Classical
- Solicitor in Studio
- Hexen Definitive
- And This Day
- Middle Mass
- Jawbone and the Air Rifle
- Deer Park
NOTES
91 minutes
Audience Audio recording
There are two versions of this available. The first has only got the gig from Wings onwards and seems to be running a bit fast speedwise there is some tape slip and wow and flutter. The second appears to be a cleaned up version, The sound is appreciably superior, has more bass definition and appears to be correct in terms of speed. There are some tape distress sounds in places, and some audience chatter.
Starts badly with some weird tape noises and some serious wow and flutter but soon settles. The bass is up front, and the drums clear, Smith is a little distant. I would guess the taper is close to Steve Hanleys amp. “Hip Priest” is delivered in a sort of relaxed way not really pushing the envelope. “Wings” – in its early form and second known live performance – is delivered at breakneck speed and is excellent. “Just Step Sideways” is again very fast, some drum problems at the beginning, but aside from that a refreshing revision to the lyrics.
Before “CB” Mark suggests that “the boys” are “a bit ropey tonight because they believe everything they read about themselves”. This reading of the song about CB lasts a fair while due to extended intro over the chiming guitar riff and a Smiths invoked extended coda. “Fantastic Life” is indeed fantastic and lasts a draining nigh on seven minutes with exemplary interventions from Steve H. This is a glorious racket and is highly recommended.
We are then treated to the first and only documented live performance of the rare “Surrogate Mirage” however before it starts Mark wants the lights to be “given a bit of a rest” – its a peculiar little piece with a speedy opening which then morphs into a slow brooding number with keyboard sounds – there’s a short chorus which sounds, in melodic terms at any rate, like an early version of the chorus to “Kurious Oranj”.
“Nazis” is delivered with particular crispness and features excellent vocal dynamics from MES. The drummers nearly start “The Classical” but “Pseud Mag Ed” starts next. An oddly understated version for some reason but having said that still well delivered. “The Classical” flies in a mess of rolling drums and tinny guitar over a bed Hanley S with MES repeating the f-face line. The vocals sort of get lost in the overall noise. “Solicitor” is well performed.
A short and very primal version of “Hexen Definitive” acts as a calming introduction to another mammoth reading of “And this Day” which suffers from an early tape flip but this does not detract from an intense delivery of this fan’s favourite.
A memorable “Middle Mass” mutates mesmerically into rolling and tumbling angst ridden polemic and a jaunty “Jawbone” is a jarring juxtaposition. The whole wonderful affair is capped off with a massive rendition of “Deer Park”.
This gig is special for the only performance of “Surrogate Mirage” but regardless of that the performance is particularly vital once Smith has ironed out the initial wrinkles.