Tonight will be the first gig for me for 2025. 999 closing the annual 100 Club Resolution Festival. I would have done more nights were it not for the fact that Gunta and I were in Istanbul in the middle of it. Actually, it was my intention to see TV Smith on Thursday (the opening night), trouble was I remembered on Friday! Is that an age thing or a symptom of a cluttered mind?
Not the greatest recording soundwise, but a great set for sure and not uploaded before.
FLAC: https://we.tl/t-Bcrp0zUygW
Artwork: https://we.tl/t-Py8EmLYkcg
I received this DVD in a trade last week... a trade! I haven't done one of those in the longest time. To be honest I was not aware that this was in circulation. I had seen some of the excellent RockPop footage that appears here on other compilations (Buzzcocks, The Rezillos), so I was hopeful that the quality of the footage on this compilation would be comparable and it is! The only critisism I would have is that throughout, the programme designers included a TV screen through which the footage is seen.. a watching television on television effect. I guess that this was just another case of programme producers experimenting with early video technology that was coming into play in the late '70s/early '80s, which with hindsight does nothing to enhance the audiences viewing experience, if anything the outcome is percisely the opposite. That notwithstanding, the footage is excellent, opening with a 'Nice 'N' Sleazy' that I had never seen before.
Most of the footage featured sits reasonably comfortably on a 'Punk & New Wave' compilation. There are some exceptions.... Cheap Trick for one. For some reason over many years that band have quite often cropped up on new wave compilations... to my ears they are American college rock, a long way from New Wave, regardless of whether you are considering New Wave from a US or UK perspective. I guess the cover of 'Since You've Been Gone' by Cherie and Marie Currie gets a foot in the door by virtue of the former having been a member of The Runaways.
Some of the other stuff is just interesting to see. John Foxx's Ultravox side by side with the Midge Ure version, Toyah's 'Neon Womb' from 'Sheep Farming In Barnet', the best song the band ever recorded and a typically madcap showing from Devo.
Aside from the 'new' Stranglers' footage my highlight is the inclusion of 'Die Roboter' by those Dusseldorf funsters, Kraftwerk. Brilliant to watch!
DVD Disc Image: https://we.tl/t-ebcPWqlIDB
Artwork: https://we.tl/t-q4EZDxiVr6
So now we conclude this six year journey with The Jam. Listen to all six uploads and it is quite evident how the band changed musically.... philosophically I think they were very consistent throughout. Here they are in the US, Long Island I believe. The sound is again excellent. The audience seems to be well into it or perhaps it is just the over-enthusiastic bloke, in close proximity to the taper, whooping and hollering throughout that gives a false impression! Elsewhere in the recording Weller chastises some of the audience seemingly not sufficiently engaged with what's occuring onstage.
FLAC: https://we.tl/t-DAqSO95cFV
Artwork: https://we.tl/t-ySP3ELn4mi
A very listenable gig from a mini-tour in the Summer of '81. Another great set, obviously incorporating much 'Sound Affects' material as well as the darker, tumultuous single 'Funeral Pyre'.
FLAC: https://we.tl/t-U7rmDPBIYs
Artwork: https://we.tl/t-apxZdzrKWk
Please note that the FLAC file in this post has been replaced by a speed corrected version. Many thanks for the correction!
Ok, so it's 1979 and The Jam are on top of the world. This gig, coming only six months after the earlier posted Manchester Apollo gig, has a very similar set list with 'Strange Town' now added. This sounds like a recording from the desk. Great stuff indeed! Thanks to the original uploader.
WAV: https://we.tl/t-SCFsbpnG4P
Artwork: https://we.tl/t-pbp6G7ei1P
