1983 saw the release of Killing Joke's 'Fire Dances' album, which whilst not necessarily one of their best albums, in its defence in the discography it does sit in between two of the band's titan albums, 'Revelations' (1982) and 'Night Time' (1985). Anyway here are KJ promoting the album in Geneva. There was some uncertainty as to the correct date of this gig. The cassette that I had many years ago stated September (with the exact date unknown). A peruse of Discogs earlier threw up a bootleg cassette with the date of 26th November 1983. The issue was settled by the https://killingjokeconcerts.blogspot.com/ website that includes specific mention of the squat gig taking place on 26th November 1983.
FLAC: https://we.tl/t-rEpKJc2eHa
Artwork: https://we.tl/t-LZ72AyMMc6
Here is a great quality recording of The Specials in Berlin promoting the 'Encore' album. There was an occasion when I saw them play at The Troxy in 2014. It was a gig I came away from absolutely crestfallen. I said at the time that it was like watching a band that had had the heart ripped out of it (of course there are some who say that with Jerry Dammers absent The Specials reformed had no heart to start with ... I was not one of those). However, the Troxy gig was a low for me after the thrilling five years of gigs that preceded it. At that time, Neville had gone and so had Roddy and it was clear where the band were trying to fill in the substantial gaps left in their wake.
After lockdown or during one of the brief windows of lockdown respite, I can't remember which, The Specials returned, playing the Roundhouse in September 2021. I was apprehensive with memories of the night at the Troxy still in my head. If anything, there was the potential for things to be even worse (in the interim we had lost Brad)... but it didn't turn out that way at all. Since 2019, the band had released a second album of new material, 'Protest Songs'. Thus with two albums worth of new material, the gig was out of this world. Despite the fact that the six originals of 2009 were now down to three, the inclusion of new material propelled the band into a new era of lyrical defiance of many of the world's injustices. Sadly this new era was short lived as Terry Hall succumbed to cancer little over a year later in December 2022.
I am so glad that the Specials and I parted on such a high since, regardless of my love of The Stranglers, The Specials remain as the most important band to have emerged through the '70s and early '80s.
Thanks to the original uploader on 'Live Bootlegs'.
MP3: https://we.tl/t-xEyYqJd0oN
Artwork: https://we.tl/t-0xk3Jb7VSo
Seeing that today is St Patrick's Day here's the craic from Belfast from back in the summer. Stiff Little Fingers hosting the 'Putting The Fast In Belfast' punk all-dayer, an event that has become an annual fixture in the city. This billing was interesting, what with PiL and Sham 69 sharing the stage. As I remember there was bad blood some years ago between Johnny and Jimmy, to the extent that they made some tabloid column inches after a couple of punches were thrown in London back in 2005. 6 Music reported the incident.... why didn't The Proclaimers wade in one asks?!
'Punk punch-up!
Handbags at dawn between Jimmy Pursey and John Lydon.
24 Aug 05 - Punk legends John Lydon and Jimmy Pursey came to blows outside the US embassy as they queued for visas.
There has been bad blood between the pair since the Seventies - and things came to a head this week as they waited outside the embassy at 0730.
Former Sex Pistol Lydon ignored Pursey's offer to shake hands and threw coffee over him, while the Sham 69 singer responded by kicking his punk rival. Bizarrely, The Proclaimers were also there and witnessed the whole thing before armed policemen intervened to calm the situation.
Pursey was waiting for a visa so he could travel to New York for a benefit gig in aid of the CBGBs club. He told 6 Music the scrap was like being back at school.
He said: "It would be like standing in the dinner queue with someone that you don't really get on with when you're at school. Suddenly, it just turned into him and his mate throwing coffee at me, then it just went from bad to worse with the armed guards luckily interpersing the whole thing. One of them, thank God, know knew who we both were."
He continued: "It's not every day you get a guy with a submachine gun round your head telling you he's a Sham 69 fan."
Lydon meanwhile dismissed Pursey's claims.
He told The Sun: "All the usual low-rent and lies. He's not fit to be in the same sentence as me. What do you expect from a low-rent fake mockney two-bob runt?"
Jody Thompson.'
The Sun
One from 2008's 'FortyTwoForty' tour, this time from the not often visited rock 'n' roll town of Douglas on the Isle of Man. Quite a nice sounding recording this one. Many thanks to whoever it was that was kind enough to send this through to me many moons ago.
FLAC: https://we.tl/t-MQ3DkfVF53
Artwork: https://we.tl/t-cIdeWqjNPB
Whatever you do don't catch the bass players eye! Liverpool 2012 and someone has rather unwisely lobbed a pint at Burnel. This action was unwise on two counts... one, only a fool would pay O2 Academy beer prices only to throw it at the stage and two, it's a sure fire way to get the bass players dander up! The clip has been on Youtube for some years now and indeed some manner of retribution for that ill advised act was meted out to the culprit at the front of the stage.
Shame really to do such a thing, especially when the band are part way through a particularly enjoyable set as was the case on the 2012 tour when the band had a new album to promote.
FLAC: https://we.tl/t-SsgFVu4MO3
Artwork: https://we.tl/t-xxT054lKzi
Today (15th March 2026) Howard Devoto celebrates his 74th birthday. Happy birthday Howard! That is as good an excuse that I need to post some Magazine. Not satisfied with putting Manchester on the punk map with Buzzcocks, in a manner that truly embodied the spirit of punk Devoto upped and left Buzzcocks as soon as they had a record out. I would imagine that nobody could second guess where he was going next on the musical front! 'Real Life', punk meets prog.... completely different to anything that his contemporary musicians of the first wave of punk were going and all the more brilliant for that. I must make it one of the Top 30 'spotlight' albums in the coming weeks.
This short set recorded in Vienna saw Howard and Co. playing at the prestigious Konzerthaus as support to Patti Smith.
Thanks to the original Dime uploader (unknown).
FLAC: https://we.tl/t-avyBtXUuVh
Artwork: https://we.tl/t-h7EdfDmVrc
