WIRE - Document and Eyewitness

LP + 12" EP Rough Trade Records 1981
CD reissue The Grey Area of Mute 1991 with bonus tracks



"Document and Eyewitness is a live album by the post-punk band Wire. It marked the end of the first period of Wire's activity and the end of their association with EMI. The Notre Dame Hall show records Wire after the tour to support 154, tired of playing the same old songs and continually moving forward. Of the seven songs, three were never recorded by Wire and the rest were captured as B-sides and other ephemeral recordings. The Electric Ballroom show documents a band revelling in their (artistic) freedom, creating a surreal and challenging show that not only included almost all new material, but also a Dadaist cabaret including a moving 6'x12' sheet behind which the band performed, assorted headdresses and props, and an MC, Wire's manager Mick Collins, who tried to keep control of proceedings. The show was performed before a restive punk crowd who were little appeased by a version of 12XU (edited down to a 15 second fragment for this release) and reacted with a thrown bottle during the unnamed instrumental.
The recording was made on an eight track tape recorder that was set up incorrectly, resulting in a distorted two track mix. The live version of Heartbeat was recorded in Montreux in March 1979 when Wire supported Roxy Music. The original vinyl release was a double with the Notre Dame Hall and Montreux tracks on one record and the Electric Ballroom tracks on the other. Our Swimmer and Midnight Bahnhof Cafe were originally released on Rough Trade as a 7" single (RT79) and are bonus tracks on Mute's CD reissue".
(Wikipedia)

"By 1980 Wire's contract with EMI had broken down and the band decided to 'challenge' the audience at what was to be their final gig in five years. What ensued was a set of chaotic, partially improvised pieces alongside rather dubious performance art. Although it's quite interesting to read about this part of Wire's history, it's not quite the same thing to actually listen to it. The Electric Ballroom set borders on the shambolic and the audio recording is close to bootleg quality. At times it's like being witness to a musical car crash - engaging, but perhaps not for the right reasons".
(Craig Grannell, wireviews.com)

ENJOY


Our Swimmer