"The best captive
audience I ever played to. I bet you've all got piles from sitting down
too much."
Gathering together
live recordings from an era when bands in general, and young bands in
particular, were hardly ever committed to tape is a tricky task, one
littered with expectation and danger. For a set such as this, two main
requirements - historical importance & quality - have to be
balanced. It's not an exact science and is bound to draw a range of
reactions. "Live 76" is a bold undertaking.
The boxset itself is
beautifully designed & packaged, complete with a replica
Glitterbest promo handout, making it a unique and lush item to possess.
Onto the music itself.
HM Prison Chelmsford is the jewel in the crown. This particular gig,
recorded by soundman Dave Goodman, seemed to be the one that Dave (RIP)
himself wanted to keep under wraps in its purest form. He had overseen
a release in the U.S. in 1990 and chose to overdub crowd noises,
rioting and fake 'Johnny Rotten' dialogue between songs. It was a dog's
breakfast. What possessed him to do this is unknown. Anyway, here it is
as it should be, and it's brilliant. A strong sound quality gives life
to the band's performance, and one of the best recorded early examples
of what made John Rotten unlike any other performer before or since.
His jibes at his "captive" audience are both confrontational and witty
at the same time. The inmates pick up on this and clearly enjoy the
banter. John connects with them and a potentially hostile gig is
enjoyed by band and prisoners alike. It provides a fascinating insight
into John's ability to manage a crowd, and at such a young age. This
may be the definitive 1976 live recording of the Sex Pistols, or
anybody else for that matter.
The Manchester Lesser
Free Trade Hall 4th June show is one of the most talked about gigs in
rock 'n' roll history, with TV / radio documentaries & accompanying
book dedicated to the event. 'I Swear I Was There' was the reported cry
of a generation of inspired punters who would go on to forge a
Manchester music scene that would itself impact globally. Copies of
this Pistols performance have circulated seemingly forever in tape
trading networks in a variety of qualities, making pinning down the
best one a nightmare. Whatever the opinion of the rough nature of the
recording, it is listenable,
and on historic grounds alone it's vital
that it is included.
At
the Screen on the
Green, Islington gig on 29th August, the Pistols were supported by The
Clash and Buzzcocks making their London debut. Another landmark gig in
the evolution of punk rock. Although previously released back in 2002
as part of the 'Sex Box' collection, its inclusion here is a
no-brainer. How could it be left off a '76 live collection? The warts
'n' all recording contains the excitement of a band in the ascendancy,
their natural - almost casual - aura of chaos evident when John
breaks a tooth on his microphone during No Lip, then asks "can you
find my tooth.. it fuckin' hurts". It could only be the Sex Pistols.
Burton On Trent 76
Club 24th September, is by far the most commonly available recording in
this collection. It has seen the light of day on numerous bootlegs and
semi-official releases, often chopped up with re-arranged set lists,
and even incorrectly labelled as other gigs. Now, for the first time in
an official capacity, you know what you've got. The disc also boasts an
excellent sleeve at long last; 'Double Diamond' brewery artwork, in
honour of Burton's finest produce. It's also a quality recording. I'd
not listened to the show for a long, long time, and had forgotten how
well the Pistols' sound had been captured on this particular evening. A
hard working, focused unit, putting across their brand of music to a
still largely unfamiliar audience; but an eager crowd who are sensing
something new. And judging by the reaction, they are quickly catching
on.
While the very nature
of Live '76 makes it nigh on impossible for the collection to be
faultless, there is no denying it is a damn fine retrospective of what
made the Pistols so important & challenging way back in 1976. A
good looking one as well. Buy it.
Review by Phil
Singleton
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