August 15, 1978 - Electric Ballroom, London

Trt - 31:19
Number of Songs - 9
Format - CD
Sound Quality - sonically clear yet boomy
Rating - 7.5
Official/Semi Official Release - The Vicious White Kids featuring Sid Vicious

REVIEW
This was the first solo gig and the one celebrating (?) Sid's departure from the UK with the all-star band, which helped make up the moniker of Vicious White Kids. Overall the gig is pretty good and sounds much different than the NYC gigs due to the different band. The highlight is obviously the inclusion of the song "Tight Pants" which is actually the Iggy song "Shake Appeal". The band plays much better as well, especially Glen who plays circles around Killer Kane, even though they make plenty of mistakes throughout. Apparently the band played through the set a few times yet all that has ever surfaced is this one recording, which has then been re-released in a few different versions. There is a version featuring an interview with Rat & Glen discussing the gig that is pretty interesting. I also like the interesting Sidney yelp at the end of "My Way". This is a common gig that has existed on CD for quite a few years. If only the rumored film or additional run throughs of the songs would turn up. The way that "Something Else" appears on the CD where it fades out over the beginning and then fades up makes me wonder if the full tape of the gig exists but might be flawed in parts and therefore the possessors thought they could not put it out. It sure would be a nice time to release the full version.

DRAWBACKS
There is a fade out after "I Wanna be Your Dog", and again after "Tight Pants" it fades out and then back up over the beginning of "Something Else". Many of the versions out there do not even include "Something Else". It would be nice if the complete tapes got released.

SETLIST
C'Mon Everybody
Stepping Stone
No Lip
I Wanna Be Your Dog
Belsen Was A Gas
Chatterbox
Tight Pants
Something Else
My Way

Sept 7, 1978 (Thursday) - Max's Kansas City, New York

Opening Band - Lisa Burns and the Doctors
Trt - 62:21
Number of Songs - 17 (Both Sets)
Format - LP/CD/CDR
Sound Quality - 2 versions one is pretty clear and the other is slightly distorted but not too bad
Rating - 7.5 / 7
Official/Semi Official Release - Sid Vicious Live LP / Vicious Burger LP / Vive Le Rock CD

REVIEW
This is an obviously historic night as it was Sid's first gigs in NYC and the only ones with Mick Jones on guitar (despite what all of the CD's state). Both sets are good thanks in part to Jones basically playing leads all throughout making every flub sound like a lead break, and the crowds at these gigs are really enthusiastic. There are two sources for the first gig, the one on the LP's/CD's and then the one that turned up on the Internet. Thankfully the taper of the more complete version kept great notes and the shows both took place after midnight, which contributed to the misdating over the years. Overall the gigs are average but much better than often reported.

Some of the later sets' songs are pretty bad including "Belsen Was A Gas" which starts as a shambles as does "No Lip". Someone apparently tried to lift Sid's jacket from the stage during "No Lip" to which Sid replies "We don't want you thieving, do we" . While the second set is the more rare one, the first one is definitely a better listen.

DRAWBACKS
The biggest drawback is that while this is more complete than most ever thought we would hear it is still incomplete, unfortunately on the more rare second set. The beginning of "Search and Destroy" is clipped and there is intermittent static throughout due to batteries on the recorder dying. In fact during the end of the second set the batteries die to a point that it speeds up on "Take a Chance with Me" starting at about 2:40 into the song and it goes off into static speedy hell. You can hear the song end but there is no way to tell if they played anything after that. Based on the earlier set one would guess that it was the last song. Something that isn't a drawback is that these are the only NYC Sid tapes that do not feature the infamous "yeah, yeah, yeah" guy.

SETLIST
1st set
Search and Destroy
I Wanna Be Your Dog
No Lip
Something Else
Belsen Was A Gas
Stepping Stone
Chinese Rocks
My Way
Take A Chance With Me

2nd set
Search and Destroy
I Wanna Be Your Dog
Belsen Was a Gas
No Lip
Something Else
Stepping Stone
Chinese Rocks
Take a Chance With Me

Sept 28, 1978 (Thursday) - Max's Kansas City, New York

Opening Band - Pure Hell
Trt - 60:13
Number of Songs - 17 (Both Sets)
Format - LP/CD/CDR
Sound Quality - 2 versions with shorter one being a slightly better quality.
Rating - 7.5 / 7
Official/Semi Official Release - Sid Dead Live CD (1st set tracks 11-17) / Sid Sings LP/CD (1st set tracks 4,6,7,8,9,10)

REVIEW
This is the first gig without Mick Jones and in some ways it shows, as overall it is a tad more lackluster since Steve Dior is no Mick Jones, and not even Steve New, so the songs are very straight forward and muddly since there is only the one guitar. The multiple CD releases of the 1st set are generally incomplete (tracks 11-17 on Sid Dead Live), however earlier tape versions that circulated as Sept 7th, 2nd set included the missing two songs as well as a few bonus tracks from a different set.

To get the complete first set you need either the new Internet version or the CD and the old tape version, and since they are from separate sources completists will want them both. The 28th sets are easy to spot because of the versions of "Search & Destroy" in which they count off each song, Jerry counts off the first set and Sid counts the second and actually Sid starts singing off time during the second version. Six songs from this set (Stepping Stone, Belsen, Something Else, Chatterbox, Search and Destroy, Chinese Rocks) are included on Sid Sings.

The newly surfaced second set is by far the most entertaining Sid Vicious gig available, since this night was the least attended of all the NYC shows. Therefore the setting is more intimate and you can hear Sid talking and arguing with the band and audience in between songs. During "I Wanna Be Your Dog" Sid voices his displeasure by barely singing then not singing and then screaming "No Lip-No Lip- No Lip" when Steve Dior chimes in singing a line from the song. Many of the interactions with Sid and the audience during the second set are clipped into various parts of Sid Sings. Another interesting note is the band begins playing "Chatterbox" which was not played during the Sept 7th gigs. The highlight is of course the fact that this new second set contains the version of "Something Else" featuring Chris Spedding. It was known that Spedding had played and there was a picture to prove it, but even Chris could not remember which night he jammed.

DRAWBACKS
The biggest drawback is the CD releases of the first set are not complete, and the fact that the band does not play "My Way" during either set. The overall playing is not that great during either set which can be seen as a drawback but you should know what you are getting with a Sid show. The second set contains some slight static, but it is really not that bad. The new tape version has virtually no edits and even includes the music (Squeeze) playing on the PA while the band is setting up for the second set.

SETLIST
1st set
Search and Destroy
Chatterbox
I Wanna be Your Dog
Something Else
Stepping Stone
No Lip
Belsen Was A Gas
Take A Chance With me
Chinese Rocks

2nd set
Search and Destroy
Chatterbox
I Wanna Be Your Dog
Something Else
Belsen Was A Gas
Stepping Stone
Chinese Rocks
Take A Chance With Me
No Lip
Something Else (w/ Chris Spedding)

Sept 29, 1978 (Friday) - Max's Kansas City, New York

Opening Band - The Victims
Trt - 33:47
Number of Songs - 14 (incomplete)
Format - CD
Sound Quality -
Rating - 8 / 7
Official/Semi Official Release - Sid Dead Live (1st set tracks 1-10) / Sid Sings (1st set tracks 2,3,11) / Never Mind the Reunion (2nd set tracks 11,12,13)

REVIEW
This is the first set included on Sid Dead Live and while it is very good sounding and clear, the version has been altered so it is not authentic of what the show sounded like. The date is still slightly a mystery but reviews of the 30th seem to indicate that this is the show on the 29th. There are pictures of Sid from the gig in Rikki Ercoli's book "Legends of Punk". The first set is a pretty decent one and I believe the only way to get the full four songs from the second set are on the old tape labeled as Sept 7th 2nd set, although at this point they may be popping up on various CD's. The way to identify the second sets' final "My Way" version is from the ending where it ends on a big bass bend up (as opposed to the bend down on the first set) and then Sid says, "We can't be bothered to do it all" which is different than the first set where he says "I've forgotten it".

DRAWBACKS
The biggest drawback is that Steve Dior has altered the recording and added a second guitar (possibly to substantiate the claim in the liner notes that Mick Jones is on the recording). If you listen closely you can tell that they have added the guitar on the right channel, (which is the one that features the "yeah yeah yeah" guy singing so it does help to drown him out at times), but was not the way the gig was played and therefore is a serious drawback. The other drawback is of course that the second set does not exist in its entirety. Perhaps there was a problem with the recording in the middle, and the "yeah yeah yeah" guy fixed it before "My Way", or the entire set does exists somewhere and still leaves hope for its surfacing.

SETLIST
1st set
Search and Destroy
Chatterbox
Something Else
I Wanna Be Your Dog
Belsen Was A Gas
Stepping Stone
Take a Chance With Me
No Lip
Chinese Rocks
My Way

2nd set
Search and Destroy
Chatterbox
I Wanna Be Your Dog
-
-
-
-
-
-
My Way

Sept 30, 1978 (Saturday) - Max's Kansas City, New York

Opening Band - The Victims
Trt - ?
Number of Songs - ? (Two Sets)
Format - ?
Sound Quality - ?
Rating - ?
Official/Semi Official Release - none known

REVIEW
There are various reviews that might be this gig including Ira Robbins famous review of an 8 song set, and another one that said that Sid left the stage and Nancy had to coax him back on. Hopefully something will surface someday.

DRAWBACKS
That it is not available.

SETLIST
1st set (possible)
Search and Destroy
Chatterbox
I Wanna Be Your Dog
Something Else
Stepping Stone
Belsen Was A Gas
No Lip
Chinese Rocks

2nd set (unknown)

SID SINGS (Virgin V2144) Released December 1979
Breakdown of the songs featured on the album.

1) Born to Lose - This is the version from the kid's matinee at Huddersfield, Dec 25, 1977 (w/ Sid, Paul & Steve) as mentioned in all the books such as England's Dreaming, Day by Day, etc. If you listen to the bass it is not very good and therefore sounds like Sid. It even sounds like Steve singing backups at times. It is unlikely that this came from anywhere else since it would have been played during one of the Max's sets if they had rehearsed it. Note: Sid sang two songs at the matinee, the other being "Chinese Rocks".

[Gary Luney, who owns the reel of tape from which "Born To Lose" was taken, comments: "Born To Lose" is definitely from the Huddersfield show. Both of Sid's songs are on one small reel and there is no gap between the songs, the band goes straight from one song into the other.]

2) I Wanna Be Your Dog - 1st set Sept 29

3) Take a Chance with Me - 1st set Sept 29

4) Stepping Stone - 1st set Sept 28th

5) My Way - studio version

6) Belsen was a Gas - 1st set Sept 28th

7) Something Else - 1st set Sept 28th

8) Chatterbox - 1st set Sept 28th

9) Search & Destroy - 1st set Sept 28th

10) Chinese Rocks - 1st set Sept 28th

11) My Way - 1st set Sept 29th

There are talking bits edited in from both the 28th & 29th sets, including quite a few from the second set of the 28th, although no music is included from that set. This helps at least make sense out of the fact that the LP's innersleeve shows a copy of Boogie's notes from the second set of the 28th used during compiling the LP. Until this new tape surfaced I was unsure of which night's set those notes were from. The tapes used for the LP along with the rare "Belsen" demo are probably still in the hands of Boogie, since Virgin no longer has any of them. There are also a few unidentified bits of talking which lead me to believe that the entire second set from Sept 29th, or perhaps something from the 30th, exists.

As Geant-Vert pointed out in the Dec 2003 Rock & Folk, the studio version of "My Way" is the one and only recorded take from the Paris sessions. It was the third attempted session and was recorded by sound engineer Emmanuel 'Manu' Guyot on April 10, 1978. Both Steve & Sid were in a state so the studio musicians, Claude Engel (guitar), Sauveur Mallia (bass), & Pierre-Alain Dahan (drums), laid down the initial tracks and is the only recorded take that exists. As Steve pointed out on his radio show on June 1, 2004, he then took the tapes back to the UK, added to them and that was that. Any "new" versions are merely different mixes, not different takes.