Wire (Birmingham 15/11/11)

[Castle brown]

Just wondered if anyone else was there last night, I thought they were brilliant awesome rhythms fantastic sound and did anyone capture the play list?

[Bobinblack]

Missing Sunday's gig in Leeds thanks to some bloody convention going on somewhere

[theraven1979]

Likewise good job they're doing Sheffield

Jim

Missing Sunday's gig in Leeds thanks to some bloody convention going on somewhere

[Hugh in Black]

Jim - you going to Wire @ The Plug, Sheffield, tomorrow?

[theraven1979]

RIght now my heart says "YES!!!!!" but my liver says "No fuckin way" - If I'm not there have a top one mate - I like the Plug it's a good venue.

Jim

Jim - you going to Wire @ The Plug, Sheffield, tomorrow?

[ThruBeingCool]

I'll be in Sheffield tomorrow for the Hillsborough benefit gig - lets meet up!

[Hugh in Black]

OK, managed to get to see Wire at the Plug. Despite a certain other gig going on along the street at the Leadmill the smaller of the two rooms at the Plug was packed.

They did a typically contrarian set. Few of their best known numbers and no "12XU" despite the many shouts out for it. In terms of the set, predictably five of the tracks came from the current LP: "Clay", "Please Take", "Smash", "Adapt" and "Moreover". The older songs they did were the more obscure ones. Only one track from Pink Flag (the title track for the second and final encore). Only "Another the Letter" from "Chairs Missing". And "Map Ref. 41°N 93°W" and "2 People in a Room" from "154". Only "The Boiling Boy" from "A Bell is a cup…". And a crushing version of "Drill" from that period.

Bizarrely they did nothing off "Send" and "Object 47" if my memory serves me correctly (although I could have missed one here). Strangely they played four tracks from their live album "Document and Eye Witness" from 1981, namely "Ally in Exile", "Underwater Experiences", "Witness to the Fact" and "5/10". Stranger still were the three songs ("The Spare One", "Lorries" and "Part of our History") that were recorded for "D&EW" but didn't make the LP. Very, very obscure. So typically Wire!

So a bizarre set really, but intense and absolutely captivating. Robert Grey is such a fantastic drummer. The new kid on guitar (Matt Simms of indie band "It bites back") looked like he should have been in a Seattle grunge band rather than Wire and had the most pedals I've ever seen a guitarist use. He was an excellent addition to the original members though. Graham Lewis was as muscular as ever on bass and sported a lovely military style beret. Colin was his intense and focused self at the front, barely speaking to the crowd until the encore when he muttered something about how rich he would be if he got a fiver every time "12XU" was requested at gigs.

Here's a few (crap) pictures from my phone:

[Bobinblack]

Thanks, great review that. 12XU I think is a wind-up request nowadays, cos I'v eheard him mention that fiver comment before

They're a magnificent band imho, the crimes of underrating such genius is in my mind comparable to that of which The Stranglers have tolerated for so long.

[unbroken69]

Great review and thanks for sharing your pics. Excellent band who have always just put their material `out there´and never worried about commercial failure or success. Red Barked Tree is one of the best albums of the year.

[theraven1979]

Thanks for sharing the review and pics - Gutted I missed them this time around - especially with them mixing up the setlist.

Jim

[Barracuda]

Good review and pics thanks for posting

[Hugh in Black]

No worries guys, hope you found my little mini-review enlightening. Like bobinblack and unbroken69 say, a band that is subserviant to no trend. They've always done things on their own terms. I was genuinely warmed by the number of people who were there at The Plug. A million miles from the nostalgia trip of Mick Jones et al doing Clash numbers down the road at the Leadmill but no less fascinating.