Disco de Wire: “On the Box: 1979”

Although I was a fan of Wire from the first single, I didn't get to see them live until their second phase; nor was there much footage of them ever broadcast. So this hourlong live-in-the-studio session from the German TV show Rockpalast would be an intiguing document in any event, but it's so much more: a very strong performance from the band at its peak, half of the set previewing still-unrecorded songs that would appear on '154'; good image quality, with camerawork that is far better that the usual for bands on TV; and a display of unhinged art punk in a hilarious studio environment, and with an audience, that looks as though it had never heard of punk until that moment and doesn't know how to take it. Despite Lewis's jumpsuit and Elvis/mullet do, and Newman's skinny tie, Wire doesn't come across as dated at all.

If you're a fan, don't miss this. If you're not, it's an excellent place to start.

First of all, if you aren't a fan of Wire, chances are that you may have stumbled across this "On the Box: 1979" not knowing what it is. For some reason, there is no listing for this when you search for "Wire" in any category. This is a DVD/CD release of the legendary post-punk group Wire.

Finally a glimpse into the first version of Wire's career. One of the greatest bands that kept changing, is seen here towards the end of the 70's playing live between the release of their second album "Chairs Missing" and the phenomemal "154." If you are familiar with their material, it is very cool to see that live, the songs aren't that far from the studio versions. It is however clear that the gap between the audience and the band was growing. A majority of the crowd appear to be less than interested in performance. I don't know if the studio audience of Rockpalast was a random selection of fans of the TV program, or if it was filled fans aware of the act that was performing. Either way, it isn't a surprise to find that in just over a year later, the band would shock their fans with their live performance at The Electric Ballroom, as captured on "Document and Eyewitness" (see the liner notes from "Document and Eyewitness"). The divide between the group and the live audience had then reached it's limit.

The genius of Wire still amazes me. No other post-punk band even comes close. If you are a fan of post-punk music and/or new to Wire, get this release.

This is one of the things of 2004 to have. Wire didn't play a lot of shows in America during the 1970s so this is a good chance to see what they looked like back then. It is amazing. The interview with the band is great. They are so level headed and real and devoid of rock cliches. They were one of the bands of the 1970s that really thought about what they were doing. They distilled everything great about music in their limited vision. They play songs from the first three albums. This is the holy grail for most Wire fans. They worked in their own time and space. Their music in the 1980s and 1990s was more like other bands. Only with the recent "Send" album have Wire returned to this mythic place.