Live at the Bradford is the official video of the two farewell shows of post-punk

Post-punk

Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...

 group Mission of Burma

Mission of Burma

Mission of Burma is an American post-punk band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1979. The band was formed by Roger Miller , Clint Conley , Peter Prescott and Martin Swope...

 held at the Bradford Hotel in 1983.

Background

In 1983, the post-punk band Mission of Burma performed two farewell shows at the Bradford Hotel in Boston

Boston

Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

. The band was calling it quits due to guitarist Roger Miller

Roger Miller (rock musician)

Roger Miller is an American singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist best known for co-founding the groups Mission of Burma and Alloy Orchestra.His main instruments are guitar and piano...

's worsening tinnitus

Tinnitus

Tinnitus |ringing]]") is the perception of sound within the human ear in the absence of corresponding external sound.Tinnitus is not a disease, but a symptom that can result from a wide range of underlying causes: abnormally loud sounds in the ear canal for even the briefest period , ear...

(ringing in the ears).

As the only official video from Burma's early period, Live at the Bradfordwas Directed by film director Paul Rachman and Produced by Jim Coffman, the band's former manager. The performance was short when compared to the actual shows (which were typically two long sets each), the sound in the video is low quality, the editing amateurish (3 cameras, and filmed from stage left), and the video quality is grainy and oversaturated.

Despite its limitations, it is a rare peek back in time to the heyday of Boston's local music scene. Live at the Bradford offers a glimpse of what a live Mission of Burma performance back in the day was all about. With energy, sweat and stage divers galore, plus unforgettable live versions of "Fun World" and "Revolver".

On March 18, 2008, Matador Records released the full set as a DVD accompanying the remastered "The Horrible Truth About Burma (OLE 732-2)." This DVD includes the VHS version for posterity. The early set from the Bradford is also available as a companion disc to the studio album "VS. (OLE 731-2)."

Track listing

1. "That's How I Escaped My Certain Fate"
2. "Mica"
3. "Outlaw"
4. "Peking Spring"
5. "He Is, She Is"
6. "Go Fun Burn Man"
7. "Fun World"
8. "Max Ernst"
9. "Secrets"
10. "That's When I Reach For My Revolver"
11. "Academy Fight Song"

Full track listing for complete live set at the Bradford

1. "This Is Not A Photograph"
2. "Mica"
3. "He Is, She Is"
4. "Outlaw"
5. "Peking Spring"
6. "Trem Two"
7. "Go Fun, Burn Man"
8. "Fun World"
9. "Blackboard"
10. "See My Friend"
11. "Max Ernst"
12. "That's How I Escaped My Certain Fate"
13. "Einstein's Day"
14. "Dumbbells"
15. "That's When I Reach For My Revolver"
16. "Secrets"
17. "Academy Fight Song"