Live in London 1980
Encyclopedia
Live In London 1980 is a live album by The Fall, released in 1982 on cassette on the Chaos Tapes label. Initially a limited edition of 4000 copies, the album has since been reissued several times.
Chaos Tapes was a short-lived imprint, specialising in live material by established punk artists and releasing exclusively on the cassette format; the inner sleeve of this release advertised previous releases by the likes of Anti-Pasti
, Discharge
, Vice Squad
, Chelsea and G.B.H.
. The Fall had played 2 nights at the Acklam Hall venue (later known as Subterrania) on the 11th and 12th of December 1980, performing material from the recently released Grotesque (After the Gramme)
album as well as songs that would later appear on Slates
and Hex Enduction Hour
. Featuring the performance from the 11th, the release misidentified a handful of tracks, with "An Older Lover etc" being listed simply as "?" - although the track was unreleased at the time of the performance, Slates had been issued nearly a year prior to this cassette. Mark E. Smith
also told the NME that he felt Chaos Tapes had released the wrong recording and that the 12th had seen a better performance (as quoted in the 2004 edition sleevenotes by Daryl Easlea).
The recording is of only adequate sound quality and the performance is notably shoddy in places, with some songs badly fluffed by the group and even Smith making lyrical errors. However, it dated from a time when live albums by The Fall were not the regular occurrence they later became and the 4000-copy edition was snapped up quickly. Just a few weeks later, the group released one of their most highly regarded studio albums, Hex Enduction Hour.
in 1996, in the US only through Feel Good All Over in 1997 and then in 1999 through the group's own Cog Sinister imprint. On each of these occasions it was issued under the title The Legendary Chaos Tape. Castle Music restored the original title upon a further reissue in 2004 and added 3 more tracks taken from other contemporaneous London performances; "Cary Grant's Wedding", "Totally Wired" and "The NWRA". The sleeve does not identify the exact venues where these tracks were recorded. This edition was also released on vinyl by Italian label Earmark in 2005.
Chaos Tapes was a short-lived imprint, specialising in live material by established punk artists and releasing exclusively on the cassette format; the inner sleeve of this release advertised previous releases by the likes of Anti-Pasti
Anti-Pasti
Anti-Pasti was a British punk band, founded by vocalist Martin Roper and guitarist Dugi Bell in 1978, featuring Kev Nixon on drums and Will Hoon on bass guitar. Later they were joined by a second guitarist, Olly Hoon. Their first album, The Last Call, spent seven weeks in the UK Albums Chart,...
, Discharge
Discharge (band)
Discharge is a British hardcore punk band formed in 1977 by Terry "Tezz" Roberts and Roy "Rainy" Wainwright. They are often considered among one of the very first bands to play hardcore punk, and to mix punk with metal...
, Vice Squad
Vice Squad
Vice Squad is a punk band formed in 1978 in Bristol, England. The band formed from two other local punk bands, The Contingent and TV Brakes. Songwriter and vocalist Beki Bondage was a founding member and is currently with the band, although there was a period of time when the band had a different...
, Chelsea and G.B.H.
Charged GBH
Charged GBH are an English Street punk band, formed in 1978 by vocalist Colin Abrahall, guitarist Colin "Jock" Blyth, bassist Sean McCarthy and Drummer Andy " Wilf" Williams. GBH were early pioneers of English street punk, often nicknamed "UK82", along with Discharge, Broken Bones, The Exploited...
. The Fall had played 2 nights at the Acklam Hall venue (later known as Subterrania) on the 11th and 12th of December 1980, performing material from the recently released Grotesque (After the Gramme)
Grotesque (After the Gramme)
Grotesque is a 1980 album by The Fall. The music is a departure from that of the previous albums, 1979's Live at the Witch Trials and Dragnet. Marc Riley played organ on several tracks on the album. This was Paul Hanley's first album with the band, having joined earlier in the year aged just 15...
album as well as songs that would later appear on Slates
Slates (album)
Slates is the fourth album by The Fall, first released on the 27th April 1981 on Rough Trade Records. Containing 6 tracks and pressed onto 10" vinyl, it was eligible for neither the single nor album charts, being too long for the former and too short for the latter. However, it was included in the...
and Hex Enduction Hour
Hex Enduction Hour
Hex Enduction Hour is a 1982 album by The Fall. It was the first album to feature both Karl Burns and Paul Hanley in a two-drummer lineup and was partly recorded in Iceland during the group's 1981 visit, with the remainder being completed in a disused cinema in Hitchin, England...
. Featuring the performance from the 11th, the release misidentified a handful of tracks, with "An Older Lover etc" being listed simply as "?" - although the track was unreleased at the time of the performance, Slates had been issued nearly a year prior to this cassette. Mark E. Smith
Mark E. Smith
Mark Edward Smith is the lead singer, lyricist, frontman, and only constant member of the English post-punk band The Fall.-Early life:...
also told the NME that he felt Chaos Tapes had released the wrong recording and that the 12th had seen a better performance (as quoted in the 2004 edition sleevenotes by Daryl Easlea).
The recording is of only adequate sound quality and the performance is notably shoddy in places, with some songs badly fluffed by the group and even Smith making lyrical errors. However, it dated from a time when live albums by The Fall were not the regular occurrence they later became and the 4000-copy edition was snapped up quickly. Just a few weeks later, the group released one of their most highly regarded studio albums, Hex Enduction Hour.
Track listing
- "Middle Mass/Crap Rap"
- "English Scheme"
- "New Face In Hell"
- "That Man"
- "An Older Lover etc."
- "Slates, Slags etc."
- "Prole Art Threat"
- "Container Drivers"
- "Jawbone And The Air-Rifle"
- "In The Park"
- "Leave The Capitol"
- "Spectre Vs Rector"
- "Pay Your Rates"
- "Impression Of J Temperance"
Reissues
The album has been issued on CD 4 times. It was issued via Scout Releases/Rough TradeRough Trade Records
Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London. It was formed in 1978 by Geoff Travis who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove...
in 1996, in the US only through Feel Good All Over in 1997 and then in 1999 through the group's own Cog Sinister imprint. On each of these occasions it was issued under the title The Legendary Chaos Tape. Castle Music restored the original title upon a further reissue in 2004 and added 3 more tracks taken from other contemporaneous London performances; "Cary Grant's Wedding", "Totally Wired" and "The NWRA". The sleeve does not identify the exact venues where these tracks were recorded. This edition was also released on vinyl by Italian label Earmark in 2005.