Wire on the Box is a cd/dvd release of a 1979 performance by the cerebral English art-punk band Wire on a German television program called Rockpalast in front of a seemingly befuddled studio audience. It’s a terrific performance that captures the band about six months before the release of their 3rd and final album of their first phase. That record featured material that heavily relied on Eno-style atmosphere and art-punk mood pieces, but the versions of the songs performed here are more aggressive and pissy, in keeping with their class of ’77 origins. The only drawback is that there’s only one song from their classic debut Pink Flag performed (the title track). Even though the album was only about 16 months old at that point, Wire apparently felt they’d left that sound behind and considered the album nostalgia.

The audience for this performance don’t seem to have a clue what they’re seeing for the most part – they certainly don’t look like the type of crowd that would be lining up to see a cultish punk band in 1979. At the end of each song, the cameras scan the crowd to show a small group of seated Germans clapping politely and looking more than a little nonplussed.

Here's the story (can you tell, I'm dying to tell it? lol). Over ten years ago I made a cassette of all the Gitane Christian Death tracks, created some home-made artwork, christened it 'Life In Death' and passed copies around to some of my friends (I used to make a lot of cassette comps and pass them around back then). One of my friends who got a copy is a prominent NYC goth DJ and has numerous connections (including Gitane). When Gitane and Rozz toured together back in the mid 90s, he arranged to have them stay with him when the tour passed through NYC. Before they left for the next city, my friend gave my cassette to Gitane and she thought the idea was so great, she took it to her label (I don't think it's on Cleopatra) and had the comp pressed for real and kept the name I came up with for it. The track order was rearranged and two new live tracks that I didn't have were added in place of two others that featured Valor's voice a little too prominently (Gitane hated him at the time), but it's pretty much the same thing. The only problem I have with this entire story is that when my friend gave Gitane my tape, he took all the credit, that bum. But that's okay, we're still friends today.