We are sure it hasn't escaped your attention that Wire has a new album coming out (we told you about it here first anyhow!) or that the unfeasibly long list of gigs adorning the front page of pinkflag.com might possibly include somewhere you might be able to get to (tickets for some shows are selling way faster than usual so make sure you don't miss out) with the exception of some North American West coast dates that didn't get announced yet. However what might have escaped your attention is that there will be an exclusive free gift with the first 2000 copies of mail order sales of *Red Barked Tree*. The EP entitled *Strays* will consist of 4 stage favourites recorded (in Resident Studio) by the *all star* line up of "current" Wire including BOTH Margaret McGinnis AND Matt Simms. The 4 tracks (currently being "corralled") are - Underwater Experiences/ He Knows/ German Shepherds & Boiling Boy. Each of these tracks has had a very healthy stage life but with the exception of "Boiling Boy", which is much changed, none have ever got the proper "studio" treatment. The EP will be available as a physical CD in a poly-bag only. It doesn't matter what format is ordered although to make it fair to everyone we will charge postage.
[image 6 200x200]The digital version of "Red Barked Tree" will be available from 20th December. The CD will be available from 10th January with vinyl soon after. And you can pre order RIGHT NOW - from Pinkflag Mail Order
*Wire legal bootleg series - the next batch*As you read this the 2nd batch of the Legal Bootleg Series is ready for download. This has taken a little longer than planned (actually only just over a month more) but it's all down to good reasons and well now it's here! As with the previous one it comprises a 70's show, an 80's show & a 00's show.
They are -
*Wire: 10 Nov 1979 Jeannetta Cochrane Theatre, London (pfb02)*
01. Crazy About Love
02. Remove For Improvement
03. The Spare One
04. Two People in A Room
05. Lorries
06. Underwater Experiences
07. A Blessed State
08. Ally In Exile
09. Over My Head
10. Our Swimmer
11. On Returning
In the annals of Wire history the 4 nights at the Jeannetta Cochrane Theatre in London are legendary. Wire in both performance art & rock band modes in a striking, angular set designed by students at what was then theatre wing of The Central School of Arts (now part of the University of Arts, London). Had the band had the resources, this would have been a great gig to have recorded for posterity. However to our knowledge only one recording exists of the show (on the 11th) and it has been a labour of love to find the copy closest to the source of that recording. Frustratingly we have never been able to track down the original but this is way better than anything out there.
*Wire: 01 Dec 1987 The Town & Country, London (pfb 803)*
01. Silk Skin Paws
02. Cheeking Tongues
03. Freefalling Divisions
04. Ahead
05. Come Back In Two Halves
06. Madman's Honey
07. Over Theirs
08. Kidney Bingos
09. Follow The Locust
10. A Serious of Snakes
11. It's A Boy
12. Boiling Boy
13. Drill
14. Ambitious
15. A Vivid Riot Of Red
The last show of Wire's most extensive year of touring during the ’80s, featuring material from "The Ideal Copy" but also debuting much from from the yet to be recorded "A Bell is a Cup". Wire in transition to full ’80s pomp!
*Wire: 19 Apr 2002 Fleece & Firkin, Bristol (pfb 003)*
01. DJ Fuckoff
02. Read & Burn
03. Germ Ship
04. Mr. Marx's Table
05. First Fast
06. The Agfers of Kodack
07. Comet
08. In The Art Of Stopping
09. Spent
10. I Don't Understand
11. Lowdown
12. Pink Fla
The warm up to the ATP headlining shows of 2002 this was the debut of whist was to become the "Send Set" played to much effect throughout the world over the following 2 years. The final form is however not reached as the show opens with a version of "DJ Fuckoff" on which every band member played guitar!
As we are in a period of promotion to a much wider audience than even this esteemed publication reaches, don't be surprised to see Wire popping up in different places. Both The Guardian and Quietus will be streaming the album ahead of release, Marc Riley will have us in for a session in early Jan by which time you'll have hopefully read a fair few column inches about the album.
There is also plenty more planned beyond the current NZ/AUS/GB/EU/NA tour on the live side. Some summer festivals are starting to confirm. This year we are making a specific effort to play more UK festivals.
*And finally* This newsletter and the website are complimentary resources. To keep abreast of Wire and and all its doings, we recommend checking pinkflag.com regularly as well as being signed up to this mailing list. All the best, Pinkflag