Don't you wish you had been there?

Four nights of the best the post punk world had to offer in 1979 in the bowels of the London YMCA in Tottenham Court Road. Never had been there for a gig before nor again. It was a great place to watch bands though.

The unannounced band on the first night was Echo and the Bunnymen, still with 'Echo' (their drum machine). It was one of the first gigs that they and The Teardrop Explodes had played in London. I got given a mixing desk tape of both band's performance, very unfortunately long since gone.

Joy Division? Well another powerful performance, they truly were an amazing live band and while the records are brilliant, live it was something else completely, much more visceral and raw obviously without any of Martin Hannett's studio trickery.

'Autosuggestion' (Live @YMCA)

Rema Rema were enjoyable, with Marco Pirroni on guitar and I fell in love with Max the drummer (who later released the single 'I Confess' as Dorothy on Industrial Records).

Cabaret Voltaire's performance can be heard on their 'Live At The YMCA' album. (EDIT: It was another performance at the YMCA)

Though to be honest it doesn't give justice to their sound as it was recorded on a boogie box.

What can you say about Throbbing Gristle that hasn't been said before? Well again the performance has been released (as part of the TG24 box set) but unfortunately it omits the dubbed/fucked up version of the Village People's 'YMCA' that led into their performance and featured some amusing dance poses by Genesis but the highlight for me was that night's version of the 'Chat Up' at least that is what has stayed all these years in my memory banks

Of the other bands that played Scritti Politti were as usual superb, so different to the entity that they became, this was spikey/angular music influenced by the spaces of dub and joined by Pee Wee Pasqual (AKA Ian Penman) on sax. 
Lastly Mark Perry from the Good Missionaries really pissed me off that night by smashing his guitar at the end of their set. 'We Destroy All Rock'nRoll'? Nah, just an empty cliche Mark!

The promoters 'Final Solution' (!) went on to become the promoters of choice in London for that whole post punk crew and as I sold tickets from record shops that I worked at (Bonaparte in KingsX and then Kentish Town's Honky Tonk) it meant that I could get into all the gigs for free!
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(Which I guess is the reason I couldn't remember anything about The Monochrome Set)