Suicide ‎– "Live 1977-1978" (Blast First Petite ‎– PTYT 011) 2008

I dunno what you lot have done to deserve this, but Here's a six cd box set of Suicide live performances from 1977 to 1978!?
Starting off in their native New York City, where they experienced no riots, to Europe where they seemed to invoke a need in the european audience to smash things up and try to kill our favourite minimal synth-punk duo?
Like the non-interference directive in Star Trek, to avoid influencing primitive alien cultures.Sometimes it was necessary for Kirk,Bones and Spock to intervene and stear the locals away from bad habits and towards a more progressive way of life. This is what Suicide did in Belgium,appearing like aliens themselves,beaming down to civilise the 'Rock' world by ditching all rock paraphernalia .As soon as Vega and Rev interfered in Belgian affairs,that country never looked backwards.Emulating a solid state Helen of Troy, Suicide were the faces that launched a thousand minimal electronic duo's, especially in the low countries,and especially in Belgium.
Dunno how many versions of 'Rocket USA' you can stand, but it tends to take on another form the more you listen to it.....and I should know, I've listened to the whole of The Stooges Funhouse Sessions, and this is an equally surreal experience. 
The previous post had a version of the Brussels riot show on it, but here its been 'remastered' back into Mono, and seems to include an inferior version of the "21½ Minutes In Berlin" concert from 30th july(it says june here) 1978, including bleeped out naughty words.....so click here to complete your instant Suicide live collection.

Tracklisting:

DISC 1 - 1977 NYC 46:52
CBGB Sep 29 1977 24:43
1-1.1 96 Tears Intro
1-1.2 Ghostrider
1-1.3 Rocket USA
1-1.4 Cheree
1-1.5 Jonny
1-1.6 Frankie Teardrop
CBGB Dec 3 1977 Set 2 22:09
1-2.1 Ghostrider
1-2.2 Jesus Vega
1-2.3 Frankie Teardrop
1-2.4 Put A Little Love In Your Heart
DISC 2 - 1978 NYC 71:21
The Palladium Jan 7 1978 21:45
2-1.1 Rocket USA
2-1.2 Cheree
2-1.3 Dance
2-1.4 Frankie Teardrop
Max's Jan 13 1978 22:55
2-2.1 Ghostrider
2-2.2 Rocket USA
2-2.3 Cheree
2-2.4 Dance
2-2.5 96 Tears
2-2.6 Frankie
CBGB Feb 3 1978 26:41
2-3.1 Harlem
2-3.2 Ghostrider
2-3.3 Keep Your Dreams
2-3.4 Dance
2-3.5 Frankie Teardrop
DISC 3 - 1978 Belgium/France 70:42
Brussels June 16 1978 23:44
3-1.1 Ghost Rider
3-1.2 Rocket USA
3-1.3 Cheree
3-1.4 Dance
3-1.5 Frankie Teardrop
Paris Olympia June 18 1978 46:58
3-2.1 Ghostrider
3-2.2 Rocket USA
3-2.3 Cheree
3-2.4 Dance
3-2.5 Frankie Teardrop
3-2.6 Backstage
DISC 4 - 1978 Germany 68:29
Hamburg Audiomax June 28 1978 21:26
4-1.1 Rocket USA
4-1.2 Cheree
4-1.3 Harlem
Berlin Kant Kino/Neue Welt June 30 1978 22:42
4-2.1 Ghostrider
4-2.2 Rocket USA
4-2.3 Cheree
4-2.4 Harlem
4-2.5 96 Tears
Berlin Kant Kino/Neue Welt June 30 1978 Set 2 24:21
4-3.1 Ghostrider
4-3.2 Rocket USA
4-3.3 96 Tears
4-3.4 Dance
4-3.5 Harlem
DISC 5 - 1978 UK 64:17
London Music Machine July 24 1978 25:37
5-1.1 Rocket USA
5-1.2 Dance
5-1.3 Harlem
5-1.4 Cheree
5-1.5 Mr. Ray
"Our Price" Radio Ad 1978 1:09
5-2 Our Price Radio Ad
Erics Liverpool July 29 1978 31:12
5-3.1 Rocket USA
5-3.2 Cheree
5-3.3 Ghostrider
5-3.4 96 Tears
Erics Pt. 2 July 29 1978 6:19
5-4 Cum Ahead Frankie Teardrop
DISC 6 - 1978 NYC 43:35
Maxs August 25 1978 43:35
6-1.1 Ghostrider
6-1.2 Rocket USA
6-1.3 Cheree
6-1.4 Mr. Ray
6-1.5 Jonny
6-1.6 Harlem

DOWNLOAD  like a rocket usa HERE!

Suicide ‎– "21½ Minutes In Berlin / 23 Minutes In Brussels" (Red Star Records ‎– FRANKIE 1) 1978

As Snowy Red namechecked Suicide on his first album, its fair to point out the enormous influence Suicide had on certain members of the Belgian audience from that night in 1978 that prodiced the '23 Minutes over Brussels' bootleg,which ended in a Riot.Headliner Elvis Costello,was apparently none too pleased at the treatment of his support act,so played a very short and bad tempered set,causing the infamous riot.
This is how Vega and Rev were treated at most of their concert appearances,including your scribes first concert experience in Leicester 1978, supporting the Clash,and The Specials(Then called the Coventry Specials).They barely lasted twenty minutes under the shower of missles,but I thought this is what Punk is all about isn't it? Facing up to and rallying against the accepted norms,forcing change by confrontation.And Suicide put their lives on the line for their art.
The format of two blokes with a synth and a drum machine fronted by a vocalist, became normal in Belgium.The seeds Suicide sowed that night, eventually grew into New Beat, and EBM.
The Brussels gig is the most famous, but the recording made in Berlin a month later is the most listenable,with plenty of analogue echo feedback enhancing Vega's Elvis impressions and screams.
A classic act captured at their height.

A side recorded live at Neue Welt, Berlin 30 July 1978.
B side recorded live at the Ancienne Belgique, Brussels 16.6.78. 

Tracklisting:

21½ Minutes In Berlin
A1 Ghost Rider
A2 Rocket USA
A3 Cheree
A4 Harlem
A5 96 Tears

23 Minutes In Brussels
B1 Ghost Rider
B2 Rocket USA
B3 Cheree
B4 Dance
B5 Frankie Teardrop

DOWNLOAD in considerably less than 23 minutes HERE!

Suicide ‎– "1/2 Alive" (ROIR (Reachout International Records) ‎– A 103) 1981

Tragically, there's now only half of Suicide left alive!? So, appropriately, here's the classic live/studio retrospective ROIR cassette, "Half Alive" from 1981 to remind us of of the empirical genius of the world's second synth duo (after the Silver Apples of course!).
The first 'pop' singer I ever saw in the flesh was Alan Vega, briefly anyway, before Suicide were forced off the stage by a barrage of various missiles hurled by  the so-called punk fans who'd come to 'rock-out' to the Clash. Suicide were at least a decade and a half ahead of of everyone else. This brief exposure to a darker kind of music,forbidden even by my peers, was the start of my rocky road into the deeper tunnels of the pop world. A group/duo that was so roundly hated was fascinating for me. There are few acts that have drawn complaints from both my parents and my own generation than Vega and Rev;up there alongside Whitehouse for sheer confrontation and visceral out-thereness.

The Lester bangs notes to this cassette sum it all up very nicely, so i'll respectfully shut the fuck up.

RIP ALAN VEGA/SUICIDE......and thank you.

Tracklist:

A1 Harlem II 3:57
A2 Goin' To Las Vegas 4:56
A3 Love You 2:45
A4 Cool As Ice 3:17
A5 All Night Long 4:06
B1 Sister Ray Says 4:25
B2 Johnny Dance 3:01
B3 Space Blue 1:44
B4 Long Talk 1:26
B5 Speed Queen 2:26
B6 Chezazze 3:24
B7 Dreams 2:11

BONUS TRACKS FROM THE CD VERSION:

13 All Night Long
14 Sweetheart
15 Scream and Shout

DOWNLOAD in memory of Alan Vega HERE!