Monday 26 November 2018

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


5 comments:

Sanchieboots said...

Wonderful, thank you.

sprog said...

awesome, thanks

A-Mfan said...

I always heard about this but never heard it. Thank you for sharing it here.

sgtwilko said...

I was also at the Granby Halls gig. I was Saturday lad at Revolver and me and the blokes from the shop got in on the guest list in return for handing out leaflets to the queue for 50p off the Suicide album. The majority of the Leicester punks didn't appreciate what they were seeing. Their loss.

Jonny Zchivago said...

I've probably met you in that case Sarge,completing a financial transaction or two on a Saturday afternoon. I usually sent me mum to get something weird and wonderful when i had to go to the Filbert Street.She'd frequently have a pound of carrots and a Fall album in her shopping bag meeting her mates at Brucciani's for a frothy coffee and a split bun.....never had much to do with Leicester punks, and the Clash gig compounded this behavior...twats.