Bootlegs

Paris Theatre
London
30th March 1985
Live FM radio broadcast

1: (intro) 0:34
2: Good And Gone 1:32
3: Vision In Blues 3:19
4: Growing For Gold 3:26
5: Tracking The Dog 3:07
6: Let's Go Down To The Woods 2:53
7: Happy Home 3:11
8: Holiday Head 3:59
9: President Kennedy's Mile 2:44
10: Destroyer 2:48
11: Wild Blue Yonder 3:12

Around the time of the 'Good And Gone' EP and featuring three rare tracks; 'Vision In Blues', 'Growing For Gold' and 'Destroyer'. Of these only 'Growing For Gold' was recorded, during the G&G sessions, but never released. Early versions of 'Let's Go Down', 'Holiday Head' and 'Wild Blue Yonder' as well.

Markthalle
Hamburg
24th May 1986
Audience recording on Aiwa walkman

1: Happy Home 3:48
2: Holiday Head 4:04
3: Tracking The Dog 4:59
4: Growing For Gold 4:09
5: Sweet Water Pools 5:17
6: I Want Up 6:29
7: Good And Gone 2:43
8: Killer Born Man 4:42
9: Someone To Talk To 4:46
10: Clear View 5:33
11: Twin Cadillac Valentine 9:25
12: Talking Doll 3:24
13: I'm Mad Again 6:35

Some sound distortion but a superb set. Stand-outs are an early version of 'Sweet Water Pools' with humming in place of the chorus, and groovy free-flowing renditions of 'Killer Born Man' and 'I'm Mad Again', the John Lee Hooker cover.

Paradise Club
Boston
6th April 1988
WFNX FM broadcast

1: Holiday Head 3:32
2: Jesus Chrysler Drives A Dodge 4:32
3: I Want Up 4:56
4: Happy Home 3:14
5: Bikini Red 3:54
6: All Shook Down 4:31
7: You're Gonna Change 4:15
8: I Wanna Be A Flintstone 4:02
9: Twin Cadillac Valentine 7:37
10: (interval)
11: Sweet Water Pools 4:30
12: President Kennedy's Mile 5:14
13: Clear View 4:40
14: Talking Doll 2:45
15: Killer Born Man 4:01
16: Someone To Talk To (outro) 8:35

The band were booked to do two shows at the Paradise Club, and were expecting a relaxing couple of days there. On the way to the gig they were told it was in fact two back-to-back shows that night. This is the second of the two, and a testament to their gig-fitness and energy. A great slow, maudlin version of 'President Kennedy's Mile' too.

The Mean Fiddler
London
2nd September 1988
Audience recording on Sony Professional Walkman

1: You're Gonna Change 4:37
2: Sweet Water Pools 4:07
3: Holiday Head 3:12
4: Jesus Chrysler Drives A Dodge 4:26
5: Bikini Red 4:08
6: Watusi Wedding 4:05
7: I Want Up 5:03
8: All Shook Down 4:46
9: I Wanna Be A Flintstone 4:36
10: President Kennedy's Mile 5:09
11: Tracking The Dog 7:53
12: Good And Gone 2:19
13: Someone To Talk To 4:58
14: Happy Home 4:13

The second of two nights at the Mean Fiddler. My favourite gig of all time. And the very reason I'm doing this website. The guitars sound awesome (at times completely drowning out the vocals) as it was recorded in the mosh pit right under Bill's guitar monitor. But this gives it a mean, over-the-top vibe all of its own. Kicks off with a drunken, swaggering 'You're Gonna Change', then straight into a storming freight train-like "Sweet Water Pools'. The real stand-outs are an early version of 'Watusi Wedding', with truly evil fuzz guitar licks and surreal rantings, and epic, down and dirty versions of 'I Want Up' and 'Tracking The Dog'. The only disappointments were my drunken flatmate yelling "Oh, Yeah!" into the mike all night and the tape failing during an awesome 'Jesus Chrysler'. So good it blew my tape deck all away.

Town & Country Club
London
4th December 1989
Audience recording on Sony Professional Walkman

1: Wall Of Shame 5:35
2: Jesus Chrysler Drives A Dodge 3:44
3: Good And Gone 1:47
4: Sweet Water Pools 4:02
5: Mega City One 5:33
6: Four Engines Burning 5:55
7: Gunfight 3:33
8: All Gassed Up 4:24
9: Twin Cadillac Valentine 7:15
10: Accident Prone 5:29
11: Here Comes Lucky 5:22
12: Happy Home 4:01
13:(unknown) 1:53

A good workout of the 'Totally Religious' tracks, and another rarity in 'Accident Prone' which was never recorded. The closing number is a true mystery, in that Kenny and Bill can't remember even hearing it, never mind playing it. The track slams to a halt half way through as Bill throws his guitar down and storms off stage for some reason, resulting in the only occasion I've come a cross of the Messiahs being booed.

Subterania
London
5th June 1990
Audience recording on Sony Professional Walkman

Review

1: Sweet Water Pools 3:19
2: Jesus Chrysler Drives A Dodge 2:56
3: Mega City 1 5:16
4: Smash The Market Place 4:18
5: All Gassed Up 4:15
6: Bikini Red 4:11
7: Wall Of Shame 4:59
8: Gunfight 3:37
9: Twin Cadillac Valentine 5:13
10: Accident Prone 1:49
11: Happy Home 4:09
12: You're Gonna Change 4:13
13: (unknown) 4:33
14: Watusi Wedding 3:48
15: Here Comes Lucky 4:57
16: I Wanna Be A Flintstone 3:38

The Screaming Blue Messiahs' last ever gig. Though the band had already split at the end of '89 they were contractually obliged to do these two nights at Subterania (4th and 5th of June). Another outing for 'Accident Prone' and another mystery song. Again Kenny can't identify this and suggests it may be something new Bill was trying out. A heavy, lumbering dirge that sounds reminiscent of a slowed down version of 'Clear View'.

Onkel Po
Hambueg
26th November 1985
Audience recording on Aiwa walkman

1: Just For Fun 3.25
2: Good And Gone 1.52
3: Tracking The Dog 4.22
4: Killer Born Man 5.21
5: Someone To Talk To 4.38
6: Growing For Gold 4.39
7: I Want Up 4.15
8: Happy Home 3.48
9: Holiday Head 4.40
10: Twin Cadillac Valentine 4.27
11: President Kennedy's Mile 4.07
12: Talking Doll 2.54
13: Let's Go Down To The Woods 2.45
14: Smash The Market Place 3.21
15: (unknown) 3.20
16: You're Gonna Change 2.27
17: Vision In Blues 3.12
18: I'm Mad Again 3.21
19: Destroyer 3.38
20: Good And Gone 2.20

A pretty rough tape, sounding at times as if it's recorded from the inside jacket pocket, but never the less featuring a string of rarities. Of particular interest is track 15 which starts off with the opening lines from the Gun-Shy version of 'Let's Go Down To The Woods' – "When I was a bouncing baby boy / My momma took me down to the wishing well" – but is musically a million miles away from that song. And two run throughs of 'Good And Gone' for good measure.

Rote Fabrik
Zürich, Switzerland
7th December 1989
Swiss Radio DRS3 broadcast

1 Wall Of Shame 5.54
2 Jesus Chrysler Drives A Dodge 4.30
3 Sweet Water Pools 5.39
4 Mega City 1 5.43
5 Four Engines Burning 8.05
6 Gunfight 4.08
7 All Gassed Up 4.09
8 Twin Cadillac Valentine 5.32
9 Happy Home 3.31
10 You’re Gonna Change / Accident Prone 7.40
11 Here Comes Lucky 4.58
12 Martian 3.58
13 Big Big Sky / Good And Gone 8.36

An unusual gig with a lot of experimentation and long jams. Sounds like the tape is running a little slow in general, but even so eight whole minutes of 'Four Engines', the slowest ever version of 'You're Gonna Change' and a really great 'Accident Prone'' – complete with references to another great lost track, 'Coco The Town'. In parts this sounds... strange, and in others absolutely blinding. And dare I use the words Rock 'n' Roll, but I swear parts of 'Martian' sound just like that Led Zep standard.