Radio & TV Appearances / Videos

What they lack in live TV coverage, the Messiahs make up for with numerous appearances on BBC Radio 1. A brief and almost certainly incomplete history of life on the airwaves. Additions and submissions most welcome.

2nd August 1984
BBC Radio 1
John Peel Session

Recorded 24th July 1984, and predating the release of the Good And Gone EP, this is the first time punters will have heard the Messiahs other than live on stage. Tracks performed were 'Good And Gone', 'Someone To Talk To', 'Tracking The Dog' and 'Let's Go Down To The Woods And Pray'. Produced by Mark Radcliffe, who later teamed up with ex-Fall Guitarist Mark Riley to form the long-running Radio 1 DJ duo Mark and Lard. Released in 1986 on vinyl through Strange Fruit Records in the UK and on CD through Dutch East India Trading in the US.

22nd December 1984
BBC Radio 1
Saturday Live
B

Live concert broadcast from an unknown London venue. No tracklisting avaiable but currently making enquiries to the Beeb to glean more details of this perfomance.

30th March 1985
BBC Radio 1
Paris Theatre, London
Live concert broadcast
B

A superb live gig featuring three never released songs and a storming set of early numbers, including several in early versions that were to change significantly by the time they were recorded for the Gun-Shy album. See full tracklist on the bootlegs page.

14th June 1985
BBC Radio 1
Andy Kershaw Session
B

The second Radio 1 session, in which the band performed 'Good And Gone', 'Tracking The Dog' and 'Talking Doll'.

4th November 1987
BBC Radio 1
Janice Long Session
B

Third and final BBC session featuring 'Sweet Water Pools', 'I Wanna Be A Flintstone' and 'Big Brother Muscle'.

March 1988
BBC Radio 1
Town & Country Club, London
Live concert broadcast
B

Recorded 27th February 1988 at the Town & Country Club in London and broadcast on Radio 1 soon after. This live show was later released on CD in 1992 by Windsong as the imaginatively titled 'BBC Radio 1 Live In Concert'. Full tracklist on the SBM@BBC page.

6th April 1988
WFNX Radio
Paradise Club, Boston, USA
Live FM broadcast
B

Live FM radio broadcast of the second of two back-to-back shows. Full tracklist in the bootlegs section.

1984
The Old Grey Whistle Test
BBC Television
B

Broadcast live on the show, and featuring storming renditions of 'Let's Go Down To The Woods' and 'Good And Gone'. During the latter Bill's trrademark guitar abuse requires a change of instrument mid-song.

1985
The Old Grey Whistle Test
BBC Television
B

These are shots from a performance of 'Someone To Talk To', broadcast some time in 1985 on The Whistle Test. Filmed at the same show at the University of London Union from where five tracks were released on the B-side of the 'Twin Cadillac Valentine' 12" single.
B

October 1986
Spin College Tour
MTV USA
B

A collaboration between Spin Magazine and MTV featuring the Beat Farmers, Beat Rodeo and the Messiahs. Tracklist unknown but it did include a riotous version of 'Twin Cadillac Valentine'.