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Wire at Fine Line
Setlist
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One of the most influential English rock band, Wire, just played the Fine Line Music Café in Minneapolis, to promote their latest album Mind Hive (pinkflag Records).
Wire’s music has always walked the line between punk/rock and electronic/atmospheric sounds. I feel most of the stark minimalism sound can be attributed to singer Colin Newman’s interests. This explains why he would take that experimental sound to his side project Immersion. Still, personally speaking, I do prefer the faster-paced, guitar-driven raw punk sound of the early Wire albums.
Anyway, the Fine Line Music Café show started off with Transmission’s DJ Jake Rudh, playing some tracks of post-punk British music.
Next up was what was billed as Wire DJs. This would be a random member from Wire. For the Fine Line show, it was Matthew Simms, spinning music from his laptop. With most DJ setups, it’s not visually an exciting thing. Simms actually sat, or sometime lay down, on the stage with his laptop. With the dancefloor filled with older fans, you actually couldn’t see him on stage unless you fight your way to the front.
Wire came on stage shortly after 9pm, and looking at the guys: Colin Newman, Graham Lewis, Robert Grey, and Matthew Simms, you can tell that these guys have been playing music for over 40 years. That is with the exception of Simms, who you can see was a lot of younger than the other guys. Simms, who was from another band called It Hugs Back, joined Wire in 2010 as a touring member.
Since their debut in 1977 with Pink Flag, the band’s been steadily and consistently writing and releasing music. Mind Hive marked their 17th studio album! While it’s easy to just do a Pink Flag anniversary tour. After all the record is called “the most original debut album to come out of the first wave of British punk” and influenced everyone from from R.E.M. (with “Strange”) to Elastica (with “Connection” and “Line Up In Line”) to Graham Coxon (with A+E album).
You have to respect the band to just decide to play one track from every one of their album, and to top it all off, five new songs from the new record Mind Hive. This wasn’t a greatest hits tour, and that’s just fine for the band, to do whatever they way without compromises… and their diehard fans appreciates that.
Wire continues their tour:
PHOTOS
Wire’s music has always walked the line between punk/rock and electronic/atmospheric sounds. I feel most of the stark minimalism sound can be attributed to singer Colin Newman’s interests. This explains why he would take that experimental sound to his side project Immersion. Still, personally speaking, I do prefer the faster-paced, guitar-driven raw punk sound of the early Wire albums.
Anyway, the Fine Line Music Café show started off with Transmission’s DJ Jake Rudh, playing some tracks of post-punk British music.
Next up was what was billed as Wire DJs. This would be a random member from Wire. For the Fine Line show, it was Matthew Simms, spinning music from his laptop. With most DJ setups, it’s not visually an exciting thing. Simms actually sat, or sometime lay down, on the stage with his laptop. With the dancefloor filled with older fans, you actually couldn’t see him on stage unless you fight your way to the front.
Wire came on stage shortly after 9pm, and looking at the guys: Colin Newman, Graham Lewis, Robert Grey, and Matthew Simms, you can tell that these guys have been playing music for over 40 years. That is with the exception of Simms, who you can see was a lot of younger than the other guys. Simms, who was from another band called It Hugs Back, joined Wire in 2010 as a touring member.
Since their debut in 1977 with Pink Flag, the band’s been steadily and consistently writing and releasing music. Mind Hive marked their 17th studio album! While it’s easy to just do a Pink Flag anniversary tour. After all the record is called “the most original debut album to come out of the first wave of British punk” and influenced everyone from from R.E.M. (with “Strange”) to Elastica (with “Connection” and “Line Up In Line”) to Graham Coxon (with A+E album).
You have to respect the band to just decide to play one track from every one of their album, and to top it all off, five new songs from the new record Mind Hive. This wasn’t a greatest hits tour, and that’s just fine for the band, to do whatever they way without compromises… and their diehard fans appreciates that.
Wire continues their tour:
March 7 - Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
March 9 - Washington, DC @ Union Stage
March 10 - Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
March 11 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
March 13 - Boston, MA @ Sinclair
March 14 - Ottawa, ON @ Bronson Centre
March 16 - Toronto, ON @ Great Hall
May 21 - London, UK @ Islington Assembly Hall
March 9 - Washington, DC @ Union Stage
March 10 - Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
March 11 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
March 13 - Boston, MA @ Sinclair
March 14 - Ottawa, ON @ Bronson Centre
March 16 - Toronto, ON @ Great Hall
May 21 - London, UK @ Islington Assembly Hall
PHOTOS
Wire DJ (Matthew Simms) |
Wire DJ (Matthew Simms) |
Wire |
Wire |
Wire at Fine Line Music Cafe, Minneapolis (03 Mar 2020) |
