The best live band of the punk era. No one had their harmony and cohesion on stage. The only ones capable of reimagining their own songs live until they became something different and almost always better than the studio version.

In 1990, the collection of their performances at John Peel, done between 1979 and 1980, was released. In the 1980 performance, they appeared and amazed with versions of "in a rut", "staring at the rude boys", "secret soldiers", "something that i said" with a new sound, more rounded, distorted guitars, and impulsive bass. Their evolution was interrupted by the loss of that talent, Owen, a few months after the last performance at Peel in 1980.

This remains a document of a genius at work on stage. Perfect. Alex

Tracklist Lyrics and Videos

01   Savage Circle (02:58)

Life's a savage circle
Some people dedicated to ruin my life
Life's a savage circle
OK baby said you're allright

You think you know me well
Well you can go to hell
Your thick gives me a frown
Well baby it's getting me down

Life's a savage circle
Some people dedicated to ruin my life
Life's a savage circle
OK baby said you're allright

You're well and look it out
Until do you doubt
You lot are just like you
I hope I'm getting through

Life's a savage circle
Some people dedicated to ruin my life
Life's a savage circle
OK baby said you're allright

You think you know me well
Well you can go to hell
Your thick gives me a frown
Well baby it's getting me down

Life's a savage circle
Some people dedicated to ruin my life
Life's a savage circle
OK baby said you're allright

You're well and look it out
Until do you doubt
You lot are just like you
I hope I'm getting through

I think you know, it's getting me down
It's getting me down,
Down down, Down

02   Babylons Burning (02:33)

03   Dope For Guns (02:29)

The newspaper headlines got it wrong
Thery're tryin' to tell us the dope is too strong
But it ain't dope they're turning you
They're selling dope for guns, that's the truth

Dope for guns, it ain't fun
They put you on your knees with ???
???

Dope for guns, dope for guns

No one suspected, but you had elected
Some foreign power, but it turned sauer
So shoot down the victim, you can't miss ‘em
It's a run on the ladder for a higher status

Dope for guns etc

Shoot down the victim, you can' miss them,
It's a run on the ladder for a higher status
Well no one suspected, but you elected
Some foreign power, but it turned sauer

Dope for guns etc

04   Black Man's Pinch (03:10)

05   Criminal Mind (01:38)

That criminal mind is really unkind
It's just for kicks, it's a habit that STICKS
You do what you wanna
I do what I wanna do

Ido it for the kicks
And it's a habit that STICKS

They'll put you back down and people push me ‘round
Well just for kicks, it's a habit that STICKS

You do what you wanna
I do what I wanna do

I do it for kicks
And it's a habit that STICKS 3x

Well the things that are possible once you dare
I've sussed the cake and it's on the take

You do what you wanna
I do what I wanna do

I do it for kicks
And it's a habit that STICKS 3x

06   SUS (03:18)

07   Society (01:53)

08   You're Just A (02:49)

09   It Was Cold (05:14)

It was cold in the night
I was with you sometime ago
But you were laughing to hide your crying
In shocked and taste, we walked away
You said be careful, some lights were shining
They came much closer, we started hiding
And in the silence I heard you breathing
But far away, someone was screaming

No time for crying, we started running
We kept on running until the daylight
And it was cold, the smog was heavy
Casualty tide, no one was ready

It was cold in the night
I was with you some time ago
You said now no in desperado
The world we knew in desolation

10   Something That I Said (03:19)

OK, kick them in the head
Just cause something that I said
You don't want to know the truth
Cause you're wild and full of you

Was it something that I said
Was it something that I said
Was it something in my head?

You ain't got no friends no more
Cause you kick them to the floor
Time will tel and you will see
That it's down to U know me

Was it something etc

OK, now you're on your own
You're selfrighteous loosing all
So get off your pedistole
Before you ain't got no friends no more

Was it something etc

11   Staring At The Rude Boys (03:23)

It's a very small world in the middle of a crowd
the room gets dark when the music gets loud
treble cuts thru' when the rythmn takes the bite
but there's no room to move 'cause the floor is packed tight

A voice shouts loud
'we'll never surrender'
A voice in the crowd
'Never surrender'

A hand in the crowds flying propaganda:
'Never surrender, we'll never surrender'

The skins in the corner are staring at the bar
the rude boys are dancing to some heavy heavy ska
it's getting so hot people are dripping with sweat
the punks in the corner are speeding like a jet

Staring at the rude boys
Staring at the rude boys
Dancing with the rude boys
Dancing with the rude boys
Staring at the rude boys
Staring at the rude boys...

A bunch of peers march in on the DM's
with some standing there saluting the air
they wanna be pirates but the sea is not calm
tattooed crossbows on their arm

A voice shouts loud
'we'll never surrender'
A voice in the crowd
'Never surrender'

Another hand fly fly propaganda,
propaganda, propaganda

The lights come alive in a blinding flash
dance floor clears as the mutants clash
everyone leaves when the heavy's arrive
someone hits the floor, someone takes a dive

Staring at the rude boys
Staring at the rude boys
Dancing with the rude boys
Dancing with the rude boys
Staring at the rude boys
Staring at the rude boys...

Staring at the rude boys
Staring at the rude boys
Dancing with the rude boys
Dancing with the rude boys
Staring at the rude boys
Staring at the rude boys...

(fighting)

we'll never surrender x 8

12   Demolition Dancing (02:38)

13   In A Rut (03:15)

14   Secret Soldiers (02:18)

Loading comments  slowly