I haven’t dug into the Rockpalast archives in a while, so here’s one that coincides with my re-immersing myself in the Wire discography (I took a breather for a little while, there). This February, 1979 performance is notable because it was the source for the band’s 2004 live CD/DVD set On The Box 1979.

Chronologically, it comes five months after the release of their second album Chairs Missing but already features a lot of the material that would make it onto 154, though that record wouldn’t be out for another seven months. Unsurprisingly, the audio and video is excellent considering its age, and seeing the intensity of the young band on stage is something else.

Not much else to say, but if you want some (professional) effusiveness, check out Pitchfork’s 8.1 review of the album from when it was released in November 2004:

Review: Wire / On The Box: 1979 @ Pitchfork