Manic Monday: Ian Dury & The Blockheads’ Intensity Is Unrivaled on Rockpalast 1978

As we turn the calendar to February, and with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, it often feels natural to reach for records that feel a bit more soulful or sensual in nature to help get you in the mood for the inevitable sappiness of the season. But if you’re looking for cliché soppiness from this column the next couple of weeks, you may be disappointed, although there will likely be a fair share of suggestive and/or subversively amorous selections that could technically fit the bill.  Case in point is this absolutely shit-hot performance from 1978 by Ian Dury and the Blockheads, which naturally features a fair share of witty, humorously carnal subject matter (a hallmark of the late, great Dury, of course).

Indeed, not only does this performance capture The Blockheads at their A-plus prime, but it also showcases all of Dury’s inherently manic/erratic quirkiness and singularly magnetic stage presence in remarkably compelling fashion. The entire thing from start to finish is viscerally captivating, but Dury’s intensity really seems to build throughout each song as he madly fidgets with his mic-stand/scarves, taunts the crowd, faux-cries on stage, and even brandishes a knife during a borderline disturbing performance of “I Made Mary Cry” towards the end of the set. This is must-see-TV, folks. Check it out: