It takes a special kind of artist to constantly evolve and change their style whilst still producing compelling and quality material in the process. Indeed, while the artistic trajectory for many bands can often be a long and winding road, only a select few manage to go through distinctively intense, accessible, and experimental periods and execute them all quite well to boot. One such band is Wire, who actually managed to go through all of the above-mentioned phases in literally just the first 3 years of their highly influential career. To hear their evolution from the raw, fast-paced, quirky punk of 1977’s Pink Flag, to the artfully cerebral/moody vibes of 1978’s Chairs Missing, and culminating with the atmospherically dark and icy tones that characterize 1979’s 154, is a fascinating listening journey to say the least. So, for today’s Manic Monday, it only seems fitting to take it all the way back to Wire’s earliest, rawest days with this remarkable footage of the band from Watford Art School in 1977. Video evidence of the band during this period is quite rare indeed, so for fans of Pink Flag-era Wire, this is quite a treat. Crank it:
