Electric Circus Archive Release Campaign

Short Circuit: Live At The Electric Circus is both a seminal and influential compilation recorded live at The Electric Circus on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd October 1977 by Virgin Records to mark the last two nights of the North Manchester Punk venue in Collyhurst before it was closed almost 1 year after it first opened. and Europe, while an orange (yellow) vinyl version was exported to the US mar

ket. These are wrongly listed as promos and subsequently sold at inflated prices). Short Circuit marks an important document for many of the bands existing at the time. Many were not ever recorded unofficially on soundboard equipment let alone bestowed the privilege of expensive modern 24 track technology only major record labels could afford in that era. For the bands who appeared during those 2 nights, this was a rare opportunity at a formative, lesser known stage of their careers. Early line ups of bands, songs, setlists would soon to change after a pivotal era now lost forever. Short Circuit marks the only available multitrack live recording of the original line up of The Fall (Smith-Bramah-Burns-Baines-Friel) soon to change in December 1977. Early incarnations of The Fall were otherwise never recorded live on multitrack equipment until at least 1981 (at the earliest); even then, most of their later official releases to date are typically primitively mixed semi-mono 2 track soundboard cassette tapes. Their early 1977 / 78 recordings are badly distorted. Only 2 songs from their Electric Circus set were released. Subsequently, the rest of their setlist remains a mystery. Short Circuit is the only existing official live document of Warsaw before changing their name to the legendary Joy Division (developing further into 80s chart topping arena seat fillers New Order). Joy Division were only ever recorded live with multitrack recording equipment on one other occasion during their short lifespan. Ironically, this was at their last ever concert at Birmingham on 2 May 1980 as the Electric Circus recording marks as one of the first concerts they played as the 4th and final Warsaw / classic JD line up. Otherwise, as with The Fall, they are only documented on audience recordings or distorted substandard mixed soundboard recordings. Warsaw only played 3 songs that Sunday (‘Warsaw’, ‘At A Later Date’ and ‘Novelty’) with the 1st track apparently beset with technical issues. Another early (9 song) setlist from the rarely recorded short-lived prototype line up of Buzzcocks (Shelley-Diggle-Maher-Smith) was also recorded and officially released in 2008 as part of ‘Another Music In A Different Kitchen’ deluxe edition. Now out of print. The set was originally available (albeit in mono) on various bootlegs. No such reissues apply for other artists such as The Drones and Steel Pulse with the legendary respective tracks ‘Persecution Complex’ and ‘Makka Splaff (The Colly Man)’ both gaining cult status owing to the Short Circuit recordings. Further released tracks ‘(You’ll Never See A Ni**le In The) Daily Express’ and ‘I Married A Monster From Outer Space’ - from renowned and well-loved Punk poet figure John Cooper Clarke became equally highly regarded. Along with JCC, The Fall, Warsaw and Buzzcocks that Sunday were also Magazine, Jon The Postman, The Prefects and The Worst. Today, nearly 5 decades have now passed since these pristine classic (and only) official live multitrack recordings were first created. Since then, the rare original and complete master tapes remain locked away, hidden, buried and subsequently unheard. Some remain in Virgin / EMI Records vaults (now owned by Universal) or on monitor and soundboard cassettes held by band members, managers or sound engineers. A far cry from the spirit, accessibility and freedom of the original Punk movement. Surely then, now an opportunity exists - for original surviving Punk audiences, latter fans and potential new listeners - to hear these recordings. An opportunity long overdue for the original analogue tapes to be transferred and preserved digitally before they finally deteriorate, fans pass away and it becomes sadly too late to rescue anything or anyone! For such bands / artists and their fans, these recordings are often spoken about, revered and considered to be the Holy Grail. Yet only 1 or 2 tracks (at most) from a handful of bands have surfaced on the (bizarre short and much criticised) Short Circuit 10" mini-LP. Even 'The Roxy London WC2 (Jan - Apr 77)' album was a full bonafide 12" LP with 12 tracks. It could be said that the Short Circuit recordings are the ‘audio’ quality equivalent of this early part of the Punk movement being filmed ‘visually’ in 35mm film or 4K HD for prosperity. Hence, they are a small document of our cultural heritage; especially concerning Manchester's history. Please follow / like this page and feel free to comment. Let’s come together and see what we can all do before it’s too late. As with Punk and the Electric Circus itself: Nothing ventured, nothing gained! N.B. Details below may be subject to minor changes, updates or additional information. Saturday 1st October

The Drones
Slugs
Steel Pulse
V2
The Negatives (1/2)
The Panik


Sunday 2nd October

Jon The Postman + Steve Diggle
Buzzcocks
John Cooper Clarke
Magazine
The Fall
The Worst
The Prefects
The Negatives (2/2)
Warsaw (Joy Division)


Bands Cancelled:

Big In Japan
The Boomtown Rats
The Distractions
Manicured Noise
The Nosebleeds
The Rip-Offs
Slaughter & The Dogs
The Swords