Tuesday marks the 25th anniversary of Depeche Mode’s iconic “Concert For the Masses,” a daylong show at the 100,000-seat Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., that also featured performances by Wire, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and Thomas Dolby — and was, of course, filmed and recorded for ’101.’
Thirty years ago tonight, U2 braved a cold Colorado rainstorm to perform at the fabled Red Rocks Amphitheatre just west of Denver, a concert on the band’s War tour that was filmed and released on video as “Under a Blood Red Sky,” cementing Bono and Co.’s reputation as live act.
It’s a nearly unparalleled landmark in the history of ’80s college rock: R.E.M.’s peerless debut album, Murmur, was released on April 12, 1983 — exactly 30 years ago today. Today we celebrate this milestone by looking back at the building blocks of the album we know and love.
Today marks the 25th anniversary of the release of the Pixies’ landmark Surfer Rosa, which, if we’re to count Come On Pilgrim as an EP or “mini-LP,” was the band’s true debut album, featuring the instant classics “Bone Machine,” “Gigantic” and “Where Is My Mind?”
On March 7, 1983 — exactly 30 years ago today — New Order released its monumental single “Blue Monday,” cementing its full transition from the moody post-punk of Joy Division to club-ready synthpop. And, in the process, the band delivered the best-selling 12-inch single of all time.
R.E.M. famously didn’t tour behind its two best-selling albums — 1991′s ‘Out of Time’ and 1992′s ‘Automatic For the People’ — but the band did play a single concert in support of the latter record, a Greenpeace benefit at the 40 Watt Club in Athens, Ga., exactly 20 years ago tonight.
Exactly 20 years ago tonight, Sinead O’Connor largely derailed what had been a promising career when she appeared on “Saturday Night Live” and, in the most infamous of her many controversial acts, tore up a photo of Pope John Paul II while urging viewers to “fight the real enemy.”
Thirty years ago today, Simple Minds released their fifth studio album, ‘New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84),’ considered by many to be the band’s commercial turning point after it hit No. 3 on the U.K. charts on the back of singles such as “Promised You a Miracle,” “Glittering Prize” and “Someone, Somewhere in Summertime.”
As we wait for the release of the delayed “US Generation” documentary — not to mention next week’s English Beat CD/DVD combo Live at the US Festival — it’s worth marking today’s 30th anniversary of the first of two giant multi-day US Festivals, envisioned by their organizer, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, as “Woodstock West.”
Today we celebrate one of the more significant milestones in the college-rock era, the 30th anniversary of the release of R.E.M.’s debut EP, ‘Chronic Town.’ the five-song record that launched the band and, in many ways, the ’80s indie scene. To commemorate this classic record we present audio of a 1982 concert.
We’ve got a rare double milestone today, as not one but two members of the Pixies — bassist Kim Deal and guitarist Joey Santiago — celebrate their birthdays (she’s 51 and he’s 47). We mark the occasion with this complete 29-song ‘Trompe le Monde’-era set filmed on June 26, 1991, in London.
Well, it’s once again Morrissey’s birthday — insert “Unhappy Birthday” joke here — and the perpetually glum Smiths frontman is 53 today. To celebrate, we thought we’d dig up our favorite photo of him (yes, that’s Moz and Rick Astley), and then post a dozen Smiths and Morrissey concerts for your viewing pleasure.
Thirty years ago tonight, The Haçienda — the famed Manchester nightclub opened by Factory Records, New Order and Tony Wilson — opened its doors to the public. Check out clips of New Order playing there, plus full sets from The Smiths, The Stone Roses and The Chameleons.
It’s David Byrne’s birthday today — he’s 60 — and while he’s made it perfectly clear he wants nothing to do with his old Talking Heads bandmates, it’s certainly fun to look back at what a mighty band they once were. So here’s a killer ‘Remain in Light’-era concert filmed in Rome in 1980 for your viewing pleasure.
Today we mark the 50th birthday of Dave Gahan by looking back at the man’s, and band’s, 30-year career with this selection of seven full Depeche Mode concerts for your viewing pleasure, filmed on tours in 1981, 1985, 1986, 1993, 2001, 2006 and 2009. Enjoy.
Twenty-five years ago today, U2 cemented itself as one of rock ‘n’ roll’s giants, releasing its epochal album ‘The Joshua Tree.’ To celebrate this milestone, we present the band’s infamous “Save the Yuppies” concert from Nov. 11, 1987, when U2 set up in Justin Herman Plaza at San Francisco’s Embarcadero Center for a free concert.
Long one of rock’s most unique and iconoclastic frontmen, Mark E. Smith — the only constant member of The Fall — turns 55 today, and to celebrate, we, for the second straight year, offer up this hour-long documentary called ‘The Fall: The Wonderful and Frightening World of Mark E. Smith’ that aired on the BBC back in 2005.
Twenty years ago tonight, U2 opened its ZOO TV Tour in Lakeland, Fla. — debuting a high-tech stage show that not only redefined the Irish rockers, but changed the way arena and stadium tours have been staged ever since, incorporating dazzling visual imagery and extending the performance space out into the audience.
David Bowie turns 65 today, and while he’s hitting what’s traditionally seen as retirement age, the Thin White Duke seemingly ended his musical career a few years ago. So to celebrate this peerless musical legend, we present eight full Bowie concerts, filmed between the years of 1978 and 2004.
