Concert File

Killing Joke: The Concert File

Time for Celebration

Well, technically, the 25th anniversary was in 2004, but scheduling conflicts and prior commitments meant the fans would have to wait just a bit longer than expected for the celebration to begin -- but begin it did, and in grand style.

2005

Ben Calvert has joined the band on drums.

18 February: Prokopa (Czech Rep.), Kinosal

16 February: Vroutek (Czech Rep.), Rock For Churchill

20 February: Stefnikova, Fleda

21 February: Prague, Akropolis

Setlist: included Communion/Wardance, Song & Dance/We Have Joy/Primitive/Frenzy/Total Invasion/Empire Song/Bloodsport/Requiem/Asteroid/The Wait/Blood On Your Hands/Whiteout/Psyche. Encores: Darkness Before Dawn, Sun Goes Down, Pandemonium.

Love Like Blood was mentioned on the setlist as a possible encore but not played.

Cechomor's violinist Karel Holas joined the band on violin for Communion and Pandemonium.

24 February: London, Shepherd's Bush Empire

Jaz introduced Are You Receiving? as the first song the band had written, making it particularly appropriate for an anniversary celebration.

Rumour has it that the show was filmed for a future DVD release.

25 February: London, Shepherd's Bush Empire

Setlist: identical to Thursday's gig with the exception of Change and Love Like Blood, which was dedicated to Jaz's and Geordie's late fathers. Complications was also played though not included in the setlist.

Filming took place on this night as well, with part of the venue sealed off for the cameras.

Next up were a series of gigs supporting ... Motley Crue.

14 June: Glasgow, SECC

Setlist: included Asteroid, Primitive, Sun Goes Down, The Wait, Whiteout and Are You Receiving.

15 June: Manchester, Evening News Arena

Setlist: Pandemonium, Wardance, Frenzy, Asteroid, Whiteout, The Wait, Are You Receiving and Psyche.

17 June: Birmingham, National Exhibition Centre

18 June: Cardiff, International Arena

19 June: Wembley, Arena Pavilion

Setlist: included Wardance, Primitive, Sun Goes Down, Asteroid, The Wait, Whiteout, Are You Receiving and Psyche.

To absolutely no one's surprise, the audiences for the two bands didn't mesh particularly well, yet the faithful were rewarded with some excellent playing, and it provided a good warm-up for a summer tour.

26 June: The Hague, Parkpop Festival

Setlist: included Requiem, Wardance, Primitive (with Jaz explaining to the crowd that "this song is about animals"), Sun Goes Down, Whiteout, The Wait and Are You Receiving.

30 June: Milan, Rolling Stone

1 July: Rome, Palestrina Festival (cancelled)

2 July: Padova, Sherwood Festival

17 July: Dour, Belgium, Dour Festival

Setlist: Introduction/ Wardance/ Primitive/ Sun Goes Down/ Darkness Before Dawn/ Frenzy/ Requiem Asteroid/ Whiteout/ The Wait/ Are You Receiving/ Psyche/ Bloodsport/ Complications/ Pandemonium. The set went on slightly longer than the originally scheduled time, perhaps because of the receptive crowd -- Jaz is said to have spoken in French, saying among other things, "J'aime toi, j'aime toi!" There was no encore, probably due to strict curfew regulations.

24 June: Hildesheim, Germany, Zillo Festival (cancelled)

19 August: Porto, Parades de Coura Festival (cancelled)

21 August: London, Barfly

This was a fund-raising event for the former Joke webmaster, known to us as Jester, who has been stricken with cancer and a mountain of medical bills. Setlist: Wardance/ Primitive/ Sun Goes Down/ Darkness Before Dawn/ Requiem/ Frenzy/ Asteroid/ Whiteout/ The Wait/ Are You Receiving/ Psyche/ Bloodsport/ Song & Dance/ Pandemonium/ Change/ Complications. By all accounts one of the best gigs in ages (granted, many of those accounts were quite inebriated at the time), with the band and the audience in high spirits (perhaps a bit too high as an uninvited audience member climbed onstage!).

5 September: Geneva, L'Usine (cancelled)

29 September: Gent, Vooruit

30 September: Strasbourg (venue unknown)

3 October: Amsterdam, Melkweg

Fabchannel.com featured a webcast of the gig, which by all accounts was excellent.

4 October: Paris, Elysee Montmarte

Setlist: Faith Healer (Alex Harvey Band version)/ Booids Intro/ Communion/ Wardance/ Sun Goes Down/ Song And Dance/ Primitive/ Darkness Before Down/ Total Invasion/ Requiem/ Butcher/ - Money Is Not Our God/ Frenzy/ Asteroid/ Whiteout/ The Wait/ Complications/ Pssyche. Encores:
Bloodsport, Pandemonium.

Inside The Termite Mound was mentioned on the setlist as a possible first encore but not played.

6 October: Manchester, Academy

Setlist: Communion/ Wardance/ Sun Goes Down/ Song & Dance/ Primitive/ Darkness Before Dawn/ Total Invasion/ Requiem/ Butcher/ Money Is Not Our God/ Frenzy/ Asteroid/ Whiteout/ The Wait/ Complications/ Psyche. Encore: Inside The Termite Mound/ Bloodsport/ Pandemonium. Love Like Blood was also added to the encores and dedicated to webmaster Jester.

7 October: Liverpool, Carling Academy

9 October: Glasgow, Garage

Setlist: Faith Healer Intro/ Communion/ Wardance/ Sun Goes Down/ Primitive/ Darkness Before Dawn/ Total Invasion/ Requiem/ Butcher/ Money Is Not Our God/ Frenzy/ Asteroid/ Whiteout/ The Wait/ Complications/ Psyche. Encore: Inside The Termite Mound/ Bloodsport/ Pandemonium.

10 October: Newcastle University

11 October: Birmingham, Carling Academy

12 October: Bristol, Carling Academy

Setlist: included the Booids intro, plus Psyche, Butcher, Money Is Not Our God, Bloodsport, Darkness Before Dawn, Asteroid, Primitive, Requiem.

14 October: London, Astoria

16 October: London, Cochran Theatre

Another round of fundraising for Jester Joe was high the agenda; the rumoured sneak previews of the new album did not actually materialise, but there was a good Q&A session and those in attendance reported high spirits and good times.

A series of Scandinavian dates were planned for late October; unfortunately these were cancelled at the last minute when Jaz lost his voice.