Killing Joke: The Concert File
The Vision Returns: 1993 - 1996
1993
A year that sees the band interested in picking up, but not necessarily where they left off. Youth's suggestion to re-form is acted upon, and he joins Jaz and Geordie to record the Pandemonium album in London, Auckland and Cairo. Recording is completed by August, and mixing begins in October.
In November, Jaz and Geordie travel to Cologne, Germany to participate in a four-day meeting of musicians which is organised by the German musicians Arno Steffen and film director Burkhard Steger. The project is filmed for a documentary for German TV station WDR. The tracks eventually surface on a Dutch CD called Friespiel (Free Turn).
1994
12 April: Belfast, Limelight
14 April: Wolverhampton, venue unknown
15 April: Manchester, University
17 April: Cambridge, Junction
18 April: Leeds, Metropolitan
19 April: Nottingham, Rock City
20 April: London, Astoria
Setlist: Communion/The Fall of Because/Wardance/Whiteout/Requiem/Change/Labyrinth/Kings & Queens/Millennium/Exorcism/Love Like Blood/Complications/Eighties/The Wait/Psyche/Mathematics Of Chaos
This gig is filmed for television broadcast.
26 April: Richard Skinner Radio Show
5 May: Top Of The Pops
Millennium is performed.
14 July: Top Of The Pops
Pandemonium is performed.
15 July: London, Subterania
Setlist: Communion/Wardance/Pandemonium/Change/Exorcism/Whiteout/Requiem/Love Like Blood/Mathematics Of Chaos/The Wait/Psyche/Kings & Queens/Complications/The Fall Of Because/Labyrinth/Millennium
17 July: London, Phoenix Festival
Setlist: Communion/Wardance/Pandemonium/Change/Exorcism/Requiem/Love Like Blood/Mathematics Of Chaos/Psyche
Communion, Wardance and Exorcism were recorded for television broadcast.
21 July: Zeebrugge, Belgium, Beach Rock Festival
18 October: Norwich, Waterfront
19 October: London, Kentish Town Forum
Setlist: Communion/Whiteout/Wardance/Pandemonium/Exorcism/Millennium/Kings & Queens/Pleasures Of The Flesh/Jana/Love Like Blood/Labyrinth/The Wait/Psyche/Requiem/Mathematics Of Chaos
20 October: Manchester, University UDH
21 October: Glasgow, Garage
Setlist: Communion/ Whiteout/ Wardance/ Pandemonium/ Exorcism/ Millennium/ Kings & Queens/ Pleasures Of The Flesh/ Love Like Blood/ Change/ The Wait/ Psyche/ Requiem/ Mathematics Of Chaos
|
24 October: Toronto, Opera House Setlist: Communion/Whiteout/Wardance/Pandemonium/Exorcism/Millennium/ Kings & Queens/Labyrinth/Pleasures Of The Flesh/Love Like Blood/Change/The Wait/Psyche/Requiem. 25 October: Montreal, Cathouse Canada 26 October: Boston, Axis 28 October: Providence (Rhode Island), Axis 29 October: New York, The Academy 30 October: Asbury Park (New Jersey), Stony Pony 31 October: Philadelphia, Trocadero 2 November: Atlanta, The Masquerade 3 November: New Orleans, Tipitina's 4 November: San Antonio, The Showcase 5 November: Houston, The Abyss 6 November: Austin, Liberty Lunch 7 November: Dallas, Trees 9 November: St. Louis, The Other World 10 November: Kansas City, The Lone Star 12 November: Denver, Ogden Theatre 13 November: Salt Lake City, Club DV-8 15 November: Los Angeles, The Palace 16 November: Phoenix, The Roxy 17 November: San Diego, venue unknown |
 |
18 November: San Francisco, Slim's
20 November: Palo Alto, The Edge
22 November: Portland, La Luna
23 November: Seattle, RCKNDY
26 November: Minneapolis, First Avenue
27 November: Milwaukee, Shank Hall
28 November: Indianapolis, The Vogue
29 November: Detroit, St. Andrews Hall
30 November: Toledo, Main Event
1 December: Chicago, Metro
2 December: Cincinnati, Bogart's
3 December: Columbus, Newport Music Hall
5 December: Cleveland, Peabody's
6 December: New York, Limelight
7 December: Washington, DC, Black Cat
11 December: Paris, Elysee Montmartre
12 December: Brussels, Theatre Luna
|
13 December: Duesseldorf, Tor 3
"It was a great Party because I met a lot of old
friends there and we had a drink or two!!!
I remember it was very ,very loud but it was magic! Jaz
in his Jester suit and a brilliant Light Show, and of course Youth on
stage! (for me the first time) Great Freak! After the show I entered the
Tour Bus without any pass! And - yes a Roadie nearly kicked me out! (Thats
what beer can make out of a man!) All in All a great evening with a great
Band!"
--Ralle |
|
14 December: Hamburg, Docks
15 December: Berlin, Metropol
16 December: Munich, Charterhalle
1995
18 January: London, Astoria
30 January: Bristol, Bierkeller
31 January: Nottingham, Rock City
Setlist: Communion/ Whiteout/ Wardance/ Pandemonium/ Exorcism/ Millennium/ Change/ Requiem/ Complications/ Psyche/ The Wait/ Love Like Blood/ Labyrinth/ Mathematics Of Chaos.
1 February: Newcastle, Riverside
2 February: Glasgow, The Plaza
Setlist: Communion/ Whiteout/ Wardance/ Pandemonium/ Exorcism/ Millennium/ Change/ Requiem/ Complications/ The Wait/ Pssyche/ Love Like Blood/ Labyrinth/ Mathematics Of Chaos/ Kings & Queens.
4 February: Wolverhampton, Wulfrun Hall
5 February: Watford, Colosseum
6 February: Leeds, Metropolitan University
7 February: Northampton, Roadmenders
8 February: Manchester, University Main Hall
9 February: London, Shepherd's Bush Empire
10 February: Norwich, University of East Anglia
Another break here while the band take some time off and begin recording the Democracy album, which is released in April 1996. Three UK gigs are scheduled to support the album that month, but are cancelled. Youth leaves the tour and is replaced by Troy Gregory.
1996
5 May: Florence, Auditorium Flog
6 May: Milan, Rainbow
7 May: Geneva, L'Usine
8 May, Bulle, Switzerland, Ebullition
9 May: Munich, Charterhalle
10 May: Vienna, Szene Wien
12 May: Frankfurt, Batschkapp
13 May: Nuremburg, Hirsch
14 May: Berlin, Huxleys Neue Welt
15 May: Cologne, Live Music Hall
18 May: Amsterdam, Paradiso
19 May: Esneux-sur-Ourthe, Belgium ("Riverside Festival")
Setlist: Communion/Whiteout/Wardance/Pandemonium/Aeon/Exorcism/Millennium/The Wait/Savage Freedom/Psyche
20 May: Paris, Elyee Montmartre
21 May: Strasbourg, France, La Laterie
22 May: Lyon, Transbordeur
23 May: Barcelona, Sala Zeleste
24 May: Valencia, Auditorium
25 May: Madrid, Canuller
26 May: Bilbao, Spain, Factoria
28 May: Toulouse, Le Pied
30 May: Brest, France, Pavillion Penfold
And then all turns quiet. Jaz and Youth continue their collaboration on arranging classic rock for orchestra to positive reviews, most notably with the Symphonic Led Zeppelin album in 1997. Geordie works with Martin Atkins in a new band called The Damage Manual, along with Jah Wobble and Chris Connelly. An EP is released in April 2000, with a full-length album following in September. A tour is arranged, but internal friction leads to its swift demise. A few dates are played in the USA and dates are arranged for a Winter 2000 UK tour, but it is abruptly cancelled.
Plans are made to begin writing and recording a new album in early 2001, but these are put on hold as Jaz moves to Prague and begins working as Composer-in-Residence with the Prague Symphony Orchestra. The orchestra appears on The Doors Concerto, another well-received symphonic treatment of a classic rock band, this time featuring Nigel Kennedy on violin.
The turn of the millennium does signal strange portents in the world, however, leading the band to chronicle it....
