Live at the Bradford

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Live at the Bradford is the official video of the two farewell shows of post-punk group Mission of Burma held at the Bradford Hotel in 1983.

In 1983, now legendary post-punk icons Mission of Burma performed two highly regarded farewell shows at the Bradford Hotel in Boston. At the very peak of their power, the band was calling it quits due to guitarist Roger Miller's worsening tinnitus (ringing in the ears), no doubt brought on by their pummeling live performances. Those who were there recall a highly emotional evening: the band and audience were deeply connected through the enormity of what was about to be lost, which inspired Mission of Burma to rip through their sets with a passion that was both brutal and bittersweet.

As the only official video from Burma's early period, Live at the Bradford^[1] is arguably an important historical document. This fact alone is enough for any diehard Mission of Burma fan; for the rest of us, there remain some technical issues: it seems short when compared to the actual shows (which were two long sets each), the sound is terrible, the editing amaturish (3 cameras, but somehow everything seems filmed from stage left), and the video quality is grainy and oversaturated.

Still, if you can get beyond its limitations and enjoy it for what it is -- a rare peek back in time to the heyday of Boston's local music scene -- Live at the Bradford offers a glimpse of what a live Mission of Burma performance back in the day was all about. With energy, sweat and stage divers galore, plus unforgettable live versions of "Fun World" and "Revolver", it's hard not to like this video.

On March 18, 2008, Matador released the full set as a DVD accompanying the remastered "The Horrible Truth About Burma (OLE 732-2)."^[2] This DVD includes the VHS version for posterity. The early set from the Bradford is also available as a companion disc to the studio album "VS. (OLE 731-2)."

[edit] Track listing

1. "That's How I Escaped My Certain Fate"
2. "Mica"
3. "Outlaw"
4. "Peking Spring"
5. "He Is, She Is"
6. "Go Fun Burn Man"
7. "Fun World"
8. "Max Ernst"
9. "Secrets"
10. "That's When I Reach For My Revolver"
11. "Academy Fight Song"

[edit] Full track listing for complete live set at the Bradford

1. "This Is Not A Photograph"
2. "Mica"
3. "He Is, She Is"
4. "Outlaw"
5. "Peking Spring"
6. "Trem Two"
7. "Go Fun, Burn Man"
8. "Fun World"
9. "Blackboard"
10. "See My Friend"
11. "Max Ernst"
12. "That's How I Escaped My Certain Fate"
13. "Einstein's Day"
14. "Dumbells"
15. "That's When I Reach For My Revolver"
16. "Secrets"
17. "Academy Fight Song"

[edit] References