Colour Sound Oblivion

Colour Sound Oblivion was 16-DVD box set released by the band Coil. It contains 14 DVDs of edited video recordings of live Coil concerts and 2 DVDs of backing audio tracks and backing video projections the band would use live, known as the "Coil Reconstruction Kit." ^[1] It was compiled, supervised, edited, and released in July 2010 by co-founding member Peter Christopherson, almost six years after the death of fellow co-founding member John Balance.

Coil played live only four times in 1983, and did not play live again until 1999. Only one gig from 1983 was included on the set, while all the others are from 2000 to 2004.

Concerts

The list of each gig included, including tracklist and band members for each show.

DVD #1: 1983-08-24 How to Destroy Angels – Air Gallery, London, UK

01. How to Destroy Angels

John Balance – performer

John Gosling – performer

Peter Christopherson – backing tape

Marc Almond – vocals

Note: The band utilized no backing video projections for this gig. As such, the backing audio tracks were not released on the Coil Reconstruction Kit. The backing audio track is the same as the EP How to Destroy Angels and can be found there.

DVD #2: 2000-06-17: Sonar - Royal Festival Hall, London, UK

01. Everything Keeps Dissolving

02. Amethyst Deceivers

03. Queens of the Circulating Library

04. Blue Chasms

05. The Universe is a Haunted House

06. Elves

John Balance - vocals

Peter Christopherson - sequence

Thighpaulsandra - synthesizers

Ossian Brown - synthesizers

William Breeze – viola

Note: The band utilized no back video projections for this gig. As such, the backing audio tracks were not released on the Coil Reconstruction Kit. John Balance gave the CDr containing the backing audio tracks to a member of the audience, who ripped them as 128 kbps MP3's and bootlegged them as The Barcelona Aural Backdrop.

DVD #3: 2001-08-18 Convergence - Irving Plaza, New York City, USA

01. Something

02. Higher Beings Command

03. Amethyst Deceivers

04. What Kind of Animal Are You?

05. Blood from the Air

06. I Am the Green Child

07. Constant Shallowness Leads to Evil

John Balance - vocals

Peter Christopherson - sequence

Thighpaulsandra - synthesizers

Tom Edwards – marimba

Martin Schellard – guitar

Danny McKernan – performer

Matthew Gibson – performer

Note: This was the only Coil gig with Martin Schellard, Danny McKernan, and Matthew Gibson. This was the only Coil gig where they played in America.

DVD #4: 2001-09-15 DK Gorbunova, Moscow, Russia

01. Something

02. Higher Beings Command

03. Amethyst Deceivers (Version 1)

04. What Kind of Animal Are You?

05. Blood from the Air

06. I Am the Green Child

07. Constant Shallowness Leads to Evil

John Balance - vocals

Peter Christopherson - sequence

Thighpaulsandra - synthesizers, Moog theremin

Ossian Brown - synthesizers

Tom Edwards – marimba

DVD #5: 2002-04-06 Teatro delle Celebrazioni, Bologna, IT

01. Anarcadia: All Horned Animals

02. Amethyst Deceivers

03. Slur

04. A Cold Cell

05. Broccoli

06. Paranoid Inlay

07. Sick Mirrors

08. A.Y.O.R.

09. Backwards

John Balance - vocals

Peter Christopherson - sequence

Ossian Brown - synthesizers

Cliff Stapleton – hurdy-gurdy

Mike York – Breton bagpipes

Massimo – performer

Pierce – performer

Note: Thighpaulsandra was absent for the April 2002 tour gigs to tour with the Spiritualized.

DVD #6: 2002-06-07 New Forms III - Theater aan het Spui, Den Haag, NL

01. Anarcadia: All Horned Animals

02. Sometimes

03. Amethyst Deceivers

04. Broccoli

05. Backwards

John Balance - vocals

Peter Christopherson - sequence

Thighpaulsandra - synthesizers

Ossian Brown - synthesizers

Cliff Stapleton – hurdy-gurdy

Massimo – performer

Pierce – performer

DVD #7: 2002-10-27 Palac Akropolis, Prague, CZ + 2002-10-29 Flex, Vienna, AT

01. I Am Angie Bowie (Sine Waves)

02. Are You Shivering?

03. Amethyst Deceivers

04. A Warning from the Sun

05. The Universe is a Haunted House

06. Windowpane

07. Ostia

08. I Don't Want to Be the One

09. Bang Bang (Sonny Bono Cover)

10. An Unearthly Red

John Balance - vocals

Peter Christopherson - sequence

Thighpaulsandra - synthesizers

Ossian Brown - synthesizers

Massimo – performer

Pierce – performer

Note: These gigs in this compiled form were previously released on Live Four. "I Am Angie Bowie (Sine Waves)" and "An Unearthly Red" are from the Prague gig, while the rest of the songs are from the Vienna gig. Colour Sound Oblivion is missing "The Last Rites of Spring" from the Vienna gig.

DVD #8: 2002-09-29 Vagonka Club, Kaliningrad, Russia

01. I Am Angie Bowie (Sine Waves)

02. The Last Rites of Spring

03. Are You Shivering?

04. Amethyst Deceivers

05. A Warning from the Sun

06. Lake View

07. Ostia

08. I Don't Want to Be the One

09. Bang Bang (Sonny Bono Cover)

10. An Unearthly Red

John Balance - vocals

Peter Christopherson - sequence

Thighpaulsandra - synthesizers

Ossian Brown - synthesizers

DVD #9: 2002-10-05 Ydrogeios Club, Thessaloniki, Greece

01. I Am Angie Bowie (Sine Waves)

02. The Last Rites of Spring

03. Are You Shivering?

04. Amethyst Deceivers

05. A Warning from the Sun

06. Lake View

07. Ostia

08. I Don't Want to Be the One

09. Bang Bang (Sonny Bono Cover)

10. An Unearthly Red

John Balance - vocals

Peter Christopherson - sequence

Thighpaulsandra - synthesizers

Ossian Brown - synthesizers

Massimo – performer

Pierce – performer

DVD #10: 2003-05-29 Mutek Festival '03 – Montreal, Canada

01. Blue Rats

02. ANS

03. Triple Sun

04. Radio Westin (Wraiths and Strays (from Montreal))

05. The First Five Minutes After Death

Peter Christopherson - sequence

Thighpaulsandra - synthesizers

Note: This was the only gig played in Canada. This was the first of three gigs in 2003 played without John Balance. Balance was ill and could not perform.

DVD #11: 2004-05-23 La Loco, Paris, France

01. The Gimp (Sometimes)

02. Sex With Sun Ra (Part Two – Sigillaricia)

03. Broccoli

04. All the Pretty Little Horses

05. Tattooed Man

06. Teenage Lightning (10th Birthday Version)

07. The Wraiths and Strays of Paris

08. Black Antlers (Where's Your Child?)

John Balance - vocals

Peter Christopherson - sequence

Thighpaulsandra - synthesizers

Tom Edwards - marimba

Cliff Stapleton – hurdy-gurdy

Mike York – Breton bagpipes

DVD #12: 2004-06-03 Melkweg, Amsterdam, NL

01. The Gimp (Sometimes)

02. Sex With Sun Ra

03. Broccoli

04. All the Pretty Little Horses

05. (I Can't Get a Word in) Edgeways

06. Tattooed Man

07. Teenage Lightning (10th Birthday Version)

08. Wraiths and Strays

John Balance - vocals

Peter Christopherson - sequence

Thighpaulsandra - synthesizers

Tom Edwards - marimba

Cliff Stapleton – hurdy-gurdy

DVD #13: 2004-06-11 Il Violino E La Selce Festival, Jesi, IT

01. The Gimp (Sometimes)

02. Sex With Sun Ra

03. All the Pretty Little Horses

04. Tattooed Man

05. Teenage Lightning (10th Birthday Version)

06. Wraiths and Strays

07. Black Antlers (Where's Your Child?)

John Balance - vocals

Peter Christopherson - sequence

Thighpaulsandra - synthesizers

Tom Edwards - marimba

Cliff Stapleton – hurdy-gurdy

DVD #14: 2004-10-23 Dublin Electronic Arts Festival – City Hall, Dublin, Ireland

01. White Rainbow

02. The Beginning is Always the End

03. Unhappy Rabbits

04. Stranded With Gifts

05. I Want the Bells to Whistle

06. Tom's Radio Weston

07. Going Up

John Balance - vocals

Peter Christopherson - sequence

Thighpaulsandra - synthesizers

Cliff Stapleton – hurdy-gurdy

Note: This was Coil's last gig, because John Balance died on November 13, 2004.

Coil Reconstruction Kit

DVD #15: Coil Reconstruction Kit Disc 1

01. Something

02. Higher Beings Command

03. Amethyst Deceivers (Version 1)

04. Titan Arch

06. What Kind of Animal Are You?

07. Blood from the Air

08. I Am the Green Child

09. Constant Shallowness Leads to Evil

10. Anarcadia: All Horned Animals

11. Amethyst Deceivers (Version 2)

12. Slur

13. A Cold Cell

14. Broccoli

15. Paranoid Inlay

16. Sick Mirrors

17. A.Y.O.R.

18. Backwards

19. I Am Angie Bowie (Sine Waves)

20. The Last Rites of Spring

21. Are You Shivering?

DVD #16: Coil Reconstruction Kit Disc 2

01. Moulin Blanc

02. A Warning from the Sun

03. The Universe is a Haunted House (Drip Drop)

04. Plots Before the Eyes

05. I Don't Want to Be the One

06. Ostia (Massimo's Version)

07. An Unearthly Red

08. The First Five Minutes After Death

09. Tattooed Man

10. Lake View

11. Triple Sun

12. Marcon's First Transmission from Weston

13. Blue Rats

14. The Beginning is Always the End

15. Unhappy Rabbits

16. Tom's Radio Weston

17. Going Up

Some backing audio tracks and backing video projections were not included on the Coil Reconstruction Kit, including the audio track for "(I Can't Get a Word in) Edgeways" and the video projections for "Teenage Lightning (10th Birthday Version)," "Stranded With Gifts," and the fire video for "Going Up."

Packaging, Editions

"The discs come in a wooden box, each with its own number on the inside of the lid. Each disc comes in a basic cardboard sleeve, listing details of the performance's place, date, "feeling" and some technical details. No songs are listed, except on The Coil Reconstruction Kit.

Apart from the Air Gallery performance and the Reconstruction Kit, the discs are packaged in four cloth bags identifying the band's different stage outfits, each representing a specific live-incarnation of the band.

Besides the discs, the box contains a fifteen-page booklet, the program to John Balance's funeral ceremony and a large collection of 6" × 4" postcards, mainly of photo's taken on tour.

An 'Advance Patrons Edition' of 200 copies, intended to help finance the production, was announced in November 2009. Buyers of this edition received a patronage certificate, but the actual boxes are identical to those that were ordered later (although it seems that the first 200 have a red plastic tag bearing the copy number rather than a blue one in the 'Advance Edition').

Buyers if the initial editions had the opportunity to have Peter Christopherson write a dedication card with a text of their own choice, which was included in their copy of the box.

An additional 'Open Edition' was made available in August 2010. This edition omits the four costume fabric bags for the DVD's, and includes an additional face cloth, embroidered in white with Coil's final lyric "IT JUST IS...", as well as a bar of fragrant handmade soap, in cream suffused with blood red, hand stamped with the words "IT'S IN MY BLOOD...". Instead of the red or blue plastic number-tag, the Open Edition has a round mirror with the letters CSO on the inside of the box' lid.

A separate set of these extra's - cloth, soap and mirror - were also made available as a "TopUp Kit" for the buyers of the previous editions. The kit also included the dedication card for those buyers who forgot to ask for one the first time around." ^[2]

References