Backdrop

Written by:

Smith, Scanlon, Riley, Hanley

Initial Release:

In A Hole; Flying Nun (NZ) MARK1/2, 1983 (LP + 12")

Date:

Late 1983

Subsequent Releases:

No studio version exists

Official Live Recordings:

Room To Live (Undilutable Slang Truth!; Cog Sinister/Voiceprint on CD (COGVP105CD) 1988
In A Hole; Cog Sinister/Voiceprint on CD (COGVP102CD); 1997
Austurbaejarbio; Cog Sinister/Voiceprint COGVP125CD, 2001
Backdrop; Cog Sinister/Voiceprint COGVP127CD, 2001
In A Hole; Cog Sinister/Voiceprint on CD (COGVP137CD) 2003
In A Hole; Voiceprint CD (VP241019CD) 2003
Perverted By Language; Castle (CMQDD1134) 2005
In A Hole; Castle (CMQDD1225) 2006

Group on initial recording:

MES-Vocals; Craig Scanlon - Guitar; Marc Riley - Keyboards; Steve Hanley - Bass; Paul Hanley & Karl Burns - Drums

First Played Live:

Rotterdam 13 April 1982

Last Played Live:

Leicester 19 November 1983

No of times known to have been played live:

46

Commentary:

NB: The Cog Sinister/Voiceprint 2001 release was originally released 1994 as a bootleg CD on Pseudo Indie (PIL05CD)

This track was written and performed at a time when the group were at their most prolific and would never get recorded in the studio. Whether that was because their were too many tracks or because of the superb live recording that was to emerge on the New Zealand only release of In A Hole in late 1983.
It wasn't to get an official UK release until it was included, uncredited, on the limited edition 'bonus' CD that accompanied the CD release of Room to Live.

So the track until recent times was a bit of a rarity, which is a pity because it is a magnificent track.
The powerhouse of the Scanlon, Hanley, Hanley, Burns rhythm section drives the track, whilst MES sings about youth opportunities, stinking billies, black dogs, a state-subsidized cannabis haze and a Tyneside morgue. Marvellous stuff, not to be missed.

Known Live Performances

13 April 1982 De Doelen, Rotterdam 
23 April 1982 North London Polytechnic   
24 April 1982 Essex University Colchester
25 April 1982 Top Rank Reading
26 April 1982 Scamps Oxford 
27 April 1982 Derby Hall Bury
28 April 1982 Derby 
29 April 1982 Vanburgh College York 
30 April 1982 Porterhouse, Retford Nottingham
01 May 1982 University Southampton 
02 May 1982 Jenkinsons, Kingswest, Brighton 
03 May 1982 Band on the Wall Manchester 
05 May 1982 Band on the Wall Manchester 
15 May 1982 Illuminated 666, Manchester 
19 May 1982 Football Social Club Burnley 
06 August 1982 Mount Erica Hotel, Melbourne 
07 August 1982 St. Kilda Melbourne
17 August 1982 University of Canterbury, Christchurch 
19 August 1982 Victoria University, Wellington 
21 August 1982 Main Street, Auckland 
02 December 1982 Leadmill Sheffield 
03 December 1982 The Warehouse, Liverpool 
04 December 1982 Manchester University Manchester 
07 December 1982 Riley Smith Hall Leeds 
09 December 1982 Nottingham Trent Polytechnic 
12 December 1982 Lyceum, London 
22 December 1982 Lesser Free Trade Hall, Manchester 
09 February 1983 Plan K Brussels 
11 February 1983 Paradiso, Amsterdam 
12 February 1983 Arena, Rotterdam 
14 February 1983 Effenaar, Eindhoven 
07 April 1983 Long Island 
15 April 1983 Danceteria New York 
20 April 1983 The Roxy, Ottawa 
27 April 1983 First Avenue Minneapolis 
30 April 1983 Trenton 
04 May 1983 New York 
06 May 1983 Austerbaejarbio, Reyjavik 
14 July 1983 Tiffanys Derby 
29 July 1983 Fford Green, Leeds 
26 October 1983 Concorde Bar, Brighton 
27 October 1983 Concorde Bar, Brighton 
01 November 1983 Madison, Middlesbrough 
09 November 1983 Reading University, Reading 
19 November 1983 Leicester