Einsturzende Neubauten - London, 1983

Einsturzende Neubauten's first gig in London was one of the most amazing spectacles of performance art , visual thuggery & ear splitting cacophany ever seen in London. It was held on a muggy summer's evening, in a strange little community hall in South London - the setting was as weird as the gig.

Once inside the punters were locked in and the heaters turned on to full power. This factor, combined with the fires onstage, made it the most uncomfortable gig I've ever been to. Added to this were angle grinders covering the audience in sparks, and Blixa Bargeld (lead singer) smashing bottles into huge iron plates, with the shards of glass showering the audience. The other problem was that there was so much humidity, thanks to the heaters and lots of sweating bodies, that the camera lenses continually fogged up and that made it really difficult to get a clear pic.

I don't know if anyone lost an eye that night, but I can't imagine anything like that gig being allowed today. Public liability and OH&S rules would prohibit a band like Einsturzende Neubauten ever playing anywhere.