Pop. Eating itself.
by Phil LongI’ve been having a bit of a lazy day today - just watching mindless television in between browsing and sorting through photos from the interdepartmental football tournament (which I’ll post about separately). On my browsing I visited PWEInation and they had a link to a YouTube video of a live performance by PWEI of ‘Not Now James, We’re Busy’; from the backdrop of the gig it looks like it was a tour associated with the album ‘This is the day…This is the hour…This is this’. It’s not exactly good quality, but naturally through the wonders of YouTube it obviously linked through to related videos, so this post is going through those and if you don’t like the Poppies that’s your hard luck… 
I’ve always been a coward, baby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7IBnVEPW30
This video is of a live performance of probably my favourite PWEI song (it was on the album ‘The Looks or the Lifestyle’). It’s one of those songs that can make the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. This is a performance toward the end of PWEI’s existence - most likely as part of tours for ‘Dos Dedos Mes Amigos’, or ahead of the album that never happened; which was when I saw them at Lancaster Uni and heard several of the songs they didn’t end up releasing.
Ich Bin Ein Auslander
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBYqNj7Rrh4
This one is pure comedy - PWEI on the Late Show in the USA performing Ich Bin Ein Auslander from ‘Dos Dedos Mes Amigos’. From the comments the obvious reaction occurred - how anybody could think PWEI were suitable for the audience of middle-aged to pensioners they show before they start, I have no idea!
RSVP and Underbelly
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swLeUwcQbBU
Another performance on TV in the USA, but more fitting and by the looks, genuinely live. RSVP and Underbelly from ‘Dos Dedos Mes Amigos’.
Wise Up! Sucker
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDWEs8RJ0v0
This is my next favourite PWEI song and this is the video that went with it, rather than a live performance.
Their Law
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSQ6Pc2U5No
Along with XY & Zee, this is probably the song where most people recognise PWEI from, as they did it with Prodigy on the Prodigy album ‘Music and the Jilted Generation’ . This is a live performance in Shepherds Bush during their brief re-union tour in 2004. Which I missed. I hate myself for that.
It’s yer money I’m after, baby
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFCUw7A7_8s
By The Wonder Stuff. Not PWEI, but Miles is wearing a ‘Box Frenzy’ PWEI t-shirt in the video; and hey - I like The Wonder Stuff too.
Get the Girl, Kill the Baddies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-M77VS8reU
A live performance of this song, from ‘The Looks or the Lifestyle’. Another awesome song.
Backdrop seems to suggest it was at the time of that album and similar introduction to the song as that used in the live album ‘At Weird’s Bar and Grill’. There’s a Vile Evils (I’ll get to them shortly) version on YouTube, and also one from the Shepherds Bush reunion gig.
F**king & Fighting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_tAbZZuyo8
This was the first single released by Vile Evils. After PWEI did their re-union tour there were rumours that they were working on new material. Unfortunately it only saw the light of day as demos and a 10 minute ‘taster’ of several songs mixed together. Vile Evils was what we ultimately got, as Clint Mansell didn’t return to the fold. Check out iTunes for other things and, at the moment, their is a countdown on the Vile Evils Web site, until the beginning of November; so I’ll be watching that with eager anticipation.
Lux Aeterna
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKLpJtvzlEI
Clint Mansell is doing well for himself and I’m sure some will recognise this song from Requiem for a Dream. He’s done a lot of soundtrack work. Another place footy fans will know his work from is the music that played on Sky Premier Plus before games started.
Related posts:
‘ere phil, from looking at this list you should catch without thought opening for the stuffies at shepherds bush empire on 31st!
Am I right that name was ‘Without Thought? Have you got a link to a myspace page or some such with a demo? I did find a band from Guildford called Without Thought - and maybe it’s them, but they struck me as something more in the Will Haven mold than along the lines of the Stuffies or Poppies…