Wire at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Colin Newman was born in Salisbury, Wiltshire, England. After finishing art school, he moved to London at age 21 and formed Wire, in which he became the vocalist, songwriter and guitarist. The year was 1976 and so Wire was included among the first wave of punk. In short time, the band moved past that genre, however, performing what would come to be known as post-punk. The band developed a cult following but never enjoyed significant commercial success. Wire split in 1979, reformed in 1985, resumed a hiatus in 1991, and regrouped in 1999. The band presently consists of Newman and two other original members, bassist Graham Lewis and drummer Robert Grey, plus guitarist Matthew Simms, who joined in 2010. Wire released its 17th and most recent studio album, Mind Hive, on January 24, 2020. On Record Store Day, Wire will release 10:20, featuring eight previously unreleased songs recorded for the Red Barked Tree and Mind Hive albums.

On the second of two nights at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, Wire performed a set that leaned strongly on the years 1977 to 1990, but also included four songs from the most recent album. On the surface the music was monochromatic art-rock. The more rocking songs bounced on simple chord structures, yet rife with minor chords and other jarring movements. Some of these uptempo songs were driven by a guitar lead that was built on singular repetitive notes. The softer songs built on pervasive elements of ambient, shoegaze and drone. A deeper listen revealed that even these songs had unorthodox arrangements, with curious melodic arrangements floating on undercurrents of pulsing sounds. Wire's music was largely experimental, designed for those who hunger for obtuse rock sounds.

Setlist:

1. The Offer
2. Be Like Them
3. 1st Fast
4. Cactused
5. Morning Bell
6. Succulent Plants
7. Question of Degree
8. Over Theirs
9. German Shepherds
10. I Should Have Known Better
11. Patterns of Behaviour
12. Ex Lion Tamer
13. It's a Boy
14. French Film Blurred
15. Oklahoma
16. Hung

Encore:

1. Small Black Reptile
2. Outdoor Miner
3. A Touching Display