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Wire: Tiny Desk Concert

By Bob Boilen
Published May 27, 2020 at 5:00 AM EDT

For me, it was beyond surreal to watch Wire performing at my desk, in broad daylight, in 2020. I spent many an evening over the past 40 years, listening to their original, artful bursts of noise and imagery, seeing them in dark clubs in the '80s and beyond. From the time I first heard them in 1977, few bands have encapsulated my musical aesthetics like Wire.

And yet there they were, with three original bandmates: Colin Newman, singing his enigmatic poetry, and those driving rhythms of Graham Lewis on bass and Robert Grey (aka Robert Gotobed) on drums. Matthew Simms was the "new" bandmate, having now played with the band for the past 10 years. What's most remarkable is how the sound of songs such as "Cactused" from their 17th album, Mind Hive, sit so well next to "French Film Blurred" from their 1978 album — and one of my favorite records ever made — Chairs Missing.

Try and imagine your favorite artist today, playing a concert in someone's office in 2062 and still having an emotional impact with extraordinary new songs. As I said, it's beyond surreal and genuinely thrilling.

SET LIST

  • "Cactused"

    •
  • "Be Like Them"

  • "French Film Blurred"

  • "The Offer"

    • MUSICIANS

    Colin Newman: vocals, guitar; Graham Lewis: bass; Robert Gray (aka Robert Gotobed): drums; Matthew Simms: guitar

    CREDITS

    Producers: Bob Boilen, Morgan Noelle Smith, Maia Stern; Creative director: Bob Boilen; Audio engineers: Josh Rogosin, J. Czys; Videographers: Maia Stern, CJ Riculan, Kara Frame, Jack Corbett; Associate Producer: Bobby Carter; Production Assistant: Shanti Hands; Executive producer: Lauren Onkey; VP, programming: Anya Grundmann; Photo: Kisha Ravi/NPR

    Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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    Bob Boilen
    In 1988, a determined Bob Boilen started showing up on NPR's doorstep every day, looking for a way to contribute his skills in music and broadcasting to the network. His persistence paid off, and within a few weeks he was hired, on a temporary basis, to work for All Things Considered. Less than a year later, Boilen was directing the show and continued to do so for the next 18 years.
    See stories by Bob Boilen

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