Wire's DC Performance: Annotated Setlist

Photo by Alex Vanhee on pinkflag.com

Here's the setlist from their 4/7 performance at the Black Cat in DC, along with the album that the song appeared on. It was a great show -- energetic and fun. The band looked like they were very much enjoying themselves. As Wire does, they found the perfect mix of chaos and structure in the songs and in the concert as well.

They didn't say a lot. Graham introduced "Map Ref 41°N 93°W" as a "song about the Midwest." Colin responded to a few of the people in the audience that were shouting out song titles with "You know we don't take requests." But apart from that, they just played. One takeaway for me seeing them live: most fans don't love particular songs by Wire, they just love Wire.

While they did play a smattering of song from throughout their career, it was surprising that they didn't play anything from 1978's Chairs Missing or 2008's Object 47. Regardless, it was still an incredible show.

"Comet," Read & Burn 01 (2002)
"Advantage in Height," Snakedrill (1986)
"Please Take," Red Barked Tree (2011)
"Silk Skin Paws," A Bell is a Cup... Until it is Struck, (1988)
"Kidney Bingos," A Bell is a Cup... Until it is Struck
"Clay," Red Barked Tree
"Map Ref 41°N 93°W," 154, (1979)
"Bad Worn Thing," Red Barked Tree
"Moreover," Red Barked Tree
"Two People in a Room," 154, (1979)
"106 Beats That," Pink Flag, (1977)
"Boiling Boy," A Bell is a Cup... Until it is Struck
"Red Barked Trees," Red Barked Tree

Encore 1:
"Down to This," Red Barked Tree

"Drill," Snakedrill (1986)
"Underwater Experience," Document & Eyewitness (1981)

Encore 2:
"Adapt," Red Barked Tree
"Pink Flag," Pink Flag (1977)

Original setlist here.