Wire, with guests Golden Retriever
The Imperial, Vancouver, BC, April 7th, 2017
There aren’t many bands that have had such a subtle yet significant influence on my musical appreciation as Wire. Now over 40 years into their existence as a band, they remain difficult to classify. The one constant has been their tendency to do whatever they want, a quality I’d consider respectable at the very least.
I approached the openers, Golden Retriever, with curiosity and a hint of apprehension – their experimental nature basically dictates that the duo on stage and on recording might as well be different beasts. I’m not going to lie, while my interest was piqued, their performance failed to grab me entirely. Were I more well-versed in electronic sound manipulation, chances are I’d have found them to have more staying power.
One thing I’ve learned about seeing a band whose career has spanned four decades is the best way to enjoy them is to check your expectations at the door. This is doubly true for a band like Wire, having undergone so much creative evolution over the years that only mere vestiges of the earlier material are detectable in the newer stuff. While their set was decidedly substantially weighted in favour of their output since their 2000 reunion, I still found it quite enjoyable, even if the absence of my favourite tracks from 1979’s 154 was very noticeable. That said, I’m quite happy I finally got to see these guys, and gotta give them props for still going.
GOLDEN RETRIEVER
WIRE
