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Gigography

A list of all known Scritti Politti gigs sofar. It is really difficult to get dates, setlists and venues for the early pre-1980 gigs. The last gig in supposed to be in Brighton early 1980, where Scritti Politti supported Gang Of Four, as you can read in this interview halfway down the page. If you have any information about this gig, or any others, please let us know!
This list should work well in all modern browsers, including Explorer 6.

Band members post 2005: Green Gartside, Alyssa, Ralph, Dicky, Dave, Rhodri, Richie (The Capes) (jan 7 gig only)
Band members pre 1982: Green Gartside, Nial Jinks, Tom Morley, Matthew Kay

This list is a collection of information found on the internet, books and personal experience. We try to be accurate, but that depends on the available sources. If you see a mistake, or have anything to add, please let us know.

1. lorraine lincoln 05.04.06 / 2pm

   hello, I just stumbled upon your website whilst looking for information on double G and the traitorous three and what a find it’s been, the clips are fantastic, thank you all so much for sharing them, I go to the Hay literary festival every year and could’nt believe my eyes when I saw that Scritti Politti would be playing, I really thought that there was more chance of my seeing Kate Bush performing in my local boozer than ever seeing Green Gartside, I am hugely excited by the prospect I have been a fan for
2. Ellen 05.04.06 / 3pm

   Hey Lorraine, glad you like the site. I can imagine your amazement, felt the same way in January this year, when first news on the gigs came out. Enjoy the Hay Festival, envy you, i won’t be there. Let us know how it was!
3. rob whalley 05.26.06 / 3am

   I saw Scritti at the ‘Leeds Futurama Festival’ which I think (after refreshing my memory through Google) was (probably) Saturday, 7th September 1979. They were fab!
4. Kelvin Hayes 05.29.06 / 5pm

   Hi

   I thought Scritti didn’t do live! Surprised also to see the new album come out of nowhere (but with disappointing artwork and title). And if you don’t know (shameless plug) my last book cover features part of the word girl sleeve and dare I say mentions SP in a very different way. Check my website for details and artwork.

   Best, K (also Welsh)
5. Marco Raaphorst 05.29.06 / 5pm

   I must say I like the title and artwork. It’s very lofi, do-it-yourself, which suits Green/Scritt very well. At least it makes total sense to me :))
6. Joe40 06.05.06 / 4pm

   Just found this site after just finding out about the ‘Live’ performances ( I live a long way away!!) anyway, Scritti played London Prince Of Wales Conference Centre (Below YMCA) on 5th Aug 1979 according to this flyer:

   Scritti played on the second day – Sunday (9th Sept 1979) at the Leeds Futurama Festival:

   J40
7. Joe40 06.05.06 / 4pm

   Apologies, no ‘Live’ links
   YMCA:
   hXXp://members.aol.com/lwtua/conc2.jpg
   Futurama:
   hXXp://www.lwtua.free-online.co.uk/jd/futpost.jpg

   If anyone has a decnt recording of the BBC documentary from 1999 please let me know for a trade?

   J40
8. Ellen 06.05.06 / 5pm

   Hey Joe,

   Thanks for the information and links to the posters! Added it to the gigography.
9. Richard 06.05.06 / 7pm

   Here is another review of the first Windmill gig.

   http://www.intro.de/news/23008752

   Richard
10. bruce 06.15.06 / 11pm

    Hiya – just to say that a guy Davie I know is sure he saw Scritti around 1980 in a place called rooftops in Glasgow? not sure about the validity of this – perhaps someone else could verify this?
    Looking foward to Edinburgh on the 7th August!
11. Roberto 06.27.06 / 10pm

    Ok, anyone else going to the Norwich gig on July 17th ? If so, do you fancy meeting up before hand ? Maybe get a drink in ?

    Drop me a line if you do :o)
12. Chris Bright 07.12.06 / 1am

    Just back from the gig at the Scala in Kings Cross – a bit of a blinder I have to say. A bit of a surprise to hear Skank Bloc Bologna after all these years, and it sounded really good too.

    Songs like Sweetest Girl and Wood Beez really worked well live – released into their natural habitat after all these years – and the new songs don’t sufer in comparison.

    No making songs up on the spot like in the old days, despite my shouted request, but hey, you can’t have everything.

    Best of all, the band were clearly having a ball. I think the best gig I’ve been to since Brian Wilson’s “Smile” tour. If Green doesn’t get bored again, could be the start of something big…
13. Martin 07.13.06 / 9am

    Scala. Fantastic gig. Great to see Green & co perferming live after all this time – and with such confidence and good spirits!

    However, my one disapointment was that he only played 4 of the older songs. The rest of the set was composed of the new album and obscure hip-hop tunes. Don’t get me wrong, I love the new album, but I thought he’d drop in at least a handful of classics over 20-odd years worth! He almost seemed embarrassed to perform Wood Beez at the end.

    Adding Word Girl, Absolute and maybe one tune off the Anomie album (i.e. Brushed With Oil could’ve worked well), to the set list would have topped things off for me (…and especially for my sister, who came not having heard the new album at all).

    Don’t leave it too long before the next one Green!
14. Martin Maher 07.13.06 / 2pm

    Hi All,

    Ellen thanks so much for the clips. I managed to get to the scala gig despite having to pay £90 for the nastiest B&B imaginable and extronionate virgin train prices it was still the best money I’ve spent. I had reasonable expectations of the show, didn’t want to build it up too much just in case. I’m still absolutely buzzing, my girlfriend too who had ony heard boom boom bap prior to this. what a wonderful, stunning talent green is. Does anyone now if there are likely to be any more in this country at any time after Friday. Hope sooo much that there is.

    Martin
15. Megs 08.09.06 / 2am

    I’m dying over here in the States! If I weren’t on a teacher’s salary, I’d hop the next plane where ever to go see SP. I literally cried when I heard WBBB. Sweetest Girl and WoodBeez were the only way I got through middle & high school -it’s beyond wonderful to have Scritti back!!! I wonder if there is any chance they’ll come to the US and play small venues or even big ones! I can only hope and in the meantime, save my pennies.
    PS Thank you so much for this site. I’ve checked it periodically through the years so I wouldn’t feel so alone in my love for Scritti Politti. This current explosion of activity makes me very very happy!
    Meg
16. Free Moral Agent 10.28.06 / 11am

    Greetings everyone-I will be headed to the show in Chicago next Sat. Is there anyone else from this site going as well? Would love to meet you…
17. Harry 11.12.06 / 8am

    Having seen Scritti at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC was amazing to say the least. I, too, wish he did more songs from Cupid & Psyche 85 or even Provision – but I’ll be content that he toured nonetheless. Seeing him do “Hands Up” blew me away. I did get chills when the audience’s singing practically overpowered Green’s vocals on The Word Girl and Wood Beez. I walked away a bigger fan than what I was before.
18. richard h 11.13.06 / 7pm

    Not sure where else to post this, but travelling to the Manchester gig on 20th from Leeds on my own….think I get into Manchester for 7.15 ish on the train.
    Anyone fancy meeting up for a pre gig drink??
19. Claire B 11.16.06 / 11pm

    I went to the Leadmill in Sheffield last night and the gig was fab. Great music, as always!
20. Heathcliff 11.17.06 / 12am

    I was at the Leadmill gig too last night (I was the guy at the front with the scarf)… AWESOME set. Seriously, Green’s the best rapper I’ve ever heard. :D I just managed to nab his autograph outside the personnel door before he had to swannee off to see his father-in-law! :)
21. paul 11.17.06 / 10pm

    going to the birmingham date on saturday night. can’t wait. anybody else going?
22. Terry Burgess 11.19.06 / 5am

    Hi Richard, myself & a friend are both going to this gig in Manchester you would be very welcome to join us.My email address is tburgesstheproject@yahoo.co.uk & we can make arrangements to go for a drink beforehand.
23. Terry Burgess 11.19.06 / 5am

    Can i congratulare the people who set up this site.You have given us Scritti Politti fans a real gem here.Being 43 yrs old i’ve been into SP from the early 80s & never thought in my wildest dreams i would ever get the chance to see Green perform in concert,like so many others.However i travelled to Hay on Wye back in June & met him in person what a nice guy he is & a real talant as are the rest of the band.Naturally looking forward to seeing them again in my hometown of Manchester next Monday.
24. Jason Parkes 11.19.06 / 2pm

    Last night’s gig in Birmingham was excellent, probably the best I’ve been to all year – which my colleague thought as well. I loved the Oxford Zodiac gig, but this was much tighter – the band were on great form and those dubby bass-lines were a particular joy. I thought the setlist was ideal, really well paced, glad ‘Come Clean’ and ‘Hands Up’ were still in the set and nice to have additions like ‘The Word Girl’ and the two tracks from ‘Anomie & Bonhomie’ – an album that really is overlooked (I’m sure I pretty much wrote it off after a few listens). The ‘White Bread…’-material was all storming, particularly ‘Dr Abernathy’, ‘The Boom Boom Bap’ (which was a bit shakey in Oxford – much better halfway through the set than at the start), ‘Mrs Hughes’ & ‘Petrococadollar.’ Loved the additional guitars on the older songs like ‘Wood Beez’ and ‘The Sweetest Girl’, and ‘Skank Bloc Bologna’ still sounds wild and would make people wet themselves if Bloc Party released it now. I think a lot of the material is even better live than on record…

    The whole band was on great form, hope Green caught his train and his Mrs gets better.
25. Dave Wilson 11.20.06 / 11am

    Joe40 – I’ve got a movie file copy of the BBC Scritti doc from 1999. Email your address at davewilson@oddpost.com, and I will forward.
26. paul 11.20.06 / 4pm

    i’m still buzzing (and slightly deaf) from the birmingham gig. hearing “the word girl” and “the sweetest girl” performed live was fantastic.
27. Dave Wilson 11.21.06 / 10am

    At the Manchester gig last night. I managed my expectations down, as this was my first time seeing the band. Seriously good night! Several things surprised me. 1) How sharp the sound was for such an intimate venue. 2) How tight and funky the band were. 3) How relaxed and humorous Green was with the crowd. I’d not heard the non-album tracks before – Come Clean was a stand-out for me. A dark, hard-edged beauty! My wife on the other hand thought Road to No Regret was the highlight. The crowd were very appreciative – which Green on more than one occasion acknowledged with thanks. From the moment they took to the stage to the moment they left, walking coolly through the crowd – they captured the attention of all present. A rare achievement for any gig, in my book. With the material being so good, with Green in such fine fettle (my wife’s jaw dropped when I told her he was 51!), and with the return of Scritti as a live proposition, the future has never looked brighter. Looking forward to the new stuff already!
28. Terry Burgess 11.21.06 / 1pm

    Just want to say what a top performance from Green & co at Manchester last night.Thoroughly enjoyed by all i’m sure.What i was impressed with was the amount & variety of songs they covered & how the band covered some tracks which potentially are quite diffiult to perform live,especially in reference to his earlier material.
29. Annie 11.21.06 / 8pm

    WOW…oh WOW….

    What a BRILLIANT show last night in Manchester. Seeing Green live for the first time, and enjoying his audience interaction was a blast.

    I’m afraid I was the loony who couldn’t stop herself from yelling “We love the new album”, and I was rewarded by Green very genuinely saying “thank you so much!”. Made my night!

    Brilliant band too – very tight and lovely harmonies…

    Phew… next!!!!
30. Richard W 11.21.06 / 10pm

    Glad you enjoyed it, Annie. In the BBC interview Green says the Manchester audience were the greatest!
31. Gary 11.22.06 / 10pm

    The Manchester show was fantastic! Skank Bloc Bologna was awesome but i just thought the whole band were so great. Green seemed very at ease (not it seems the case in London as he said) and i thought the banter was fun. Thanks for a great night!
32. damon 05.13.09 / 4am

    Scritti’s biggest fan! Not sure if this is the right place to post this…But
    do you guys have any idea whats going on with Green :possible tours new projects ect…?
    Thanks
33. ale 05.13.09 / 12pm

    i really hope that a new album will came out before this summer and a new tour will start!!!For me Scritti Politti is THE BEST BAND IN THE WORLD and i was lucky enough to met Green in July 2006 at Londonscala…he is my hero since i was a teenager…his songs for me are the STATE OF THE ART of the music!!!
34. Fredrik 05.13.09 / 1pm

    It’s about time. David Gamson is producing new songs for Le Concorde
35. ale 05.13.09 / 2pm

    thanks for the news Fredrik!!!Rumors said tha Green and David have collaborated recently for new songs…i can’t wait to listen for new material as soon as possible…if there will be a new tour i will fly another time from Italy to see Green again!!!
36. Fredrik 05.14.09 / 7pm

    Rumors, were ? This is great news !!
37. ale 05.15.09 / 8am

    You’re right,Fredrik! i’m italian so i don’t speak and write English very well…Every Scritti album in the past came out in Summer so i really hope that in Summer’09 there will be another one too followed by tours…Come on Green! We are waiting!!!
38. lmk 08.19.09 / 1am

    Not a Scritti gig, but I saw Green play with Alexis Taylor (Hot Chip) in April 2008 at a wee festival in Anstruther, Scotland, run by Fence Records, in front of about 50 people. He was staying close to where I was so I kept bumping into him in the village and I can confirm that he is a lovely chap.

    He was saying the album with Alexis was almost finished, so not sure what’s happened to it. I meant to ask him if he was going to be working with the Talented Mr Gamson again but I was a bit tipsy and a bit star-struck and so I forgot… doh!
39. ale 08.26.09 / 12pm

    4th September there will be another Green performance…does anyone can go to take photo,videos…We want another Scritti concert!!!!
40. Jason 08.27.09 / 1pm

    I’m not near to London and wouldn’t make it down then, but looks like it could be interesting – Graham Coxon might be a highlight too, if Blur’s recent festival reviews are anything to go by. Possibly an indication that something in the pipline from Green, given that prior to WBBB there were some low key events, albeit not as support for others?
41. Joel 08.28.09 / 6pm

    Where is the gig and how can I find out more?????haven’t seen anything about this at all!
42. ale 08.28.09 / 8pm

    To joel:go to the yahoo group and read the last two messages!Green will play only three songs…i really hope something about new material….
43. Joel 09.01.09 / 9pm

    Cheers Ale ,much appreciated!
44. si 02.20.10 / 2am

    another…

    http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/eventseducation/lateattatebritain/lateattatebritain2006august.htm

    Late at Tate Britain: August
    Friday 4 August 2006, 18.00–22.00

    Performance times (approx):
    18.00–18.45 DJ
    18.45–19.30 1990s
    19.45–20.30 The Long Blondes
    20.45–21.30 Scritti Politti
45. Rhodri 01.16.11 / 4pm

    Here’s more info about that 1979 ULU gig:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/33135085@N02/5357495912/in/set-72157611455086944/
46. Sam Pollard 12.30.11 / 9pm

    Hi … I just stumbled across a whole pile (well 5!) of the original posters for the very first gig at Acklam Hall … how do I send you an image for the website??? Also on the bill are Cabaret Voltaire & PragVEC
47. Sam Pollard 12.30.11 / 9pm

    …. and The Red Crayola ( … are these the same as Red Krayola??)
48. TheMikeN 01.03.12 / 2pm

    Hey Sam, are you planning on ebaying any of those posters? Where did you find those???!!! Fab!
49. Jon 01.06.12 / 3pm

    That poster takes pride of place in my extensive collection of original Scritti artwork. Cost me 50 quid, mind – that’s the most I’ve ever paid for a single item of SP memorabilia. Nice piece.

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