DEXYS LIVE

Dexys Midnight Runners' pure and passionate live perfomances have always been an integral part of their story. By the time they secured a recording contract in 1979 Dexys had already established themselves as a formidable live act - uncompromising and incomparable. At a time when Punk was giving way to Ska and New Wave, Dexys' shows harked back to the sweaty soul revues of the late 60's and yet at the same time pointed forward to a "new soul vision". With live sets calculated to bring the audience up on a high and then take them down again, Kevin Rowland in particular was willfully antagonistic towards audiences - no prisoners were taken - especially where hecklers were concerned. The music was punctuated by phrases like "If you find yourself feeling the power, please don't be afraid to enjoy it." and "People call us arrogant - but just because we know we are right, it doesn't make us arrogant."

With tour names like "Straight To The Heart" and "The Intense Emotion Review" Dexys sent out a clear message that these would be no ordinary 'rock concerts' - and few who saw those shows will ever forget the experience (see: Dexys Spring 1980). After the first Dexys line-up disintegrated it seemed inconceivable that the new recruits could match their predecessors in terms of power and passion, and yet their "Projected Passion Revue" performances are regarded by many as the greatest ever Dexys shows - culminating in the legendary 'Old Vic' concerts.

As 'Come On Eileen' brought Dexys international fame and fortune they played to packed audiences on their next tour, entitled "The Bridge" but again proved they were no ordinary band by re-working many of their familiar songs into virtually unrecognisable 'Celtic' versions (see: 'This used to go like that'). Whilst by this time many of the band were little more than hired hands, the theatrical element to Dexys shows was as strong as ever and they contained many hi-lights such as the slowed-down version of "There There My Dear", a recording of which can be found further down the page.

When Dexys returned to the stage in 1985, it was with a very different line-up and a different type of show. (see Coming To Town) The emphasis was far more on musicianship than the histrionics of old - and even Kevin's performances seemed comparitively restrained. However the live interpretations of the "Don't Stand Me Down" material and updated classics were trully breath-taking and the point in the show when a policeman took to the stage to interview Kevin about his "burning" was as brilliant as it was bizarre.

After those shows Dexys made one more live appearance - on Jonathan Ross' "Saturday Zoo" show back in 1993 - when they performed "If I Ever" and "Manhood" before withdrawing from the scene for a further ten years. For details of 2003's successful comeback tour see Dexys 2003... And of course that wasn't the end of the story as Dexys returned once more in 2012 with a tour and several appearances at festivals to promote their latest album "One Day I'm Going To Soar", putting on shows which, if anything, have been even more theatrical than the classic Dexys concerts, with new recruit - singer and actress Madeleine Hyland - helping to dramatise the album's themes.

The following is a list of Dexys Midnight Runners shows that are known to have been recorded either officially or otherwise, together with the set-lists, venues and (where known) the exact dates. If anybody has any information that is missing from this list, please email info@dexys.org. For listings of other Dexys live appearances see: Dexys Diary.

Camden, Electric Ballroom [27/12/79]
(The Horse; Tell Me When My Light Turns Green; Thankfully Not Living In Yorkshire, It Doesn’t Apply; Breaking Down The Walls Of Heartache; The Teams That Meet In Caffs; Geno; Dance Stance; I’m Just Looking; Respect; Hold On I’m Coming; Big Time Operator)

Groningen Sterrebos (Holland) [17/08/80]
(Seven Days Too Long; Geno; There There, My Dear; I Couldn’t Help If I Tried; Burn It Down; Breaking Down The Walls Of Heartache; Respect [incomplete])

Big Time Operator (see below)

PLAY

Cologne, (Germany) [11/10/80]
(The Horse; Tell Me When My Light Turns Green; Thankfully Not Living In Yorkshire, It Doesn’t Apply; Breaking Down The Walls Of Heartache; The Teams That Meet In Caffs; Interview; Geno; Burn It Down; I’m Just Looking; Respect; There There, My Dear; Seven Days Too Long; Soul Finger; Big Time Operator; One Way Love)

London, Paris Theatre [30/05/81]
(Spiritual Passion [A.K.A. Dubious]; Tell Me When My Light Turns Green; Soon; Plan B; Burn It Down; Respect; Until I Believe In My Soul; Show Me; There There, My Dear; Your Own [Liars A To E - incomplete]) Broadcast live on Radio 1. This concert was eventually released in its entirety on "The Projected Passion Revue" CD, featuring the full recording of Liars A To E and the additional song "Breakin' Down The Walls Of Heartache".

Bussum, "Heipop Festival" (Holland) [27/06/81]

(Dance Stance; Breaking Down The Walls Of Heartache; Soon; Plan B; Geno; Show Me; There, There, My Dear; Seven Days Too Long; Soul Finger)

Brouwershaven, De Markt (Holland) [30/06/81]
(Spiritual Passion [Dubious]; Tell Me When My Light Turns Green; Burn It Down; Breaking Down The Walls Of Heartache; Soon; Plan B; Geno; Respect; Until I Believe In My Soul; Show Me; There There, My Dear; Your Own [Liars A To E - incomplete]) Broadcast on Dutch radio

Your Own (see below)

PLAY

Nottingham, Theatre Royal [16/08/81]
(Show Me; There There, My Dear; Soon; Plan B; Respect; Your Own [Liars A To E]; I’m Just Looking) * As featured on 'Videosounds' TV show - clearly this was an edited selection of the actual concert.

Lisbon, "Avante Festival" (Portugal) [06/09/81]
(Spiritual Passion; Tell Me When My Light Turns Green; Let's Make This Precious; Burn It Down; Soon; Plan B; Geno; Respect; Until I Believe In My Soul; Show Me; There, There, My Dear; I'm Just Looking; Jackie Wilson Said)

London, Old Vic [14/11/81]
(Old; Spiritual Passion [Dubious]; Tell Me When My Light Turns Green; Let’s Make This Precious; Jackie Wilson Said (I’m In Heaven When You Smile); Soon; Plan B; Burn It Down; Yes Let's; Respect; Until I Believe In My Soul [incomplete]; Show Me; There There, My Dear; Liars A To E; Soul Finger; Keep It Part Two (Inferiority Part One); I’ll Show You; Seven Days Too Long)

Newcastle, Exhibition Park [06/06/82]
(T.S.O.P.; Burn It Down; Let’s Make This Precious; Jackie Wilson Said (I’m In Heaven When You Smile); Come On Eileen; Soon; Plan B; Geno; Respect; Old; The Celtic Soul Brothers; There There, My Dear; Show Me; I’ll Show You) *released as "Radio 1 In Concert" CD, but without the recording of "I'll Show You" which was subsequently included on the 30th Anniversary re-release of "Too Rye Aye".

Manchester, Ashton Tameside Theatre [30/09/82]
(Old; Geno; The Celtic Soul Brothers; Let’s Get This Straight From The Start; All In All (This One Last Wild Waltz); Tell Me When My Light Turns Green; Plan B; Let’s Make This Precious; I Couldn’t Help If I Tried; Until I Believe In My Soul ;Kevin Rowland’s Band; Jackie Wilson Said (I’m In Heaven When You Smile); Respect; There There, My Dear; Come On Eileen; Show Me; I’ll Show You)

London, Shaftesbury Theatre [09/10/82]
(Old; Geno; The Celtic Soul Brothers; Let’s Get This Straight From The Start; All In All (This One Last Wild Waltz); Tell Me When My Light Turns Green; Plan B; Let’s Make This Precious; I Couldn’t Help If I Tried; Until I Believe In My Soul; Kevin Rowland’s Band; Jackie Wilson Said (I’m In Heaven When You Smile); Respect; There, There, My Dear; Come On Eileen; Show Me; I’ll Show You)

London, Shaftesbury Theatre [10/10/82]
(Old; Geno; Let’s Get This Straight From The Start; All In All (This One Last Wild Waltz); Tell Me When My Light Turns Green; Plan B; Let’s Make This Precious; Until I Believe In My Soul; Jackie Wilson Said (I’m In Heaven When You Smile); Respect; There There, My Dear; Come On Eileen; Seven Days Too Long; The Celtic Soul Brothers; I’m Just Looking; Kevin Rowland’s 13th Crime [A.K.A. Kevin Rowland's Band]; Keep It Part Two (Inferiority Part One)) * Edited for release on 'The Bridge' video.

Haarlem, (Holland) [27/10/82]
(Old; Geno; The Celtic Soul Brothers; Let’s Get This Straight From The Start; All In All (This One Last Wild Waltz); Tell Me When My Light Turns Green; Plan B; Let’s Make This Precious; I Couldn’t Help If I Tried; Until I Believe In My Soul; Respect; There There, My Dear; Seven Days Too Long Come On Eileen; Show Me; I’ll Show You; Kevin Rowland’s 13th Crime)

Paris, Eldorado [13/11/82]
(T.S.O.P.; Plan B; Until I Believe In My Soul; Jackie Wilson Said (I’m In Heaven When You Smile); Geno; There There, My Dear; Come On Eileen)

Berlin, (Germany) [19/11/82]
(Old; Geno; The Celtic Soul Brothers; Tell Me When My Light Turns Green; Plan B; Let’s Make This Precious; I Couldn’t Help If I Tried; Jackie Wilson Said (I’m In Heaven When You Smile); Seven Days Too Long; Come On Eileen; Respect) Broadcast live on "Rockpalast" TV show.

New York, Savoy Hall [10/02/83]
(Old; Geno; The Celtic Soul Brothers; Let's Get This Straight (From The Start); All In All (This One Last Wild Waltz); Tell Me When My Light Turns Green; Plan B; Let's Make This Precious; I Couldn't Help If I Tried; Until I Believe In My Soul; Jackie Wilson Said (I'm In Heaven When You Smile); There There My Dear; Respect; Burn It Down; I'm just Looking) *Released on vinyl in the U.S.A. only.

Detroit, St. Andrews [15/02/83]

(Geno; The Celtic Soul Brothers; Tell Me When My Light Turns Green; Plan B; Let's Make This Precious; Until I Believe; Jackie Wilson Said; Come On Eileen)

Liverpool, Royal Court Theatre [16/03/83]
(Geno; The Celtic Soul Brothers; Let’s Get This Straight From The Start; All In All (This One Last Wild Waltz); Tell Me When My Light Turns Green; Plan B; Let’s Make This Precious; There There, My Dear [incomplete]; Come On Eileen; Until I Believe In My Soul; Respect) Broadcast live on Radio 1. The original broadcast was interrupted by a news report during "There There My Dear".

Somwhere In Germany 1983
(Old; Geno; Celtic Soul Brothers; Tell Me WHen My Light Turns Green; Let's Get This Straight From The Start; All In All; Let's Make This Precious; Until I Believe In My Soul; Plan B; I Couldn't Help If I Tried; Jackie WIlson Said; 7 Days Too Long; Show Me; There There My Dear; Come On Eileen) Broadcast live on German TV, venue and channel are not known but highly likely to have been from the same tour as the Rockpalast show. German TV has numerous local channels which often broadcast live music. This concert was also broadcast on VH1. The above picture of Kev, singing I Couldn't Help If I Tried, is from the video.

Essen, (Germany) [16/04/83]
(Geno; The Celtic Soul Brothers; Let’s Get This Straight From The Start; Plan B; Let’s Make This Precious; There There, My Dear; Come On Eileen; All In All (This One Last Wild Waltz); Jackie Wilson Said (I’m In Heaven When You Smile); Tell Me When My Light Turns Green; Until I Believe In My Soul; Respect; Kevin Rowland’s 13th Crime; Keep It Part Two (Inferiority Part One)) Broadcast live on "Rockpalast" TV show.

Hollywood, Los Angeles, The Palace [??/05/03]
(Plan B; Geno; Come On Eileen; Tell Me When My Light Turns Green; Until I Believe In My Soul) Broadcast on radio show "Rock 'n' Roll Tonight".

There There My Dear (see below)

PLAY

Los Angeles, Greek Theatre [31/05/83]
(Geno; The Celtic Soul Brothers; Let's Get This Straight; Plan B; Let's Make This Precious; There There My Dear; Come On Eileen; Old; Jackie Wilson Said; Tell Me When My Light Turns Green; Until I Believe In My Soul; Kevin Rowland's 13th Crime; Keep It Part Two; Respect)

Paris, Hippodrome D'auteuil [09/06/83]

(Geno; The Celtic Soul Brothers; Let's Get This Straight (From The Start); Plan B; Let's Make This Precious; There There My Dear; Come On Eileen; Old; Jackie Wilson Said; Tell Me When My Light Turns Green)

Newcastle, [11/10/85]
(Listen To This; Kathleen Mavourneen) Broadcast on Channel 4's "The Tube"

Something Old, Something New (see below)

PLAY

Bristol, Colston Hall [09/11/85]
Kevin Rowland's Thirteenth Crime [incomplete]; Tell Me When My Light Turns Green; Come On Eileen; Something Old, Something New; One Of Those Things; Knowledge Of Beauty; This Is What She's Like; The Waltz [incomplete]; The Occasional Flicker; Respect; Plan B; Listen To This; Marguerita Time; Burn It Down [incomplete])

London, Dominion Theatre [12/11/85]
(Can't Help Falling In Love; Let's Get This Straight From The Start; Kevin Rowland's Thirteenth Crime; Tell Me When My Light Turns Green; Come On Eileen; Something Old, Something New; One Of Those Things; Knowledge Of Beauty; This Is What She's Like; The Waltz; The Occasional Flicker; Respect; Plan B; Listen To This; Marguerita Time; Burn It Down; Kathleen Mavourneen)

London, Thames Theatre [27/03/93]
(Manhood; If I Ever) Broadcast live on Channel 4's "Saturday Zoo"

* The information published here is purely for archive purposes and is not intended as an advert for, or endorsement of, the illegal practise of 'boot-legging'!