live action 1

08feb82

whisky agogo - london, uk

william bennett, steve stapleton, andrew mackenzie

erector, shitfun, rock and roll, prosexist, mindphaser, anal american, the second coming, buchenwald

notes: audience 100 / the first whitehouse public appearance was originally scheduled at the moonlight club but had to be rearranged at the last moment owing to numerous complaints received by the club about the come org publicity leaflets / the films un chien andalou and edited highlights of texas chainsaw massacre were shown before the whitehouse performance / filmed on super 8 by paul hurst

special biographical note: The live sound engineer for Whitehouse for LAs 01-07 & 23 was IPS Studio man Dave Kenny who contributed towards the improvisational aspect of some early performances.

live action 2

08mar82

whisky agogo - london, uk

william bennett, steve stapleton, glenn michael wallis

non-linear improvisational performance

notes: audience 100 / PA system arrives at 10pm / violence from iranian bouncers / management refuse to sell alcohol at the last minute / filmed on super 8 by paul hurst

live action 3

09mar82

gossips disco - london, uk

william bennett, glenn michael wallis, john murphy

non-linear improvisational performance

notes: audience 20 / whitehouse originally booked here to support peter and the test-tube babies who subsequently did not make it / whitehouse left as headlining band for all the punks who had turned up / predictably chaotic results as whitehouse are forced to abandon the live action after about 15 minutes / no audio recording of this performance is available / filmed on super 8 by paul hurst

special biographical note: During this period until LA33 most performances in London were booked by Whitehouse manager Jordi (George) Valls who presented Whitehouse to clubs as ‘electropop’-oriented. Sound checks would therefore also have to be disguised to prevent cancellation from venue managements.

live action 4

01may82

centro ibérico - london, uk

william bennett, glenn michael wallis, john murphy

non-linear improvisational performance

notes: audience 100 / this live action was originally arranged for the musician’s collective but some members complained and whitehouse was banned shortly before date / support is neo-naturist cabaret / live action 04 was released in its entirety on the whitehouse LP psychopathia sexualis

special biographical note: The Centro Ibérico was a disused primary school in the Harrow Road which had been taken over by Spanish Anarchist squatters. Throbbing Gristle had performed a successful Sunday lunchtime show there not long before.

live action 5

05jul82

centro ibérico - london, uk

notes: cancelled / the tracks on fur ilse koch compilation refer to live action 6 (not 5 as stated) - the live actions were later renumbered to take into account cancelled events

live action 6

12jul82

centro ibérico - london, uk

william bennett, glenn michael wallis, john murphy

non-linear improvisational performance

notes: support acts are neo-naturist cabaret and consumer electronics (philip best)

live action 7

06nov82

greyhound - london, uk

william bennett, glenn michael wallis, john murphy

improvisational performance

notes: audience 160 / headline group is flux of pink indians / whitehouse are invited to play on bill by annie anxiety / live action lasts less than ten minutes / no audio recording of this performance is available

review:
Excellent; the most complete Whitehouse performance. Glenn’s synths made your head feel like it was repeatedly being hit with a sledgehammer whilst John Murphy’s electronics pierced into the pain level. Beautiful.

live action 8

25mar83

pyramid club - new york, usa

william bennett, kevin tomkins, peter sotos

cock dominant, bloodfucking, anal american, right to kill

notes: audience 250 / local radio interview conducted

special biographical note: The song ‘Anal American’, although never recorded in the studio, was in fact a development of the track ‘Phaseday’ from the ‘Total Sex’ LP (1980). This diatribe had a unique and extreme effect live especially when William Bennett accompanied it by touching up female members of the audience. The song would subsequently become the middle section of ‘I’m Comin’ Up Your Ass’.

live action 9

26mar83

sparkle sound - new york, usa

william bennett, kevin tomkins, peter sotos

cock dominant, bloodfucking, anal american, mindphaser, shitfun, right to kill

notes: audience 30 / support group is will to power

live action 10

31mar83

landsburgh cultural bldg. - washington d.c., usa

william bennett, kevin tomkins, peter sotos

cock dominant, bloodfucking, anal american, mindphaser, right to kill

notes: audience of 150 comprised almost entirely of punks

review:
Whitehouse brought things to an abrasive beginning. An approximation of their sound would be a refrigerator motor brought up to a pitch testing human endurance. Two people struck never-ending, vile chords on synthesizers while the lead singer rabidly sputtered out an inaudible train of diatribes. Surprisingly, the crowd stood mesmerized and even showed approval. While the vocalist screamed out ‘Duck, duck goose’ (sic) and several people began acting out the game in front of the stage. This was definitely performance art at its finest. The promoters provided tissue for everyone to stick in their ears. Despite the favorable audience reception, the members acted as if they couldn’t wait to leave the hall. When Tom Lyle came up to give his congratulations to one member, he pushed him away. Whitehouse plays good music, but they have lousy personalities.

live action 11

05apr83

mudd club - new york, usa

william bennett, kevin tomkins, peter sotos, mojo

cock dominant, bloodfucking, anal american, mindphaser, right to kill

notes: audience 100 / last night of mudd club / madonna came to see this concert! / concert filmed in b&w video (whereabouts unknown) / support groups are function disorder and will to power

live action 12

07apr83

exit - chicago, usa

william bennett, kevin tomkins, peter sotos

cock dominant, bloodfucking, anal american, mindphaser, shitfun, cna, weapon power, right to kill

notes: audience 290 / local radio interview conducted