The Saints ’73-’78 “Live Nights in Venice Vol. 1” 2025. In the Red Records on red vinyl. Last night we caught The Saints (’73-’78) in Chicago at the Metro and scooped a copy of this limited edition EP. Just two of the original legendary Australian punks are still around, hence the ’73-’78 caveat in the band’s name. From the blurb on the concert website:

Featuring founding Saints members, guitarist Ed Kuepper and drummer Ivor Hay alongside honorary Saints: singer Mark Arm of Seattle rockers Mudhoney, former The Birthday Party / Bad Seeds guitarist Mick Harvey and bassist Peter Oxley of Australia’s legendary Sunnyboys, The Saints ’73 -’78 carry on where the original band left off in 1978 performing the material from their three incendiary albums (I’m) Stranded (1977), Eternally Yours (1978) and Prehistoric Sounds (1978).

Also joining the band onstage was a horn section, who also appear on this four song EP (Julien Wilson on tenor sax, Eamon Dilworth on trumpet and Mark Spencer on baritone sax). I loved the show! I really like Mark Arm so I was super excited to see him perform and felt that his distinctive raspy growl/shriek lent itself well to The Saints material. Not counting the horn section, 60-something Arm was the youngster in the group; the rest of the guys definitely in their 70s (or older). However, age is just a state of mind and they absolutely killed with tons of energy and rock swagger. The Saints played a couple of my favorites, including “(I’m) Stranded” (which is generally accepted to be the first punk rock single released outside of the United States, predating the first record releases from the UK punk scene, ie The Damned, and is lauded as an Australian national treasure) and “Know Your Product.” While “Stranded” does not appear on this release which was recorded at Princess Theater in Brisbane in December 2024, “Know Your Product” does (the swirly horns great both in person and on wax). While the single from their second LP (Eternally Yours) did not chart, it retrospectively is considered one of the greatest punk singles of the era. Also on Live Nights (and played last night) are “Nights in Venice” (from I’m Stranded) “No Time” (the b-side to “I’m Stranded”) and “(I’m) Misunderstood” (from Eternally Yours).