Eyeless In Gaza
Saw You in Reminding Pictures
(CRDVD89, July 18 2005, Dvd)

Review 1

Eyeless In Gaza
Saw You in Reminding Pictures

by Mike Barnes (Mojo, October 2005)

25th anniversary celebration of post-punk’s best kept secret, with footage of live shows from 1982 and 2004.

Eyeless in Gaza had looked set to be pop pioneers in the early 80’s. They certainly had the tunes, and Martyn Bates possessed one of the most extraordinary voices of the time, as he chomped up syllables then soared aloft, in a way that evoked Marc Bolan and Martin Carthy. He also enjoyed an alchemical relationship with multi-instrumentalist Pete Becker. But their raw, awestruck anthems to nature, weather, love and loss never breached the charts. Te earlier set here from La Havre finds Bates intense, introverted, hunched over his guitar, clad in an overcoat, occasionally facing across to Becker for the dual keyboard songs. Its a terrific performance. The second set, filmed at a private party last year, finds them more relaxed, revelling in their music. Its a pity that both sets are recorded home-movie style, however. While it gives a verite atmosphere, the sound, though listenable, is not great.