Saints, The - Live Nights In Venice Vol. 1

In 2024, Ed Kuepper and Ivor Hay (from the original line up of The Saints) assembled The Saints ’73-’78, featuring Mark Arm (Mudhoney), Mick Harvey (Birthday Party/Bad Seeds) and Peter Oxley (Sunnyboys).

The band’s mission was to play songs from the first three Saints albums by the original line up on an Australian tour. The tour was a massive success with all shows sold out and reviews being nothing short of raves.

This very limited edition twelve inch, four-song EP shows how blistering their performances are.

In October 2024, The Saints ’73-’78 played a 3-night stand at Brisbane’s Princess Theatre. All 3 shows were recorded by long time Ed Kuepper affiliate, Derek Bovill, with 4 songs from night two mixed by 4ZZZ’s Branko Cosic.

The result?

“This wasn’t a tribute to the Saints … it was something else. It was eight guys on stage reaching for magic, devoted to the moment and delivering one of the greatest final furlongs I’ve seen in four decades of watching live music.” – Sean Sennett

Live Nights In Venice Vol. 1 features two songs each from The Saints' first two albums; 1977’s (I’m) Stranded and 1978’s Eternally Yours sounding as vital and in-your-face as ever. For these recordings though, the band expanded to a full eight piece line-up featuring original guitarist / songwriter Kuepper, original Saints drummer, Ivor Hay, bassist, Peter Oxley, guitarist, Mick Harvey, singer, Mark Arm and a 3-piece brass section comprising Eamon Dilworth (trumpet), Julian Wilson (tenor sax) and Mark Spencer (baritone sax).

"…..this was no tribute band…..no hackneyed cabaret act. This was a band on fire!" - Backseat Mafia

“The towering impressions left by the night's proceedings? That Kuepper is a motherfucker of a guitar-player, his sound just as molten and unrelenting as back in the day”. – UNCUT