Fugazi’s live shows come out of the waiting room

The post-hardcore band’s first archival releases are their live beginning and end

The last, to-date, Fugazi show was on 4 November 2002 at London's Forum in Kentish Town. I did not attend it. Awaiting the impending birth of my first son was very much the priority then, rather than gig going.

To bring that thought right up to date I also failed to get a ticket for The Messthetics, the adventurous music group that includes Fugazi bassist Joe Lally and drummer Brendan Canty, when they played live earlier this year at fabled punk-era venue the 100 Club. Given that Son1 is now in his second decade that miss was for quite different reasons.

So, the announcement last week that the post-hardcore band’s live archive would be coming to streaming services will give me, and anyone else who missed out on Fugazi the first time around, an embarrassment of riches through which to dig.

Formed in 1986, Fugazi featured of course not just the rhythm section of Lally and Canty, the latter taking over from early drummer Colin Sears of Dag Nasty, but also Ian MacKaye on vocals and guitar. The trio quickly added Guy Picciotto, initially just on vocals and then on guitar as well.

The members’ previous bands create a fairly convoluted family tree. MacKaye’s co-founding of Minor Threat – one of, if not the, preeminent hardcore bands, must be mentioned. As should Picciotto’s time, alongside Canty, in Rites of Spring, a key ‘Revolution Summer’ and first-wave emo band.