The Word was a late-night ‘magazine style’ show that was broadcast on Channel 4 between 1990 and 1995, consisting of all sorts of features loosely to do with entertainment in the widest possible definition of the word. In a pre-internet era when print still ruled, particularly across the tabloid media in the UK, this was a show that set out to be provocative, chaotic and controversial, thriving week upon week on the column inches it generated. There was one truly gruesome and very often repulsive and tasteless section entitled ‘I’d Do Anything To Get Myself on Television’ which was very much a forerunner of the ‘me me me’ format of the worst parts of social media.
And yet, it managed over the years to deliver some memorable live music performances, often from singers and bands making their first appearance on UK television. I’m not sure if this, from September 1994, was such a debut, but it really is a great bit of footage.
This very decent quality footage is from Stereolab‘s own YouTube channel.
A b-side from the 2006 re-release of the single Munich.
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 