The Smiths - 1986-12-12 - Brixton Academy - London England

OtherWisdom

Member
Remaster by Christian Silas

Direct download

General steps taken:

  • Extracted audio/video footage from all VOB files with Handbrake v. 1.1.0
  • Split show into sixteen segments with Davinci Resolve v. 15 to address the fluctuating audio
  • Applied the least aggressive video stabilization to each segment with Davinci Resolve v. 15
  • Remixed audio and widened its stereophonic range with Davinci Resolve v. 15
  • Concatenated (i.e. rejoined) all segments back into one file with MKVToolNix v. 23.0.0
  • Switched container from MKV to MP4 with FFMPEG
  • Finished final encoding with Handbrake v. 1.1.0
Duration: 1:01:42
Bit Rate: 2.18 Mbps

Video Tracks:
H.264, 816 × 698, 24.995 fps, 1.70 Mbps

Audio Tracks:
MPEG-4 Audio stereo, 48 kHz, 161 kbps
MPEG-4 Audio stereo, 48 kHz, 320 kbps
[Dolby Digital (AC-3) surround]

See below for source origin and information.

The Smiths - December 12 1986 - Brixton Academy - London England

Ask
Bigmouth Strikes Again
London/Miserable Lie
Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others
The Boy With The Thorn In His Side
Shoplifters Of The World Unite
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
Is It Really So Strange?
Cemetry Gates
This Night Has Opened My Eyes
Still Ill
Panic
/The Queen Is Dead
//William, It Was Really Nothing
//Hand In Glove

After the Queen Is Dead tour finished, it looked like that would be if for the rest of the year. But in November it was announced that the Smiths would be doing a benefit gig for Artists Against Apartheid at the Royal Albert Hall in November. As it was a London Show we decided to get tickets, rather than rely on being on the guest list, which we duly did. Then Johnny had a car crash and was temporarily laid up, and the show was cancelled ... we returned our tickets for refunds. Later the show was re-arranged for December, and I can't remember why now, but we never got round to getting tickets. I'm not sure Paul even went to the show. Anyway Brixton was just up the road from where I used to live, so that was good.

I got to the venue some time after the doors had opened, got ready to go through the security check, got my trusty Old Smiths Access All Areas pass out as the security guy asked to look in my bag. I was so used to this working, that I was rather taken aback when he said "that's no good mate ... this is an AAA show. You can't get in with that". Shit, shit ,shit! I wandered outside in a bit of a panic. I should have got a ticket ... wonder if I can find a tout ... even if I get a ticket, will I be able to get the camera in now. Shit, shit, shit !!!!

Then as I wandered around the side of the venue, I suddenly found myself face to face with Grant. He said Hello, and asked me how I was. I explained my predicament. He laughed and pulled out an AAA access all areas sticker, and gave it to me. We chatted for a while and then said get had to get back inside. I thanked him and went back to the main entrance. I made sure I was checked by the same security guard ... and flashed the new pass at him (probably looking a bit smug), and he waved me through without bothering with my bag at all.

I went straight upstairs and went to my usual position, slightly to the left of centre, at the front of the balcony. We knew that Craig had left and that we were back to the old 4 man line-up ... but it was a surprise that the set was so changed. We got a early indication that things had changed, when the intro music started ... Take me back to dear old blighty. The sound was noticeably thinner, and less 'rocky'. Considering what happened next (i.e. break-up) it seemed like the band were really enjoying this show ... much more so that the October London dates.

The audio on this DVD is from the Big Al recording that I put up earlier in the year. Except for the Queen Is Dead, where I found that all the audios that I had of this show, actually had versions of the QID from other shows. None of them would quite fit. So I've left the audio from the original video for that song.

This was filmed on a Canovision 8VM-E1.
 
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