Having formed at Watford Art College in 1976, Colin Newman (guitar, vocals), Bruce Gilbert (guitar), Graham Lewis (bass, vocals) and Robert Gotobed (drums, real name Robert Grey) first came to prominence when two of their tracks appeared alongside cpntributions by the Buzzcocks and X-Ray Spex on the Roxy, London WC2 live compilation early the following year. Their debut LP, Pink Flag, followed later in 1977 and set them apart from their punk peers with its jagged, angular shapes and songs that never outstayed their welcome (A Field Day For The Sundays is just 28 seconds long). Pink Flag was one of the most iconic post-punk albums, its influence clearly detetctable when Elastica released their debut album 18 years later – compare Wire’s 3 Girl Rhumba with Elastica’s Connection for proof.

However, rather than standing still and basking in this achievement, Pink Flag was just the start of a frantic burst of evolution and reinvention, and Wire’s next two albums, Chairs Missing (1978) and 154 (1979) found them moving yet further away from their punk roots and embracing the avant-garde. The former found them exploring electronic sounds, resulting in a darker, slower, though no less impressive record. 154, meanwhile, was even more polished and boasted the poppy The 15th and Map Ref 41ºN 93ºW. At this point, Wire seemed on the brink of mainstream success, but instead were dropped by EMI and promptly split in 1980.

They re-formed in 1985, with comeback EP Snakedrill picking up where they left off. But as the ‘80s went on, the band began to be increasingly influenced by dance music. After the 1990 release of Manscape, drummer Gotobed, realising his resulting obsolescence, sacked himself. The other three carried on as Wir – pronounced “Wire” – but after one album, 1991’s The First Letter, they went back on hiatus.

After pursuing solo projects, Wire reconvened a second time in 1999, with Gotobed – now Robert Grey again – back in the fold. After two EPs, they released Send in 2003, with the electronica inflections largely gone. Instead, the sound harked back to the pared-down dynamics of Pink Flag. Meanwhile, renewed interest in the band – thanks to the success of acolytes such as Bloc Party and The Futureheads – has resulted in the recent release of two live albums from their late-‘70s glory days.