On August 25, 1978, English mod-rockers The Jam headlined the first night of Reading Festival. Their 17-song setlist featured the live debut of "Down in the Tube Station at Midnight," an anti-racist anthem that singer Paul Weller said began as a "long poem." This was one of eight songs off All Mod Cons they included in the festival set, months ahead of the album's release. The track was banned from airplay by BBC for its "disturbing" lyrics.
The Jam were only active for a 10-year period from 1972 until 1982, so even though "Tube Station" is their 5th most-performed song to date, it's only been played 89 times. The last time was their final show in Brighton, England on December 11, 1982. See that setlist here.
Check out the full festival setlist and watch a live performance below:
