Thin Lizzy – Killers Live

Thin Lizzy – Killers Live

Originally released in 1981 on Vertigo Records, Killers Live is a four-track 12-inch live EP capturing Thin Lizzy in concert across two important periods of the band's career. The UK release, catalogue LIZZY 812, combines performances recorded in Philadelphia in 1977 with later material recorded at the RDS Hall in Dublin in 1980.

The record opens with “Bad Reputation” and “Opium Trail,” both recorded live at the Tower Theatre in Philadelphia on 20 October 1977. These performances come from the period surrounding the Bad Reputation album, released that same year, and capture Thin Lizzy's hard-edged blend of blues rock, heavy rock and melodic guitar work. “Opium Trail” originally appeared on Bad Reputation, while the live version here offers a much more immediate and forceful performance.

The second side jumps forward to 7 June 1980, with “Are You Ready” and “Dear Miss Lonely Hearts” recorded at the RDS Hall in Dublin. By this point Thin Lizzy had entered a different phase, with Snowy White contributing guitar and Darren Wharton on keyboards on these performances. “Are You Ready,” originally associated with the band's Fighting era, provides a particularly strong live showcase for Phil Lynott's bass and vocals alongside the twin-guitar attack that became one of Thin Lizzy's trademarks.

The release is particularly interesting for collectors because the two Philadelphia performances were originally credited on the sleeve as having been recorded in Toronto; contemporary and later discographical research identifies the actual location as the Tower Theatre, Philadelphia, with the Toronto attribution reportedly used for tax purposes.

For collectors of Thin Lizzy, Phil Lynott, classic hard rock, live albums and 1970s British and Irish rock, Killers Live is an appealing snapshot of the band's concert sound. With “Bad Reputation,” “Opium Trail,” “Are You Ready” and “Dear Miss Lonely Hearts”, this compact EP brings together performances from 1977 and 1980 and documents Thin Lizzy's evolution across two distinct stages of their live career.

Side A

1. Bad Reputation — 5:52
2. Opium Trail — 4:24

Side B

1. Are You Ready — 3:00
2. Dear Miss Lonely Hearts — 5:10