The Soft Boys - Portland Arms Nov '78 UK bootleg cassette VG+

THE SOFT BOYS - LIVE AT PORTLAND ARMS, CAMBRIDGE, NOV '78

A delightfully bizarre and essential entry in the Soft Boys canon, this cassette captures a performance that was "odd, even for Hitchcock." Recorded on November 1, 1978 (though some archives debate the date as January '79), at the intimate Portland Arms in Cambridge, the gig famously eschewed the band's usual psychedelic-punk roar for a completely acoustic and a cappella format.

In a move that defied the aggressive trends of 1978, Hitchcock and company delivered a set heavy on obscure 1950s covers and lush vocal harmonies, punctuated by Robyn’s signature stream-of-consciousness banter. This recording features the only known performance of "The Duke of Squeeze" and rare, harmony-drenched versions of tracks like "Sandra's Having Her Brain Out" and "Give Me A Spanner, Ralph." Originally available only as a mail-order cassette via a flyer in the Invisible Hits LP, it has since become a sought-after piece of Cambridge music history, showcasing the band’s technical versatility and their refusal to be pinned down by the punk label.

Bootleg cassette of The Soft Boys' live performance at Portland Arms in Cambridge, UK on November 1, 1978.

See photos for condition; guaranteed to play VG+ or better.