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Mission of Burma has an odd, but interesting history. They were active from 1979-1983, and after producing just one full-length studio record they disbanded due to guitarist Roger Miller's chronic tinnitus, which he owed to the fact that they had such a loud live show.

Together Again

Even with such a short history, they managed to be a large influence on many bands today. When they reunited in 2002, they picked up where they left off, producing music that is chaotic, dissonant and strangely hypnotic.


I was very happy when I heard their live show was coming to town, that I'd be able to witness one of their live shows first hand.

Mission of Burma has an interesting setup; the drum kit is shielded from the crowd by a Plexiglas wall. This is one of the secrets to their sound, which is still innovative today.

When the band plays, their music is fed to the sound booth where sound engineer Bob Weston scrambles it up a bit and shoots it back to the stage. The Plexiglas shield prevents the drums from bleeding through.

In the early days of Mission of Burma, this was accomplished with a pile of tape machines and effects pedals. Today, there is simply a PowerBook in the booth. Either way, it's key to their unique sound, and even though he's not on stage, Bob Weston is a large part of their show.

Burma On Stage

There was a crowd of maybe 100 people in the club when Mission of Burma took the stage. I was a bit surprised at such a small turnout, but even with a smaller crowd, they were enthusiastic and loud.

Roger Miller raised his hand and smiled at the crowd. "Take it easy. We haven't played yet."

They opened with "Birthday", off the new album, but seamlessly bounced between new and old music. In just a few minutes I was drawn into the sound, which sounded surprisingly like the album. I'm not sure if it increased their mystique or decreased to them making this sound, and to know that they simply made it as they made, without post-production.

Although the sound was solid, the stage presence was low-energy. It was an amazing experience to hear, but not overly exciting; a show for the die-hard fan of Mission of Burma, rather than the casual one. Then again, Mission of Burma is not the type of band to attract the casual fan.

The band closed their first set with "This Is Not A Photograph", and took a 10-minute break. Their second set, which started with the goofy disco beats of "Donna Sumeria" from their newest album, was a definite improvement in the on-stage energy department. "2wice" added on to the energy of their set, and by the time they launched into "That's When I Reach For My Revolver", which closed the set, they were actually beginning to exhibit a lot of energy along with the sound.

There was a two-song encore, which consisted of "Let Yourself Go", and "Good, Not Great", for which they brought Bob Weston up on stage, and then it was over.

It was one of those surreal shows; their song structures are complex, and their sound are often discordant yet melodious, mixed with liberal doses of gratuitous noise. They play one of those live shows that you aren't quite sure if it lasted 20 minutes or two hours, but you leave knowing you had a true musical experience.