Complete list of Frank Zappa's live performances
available on Frank Zappa's official videos

This page lists every available live audio-video performance that appears on Zappa's official video releases.
Live performances footage without direct live audio are not listed.
I've not considered Frank Zappa's 200 Motels (there are live performances in the movie, but there's not audience apart for the movie crew) and The Amazing Mr. Bickford, which is an animation movie.
Lists are sorted by songs titles (initial articles have been removed), by video releases and by performances chronological order.

Here's the meaning of the codes used in the lists:

- normal title = this performance of the song is also available as only audio on official Zappa releases (BTB boxes don't count)
- italics title = this performance of the song is NOT available as only audio on official Zappa releases (italics is also used when the video track is only partially released on only audio)

- (M) = medley/suite
- (m) = played as part of a medley/suite

- C = complete performance - P = partial performance


By songs titles: A ~ C | D ~ G | H ~ P | R ~ Z
By video releases: BS | DHBIM | CAFZ | H | TDRS | TTNS | TTSO200M | UM | VFH
Chronological: 1968 - 1970 | 1973 - 1974 | 1976 - 1978 | 1981 - 1982 | 1984 Bottom of page

By songs titles


By songs titles: A ~ C | D ~ G | H ~ P | R ~ Z Top of page
By video releases: BS | DHBIM | H | TDRS | TTNS | TTSO200M | UM | VFH
Chronological: 1968 - 1970 | 1973 - 1974 | 1976 - 1978 | 1981 - 1982 | 1984 Bottom of page

By video releases

Baby Snakes (1979) - all songs are from the shows at The Palladium in New York City for Halloween 1977:

Does Humor Belong In Music? (1985) - all songs are from the show at The Pier in New York City, August 26, 1984):

Classic albums: Frank Zappa - Apostrophe(')/Over-Nite Sensation (2006) - contains various snippets from live performances, including a very short fragment of a 1976 performance of Dirty Love with Bianca. The following two complete performances are included as "bonus material":

Halloween (2003) - two songs as bonus video tracks of the audio-DVD:

The Dub Room Special! (1982) - some songs are also available as only audio versions on TDRS cd, overdubbed versions of Florentine Pogen and Inca Roads were released on OSFA:

The Torture Never Stops (2008) - contains music from the two 1981 Halloween shows and a studio video for MTV of You Are What You Is - this was first released as a VHS with limited circulation by FZ in 1982 and then released as dolby stereo DVD with 2 bonus tracks by ZFT in 2008.

The True Story Of 200 Motels (1989) - contains a few partial performances, including some, not listed here, that are also available on Uncle Meat:

Uncle Meat (1988) - footage from London, October 25, 1968, containing the almost complete play Progress (M) (entirely released as audio only on AOTT), including music from:

Video From Hell (1987) - Here are listed only the performances not available elsewhere: it contains also some live footage available in other videos listed above:


By songs titles: A ~ C | D ~ G | H ~ P | R ~ Z Top of page
By video releases: BS | DHBIM | H | TDRS | TTNS | TTSO200M | UM | VFH
Chronological: 1968 - 1970 | 1973 - 1974 | 1976 - 1978 | 1981 - 1982 | 1984 Bottom of page

Chronological

1968 - London, Royal Festival Hall, October 25 (footage included in Uncle Meat, complete only audio version available on Ahead Of Their Time).
The (nearly) complete unique performance of Progress (the play) (M), including also music from:

Some of the same footage is included also in The True Story Of 200 Motels.

1970 - San Francisco, Fillmore West, November 6 (footage included in The True Story Of 200 Motels).
From this show, never included in any audio official release, are available partial performances of:

More footage from this show is included in various video documentaries, starting from Frank Zappa (VPRO 1971).

1973 - Los Angeles, The Roxy, December 8-10
For now from The Roxy performances only a few short extract are available in video:

1974 - Kcet Tv, Los Angeles, August 27 (footage included in The Dub Room Special!)
Great performance, with some Mr. Bickford's clay animations, including:

More footage and music from this performance are included in the TV special A Token Of His Extreme (KCET-TV, 1974).
Much of what available here in video has been then released as audio in the TDRS cd, that also includes a Tush Tush Tush vamp not released as video (and a slight longer edit of Room Service

1976 - December (footage included in Classic albums: Frank Zappa - Apostrophe(')/Over-Nite Sensation as bonus material).
Just one odd video performances, from the Saturday Night Live tv show.

The complete 1976's SNL Zappa apparition is available among traders and collectors (as the 1978's one).

1977 - The Palladium, New York City, Halloween run (footage included on Baby Snakes).
Contains good number of songs, some available only on partial form. Some of them (*) have been released on the Baby Snakes album.

1978 - October (footage included in Halloween - audio DVD - as bonus video tracks).
Just two odd video performances, from very different contests and never released on any album.

The complete 1978's SNL Zappa apparition is available among traders and collectors (as the 1976's one).

1981 - The Palladium, New York City, October 31, 1981 (footage included in The Torture Never Stops and The Dub Room Special!).

The second show was almost entirely broadcasted by MTV and both shows were professionally shot. More video recordings with some more music than what is available on The Torture Never Stops and The Dub Room Specials! are circulating among traders and collectors.
Check also FZShow's Halloween '81 official releases and videos.

1982 - European tour (footage included in Video From Hell).
Three partial performances, from three different shows, shot with a home video camera by Thomas Nordegg. All have been released also as only audio material.

Video From Hell contains also some other non live footage from this tour: Thomas Nordegg seems to have followed (and shot) most part of it!

1984 -The Pier in New York City, August 26, 1984 (footage included in Does Humor Belong In Music?)
Contains good number of songs, of which only a few are fully released on legit albums.


By songs titles: A ~ C | D ~ G | H ~ P | R ~ Z Top of page
By video releases: BS | DHBIM | H | TDRS | TTNS | TTSO200M | UM | VFH
Chronological: 1968 - 1970 | 1973 - 1974 | 1977 - 1978 | 1981 - 1982 | 1984

Main source: Román García Albertos's FZ Videography

Corrections and additions are really welcome.

This page created on December 2005 and latest revised on January 11, 2009


Touring Can Make You Crazy