A rare Sonic Youth live recording is being released next year

Sonic Youth have announced that a rare live recording from 1987 is being released in 2025 – find out more below.

• READ MORE: Steve Albini, 1962-2024: engineer who shaped rock’s most visceral moments

Yesterday (November 21), the band took to social media to announce ‘Hold That Tiger’, a rare live recording from their October 1987 gig at Chicago’s is getting an official release after first being issued as a semi-bootleg way back when.

‘Hold That Tiger’ is due for release on February 7, 2025 via Superior Viaduct. It is available for pre-order now, and will be available CD and 2x LP versions in black and clear variations.

The live recording will also include an introduction from the late Steve Albini, who introduced the band onstage before their performance. The cover for the live recording notably shows Bob Bert and Julie Cafritz of Pussy Galore rather than Sonic Youth themselves.

‘Hold That Tiger’ was recorded four months after the release of Sonic Youth’s ‘Sister’, and the live recording includes several performances off that record, their earlier material and four back-to-back Ramones covers.

The tracklist for Sonic Youth’s ‘Hold That Tiger’ is: 

‘Intro’

‘Schizophrenia’

‘Tom Violence’

‘White Kross’

‘Kotton Krown’

‘Stereo Sanctity’

‘Brother James’

‘Pipeline/Kill Time’

‘(I Got A) Catholic Block’

‘Tuff Gnarl’

‘Death Valley ’69’

‘Beauty Lies In The Eye’

‘Expressway To Yr. Skull’

‘Pacific Coast Highway’

‘Loudmouth’ (Ramones cover)

‘I Don’t Wanna Walk Around With You’ (Ramones cover)

‘Today Your Love, Tomorrow The World’ (Ramones cover)

‘Beat On The Brat’ (Ramones cover)

Speaking to Rolling Stone, Kim Gordon said of Albini’s involvement in the gig: “We pulled up to the Cabaret Metro to find our musician-friend Steve in front of the club telling us he couldn’t go to the show tonight because he was banned for some previous verbal or other provocation.”

She continued: “We refused to accept that situation and demanded that our friend be allowed into the club in order for us to perform that night. Surprisingly the club caved.”

The producer and engineer tragically passed on May 7, 2024 from a heart attack. He played in plenty of bands signed to Touch and Go Records, including Big Black, who signed with the label around late 1985/early 1986. Albini was the mastermind behind iconic albums such as Nirvana‘s ‘In Utero‘ and Manic Street Preachers‘ ‘Journal For Plague Lovers’.