Rare, recently found 1976 Van der Graaf Generator live footage hailed as "extraordinary" by Peter Hammill

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Very rare and previously unseen footage of Van der Graaf Generator performing in Toronto in 1976 has been released via YouTube.

"Here's something fairly extraordinary," VdGG's Peter Hammill wrote on his BlueSky page, having seen the footage. "Recently found 8mm footage has been married up with audio and it's now possible to see/hear 12 mins of VdGG at Massey Hall Toronto '76."

The footage was filmed at Toronto's Massey Hall on October 15, 1976 by then-18-year-old Michael Boyce, and features the only known live concert footage of VdGG during their legendary World Record tour of 1976. VdGG biographer Jim Christopulos was the catalyst in bringing the film to a wider audience.

"I've been secretly working on this one for a while," Christopulos, also drummer with Chicago blues band Howard & the White Boys, wrote on Facebook. "Finally done!"

Hammill's former manager Gail Colson also expressed her delight, stating, "Peter sent this to me a couple of hours ago. Goodness, you have been busy, well done. All the best, Gail."

Writer and broadcaster Jerry Ewing is the Editor of Prog Magazine which he founded for Future Publishing in 2009. He grew up in Sydney and began his writing career in London for Metal Forces magazine in 1989. He has since written for Metal Hammer, Maxim, Vox, Stuff and Bizarre magazines, among others. He created and edited Classic Rock Magazine for Dennis Publishing in 1998 and is the author of a variety of books on both music and sport, including Wonderous Stories; A Journey Through The Landscape Of Progressive Rock.