Group
Mission of Burma
- From
- Boston, United States
- Active
- 1979–2016
- Releases
- 49
- post-punk
- art punk
- indie rock
About
Mission of Burma was an American post-punk band from Boston, Massachusetts. The group formed in 1979 with Roger Miller on guitar, Clint Conley on bass, Peter Prescott on drums, and Martin Swope contributing audiotape manipulation and acting as the band’s sound engineer. In this initial lineup, Miller, Conley, and Prescott all shared singing and songwriting duties.
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In their early years the band's recordings were all released on the small Boston-based record label Ace of Hearts. Despite their initial success in the growing independent music circuit, Mission of Burma disbanded in 1983 due to Miller's development of tinnitus caused by the loud volume of the band's live performances. In its original lineup, the band released only two singles, an EP, and one LP, titled Vs.
Mission of Burma reformed in 2002, with Bob Weston replacing Swope. The band released four more albums—ONoffON, The Obliterati, The Sound the Speed the Light, and Unsound—before it was revealed in June 2020 that they had amicably disbanded.
Members
-
Martin Swope tape
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Clint Conley bass guitar
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Roger Miller electric guitar
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Peter Prescott drums (drum set)
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Bob Weston tape
Discography
Albums
Singles
Live
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Live at MIT, 1982
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2013-07-28: Maxwells, Hoboken, NJ
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2013-01-18: Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY
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2011-01-29: The Bell House, Brooklyn, NY
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2011-05-25: The Met, Pawtucket, RI
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2010-01-29: Bowery Ballroom, New York City, NY, USA
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2010-01-30: Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY
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2009-10-04: MIT Campus, Cambridge, MA
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2008-01-19: Music Hall of Williamburg, Brooklyn, NY
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2008-07-19: Bohemian National Home, Detroit, MI
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Snapshot Apple Music
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2004-10-16: Cat's Cradle, Carrboro, NC
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2004-06-05: KEXP Studios, Seattle, WA
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The Horrible Truth About Burma Apple Music
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1983-03-12: Bradford Hotel, Boston, MA, USA (evening set)
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1981-11-14: The Milestone Club: Charlotte, NC, USA
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1982-02-12: Club New York, Lynn, MA, USA
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1982-12: Trinity College, Hartford, CT, USA
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1983-01-19: The Channel, Boston, MA, USA
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2010-08-14: 40 Watt Club, Athens, GA, USA
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1982-02-12: Peabody, MA (WLYN Broadcast)
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1983-03-12: Bradford Hotel, Boston, MA, USA (afternoon set)
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1983-01-21: CBGB's, New York City, NY, USA
Compilations
Other
Links
Official
Concerts
Also known as
The Mission of Burma
Identifiers
- MusicBrainz
- db9d25d7-a85b-4a29-b2ff-8f5b69ed691e
- ISNI
- 0000000119562968
Data from MusicBrainz, saved 8 Nov 2026. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, covers from the Cover Art Archive and Apple Music.