The Runaways Live

At the beginning of 1976, The Runaways signed a five-year recording contract with Mercury Records and began preparing their self-titled debut album, which was released on May 17th, 1976. As the band's popularity continued to grow throughout Southern California, they started performing at better-known venues as well as at various high schools and universities.

Other concerts

In addition to the documented performances listed above, The Runaways are known to have played several other concerts during this period. These include shows at the local club Boomer's, Esperanza High School in Anaheim, Wintersburg High School in Huntington Beach, and Monte Vista High School in Spring Valley, California. Unfortunately, no confirmed dates or further details about these performances have been found so far.

With the debut album recorded and its release approaching, Mercury Records turned its attention to promoting the band through live performances. To support the album, The Runaways embarked on their first major tour across North America, performing in ten U.S. states. As the tour progressed, additional concert dates were added to the itinerary.

The set lists consisted primarily of songs from the band's debut album, along with several tracks that would later appear on Queens Of Noise. Compared to the group's earliest performances, the arrangements had become more polished and dynamic. Cherie Currie also began incorporating stage choreography into several songs, most notably her famous blood-spitting performance during Dead End Justice.

Concerts typically opened with California Paradise, followed by Cherry Bomb, an energetic combination that immediately engaged the audience. Toward the end of the show, Lita Ford took over lead vocals on Johnny Guitar, giving Cherie enough time to change outfits before returning for the encore, Dead End Justice.

After completing their first national tour, The Runaways returned to California for a few weeks of rest before departing for Europe. During this short break, the band performed only two concerts at the Starwood Club in West Hollywood.

The Runaways' first European tour got off to a controversial start. Just a few days after arriving in England, the band was arrested by police following accusations that they had stolen room keys and a hairdryer from London's White House Hotel. As a result, several scheduled concerts, including a number of sold-out shows, had to be cancelled at the last minute.

After returning from Europe in the middle of October 1976, The Runaways began working on new material for their second studio album, Queens Of Noise, which was scheduled for release on January 7th, 1977. During this period, the band performed only a handful of concerts in California.