The show was performed before a restive punk crowd who were little appeased by a version of "12XU" (edited down to a 15-second fragment for this release) and reacted with a thrown bottle during the unnamed instrumental.

[5] Colin Newman has stated that the idea of Document and Eyewitness "was to make it an art statement, as opposed to just releasing a rubbishly recorded gig."

The spoken commentary between selected tracks by two Wire fans, Adrian Garston and Russell Mills, constitutes the "eyewitness" in the album title.

[1] The album's sleeve art, created by Graham Lewis, is a cut-up version of a poster made by Bruce Gilbert for two shows that Wire played at Notre Dame Hall on 19 and 20 July 1979.

The 1991 compact disc reissue by Mute Records switched the running order, beginning with Notre Dame and Montreux and following with the Electric Ballroom tracks.

"[16] Robert Christgau, in his "Consumer Guide" column, wrote, "At first I diagnosed the grungy sound and semipro execution of this live LP-plus-EP as the band's worst case of arty-farty yet.