Fave Clash concert

[ulysses]

I saw them at the Bonds June 13th 1981 matinee show, they had The Brat-les (a kids band) and the Rock-cats (reminded me of the Stray Cats) as the opening bands. We went to Bonds two weeks earlier for the matinee and that was the first show that was postponed. I brought my Super 8mm camera, meant to sneak it into the show but instead filmed us all stopping traffic in Times Square. Even though the show was postponed it was still fun day in NY as everywhere you went that day there was Clash music, guys dressed up like them, Clash graffiti everywhere. It was very cool. Left my camera home for the June 13th show, it was a great show. I made my own version of Radio Clash with my Super 8 camera back in 1983, using some of the footage from Times Square, in case anyone wants to see it.

Then saw them on the Combat Rock tour on Pier 84 in Manhattan. Very hot day but a huge thunderstorm rolled in for the encores. Cooled everyone off, you couldn't have scripted it better with the thunder and lightning and pretty soon it was this monsoon rain coming down. They ended with "White Riot", only time I saw them play it. That was probably the greatest show I've ever been to.
Saw them again at RPI in Troy NY on that tour and the new Clash in Poughkeepsie in 1984, but you couldn't top the first two shows I saw in NYC.

[BR16ADE_R055E]

I made my own version of Radio Clash with my Super 8 camera back in 1983, using some of the footage from Times Square, in case anyone wants to see it.

I watched that awhile ago...I was very impressed...great stuff.

[matedog]

I made my own version of Radio Clash with my Super 8 camera back in 1983, using some of the footage from Times Square, in case anyone wants to see it.

I watched that awhile ago...I was very impressed...great stuff.

Yeah, someone posted that awhile ago here. It reminded me of the official Radio Clash video (was that the inspiration?). Good times and I know I am quite jealous of you being able to see them twice.

[Magnus]

Saw that too a while ago, and I really liked it. Very cool, ulysses! And NY seems to be the place to be in, when Clash played there!

[gkbill]

I saw them at the Bonds June 13th 1981 matinee show, they had The Brat-les (a kids band) and the Rock-cats (reminded me of the Stray Cats) as the opening bands. We went to Bonds two weeks earlier for the matinee and that was the first show that was postponed. I brought my Super 8mm camera, meant to sneak it into the show but instead filmed us all stopping traffic in Times Square. Even though the show was postponed it was still fun day in NY as everywhere you went that day there was Clash music, guys dressed up like them, Clash graffiti everywhere. It was very cool. Left my camera home for the June 13th show, it was a great show. I made my own version of Radio Clash with my Super 8 camera back in 1983, using some of the footage from Times Square, in case anyone wants to see it.

Then saw them on the Combat Rock tour on Pier 84 in Manhattan. Very hot day but a huge thunderstorm rolled in for the encores. Cooled everyone off, you couldn't have scripted it better with the thunder and lightning and pretty soon it was this monsoon rain coming down. They ended with "White Riot", only time I saw them play it. That was probably the greatest show I've ever been to.
Saw them again at RPI in Troy NY on that tour and the new Clash in Poughkeepsie in 1984, but you couldn't top the first two shows I saw in NYC.

Hello,

I saw them at both RPI and Vassar (Poughkeepsie) as well. I didn't care for the opening band at RPI (Kymer Rouge?). Vassar was good but very guitar/rock to the point of metal kind of night.

When I saw them at the Pier in NYC '82, it was a great night - maybe the night you are recalling (9/2/82) - Third World, Kurtis Blow, and then - the Clash (at least if memory serves..).

The Pier wins, hands down.

[ulysses]

Hello,

I saw them at both RPI and Vassar (Poughkeepsie) as well. I didn't care for the opening band at RPI (Kymer Rouge?). Vassar was good but very guitar/rock to the point of metal kind of night.

When I saw them at the Pier in NYC '82, it was a great night - maybe the night you are recalling (9/2/82) - Third World, Kurtis Blow, and then - the Clash (at least if memory serves..).

The Pier wins, hands down.

Yeah it was the September 2nd show on the Pier. I remember Strummer was working with the roadies when the opening groups were playing, you couldn't miss him with the mohawk. Some people were being jerks towards Kurtis Blow, throwing cups at him and mocking him. Idiots. Afterwards when we were all leaving people was still hollering "white riot" a dozen blocks away in the pouring rain.

That Vassar show in 1984 was freakin loud, I remember I couldn't hear much from my left ear for a few days. What I remember most from the RPI show (besides them playing "Junco Partner") was Mick refusing to sing on the chorus of Londons Burning, he was pissed about something. Joe motioned for him to get up to the mic and Mick shook his head and looked pissed. So a few years later Mick was on live text chat on AOL, answering questions from AOL users. So as a joke I submitted the question "What were you so pissed about at RPI during the October 1982 show that you wouldn't sing on that chorus?" Of course the AOL screeners ignored my question and stuck with the usual dumb "where do you get the inspiration for your songs" questions.

[shag]

I was at the 9/2 Pier show too. Gregory Isaacs & Kurtis Blow.
Right down front facing Paul.
Stay Free. White Riot in the pouring rain.
Best show I've ever seen...

[dstrummer]

I saw then with The Who at the Oakland Coliseum in 1982. I was young and adventurous at the time so I got in line at 6AM for the concert, I was upfront and crushed for the whole show. If you can imagine, Joe was on fire that night, he shook his head all over the place during a few of the songs and his sweat sprayed all over me and my friend. I was forever baptized by The Clash.

I also saw them at the San Francisco Civic Auditorium in 1984, one of their first gigs on the Out of Control Tour. The stage setup with dozens of tv's showing anti-military and other political images was amazing. But, besides Joe and Paul and Pete, the band was incredibly lost and seemed as if they weren't really part of the Band. Vince and Nick broke about 5 strings that night on different songs, and throughout the show I kept asking my friend, "are they out of tune?" Indeed they were. The show was panned in San Francisco because of Vince and Nicks "problems" but Joe pulled off the show with power and dignity. The boot is of the gig is on the Mega List and available to download. The night was also filled with some of Joe's classic political anti establishment rants, its worth a listen.

From the Reviews of the show: "With the two new guitarists fumbling to keep up, the band never struck any rhythmic gold until late in the concert, ironically, during a bass and drums break in "Police and Thieves" when Strummer had sent one of the guitarists offstage, presumably to tune his instrument. Between drummer Pete Howard and bassist Paul Simonon, the two musicians worked up a chugging, bumping interchange that rumbled agreeably through the hall. "

[Rat Patrol]

I saw then with The Who at the Oakland Coliseum in 1982. I was young and adventurous at the time so I got in line at 6AM for the concert, I was upfront and crushed for the whole show. If you can imagine, Joe was on fire that night, he shook his head all over the place during a few of the songs and his sweat sprayed all over me and my friend. I was forever baptized by The Clash.

I also saw them at the San Francisco Civic Auditorium in 1984, one of their first gigs on the Out of Control Tour. The stage setup with dozens of tv's showing anti-military and other political images was amazing. But, besides Joe and Paul and Pete, the band was incredibly lost and seemed as if they weren't really part of the Band. Vince and Nick broke about 5 strings that night on different songs, and throughout the show I kept asking my friend, "are they out of tune?" Indeed they were. The show was panned in San Francisco because of Vince and Nicks "problems" but Joe pulled off the show with power and dignity. The boot is of the gig is on the Mega List and available to download. The night was also filled with some of Joe's classic political anti establishment rants, its worth a listen.

From the Reviews of the show: "With the two new guitarists fumbling to keep up, the band never struck any rhythmic gold until late in the concert, ironically, during a bass and drums break in "Police and Thieves" when Strummer had sent one of the guitarists offstage, presumably to tune his instrument. Between drummer Pete Howard and bassist Paul Simonon, the two musicians worked up a chugging, bumping interchange that rumbled agreeably through the hall. "

Nick and Vince had to make do with second-hand, Mick-leftover beater Les Pauls that were perpetually on the fritz for that mini-tour because the band was too skint to buy any new equipment. That's why they had such terrible instrument problems on those Cali gigs. Even the TV's were used; half of them didn't work after a couple of tour legs. Vince said in one of his posts on the old board that gig #1 at Santa Monica was the worst he'd ever played in his life because of nerves and technical glitches.

The difference in polish was pretty obvious by Barrowlands after they'd used the proceeds from the kickoff tour to buy new guitars.

[dstrummer]

Didn't they have guitars of their own? Or was it because of Bernie's edict to use Les Pauls that they had to use the beat up guitars? And why would Mick leave them to The Clash? Or did the band pay for them? Such and odd story, considering that Les Pauls are built like tanks and their bridges and tuning pegs seldom fail.

[Rat Patrol]

Didn't they have guitars of their own? Or was it because of Bernie's edict to use Les Pauls that they had to use the beat up guitars? And why would Mick leave them to The Clash? Or did the band pay for them? Such and odd story, considering that Les Pauls are built like tanks and their bridges and tuning pegs seldom fail.

When Mick packed up and left he pretty much just took the guitar he had on him never to return to pick up the rest of his stuff. I'm going to guess that whatever Nick and Vince were playing at audition were not Les Pauls, as that was Bernie's dictate. The band were flat broke because of the lawsuits and Bernie did his cheapskate policy of paying everyone lower wages when they were off the road, so they hit California playing whatever equipment was lying around and bought new gear when the cash from those 10,000+ seat gigs eased the crippling debt they were under for legal fees. I'm sure their amps weren't exactly in first-rate condition either. I don't know what Nick's financial state was coming in, but Vince was on the dole and of course late-stage Bernie was not exactly into the amenities so I think it's fully plausible that they were S.O.L. if they didn't have Les Pauls of their own. January '84 was almost a repeat of '76-77...listen to how much tuning they had to do in the early days between songs because of worn, oft-broken equipment they couldn't afford to replace. Clash II just had to struggle with that for a few shows in front of arena-sized crowds with expectations instead of 100 people in a pub.

Or so that's how the story goes. Nick and Vince have both said so in their interviews so I'm inclined to believe it's at least half-true. Those two don't exactly have much motivation to stick to a company line.