Which shows to listen to?

[darter]

I know this seems silly but with all the available shows I could really use a list of a couple of shows per year to focus on. Any chance knowledgeable Clash fans might put together a brief guide to the megalist? I would really like to read a few historical notes that explain why a particular concert might make the short list. Maybe some concerts were turning points for the group. So I guess I am thinking as much about the historical thread as the sound.

[Flex]

Just listen to Shea over and over again.

No, but seriously, the curator of the megalist (that would be the one and only matedog) over in the downloads section was kind enough to make up a little beginner's guide to a few show highlights.

Preface II: For those new to the boots, a quick list of ten good starter shows based off of performance/quality
1. 1981-06-09 Bonds - perfect sounding Sandinista show, not super performance
2. 1979-01-03 - strong, conservative performance, tons of Give Em Enough Rope material
3. 1977-05-28 Cardiff/Leicester - Pure 1977 show, missing some key early cuts, but great sounding
4. 1979-02-13 Cleveland - A more intense, slightly not as good sounding version of the 1/3/79 show
5. 1982-11-27 Jamaica - unique reggae heavy setlist, GREAT sound, shitty drummer
6. 1982-01-24 Shibuya Kohkaido - Very spirited performance with loose, intense renditions
7. 1979-09-14 Chicago - Radio broadcast, early London Calling tunes, intense
8. 1983-05-19 Wichita Falls - Great audience recording with a very unorthodox (and good) set list
9.. 1980-06-17 - reggae-est intense show
10. 1976-09-05 Roundhouse - relatively decent sounding early incarnation of the band with many never released songs

I'm sure other folks can chime in with their recommendation. #3 on that list is a personal favorite of mine.

[matedog]

Just listen to Shea over and over again.

No, but seriously, the curator of the megalist (that would be the one and only matedog) over in the downloads section was kind enough to make up a little beginner's guide to a few show highlights.

Preface II: For those new to the boots, a quick list of ten good starter shows based off of performance/quality
1. 1981-06-09 Bonds - perfect sounding Sandinista show, not super performance
2. 1979-01-03 - strong, conservative performance, tons of Give Em Enough Rope material
3. 1977-05-28 Cardiff/Leicester - Pure 1977 show, missing some key early cuts, but great sounding
4. 1979-02-13 Cleveland - A more intense, slightly not as good sounding version of the 1/3/79 show
5. 1982-11-27 Jamaica - unique reggae heavy setlist, GREAT sound, shitty drummer
6. 1982-01-24 Shibuya Kohkaido - Very spirited performance with loose, intense renditions
7. 1979-09-14 Chicago - Radio broadcast, early London Calling tunes, intense
8. 1983-05-19 Wichita Falls - Great audience recording with a very unorthodox (and good) set list
9.. 1980-06-17 - reggae-est intense show
10. 1976-09-05 Roundhouse - relatively decent sounding early incarnation of the band with many never released songs

I'm sure other folks can chime in with their recommendation. #3 on that list is a personal favorite of mine.

#3 would be better if it had White Riot or Janie Jones

My personal favorites are as follows (from BMC) -
10 Best Clash Shows EVER!

On my neverending quest to make the ultimate Clash live set mixed tape, I've decided to make a list of their greatest shows based off of pure listening experience, not historical relevance (eg 9/76 Roundhouse for example is omitted). This is from the seventy or so shows that I've listened to over the last year or so and there aren't really too many surprises for those familiar with blackmarketclash.com

1. 5/24/80 Scandinavium- Thrilling, energetic, and funny from start to finish. Joe ad libs on pretty much every song, the tempos are accelerated, and the performances are top notch all around. There is even a once performed special treat of an embryonic Charlie Don’t Surf which sounds completely different from anything The Clash ever did, live or studio. The first ten seconds of Clash City Rockers says it all.
2. 2/13/79 Cleveland- One of the few great performances caught and preserved on soundboard and it’s a doozy. The special treat for me are the encores which captures the band at its most furious (which says a lot). Oh and Joe’s intro to Police and Thieves is pretty much the greatest thing ever.

3. 5/21/81 Milan- An uncharacteristically energetic show from this very Sandinista show. Joe is in manic mode throughout, pushing Clampdown to unprecedented heights. Bonus points for being one of the best sounding audience recordings of those times.

4. 6/1/80 Bologna- Skip the first eight or so songs when Topper is MIA and a rich man’s Terry is filling in (excuse the ubiquitous Terry pot shot). This is a lesser version of the Scandinavium show which means it’s a freaking great show. It starts off safe and unsure and by the end it has devolved (evolved?) to a sloppy manic, incredible frenzy with Joe singing and Mick playing with little sense of “right and wrong” notes. There is almost a sense of that if they slow down, they’d die. Or at least get caught. Highlights are Joe and Mick alternately shouting “Murder!” at the end of Somebody (something they inexplicably never did on any other version I’ve heard) and a frightening, atonal beautiful mess of an Armagideon Time.

5. 1/24/82 Shibuya Kohkaido- With an overwhelmingly exuberant crowd, The Clash were clearly enjoying themselves on this one. The energy that they were able to leach from the crowd is quite evident in the 1-2-3 punch of Somebody, Clampdown, and the loosest structured Radio Clash known to man. Also props for containing an Ivan that I can not only listen to, but enjoy.

6. 6/17/80 Hammersmith Palais- The grand finale of their greatest tour. Mikey Dread may have tamed the Armagideon Time nightmare a touch, but his input on Jumping Master is essential and makes this show special. Although Mickey Gallagher’s keys nearly ruin the psychotic London’s Burning, his flourishes on the newer material add a pleasant 4th dimension. Add some rarities and you get a great, entirely unique show.

7. 1/3/79 Lyceum – This is a tamer version of the Cleveland show that would happen a month later. Nevertheless, the band is firing on all cylinders and the playing is tight and intense. Joe yells until his voice is gone and then he keeps yelling for the remaining half of the show. Bonus points for being a dandy soundboard with some hot footage for Rude Boy

8. 5/8/77 Manchester- 1977 in a bottle (or cd). The sound quality is subpar, but the performance smokes with the band playing at 110% fury. Cardiff may have great sound quality, but lord it doesn’t have White Riot or Janie Jones. Speaking of, I challenge anyone to find a faster White Riot.

9. 5/19/83 Wichita Falls- This show earns the award for the most unique setlist and comes in a very clear audience recording to boot. Don’t mind the guy near the mic that has no sense of rhythm in his clapping. Instead, focus on wunderkind Pete Howard and obscure tracks performed brilliantly like “Sound of Sinners”, “Death or Glory” and a great “Lost in the Supermarket” and a Joe in good spirits. Not to mention the only (okay not really) live version of “Crooked Beat”.

10. 2/18/80 Lewisham- I was reluctant to include this show, but all six soundboard tracks (and two videos) to emerge are stellar with a well mixed Mickey on the funky organ. The audience tape is harsh, but listenable on headphones in a quiet room although the organ is a bit more in your face than on the pro mix.

But if you are new to boots in general, I'd stick to the list Flex posted.

[Rat Patrol]

Others of note. . .

5/10/81 Amsterdam SBD sampler - The single best A+/CD-quality performance in circulation. Full-show audience recording is great, too...also worth a regular spin because Topper is amazing and it takes the AUD recording hall echo to truly convery how FUCKING HARD he was hitting the kit that night.
2/25/82 Hong Kong radio broadcast - The #2 Asian tour show behind Shibuya, and a bit more polished. Quite possibly the loudest Mick guitar of any circulating show, a Joe ad-libbing paradise, and I think one of the best performances of Joe's singing ever.
5/26/83 Tucson audience - Sound's a little rough and could really benefit from a lower-gen upgrade, but I think a Top 5 all-time performance. Tight and very energetic (a nice juxtaposition from the relaxed Wichita Falls and San Antonio shows...demonstrates the dexterity of this lineup to change it up), Pete is amazing, possibly Mick's best guitar post-Asian tour, and a lot of the songs have very melodic and interesting minor-key alt arrangements with a bit of Tex-Mex flair (Mick and Pete got expressive for this one...shame the US Festival 2 days later was so conventional-sounding).
6/14/80 Rettel Festival SBD - Short snippet of the show, but a visceral performance. Hardest-edge '80 show by far, and Mick's guitar was packed with razor blades.
5/18/81 Lyceum audience - I think the best Fall '81 performance (it's neck-and-neck with the 5/22 show), and the Combat Rock stuff is starting to get more polished here.
2/5/82 Auckland audience - One of the 2 or 3 greatest post-'79 performances by Topper, who was several weeks' clean by this part of the tour. If only he were this clear-headed all the time.
3/8/80 Passaic video source - Best Mickey Gallagher show available in reasonable sound. Shame the arm injury in '81 cut his tenure in the band short just as he was about to get promoted to permanent 5th member, because this lineup was just starting to flex its prowess and use the keyboards well by Spring '80.
12/27/79 Hammersmith Odeon audience - One of the best audience recordings...almost sounds like a soundboard. Prestigious venue, so got a little extra-special effort (especially from Mick).
11/7/77 Birmingham audience - Scorcher (11/1 Sheffield show, too, although only part of setlist captured). One of most polished and fastest '77 shows, with maturing setlist.
8/31/76 100 Club audience - A brand new circulating one...best '76 performance, and maybe the only one where instruments and vox equally clear. Best showcase for Levene's Clash guitar, and I think the best Terry performance period...he is damn good in this one, good enough to forget 1982 ever happened (How Can I Understand The Flies is the one Terry drum performance I don't think Topper could've nailed as well it's got such singularly bizarre solos).

[daredevil]

From 1984 - Fort Lauderdale 3/31/84 one of favorite shows from that year.

[matedog]

Others of note. . .

Agreed on all accounts. I need to sit down with that 1983 Tuscon show in a quiet room with headphones to reassess.

I'd like to add 1981-05-16 Stockholm to the list as well. It is pure spring 81 magic on par with the Amsterdam and Milan shows. It captures the audience really well too and makes for a great listening experience.

[dpwolf]

I like the 81 Copenhagen show, although it doesn't get much attention. The France 81 CD (May 9) is fun too.

[darter]

Okay, I combined all the recommended shows and the comments and put them in an ordered list. That will help with the focusing problem. (None of the comments are my own - I just pasted them from this thread). And thank you for the suggestions.



A short list of significant megalist shows and comments from various sources
1 8/31/76 100 Club audience - A brand new circulating one...best '76 performance, and maybe the only one where instruments and vox equally clear. Best showcase for Levene's Clash guitar, and I think the best Terry performance period...he is damn good in this one, good enough to forget 1982 ever happened (How Can I Understand The Flies is the one Terry drum performance I don't think Topper could've nailed as well it's got such singularly bizarre solos).
2 1976-09-05 Roundhouse - relatively decent sounding early incarnation of the band with many never released
3 5/8/77 Manchester- 1977 in a bottle (or cd). The sound quality is subpar, but the performance smokes with the band playing at 110% fury. Cardiff may have great sound quality, but lord it doesn’t have White Riot or Janie Jones. Speaking of, I challenge anyone to find a faster White Riot.
4 1977-05-28 Cardiff/Leicester - Pure 1977 show, missing some key early cuts, but great sounding
5 11/7/77 Birmingham audience - Scorcher (11/1 Sheffield show, too, although only part of setlist captured). One of most polished and fastest '77 shows, with maturing setlist.
6 1/3/79 Lyceum – This is a tamer version of the Cleveland show that would happen a month later. Nevertheless, the band is firing on all cylinders and the playing is tight and intense. Joe yells until his voice is gone and then he keeps yelling for the remaining half of the show. Bonus points for being a dandy soundboard with some hot footage for Rude Boy//strong, conservative performance, tons of Give Em Enough Rope material
7 2/13/79 Cleveland- One of the few great performances caught and preserved on soundboard and it’s a doozy. The special treat for me are the encores which captures the band at its most furious (which says a lot). Oh and Joe’s intro to Police and Thieves is pretty much the greatest thing ever.// Another Comment: A more intense, slightly not as good sounding version of the 1/3/79 show
8 1979-09-14 Chicago - Radio broadcast, early London Calling tunes, intense
9 12/27/79 Hammersmith Odeon audience - One of the best audience recordings...almost sounds like a soundboard. Prestigious venue, so got a little extra-special effort (especially from Mick).
10 2/18/80 Lewisham- I was reluctant to include this show, but all six soundboard tracks (and two videos) to emerge are stellar with a well mixed Mickey on the funky organ. The audience tape is harsh, but listenable on headphones in a quiet room although the organ is a bit more in your face than on the pro mix.
11 3/8/80 Passaic video source - Best Mickey Gallagher show available in reasonable sound. Shame the arm injury in '81 cut his tenure in the band short just as he was about to get promoted to permanent 5th member, because this lineup was just starting to flex its prowess and use the keyboards well by Spring '80.
12 5/24/80 Scandinavium- Thrilling, energetic, and funny from start to finish. Joe ad libs on pretty much every song, the tempos are accelerated, and the performances are top notch all around. There is even a once performed special treat of an embryonic Charlie Don’t Surf which sounds completely different from anything The Clash ever did, live or studio. The first ten seconds of Clash City Rockers says it all.
13 6/1/80 Bologna- Skip the first eight or so songs when Topper is MIA and a rich man’s Terry is filling in (excuse the ubiquitous Terry pot shot). This is a lesser version of the Scandinavium show which means it’s a freaking great show. It starts off safe and unsure and by the end it has devolved (evolved?) to a sloppy manic, incredible frenzy with Joe singing and Mick playing with little sense of “right and wrong” notes. There is almost a sense of that if they slow down, they’d die. Or at least get caught. Highlights are Joe and Mick alternately shouting “Murder!” at the end of Somebody (something they inexplicably never did on any other version I’ve heard) and a frightening, atonal beautiful mess of an Armagideon Time.
14 6/14/80 Rettel Festival SBD - Short snippet of the show, but a visceral performance. Hardest-edge '80 show by far, and Mick's guitar was packed with razor blades.
15 6. 6/17/80 Hammersmith Palais- The grand finale of their greatest tour. Mikey Dread may have tamed the Armagideon Time nightmare a touch, but his input on Jumping Master is essential and makes this show special. Although Mickey Gallagher’s keys nearly ruin the psychotic London’s Burning, his flourishes on the newer material add a pleasant 4th dimension. Add some rarities and you get a great, entirely unique show.
16 1980-06-17 - reggae-est intense show
17 5/9/81 France:
18 5/10/81 Amsterdam SBD sampler - The single best A+/CD-quality performance in circulation. Full-show audience recording is great, too...also worth a regular spin because Topper is amazing and it takes the AUD recording hall echo to truly convery how FUCKING HARD he was hitting the kit that night.
19 1981-05-04 Idrottshuset – Copenhagenrom
20 1981-05-16 Stockholm: pure spring 81 magic on par with the Amsterdam and Milan shows. It captures the audience really well too and makes for a great listening experience.
21 5/18/81 Lyceum audience - I think the best Fall '81 performance (it's neck-and-neck with the 5/22 show), and the Combat Rock stuff is starting to get more polished here.
22 5/21/81 Milan- An uncharacteristically energetic show from this very Sandinista show. Joe is in manic mode throughout, pushing Clampdown to unprecedented heights. Bonus points for being one of the best sounding audience recordings of those times.
23 1981-06-09 Bonds - perfect sounding Sandinista show, not super performance
24 1/24/82 Shibuya Kohkaido- With an overwhelmingly exuberant crowd, The Clash were clearly enjoying themselves on this one. The energy that they were able to leach from the crowd is quite evident in the 1-2-3 punch of Somebody, Clampdown, and the loosest structured Radio Clash known to man. Also props for containing an Ivan that I can not only listen to, but enjoy. // Another Commet : Very spirited performance with loose, intense renditions
25 2/5/82 Auckland audience - One of the 2 or 3 greatest post-'79 performances by Topper, who was several weeks' clean by this part of the tour. If only he were this clear-headed all the time.
26 2/25/82 Hong Kong radio broadcast - The #2 Asian tour show behind Shibuya, and a bit more polished. Quite possibly the loudest Mick guitar of any circulating show, a Joe ad-libbing paradise, and I think one of the best performances of Joe's singing ever.
27 1982-11-27 Jamaica - unique reggae heavy setlist, GREAT sound, shitty drummer
28 5/19/83 Wichita Falls- This show earns the award for the most unique setlist and comes in a very clear audience recording to boot. Don’t mind the guy near the mic that has no sense of rhythm in his clapping. Instead, focus on wunderkind Pete Howard and obscure tracks performed brilliantly like “Sound of Sinners”, “Death or Glory” and a great “Lost in the Supermarket” and a Joe in good spirits. Not to mention the only (okay not really) live version of “Crooked Beat”.// Another Comment: Great audience recording with a very unorthodox (and good) set list
29 5/26/83 Tucson audience - Sound's a little rough and could really benefit from a lower-gen upgrade, but I think a Top 5 all-time performance. Tight and very energetic (a nice juxtaposition from the relaxed Wichita Falls and San Antonio shows...demonstrates the dexterity of this lineup to change it up), Pete is amazing, possibly Mick's best guitar post-Asian tour, and a lot of the songs have very melodic and interesting minor-key alt arrangements with a bit of Tex-Mex flair (Mick and Pete got expressive for this one...shame the US Festival 2 days later was so conventional-sounding).
30 3/31/84 Fort Lauderdale 3/31/84 one of favorite shows from that year.

[fairyx]

I have to say I really really like 1982-02-01 Tokyo Sun Plaza.
The sound is great, and even though Joe´s voice transforms into a pissed off cat in the end, it´s a great show to listen to.

Charlie Don´t Surf makes me pee my pants..

[matedog]

Hey Darter, 15 and 16 are the same and I'd skip #17 for now.

[laxman]

So May 1981 was the greatest month of the Clash's existence?

[matedog]

So May 1981 was the greatest month of the Clash's existence?

I'd argue the best four week period would be May 18th through June 17th, 1980. May 81 is a close second though.

[Wolter]

So May 1981 was the greatest month of the Clash's existence?

I'd argue the best four week period would be May 18th through June 17th, 1980. May 81 is a close second though.

I'm partial to late 81 as well (Mogador through Lyceum). But all those periods are fantastic times for Clash shows.

Although some of my all time favorite shows (Cleveland 79, and of course, Shibuya 82) are outliers douring times that are either poorly documented or otherwise inauspicious.

[matedog]

So May 1981 was the greatest month of the Clash's existence?

I'd argue the best four week period would be May 18th through June 17th, 1980. May 81 is a close second though.

I'm partial to late 81 as well (Mogador through Lyceum). But all those periods are fantastic times for Clash shows.

Although some of my all time favorite shows (Cleveland 79, and of course, Shibuya 82) are outliers douring times that are either poorly documented or otherwise inauspicious.

I chose that period because the shows were either unique (6/17), riotous (6/12 and 5/20), or simply amazing (5/24, 6/1, 6/14). I count nine worthwhile boots in that period which is remarkably high. Don't get me wrong, I think they got a lot more dynamic and were better as a band in 1981, I just think that period in 1980 was them at their most manic and intense.

[Wolter]

So May 1981 was the greatest month of the Clash's existence?

I'd argue the best four week period would be May 18th through June 17th, 1980. May 81 is a close second though.

I'm partial to late 81 as well (Mogador through Lyceum). But all those periods are fantastic times for Clash shows.

Although some of my all time favorite shows (Cleveland 79, and of course, Shibuya 82) are outliers douring times that are either poorly documented or otherwise inauspicious.

I chose that period because the shows were either unique (6/17), riotous (6/12 and 5/20), or simply amazing (5/24, 6/1, 6/14). I count nine worthwhile boots in that period which is remarkably high. Don't get me wrong, I think they got a lot more dynamic and were better as a band in 1981, I just think that period in 1980 was them at their most manic and intense.

I actually don't disagree with you. I think it's from before your time, but I started a poll once about the best Clash "tour" way back in the day (probably 2003/2004). The parameters were pretty much "which one was your personal favorite, whether for boots, from experience, for set lists, etc." I chose the 16 tons myself, as did a lot of others.