Supporting Sex Pistols with
Subway Sect & Souisie & The Banshees & Stinky Toys
cdr from 1st gen tape - nice upgrade - Sound 3 - 23min - tracks 11 - last update - 18 Jan 02 *
promotional showcase to impress record companies
The Festival on the 20th & 21st in the tiny 100 Club in Oxford Street was a promotional showcase designed by Maclaren to impress record companies and the media that Punk was big enough to have a festival. He must have been delighted as 500 inquisitive newcomers turned up to mingle with the regular punk faces. Punk was breaking out of the small clubs and the media frenzy following, would give it significant impetus.
England's Dreaming & Return of the Last Gang in Town both give the background in some detail. Savage said the group lacked confidence. Hardly surprisingly as it was their debut as a four piece. Keith Levene had left only two weeks earlier but Terry Chimes is quoted as saying this caused no problems: the band were now more focussed and determined.
Mick's lead style was now developing using further drop out to add more drama to songs. A further benefit was that Paul was now free to move into the front line spotlight, hurling his bass around and completing visually, the classic line up.
A short 11-song set was played lasting only 25 minutes. Why is not known, but Chimes says it was to cut out dead wood, with a number of Mick's songs now dropped; Mark Me Absent, You Know What I Think About You, Sitting at my Party, I Never Did It & 1-2 Crush On You.
Sid
It was on the second night that Sid threw the glass, and it was this isolated violent incident alone that was to preoccupy the 'normal-a-phrenic' national tabloid headlines. The music press though also went into overdrive, with extensive band coverage, heaping praise praising on The Clash et al.
England's Dreaming wrongly attributes this gig to the occasion when with a broken string Strummer switched on a transistor and with the help of Dave Goodman echoed the Northern Ireland news report via the PA. This did take place at the 100 Club but earlier on August 31st.
The previously circulating recording of this gig had awful sound, so beware, but a new source is now in circulation, which is a big improvement.
Several older tapes of all had a poor sound of varying degrees. A new copy coming from a 1st gen source has just come into widespread circulation is a significant upgrade and is a 3. Avoid the others.
Whilst still distorted and flat, instrumentation and vocals are much clearer from this much lower generation source. It is listenable but nowhere near as enjoyable as Midnight Special and 5 Go Mad bootlegs.
This was the live debut of White Riot, which has different lyrics to the recorded version, but most of which are indecipherable. The recording loses the opening bars to the song but is otherwise complete with no other edits. Guitar sound is thin, drums distant but bass is not too bad with vocals and backing vocals coming through best.
It's a very good performance with some significant differences from their last gig at the Roundhouse. The songs are stripped down to their basics, and played faster, i.e. are now more punk.
London's Burning has now the finished ending and not the abrupt end as at the Roundhouse.
Janie Jones is now "he's in love etc" not "I'm in love etc" and Mick sings the chorus, Joe the verses.
I'm So Bored is the same lyrics of a put down of a girl with references to "you don't look like her" and "public school" but now Joe shouts USA after the verses at the end of the song. A song and band in transition.
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Marcus Gray Last Gang in Town
French Magazine
Photos ...before ...during ...poster
Parade Of The Punks
Caroline Coon, Melody Maker,
2 October 1976
The 100 Club Punk Rock Festival
Caroline Coon, '1988:
The New Wave Punk Rock Explosion', 1977
The birth of The Clash
The Independent
Friday, 10 October 2008
An epiphany at a Sex Pistols gig led to the formation of the most enduring of punk bands. Here, in an extract from a new book, The Clash reveal how they started in a London squat
The Clash: Down And Out And Proud
Caroline Coon, Melody Maker,
13 November 1976
following the ICA gig
The Clash: Eighteen Flight Rock...
Miles, NME, 11 December 1976
...AND THE SOUND OF THE WESTWAY
interview with The Clash
The Clash - Caroline Coon, '1988:
The New Wave Punk Rock Explosion', 1977
5th November 1976
Interview & review
Don Giovani
Finest post Pistols band
Nov 1976
The Clash & Polydor Demos
Rockscene Anarchy
Photo review 1 2 3
Greatness from Garageland
Peter Silverton, Trouser Press, February 1978
UNANNOUNCED, TO SAY the least, a kid in boots, suspenders and short-cropped hair clambers through the photographers' pit and up onto the stage of London's Rainbow Theatre. Benignly ignored by band, stage crew and security alike...
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Black Swan, Sheffield |
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Last gang in Town p170 |
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Rehearsal Rehearsals, Camden Town, London |
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....private invite gig |
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Screen On The Green, Islington, London |
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Midnight Special Last gang in Town p180 |
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...supporting the Sex Pistols.Last gang in Town p190 |
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The Roundhouse, Camden Town, London |
| ...Keith Levenes last gig with The Clash. journalists invited; 3 show up. Last gang in Town p190 |
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Club, London...100 Club Punk Festival |
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| with the Pistols, the Damned, the Buzzcocks, Subway Sect et al. Last gang in Town p195 | ||
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Tiddenfoot Leisure Centre, Leyton Buzzard |
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| see ZigZag Aoril 77 'Konctere Clockwork' text version or scans ... ZigZag Aoril 77 'Konctere Clockwork' .... pg1 ......pg2 .....pg3 supporting the Rockets... just a note on your gig list i saw them at tiddingfoot leisure centre and keith levene was still a member they were supported by a r n b band called the rockets. the promoter a guy called chris france had also promoted gigs by the jam,the dammed and eddie and the hot rods all in leighton buzzard he also managed john otway and wild willy barrett at this time.the clash were superb sounding a lot like the mc5 at this gig. i'd actually gone along to see the rockets who i'd seen locally several times in the previous couple of years and followed around a bit,but the clash blew them off stage and they split soon after.cheers glyn |
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Guildford |
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| In an NBC 'Live at 5' Interview early 1982, Paul & Joe refer to this gig and the fact there was only 1 member in the audience. | ||
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Acklam Hall, Ladbroke Grove, London |
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| supporting Spartacus and Sukuya. Last gang in Town p210 (from Time Out mag). |
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University of London, London |
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| supporting Shakin Stevens. Last gang in Town p211 |
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| Last gang in Town p215 |
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Barbarellas, Birmingham |
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| Last gang in Town p217 | ||
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| with Subway Sect
see ZigZag Aoril 77 'Konctere Clockwork' text version |
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| Last gang in Town p217. Supporting Roogalator | ||
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Harlesden Coliseum |
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Royal College of Art, London |
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| A Night Of Treason Last gang in Town p218. ...supported by thge Rockets see ZigZag Aoril 77 'Konctere Clockwork' text version |
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| Nov 6 | |
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| 3 photos given as this date, though it is likely to be the 29th Nov | ||
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Lacy Lady, Ilford |
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| Last gang in Town p222. |
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| Nov 13 | |
Birmingham Barbarellas |
| Nov | |
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| Nov? | |
Harlesden Coliseum - Anarchy Tour Rehearsals |
| When I spoke with Rob from Subway Sect yesterday he said the Clash only played Harlesden once - in early 1977. They rehearsed there for the anarchy tour. Vincent | ||
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Nags Head, High Wycombe |
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| Last gang in Town p224. |
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| Last gang in Town p189 |
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