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The Clash: Barbarellas, Birmingham
Jonh Ingham, Sounds, 13 November 1976

WEDNESDAY HAD been booked as Punk Night at Barbarellas, an excuse, if nothing else, for the club deejay to fall in love with the sound of his mouth flapping. It was the brainchild of the local Suburban Studs, supported by their mentors the Clash. And here lies a story.

The Suburban Studs are the band initially thought to be called the Suburban Bolts. Now that was a great name, and I'm still hoping someone at least becomes the Bolts. But the Suburban Studs...How mundane, how archaic, how suburban. They supported the Pistols at the 100 Club during the summer, a laughable mixture of tacky jumpsuits, tacky makeup, tacky props and tacky music. More dinosaur rock.

They then supported the Runaways, billed as Birmingham's Glam Rock Band. They realised how recherche they were. Simultaneously, they were encouraged to check out the Clash, playing that night at the ICA. It was instant love; they even drove down to see the band the next week. Generally rockers at heart, they were said to have changed their music and dropped all the makeup and props. Their hair was getting shorter.

On Wednesday it took about five minutes to realise that this short haired geezer chatting to us was actually the formerly ultra-long haired Studs guitarist, Keef (sic). Such is progress.

After all this, they just stood there. Eddie Zippa wears a black vinyl suit – called Julian? – tastefully torn over one tit, singing songs the equal of the punk lyricists in our letters pages. E.G.: 'I don't care what life's about, I just want to jump and shout'. Well, Black Sabbath aren't exactly Bertrand Russels in their social commentary, either.

But their music matches the lyrical artlessness. Stolen riffs and rhythms abound, with a penchant for Bowie. The saxist can't really play; a pity, when you consider the spaces explored by Steven Mackay on the Stooges' Fun House as an example of where it could go, that he stuck to Glitter Band riffing all night.

It's a shame their music is so lacking, because they get full points for trying.

It was the Clash's finest 45 minutes. Due to PA problems only the voices were on it, the rest of the sound coming directly from the amps – just like the old days. It made for amazingly clear vocals.

'White Riot' was superb. The Clash's anthem and view of the Notting Hill Riots, it contains all the Clash's best trademarks: great hooks and chorus, a storming rhythm, and a Clash trick of everything dropping out except for Mick Jones' guitar, dropping back in two bars later behind a thundering crack from Terry Chimes' baseball bat sized drumsticks.

'London's Burning' became 'Birmingham's Burning'. 'I'm So Bored With You' has changed to 'I'm So Bored With The USA'. Not once do the Clash falter. Every song is pared to the minimum required to get it across with maximum energy and zero flab. Which they do with such power, speed and explosion that one assumes the lack of response from first time audiences in London is due to shock – no one young has seen such manic energy except from the Who or Quo in a stadium.

But in Birmingham, the audience began to applaud more and moe vigourously. 'Protex Blue', another rhythmic high point and Mick's vocal bid for the spotlight, exploded into guitar mania, but unfortunately some amps problems took the edge off the attack.

But it was the encore, 'I've Got A Crush On You', that clinched it. Joe sings about being handsome and does his visual best to look anything but pretty. This time, he excelled himself, and with Mick racing between mikes and Paul exploding and jerking, it had powerful effect.

© Jonh Ingham, 1976

unkown

Sounds
gig review Jon Ingham

Jul 4		Black Swan, Sheffield
		Last gang in Town p170 The birth of The Clash - The Independent - Fri 10 Oct 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
Aug 13		Rehearsal Rehearsals, Camden Town, London
		....private invite gig
Aug 29		Screen On The Green, Islington, London
		Midnight Special Last gang in Town p180
Aug 31		100 Club, London
		...supporting the Sex Pistols.Last gang in Town p190
Sep 5		The Roundhouse, Camden Town, London
		...Keith Levenes last gig with The Clash. journalists invited; 3 show up. Last gang in Town p190

Sep 20		Club, London...100 Club Punk Festival
		with the Pistols, the Damned, the Buzzcocks, Subway Sect et al. Last gang in Town p195
Oct 9		Tiddenfoot Leisure Centre, Leyton Buzzard
		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
Oct?		Guildford
		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.
Oct 15		Acklam Hall, Ladbroke Grove, London
		supporting Spartacus and Sukuya. Last gang in Town p210 (from Time Out mag).
Oct 16		University of London, London
		supporting Shakin Stevens. Last gang in Town p211
Oct 23		Institute of Contemporary Arts, London
		Last gang in Town p215
Oct 27		Barbarellas, Birmingham
		Last gang in Town p217
Oct 28		I.C.A., London
		with Subway Sect see ZigZag Aoril 77 'Konctere Clockwork' text version or scans ... ZigZag Aoril 77 'Konctere Clockwork' .... pg1 ......pg2 .....pg3
Oct 29		Town Hall, Fulham, London
		Last gang in Town p217. Supporting Roogalator
Nov 3		Harlesden Coliseum
Nov 5		Royal College of Art, London
		A Night Of Treason Last gang in Town p218. ...supported by thge Rockets see ZigZag Aoril 77 'Konctere Clockwork' text version or scans ... ZigZag Aoril 77 'Konctere Clockwork' .... pg1 ......pg2 .....pg3
Nov 6		Lanchester Polytechnic, Coventry
		3 photos given as this date, though it is likely to be the 29th Nov
Nov 11		Lacy Lady, Ilford
		Last gang in Town p222.
Nov 13		Birmingham Barbarellas
Nov		Polydor Demos
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
Nov 18		Nags Head, High Wycombe
		Last gang in Town p224.
Nov 29		Lanchester Polytechnic, Coventry
		Last gang in Town p189