White Riot Tour with the with The Aggravators & Subway Sect
updated 5 Jan 2010 - added BBC Wiltshire article
cdr – from master – Sound 3 – 46min – 16 tracks
This very welcome new recording from the classic White Riot Tour came into circulation in late 2002 and unusually includes songs from the support groups; Track 1 The Aggravators (local punk band) and Tracks 2 & 3 from Subway Sect.
Typically of this tour most of the audience do not know how to react to The Clash, many coming out of curiosity about the new punk phenomenon plastered across their newspapers. No bands that looked or played like The Clash had ever played in Swindon before. At one point Joe says to the audience “We’re not from outer space you know!” at which someone shouts, “Could have fooled me”
The best shows are when the audience respond to the on stage energy of The Clash which in turn further fuels the band’s attack. With the audience largely lukewarm The Clash’s performance is not as charged as others on the tour. However when the repeatedly called for White Riot is finally played the audience do react to the extent that Joe says mid song “This is better”
decent audience recording
This is a decent audience recording which captures the primitive but charged sound and equipment of the White Riot Tour very well. It is from the master but suffers some tape drop-out problems. There is good clarity with little distortion. All the instrumentation comes through well particularly Paul’s bass. Vocals are the weakest aspect, being distant but not very poor. This together with the limited range of sound makes it, in terms of other recordings from this tour, on a par with Plymouth, which has better vocals but significant distortion.
The atmosphere of the gig is captured well, with some stereo separation. Chat near the taper is intrusive at a few points. The master is probably a very decent recording. The last track includes a short exchange with The Aggravators bass player who asks the taper “Why you recording, is it for you?“, “Too fuckin’ right!” he replies. A sentiment we can approve of, as his recording is an enjoyable and important document of both The Clash and punk in mid 1977.
The Affair was a small venue, in this medium sized southern town and was used for other punk gigs in 77 but appears then to have been either closed or renamed.
The Clash set begins with Joe commenting on problems with the sound “Mine’s not working either” The band continue to tune up, amidst shouts already for White Riot, before Joe shouts “Swindon’s Burning” and launch into London’s Burning.
77 vintage energy levels continue into 1977 and into an excellent Pressure Drop. Joe comments at the lack of reaction from the majority “Don’t clap if you don’t move!” I’m So Bored With The USA is strong with Paul’s bass lines to the fore. There is then a lengthy gap before Janie Jones “If you can’t see what’s happening, he’s broken a bass string” - No Johnny Green or spare guitars to deal with the problem. The audience shout out requests including unusually one for KeysTo Your Heart.
Hate & War is strong as is Cheat but Joe’s vocals can hardly be heard until mid-song. The sound dips a touch for 48 Hours before reverting back (but with several tape drop-ours) on an extended Police & Thieves with Joe improvising new lines;” Walking down Swindon High Street, nothing in your pocket, just walking, along comes the Police, say Hey where do you think you’re going? It’s late, you know it ain’t allowed you mustn’t deviate!…” Joe’s continues until Mick’s shouted 1-2-3-4 brings one of the set’s highlights to an end.
“Listen to the tunes on the Dr Goebel’s Show” is Joe’s intro to Capital Radio, which also suffers several drop-outs. Deny next “A love song for the girls”. Joe introduces a strong Remote Control “We were just told yesterday that this was going to be our next single” and Mick says “TOLD” emphasises their disgust at CBS’s decision to release the song as their next single without asking them.
Career Opportunities is followed by Garageland dedicated to the Aggravators. “This is a pop song entitled White Riot”; the audience finally responding to a manically fast performance with Joe breaking off to congratulate them “this is better”
The audience shout for an encore, before an edit starts with Joe delivering some laid back Californian audience repartee “We’re gonna do one more then fuck off! He’s in love; he’s in love…” leads into a stronger reprise of Janie Jones, getting the nod as the encore number rather than the usual 1977
BBC Rock 'n' Roll Wiltshire
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Swindon's The Aggravators in 1977
The Clash at The Affair
Steve Baker
Read the story of the Swindon band who supported punk legends The Clash at The Affair nightclub in Swindon in 1977.
In the beginning there was The Clash... and they came to Swindon!
The date was Wednesday 4th May 1977 and it was a momentous occasion, at least in the minds of those that were enamoured with the noise that was punk.
The Clash were coming to town, and just about everyone was talking about it.
At the time I was the vocalist in Swindon punk band The Aggravators, and had been given a support slot by Ian Reid who managed The Affair nightclub at the time, and later went on to manage XTC.
An ad for the gig in the Evening Advertiser
The Affair later changed hands numerous times, and as a nightclub went through a succession of names such as Bubbles, New York New York and Po Na Na.
My fellow bandmates and I jumped over the moon to be offered the gig. For our tiny band back then it felt like a chance in a lifetime!
The Clash were due to play across the road at a venue called The Central Hall which was a lot bigger than The Affair, with two support bands Subway Sect and ourselves playing first, over in the small nightclub in Wyvern square.
Mysteriously, a short time before we were due to take the stage a fire started in The Central Hall, leaving Joe Strummer and the rest of the band with no choice other than to move all of their gear across to The Affair in order to be able to play.
When the time finally came, we thrashed through our set with wild abandon, savouring every second of it. As soon as we had finished playing, we hurried backstage to talk to The Clash and ask for their opinion, and Joe commented on one of our songs, by saying that he liked the guitar riff.
They were very encouraging, really down to earth, and totally devoid of any airs and graces.
The Clash
Vic Goddard and The Subway Sect ploughed through their set confidently leaving the crowd calling for more, then at last it was time for The Clash!
By now the place was heaving, and after what felt like an eternity, Joe and the boys took the stage by storm.
Thrashing through their songs that were soon to become classics they left the faithful amongst us spellbound, and the morbidly curious stunned!
Joe Strummer snarling his way through 'Janie Jones' is something I'll never forget, and the compliment of Joe dedicating 'Garageland' to us spoke volumes.
He even improvised a few lyrics - introducing 'London's Burning' as 'Swindon's Burning' and changing a line in 'Police and Thieves' to "Walking down Swindon High Street…"
The Clash, were in my mind, the embodiment of Punk rock, and are probably the definitive band of their kind in that era. And even though I state the obvious - Joe Strummer is still very sorely missed.
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1 |
London’s Burning |
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White Riot full page ad
with dates
The Jam quit White Riot Tour
Melody Maker Mid May 77
Oct 77 - Unknown Fanzine
page 1 page 2 page 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...
Clash Landing
Search and Destroy Fanzine
Clash Interviewed by Annette Weatherman and Vermilion Sands
A lengthy interview with Joe, Mick & Paul in 1977. It was published in Search & Destroy mag out of San Francisco. It was the first word of the Clash in print in the U.S. Birmingham Rag Marktt & Sweden gigs referenced.
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Rascals, Chester |
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Barbarella, Birmingham |
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Affair, Swindon |
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Erics, Liverpool |
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University, Aberdeen |
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Playhouse, Edinburgh |
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Electric Circus, Manchester |
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Rainbow, London |
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| infamous riot gig - often mis-cited as the 7th. See 7th gig at Edinburgh with Edinburgh Ticket | ||
| Town Hall, Kidderminster |
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| Following an injury to his hand, Mick Jones of the Clash is forced to cancel the gig booked for Kidderminster Town Hall. | ||
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Palais, Nottingham |
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Polytechnic, Leicester |
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Brakke Grond Amsterdam |
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Fiesta, Plymouth |
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University, Swansea |
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Polytechnic, Leeds |
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Rock Garden, Middlesborough |
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University, Newcastle |
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City Hall, St. Albans |
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| Skindles, Maidenhead cancelled | ||
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Wolverhampton Civic Hall | |
| The Clash played a replacement gig at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall on May 22 1977. This gig was played literally days after The Jam departed the tour. Rumour had it there was a dispute about the use of lighting on the tour. Buzzcocks, Slits and Subway Sect supported. The ticket stub did not have the bands name printed on, but had a "complimentary" stamp across it and the price written on. It was however an official Civic Hall ticket. | ||
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Top Of The World, Stafford |
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Top Rank, Cardiff, Wales |
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| White Riot 1977 was Clash at their superlative best – from Cardiff’s Top Rank balcony the front of stage appeared a pogoing and spitting frenzy. Against the Notting Hill Riot backdrop, Joe’s eye’s burning and neck pulsing, his lyrics spat out with such white heat intensity - I wondered if he could survive another year! Dave Smitham | ||
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University of Sussex, Brighton |
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| Video exists | ||
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Colston, Bristol |
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Pavilion, West Runton |
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Odeon, Canterbury |
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| probably didn't happen... | ||
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De Montfort Hall, Leicester |
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| date listed in NME...This is often listed as CARDIFF 77. It isn't. | ||
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Chancellor Hall, Chelmsford |
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California Ballroom, Dunstable |
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