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.
Short European Tour of Holland, France, Switzerland,
Germany and Sweden
updated 8 July 2008 - added 3 photos courtesy laubai
29 Sept 1977 Paris Bataclan . courtesy laubai
two sources
Clash on Tour LP - Sound 3 - 24min - LP/m - tracks 9
for info on bootlegs check Clash on Stage website
cdr - full gig [upgraded] - Sound 4 -
50min - 1gen - tracks 18
Visit the Clash on Stage website for a comprehensive catalogue of unofficially released CD's and Vinyl.
“Paris is beginning to sizzle” laughs Strummer near the end of an incendiary performance at the famous Paris Bataclan. The Bataclan is an historic grand Paris theatre dating back to the 1860’s (see picture) and has witnessed many great performances, The Doors, The Velvet Underground, Vince Taylor, Oasis and Radiohead, but this bootleg documents surely one of its greatest presentations.
The Clash were no doubt inspired by the venue’s rock’n’roll history and its lack of seats in the main auditorium. Punk was big news by now in Paris and the band go down a storm.
A French fans eye view
After the gig, the CLASH went to drink at “La Coupole”, an “existentialist cafe” and finished the night at the Gibus Club.
They saw the local band ASPHALT JUNGLE which they had just mentioned in their “Paris is singing” version. For the TV show, the scenery was “very” punk with flying pterodactys!
This TV show was prouced by “Un sur Cinq (1 out of 5)”, a social and culturel broadcast. Freddy Hausser produced the “Pop News” rubrique and presented the CLASH with Phillipe MANOEUVRE (who wrote “Cheap trill” in Rock’n’Folk magazine).
The CLASH played “London’s burning” at the sound check but the cameramen didn’t want to continue. They striked cos the CLASH played too loud. Just one man accepted to film. So, it was a fixed and large plan. 15 min. later, the CLASH played “Complete control”, then “1977”(cut) and it was over.
The full recording.
A recent recording [2000] is a big upgrade on the older tapes which are circulating and an improvement as well on the edited down to one side The Clash on Tour LP.
one of the best 1977 recordings around
The full upgrade is one of the best 1977 recordings around and is a from a very good low generation audience source. There is some distance but all the instrumentation is fairly clear. Vocals and backing vocals are very good; the guitar sounds a bit thin, bass not focussed and drums fairly distant. Not as enjoyable a sound as the Mont de Marsan full tape but still very good especially with the volume cranked up really high.
The Clash on Tour LP
A seven song edited recording of this gig made up one side of the widely available The Clash On Tour bootleg LP, occasionally refered to as Tommy Guns LP [due to inner labels]. The LP contains edited sets from
Paris - The Bataclan - 29 Sept 1977
Paris - Le Stadium -16 Oct 1978 more info
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Both shows are edited down for the LP. Fuller tapes exist.
The full tape of the 1977 gig [and the full tape of the 78 gig] have an excellent sound. Both superior to whats on this boot vinyl.
The LP sound quality is reasonable. Easily listenable with some minimal distortion on the first side. Side 2 is a bit more muddy in sound.
The Bataclan - Punk festival 29 Sept 77
A decent sound that suffers only minor distortions in the vocals. The sound lacks a decent range and is a touch flat, a little distant too, yet with a fair degree of clarity. The bass is there, but is lost in the sound.The fuller tape is slighlty better.
Notable highlights include a great version of Complete Control, better sounding versions of the infant White Man, and the The Prisoner and City of the Dead which have begun to show up. London's Burning has been contorted to Paris is Singing at the end.
Le Stadium 16 Oct 78
Again a decent sound if a little flat, not to dissimilar to the other show on the LP.
A fair degree of clarity and maybe a touch more range in the sound on this one though. You can just make out the bass chords though the clarity overall is quite reasonable, with only very mild distortion. The fuller tape has marginally a better sound eminating from a 1st generation source .
The tracks from the second album Give Em Enough Rope, are beginning to show up. Guns on the Roof and Drug Stabbing Time.
What is of most interest here though is the detour at the end of Police and Thieves into the Ramones Blitzkreig Bop. Great. This version was copied and hidden on the official bonus CD [USA only] issued with the 2000 remasters titled Rockers Galore.
29 Sept 1977 Paris Bataclan . courtesy laubai
The recording begins with a reggae track being faded out over the PA and then with no introduction The Clash blast into London’s Burning. The performance starts off fast and furious and just builds in intensity up to the 2 encores, which are especially powerful. Highlights are many. Complete Control has great guitar work from Mick with the solos now mirroring the recorded version released that week.
White Man in Hammersmith Palais “un nouveau chanson” is still in development with some lyrics changed for this gig “punk rockers all over the world, especially here in France, down by the banks of the Seine, I went insane” Capital Radio is fantastic here with a particularly manic Joe ranting over the now extended ending.
There is an edit at The Prisoner but it loses only the very opening chords. Joe responds to a request for White Riot with “listen mate, can’t have a White Riot in case I lose my chequebook!” He then introduces I’m So Bored With The USA with a rare bit of literary criticism by shouting “Henry Miller!”
As mentioned the 2 encores demanded by the enthusiastic crowd are especially brilliant. The second 1977 gets different lyrics and the Bataclan gets a name check in What’s My Name. “Paris is beginning to sizzle” is the intro to Paris Is Burning with almost completely different lyrics including references to Asphalt Jungle, 1984 and a particularly well-received name check for local favourites The Stinky Toys.
29 Sept 1977 Paris Bataclan . courtesy laubai
The Prisoner [Clash on Tour LP]
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