Another one-off gig in the Midlands, the day after the RAR benefit in Hackney with a similar set.
updated 25 december 2008 - added punters comments
cdr - very poor - Sound 2 - 53min
unknown generation - 15 tracks
Rude Boy Promo cassette - more info
Sound 5 - 4min - 1gen - 1 track
Rude Boy DVD - edited - Sound 5 - 6min - mast - 1 track
poor quality recording copied to often
The only recording in circulation has a very poor sound with very little range and clarity. Its not low generation as even the audience sounds are muffled, instrumentation can be made out but Joe’s between song banter is almost inaudible. Its probably edited to.
of interest
It does have the first circulating full performances of English Civil War and Guns on the Roof and one of the few live versions of Last Gang In Town to commend to it.
It also confirms that the Police & Thieves in Rude Boy was from this gig. As with most tracks on the film they are edited. The promo cassette though has the full unedited versions from the film.
Marcus Gray in his book, the "Return of the Last Gang in Town" suggests this also. It is a very good performance so hopefully better recordings will surface one day.
The crowd are very enthusiastic throughout as with many gigs at small venues during this period. English Civil War is introduced as “we’re gonna sing you a folk song, so shut up and listen!”
All the early songs go off in a quick opening burst. A brief pause before Last Gang in Town and Joes says "Ere, how many of you went down to the Nazi thing (Victoria Park gig the day before)" met with loud cheers, "I know we played diabolical but... (inaudiable)." Someone shouts out 'Smash the Nazis'.
"This is the Last Gang in Town" which has a different ending at this stage with improvised vocals. Joe enters some banter at the end and seems to tell one guy down the front "don't forget the sandwiches mate" as everyone laughs. There is subtle cut as City of the Dead kicks in in the opening bars.
By now Joe is really talkative and the band seemingly very confident following on from the previous days rally in front of 70,000.
Guns on the Roof is still in development lacking its later middle section and unusally segues straight into Capital Radio One which would develop into Capital Radio two come the following Out on Parole Tour with its distinctive opening.
"Alright its Tommy Gun now, a new one".
The audience get a 2 song encore but are still calling for more at the end of White Riot
I was the source for the Clash barbarrellas from may1/78.
The Clash show from the day before was my first ever gig.Totally rad and will never forget it.There was a group of ten of us that went and all got lost at the victoria park show.One of the group was an older brother of my friend.After the show--his first too,he said,lets drive up to the show tomorrow.I ,off course"stayed" at John Coles house and he at mine as we all motored up to the show.
3 of us underage and Johns brother.All of us got in for free at the side door by the Clasjh and had to wait until they came onstage and were then hurried out into the crowd as it was an overage show.
The tape recorder was an Xmas gift from Dec. 1976 and the kind with one built in mike and was running on 2 batteries.Surprised it made it through the whole show.
I have no knowledge if the original tape was good quality or not.Mine was dubbed off the original,which,originally WAS my tape and machine.
Historically?Great! Sound quality? Shite.
Hi, Just come across your fantastic website! Its really well researched and helped me fill a few gaps in.....I was lucky enough to see the Clash 17 times (well thats what i always thought!) between '77 and '81.
One thing bugs me - Barbarella's gigs in 1978. I really don't remember the gig on January 24 at all! According to my records I saw them on May 7 and definitely don't recall seeing them the day after the RAR gig (which I went to) on May 1st. But I definitely did see them twice at Barbs in this period. There are two reasons why this sticks in my mind - for the first one a film crew was present (for Rude Boy?) and secondly Bernie had a fit when he heard that Barbarellas was charging (I think £2.00) to get in (or was not letting u-18's in) either way they came back and did a gig for 50 pence admission! This could well have been the Jan 24 show, but more likely the May 1, as I think they were close together (but I don't recall it being just a week apart). Hopefully you can shed some light on this...........or perhaps its my memory that is frazzled after 30 years! J Heath
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