Impossible Mission Tour
last updated 28 October 2004
cdr - v.good audience - Sound 4 - time 105min - low? - tracks 26
The Impossible Mission Tour of major (non UK) European cities, is unusually well represented by quality recordings, and the Scandinavian leg especially so. Very good audience recordings (master or very low generation) circulate for all three of the concerts.
Copenhagen Newspaper Review
Many thanks to Lars O Martensson for providing a newspaper review with photo of the Copenhagen concert (see below). Lars’ also kindly provided a translation:
"[The Clash’s] first gig in Denmark where Cliff Richard & Ted Nugent are more popular than Elvis Costello so The Clash didn’t draw a big crowd. The arena (Idrottshuset) a sports hall was a disaster due to no ventilation and bad acoustics.
Intro music was Professor Longhairs ”In the night”. The Clash were tight and the new songs from Sandinista were harder than on the record. One More time and Armagideon Time were the highlights of the show.
The backdrop was ”Radical-Chic” photo slides (!) and Joe Strummer teeth looked better than ever!"
If The Clash did not draw a big crowd, from the evidence of the recording those that were there were enthusiastic and lively. The Clash delivered an overall good if unexceptional concert but which included a number of excellent performances including Radio Clash, Jimmy Jazz, Magnificent Seven, Bankrobber and Street Parade. From the recording it is apparent that the bands heart was in the newer songs, which are played with greater enthusiasm and finesse than the older 77 songs, which lack fire and energy. Hardly surprising as these songs had been played repeatedly for 4 years and the band member’s enthusiasms and interests had moved on in a diverse range of musical directions since.
Venue
Typical of this tour the venue was a large sports hall with apparently poor acoustics and ventilation.
The best recording in circulation is from a very good audience source, and must be very close to the master. However the sound on the first 4 songs is markedly worse than on the rest of the concert. The sound on these suffers significantly from distance to the stage and a resulting lack of clarity and detail.
Into the start of White Man in Hammersmith Palais thankfully the sound improves with vocals, drums and Joe’s guitar becoming very clear and detailed. Lead guitar is good too but less upfront in the mix, bass though is very low in the mix and unfocussed. Overall though now it is a very enjoyable sound if a touch too bright with some big hall echo.
It is stereo miked with some stereo separation and the position of the taper to the stage is apparent with the band sounding more in the right channel and audience sounds more in the left. Indeed the recording captures the audience enthusiasm and atmosphere very well.
The recording beginnings as the Morricone theme fades in, the audience sounding very lively near the taper and the air of expectation, as the band come on stage is apparent.
The poorer sound on the first 4 songs disguise good if not exceptional performances. Joe is clearly up for it tonight but Mick’s contribution ranges from some of his inspired best to just adequate on others. The performance is not helped by a presumably early evening start as Joe’s greeting to the audience is his usual sarcastic “Hello good afternoon” on those occasions when the largely nocturnal band were required to start and finish earlier than they liked!
The sound improves into White Man In Hammersmith Palais with Joe adlibbing at the end “ain’t too much to ask to dance” a request presumably for more reaction from the audience. The band are continuing on this tour to alter arrangements and improvise so that each night is different. Of course these changes could be for the better or the worse as on Guns of Brixton where there is a long uneventful intro, Paul scratches out a repetitive riff, and the song loses much of its shape but as always its held together by Topper’s excellent drumming.
“Look out, look out its old Topper Headon!” shouts Joe before Lightning Strikes. A song that’s now been honed down from the earlier less than successful performances, chopping out the lengthy improvised sections, to leave a shorter, tighter, more effective and yes danceable number!
“This one is for the singer of Malert,” says Joe before Complete Control. Joe and Mick try to work up a head of steam but it lacks fire and Mick’s playing doesn’t cut it here, losing the economy of the punk days, less is sometimes more. Tops drumming is great though, but there is a lack of inspiration and energy in the older songs tonight.
Corner Soul, like the other newer songs though is very enjoyable and on one of the best yet performances of Ivan Meets GI Joe the band almost pull off transferring this studio effects heavy song to the live stage. This Is Radio Clash is a definite highlight; you can hear the enjoyment of the band playing their new song. Mick’s effects work best on these non rock’n’roll songs and Joe whoops and screams in his inimitable way over the top; a tight, assured, excellent performance.
Charlie Don’t Surf begins with Joe reciting a litany of Vietnam War battle sites. The band sound confident and together, and Mick’s playing on the instrumental section is a delight. “Right, ….I’m not ready,” says Joe as the band kick into a great Magnificent Seven but Joe is soon into it delivering a great vocal performance. There is the now permanent great live bridge to the song and Joe screams “Magnificent” repeatedly as the band kick up a storm.
Another highlight, Bankrobber begins slowly with Joe picking out a rhythm and then the song speeds up with some great understated playing from Mick and great drumming. Joe, clearly enjoying the performance unusually adlibs on this song about “money - you got to steal it” and “toil (or oil!), toil the world is toil.. they pull it out in the city limit they said there was 100 years of garbage”.
Wrong ‘Em Boyo again has the effective 81-style intro but there are some technical problems with Mick’s guitar near the end. Train In Vain is good but not as interesting as the more improvised playing in Amsterdam. Career Opportunities begins flat but the band warm up into it and then its Clampdown, well chosen to provide a suitably powerful and dramatic end to the main set. It certainly does not disappoint tonight, the band whipping up a suitably apocalyptic storm, “drum it up” shouts Joe into the finale, which showcases Topper’s powerhouse drumming. A performance that just lacks a great Joe adlibbed rant!
The audience stomp, shout and scream for more, the recording capturing the atmosphere really well. The audience are rewarded with a great encore beginning with the return of Jimmy Jazz. It’s arguably the best performance tonight; with Mick’s playing his most effective and inventive tonight, Topper’s drumming a delight and Joe is in terrific adlibbing form. “Do you think I go around selling dope to school children, do you think that” sings Joe, “Meanwhile this man, he’s a Mexican (?), he’s in the school yard selling heroin, yes I heard, yes I heard, that over in Parliament he’s sold more heroin than he had all day!” Joe then breaks into an amusing New York cop drawl, “New York the song goes like this”.
Mick’s playing on Spanish Bombs remains on the mettle but is less effective on One More Time, which is unusual for what sounds like the vocal contribution of Topper. Someone presumably Topper adds a “No Sir” and unwelcome repeated “Hup, hup, hup”’s and then joins Joe in a repeated “One more time” refrain. The song is still very effective though and on Joe’s instruction of “Alright take it into the Street Parade” the song transforms slowly into a very fine Street Parade.
Topper’s drumming dominates and Mick picks out improvised arpeggios before Topper brings it back eventually with a drum roll for a final chorus. An edit is followed by Janie Jones with the band trying to summon up the required passion but it sounds half hearted.
The audience shout for a second encore and are rewarded by a below par Armagideon Time. The performance, like some others on this tour has less of a classic reggae feel and more of an improvised jam, lacking drama. Joe’s guitar intro is very clear on Brand New Cadillac but Mick’s lead is too far back in the mix (and again there are some technical problems with it) for it to be really enjoyable.
London’s Burning or rather “Copenhagens Burning” ends the concert but again this 77 classic lacks some energy and passion. The PA begins as the tape ends so the whole concert was captured. A bootleg well worth having for some inspired performances and enjoyable sound.
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London Calling |
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Any further info / reviews
appreciated
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Barcelona, Spain |
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Madrid, Real Madrid basketball stadium | |
| Gig reviewed in Record Mirror 9 May 81. Gig played in front of 7,000 | ||
| Apr 30 | |
Cascais, Portugal |
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Lisbon? | |
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Velodromo de Anoeta, San Sebastian, Spain |
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Bordeaux, France | |
| Joe IDs this date and gig the following night in Lyon before the first track | ||
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Palais des Sports, Lyon, France |
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Palais de Beaulieu, Lausanne, Switzerland | |
| May 7 | |
Zurich [venue unknown] |
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Hippodrome de Pantin, Paris, France |
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Palais St. Sauveur, Lille, France |
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| In 1981 the gigs at Lille and Amsterdam were supported by the Belle Stars (they were travelling on the tour coach which we bummed a ride on!), I think they did most of those European dates. J Heath | ||
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Japp Edenhall, Amsterdam, Holland |
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| In 1981 the gigs at Lille and Amsterdam were supported by the Belle Stars (they were travelling on the tour coach which we bummed a ride on!), I think they did most of those European dates. J Heath | ||
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Forest National, Brussels. |
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| Support act included The Belle Stars and Vic Goddard & Subway Sect. Thx for info. Entry 300 BEF (£5.00) |
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Musikhalle, Hamburg, West Germany |
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Idrottshuset, Copenhagen, Denmark |
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The Scandinavium, Gothenburgh, Sweden |
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Isstadion, Stockholm, Sweden |
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Eissporthalle, (West) Berlin |
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Circus Krone, Munich, West Germany |
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Velodromo Vigorelli, Milan, Italy |
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| May 22 | |
San Remo |
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Stadio Comunale, Florence, Italy |
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| May | Rome - cancelled | |
| the proposed Rome concert never came together- problems with Bernie | ||
| The Bullring, Milan?? |
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| Usually Londonderry boot LP. Probably did not take place. | ||
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