Bonds Residency
Three weeks & 17 gigs that shook up New York and America.
last updated 19 Feb 02
cdr -distant clear - aud. master - Sound 4 - time 111min - d-mast - tracks 28
video - Bonds TV News Reports – short live clips and interviews from Channel 4 & 7 (on Clash on TV Vol.1)
audio - Radio & TV Reports – a collection of news pieces reporting on the ticket crises at it happenned - 25 mins
There is a view amongst some Clash fans that the band were not at their best during the Bonds residency but a listen to the evidence of this performance surely would dispel that view. On the night of the 1st June (their 4th Bonds show) The Clash hit top form delivering certainly one of their best performances at Bond’s and one to rival the best of the European tour. A very enthusiastic audience clearly helped, the band rewarding them with a rare 3rd encore.
The master audience recording in circulation captures the whole 28-song concert. Amazingly the same taper apparently recorded all 17 Bonds shows, providing the only complete record of any of The Clash’s tours or residencies.
The audience recordings therefore are all of similar sound quality as they were recorded on the same equipment but there are some variations presumably dependent on where the taper was standing on each night.
Tonight’s is one of the best of the audience recordings capturing considerable detail and clarity. The deficiencies of the tape equipment and the position of the taper however, result in a lack of range and depth. Vocals and instrumentation (bass is better defined although still low in the mix) come through well but all suffer from distance; a lack of “in your face” immediacy.
The Venue
See 28th May review
The recording begins as Topper counts in London Calling. The sound is a little flatter at the start but soon improves. Joe is pumped up and Mick is on top form too tonight, his solo clear in the mix. Following a “Good evening, welcome” from Joe, Safe European Home thunders in, followed by The Leader.
Joe says “Thank you and good evening. We may have gone through a few problems to get here, now we are here, Mr Jones…” and then Mick plays the intro to Somebody Got Murdered, the first exceptional performance tonight. The band play with real passion and power, the recording capturing enough of the detail in the instrumentation to make it a very enjoyable listen.
Joe says “How many people here tonight 1725, you make [points at the audience] 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 shussssh!” Mick then screams “1-2 a 1-2-3-4” and the band slam into an excellent White Man In Hammersmith Palais with Joe adlibbing over Mick’s solo “what you ask so shall you see” and also over the ending but his words are not clear. The Boston Rock article dates this stage announcement to the 31st May concert but other reviews suggest this is probably from the 1st June.
Time next for Joe and Paul to swop guitars for Guns Of Brixton, another fine performance. “OK got something new here to try out on you This is Radio Clash” is followed by The Call Up a good if not great performance of this underrated live Clash classic. “Alright lets have some control” is the cue for Topper to beat out the bass drum intro to Complete Control, played ‘straight’ tonight without the now usual building crescendo intro as per the FHTE recording. A fine Junco Partner follows with some adlibs from Joe. “Let the lightning strike” shouts Joe and Mick’s playing on Lightning Strikes is inventive and very effective, Joe’s really up for it tonight, adlibbing over the improvised extended ending.
The second CD restarts straight into Ivan Meets GI Joe. Next Mick plays a chopper sound on his guitar as a very fine Charlie Don’t Surf begins. Topper beats out a rhythm and Mick plays some great melodic lines over the top as Paul’s bass line plays the melody. There is no adlibbed intro from Joe, but when Mick cuts loose with a solo Joe responds with an adlibbed verse. Joe introduces Bankrobber intriguingly with “Here’s a song that we wrote in the black flag roach motel”. Joe is enjoying himself, the band in top form.
“Well I say you and I say twice, don’t you ever stop” as the band crash into a The Magnificent Seven, a shorter version than some of the earlier Bonds 7 minute plus versions but just as intense; Joe rages over the sonic assault whipped up by the band. Mick and the band improvise around the now usual extended intro to Wrong Em Boyo, This recording is very enjoyable because the performance is so good and there is enough detail and clarity in the audience recording to make it so.
Mick talks to the audience during an extended Train In Vain. The audience tonight are very lively and appreciative. Joe says, “Thank you – I think we need the encouragement”. Mick then screams out “1-2-3-4” and band now on fire and burn through an intense Career Opportunities. It is just as intense as any 1977 performance; Topper’s drumming terrific always tonight is really tremendous here. The main set as always now ends with a super-tight and effective Clampdown with Mick’s playing a delight.
The first encore begins after an almost unnoticeable edit with One More Time.
A hard as nails performance featuring Mick’s effects and some great drumming mid-song from Topper. There is no evidence here of his supposedly then worsening drug problems. It’s straight in to Brand New Cadillac, which tears along before the pace, and mood changes with Washington Bullets. Joe shouts “El Salvador” repeatedly as Mick improvises around the melody drowning out largely the now regular mid-song announcements of the representative of the Democratic Revolutionary Front of El Salvador. Energy levels peak again on a passionate Janie Jones. The first encore would normally end here but tonight the band revisit Street Parade, Joe enjoying himself but having not played the song for a while the performance is a bit rusty; Joe wanting to play it straight but Mick wanting to stretch out and improvise.
An edit restarts with the second encore and a strong performance of Armagideon Time with a lengthy instrumental break before Joe comes back in. Jimmy Jazz returns for its first Bonds show, there’s little adlibbing from Joe but Mick’s plays with a different guitar sound to the 1980 shows. The encore ends in classic style with an intense London’s Burning or rather New York’s Burning with Joe ranting and screaming over the ending.
Due to a combination of a very enthusiastic audience and the band clearly enjoying themselves, The Clash return to play a rare third encore of Police and Thieves. Its played straight and true, full of energy and passion with little improvisation. Mick shares the vocals, “drum and bass” screams Joe as Mick eventually stops playing and the music drops to drum and bass. There’s plenty of great extended guitar playing from Mick but no adlibbed rant from Joe.
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London Calling |
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Any further info / reviews
appreciated
2. Newspaper & Magazine Articles
Band Arrives at JFK
3 newspaper photos
Private Super8mm film footage of the rucus outside Bonds
30 April New York Post
On the Town
New York Calling The Clash
..tickets go on sale tomorrow...
2 May - New York Post
10,000 Clash fans queue for tickets for only US appearance
6 mounted police and 12 squad cars to control the crowd
NME - Win a week in New York with The Clash!
Early May - New York Post
Bonds Sold Out - Christgua
Blister Fanzine
A weeks at Bonds (main piece)
Cover Only
BMC desperately wants the inside pages!!
NYC Advert for Magnificent 7 & Bonds dates
24 May - New York News
Passport Impasses Crimps Clash's style
5 British Groups left at Heathrow
Clint Roswell
New York Times 24 May
scan or text
26 May - New York Daily News
Clash Promise 'Something Special'
Clint Roswell
29 May - New York News
For Bonds Disco it was double capacity or nothing. Police and Fire Dept shut down Bonds. Vincent Lee
30 May - New York News?
city and Disco Clash, and Clash cools it
Disco forced to close - extra dates
Larry Sutton
30 May New York Post?
City calls a truce in Clash wars and the band plays on. Building Dept Inspectors have lifted a vacate order...
31 - May New York Times?
scan or text
Stephen Holden
31 May - New York Times Gig review
The Clash rocks with raw energy
Ira Mayer
New York Times June 3, 1981
Clash Melee Points Up Danger of Overselling
by Robert Palmer
Bondage at Bonds (full text version)
Creem - Sept 81
Clash face unrully mobs - Bondage at Bonds
Michael Barnard
First page only
Under Fire in New York - NME
Clash forced to lplay 16 date season after ticket fiasco - When the Clash landed at Kenney Airport last Tuesday, it was nore than clear that America wanted the band... Mick Farren
How The Clash Fed The Wonderbread Generation, Made The Mountain Come to Mohammed - And Other Miracles
Mick Farren, NME, 20 June 1981
The winner of NME's Flatter The Clash competition checks out the ramifications when an English band's world is at Bonds. KOSMO VINYL shoots both fists heavenward, for all the world like a man who had just scored for West Ham at Wembley. "I got the news on every channel! I got the news on every channel!....
Boston Rock Summer 81 No 19
1.. 2.. 3.. 4..
Face NO 16 August 1981
1.. 2..
MOJO Clash Special No79
pages 1.. 2.. 3..
Fanzine piece by: J Blocher
can some1 transcribe this it is very poor
Clash Contre Mafia - French Mag
1.. 2.. 3.. 4..
translation required
Anne Toone from The Bloods remembers opening for the Clash
The Clash on Broadway Part 1
Chris Salewicz, Mojo, August 1994
IF THERE WAS ONE PIVOTAL EVENT IN THE HISTORY OF THE Clash's assault on the USA it was the season of 17 shows they played at Bond's, a tacky former disco on Broadway and Times Square, New York, New York in May and June 1981.
The Clash on Broadway Part 2
Chris Salewicz, Mojo, August 1994
Joe Strummer talks to Chris Salewicz. When was the first time you toured America? I think it was in 1978. We went to finish off Give 'Em Enough Rope in San Francisco. So it would have been to tour that.
Best Magazine [French]
6 page review with photos form Bonds
...page1&2 ...page3&4 ... page5&6
3. Posters, video, photos
The Clash @ Bonds NYC 1981
joe streno's blog
Photos, comments
Posters and Radio / TV Commentary
Radio interview with Mick/Kosmo backstage after the opening night
Bonds Photos 1
1.. 2.. 3.. 4.. 5.. 6..
Bonds Photos 2
1.. 2.. 3.. 4.. 5.. 6.. 7..
Clash & Slits at Bonds 1981 photos
{ joe streno } seattle wa
www.go2jo.com
Radio Commentary on ticket fiasco - 20mins
NBC TV on ticket fiasco 3mins video
CBS Live tapes
Quote, "Eventually, via Jeff Jones at Legacy in New York, I contacted Bruce Dickinson who'd worked at CBS in the 1970s and 80s and was a fan of the band. He knew of a company in the States who specialised in archiving live radio tapes. They had two nights of the Clash at Bonds on Broadway and two nights in Boston."
Bonds Photos
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...play on music: “6 Seconds To Watch” by Ennio Morricone, from For A Few Dollars More...Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five are among the opening acts...after the first gig of the original seven-show run, the NYC fire marshall orders the club closed for safety reasons; eventually, the shows are rescheduled to accomodate all ticket-holders... A strike in Britain had left 5 British bands in the UK and only 3 managed to make it with the Clash. Only the Slits, Funkapolitan and The Equators, who were slated for the matinee shows, made it. Left behind were the remains of Selector, The B-People , The Bell Stars, Aswad and most of all Theatre of Hate whom Mick had produced their debut album. There were two opening acts each night: one British or Jamaican and one American. Hopefully the correct artists are listed by the correct dates. Support Acts included Grandmaster Flash and the Treacherous Three, The Sirens, The Sugerhill Gang, Funkapolitan, Lee Perry, Texan bard Joe Ely, and a forgotten horn-section-and-skinny-tie band called the Nitecaps. And, plucked fresh off the stage of CBGB's, Miller Miller Miller & Sloane and a KRAUT who had formed 3 weeks earlier with only 3 demo songs and who never played live. Plus bands that showed The Clash’s continuing identification and admiration for punk; The Dead Kennedys, Bad Brains, The Fall, The Slits, and The Bloods (not to mention The Brattles!). ESG a womans funk band from New York. The Rockets and the Equators were scheduled for the first matinee show which got cancelled.
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Bonds Times Square, New York |
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| Support The Sirens and Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
Thanks to Laura for the following info on the Sirens... From: "Laura DJ" <dejesuslauraann-at-gmail.com> i noticed you have the sirens on the tour date list from 81 as playing with treacherous three, that's not true, I was one of the Sirens, the guitarist, and we played after Grand Master Flash, and before the Clash. It was my idea to support the Clash. My manager charlie martin who built the sound system at CB's and Bonds was getting directions from the owners/managers who were in jail (studio 54 fame) and i had read an article in the nme or soho news or one of the music papers of the day and joe strummer said in the article they like all girl bands opening up for their shows. So i ran over to charlie showed him the article and suggested he get on the phone and reach out to his contacts and get the clash. The rest is history. He did it and we opened their first show at bonds. Grand Master Flash opened for us! |
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Bonds Times Square, New York | |
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May 30 |
Bonds Times Square, New York | |
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Matinee show cancelled by NYC Building Dept - Riots |
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May 30 |
Bonds Times Square, New York | |
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Evening show cancelled by NYC Building Dept |
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Bonds Times Square, New York | |
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Bonds Times Square, New York | |
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Bonds Times Square, New York | |
| Bad Brains and the Slits opened | ||
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Bonds Times Square, New York | |
| The Treacherous Three |
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Bonds Times Square, New York | |
| The Bloods opened the show f/b The Bush Tetras. |
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Bonds Times Square, New York | |
| Four female singers singing accapella and Lee Perry opened | ||
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Bonds Times Square, New York | |
| (afternoon) I was at the June 6th matinee show in 1981 in Bond's. The Dead Kennedys did NOT perform then. It was the Hi-School band The Brattles who opened the matinee show, followed by Funkopolitin. The "We love you clash" that is heard mid-show is caused by a mic that fell into the audience. Joe just watched kind of amused while these guys in the first rows yelled into the mic. After a while, the roadies got it back and set it up again. | ||
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Bonds Times Square, New York | |
| (evening) The Dead Kennedys? | ||
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Bonds Times Square, New York | |
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Bonds Times Square, New York | |
| The Fall were the support act. This is the pro-recorded concert. | ||
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Bonds Times Square, New York | |
| Allen Ginsberg makes an appearance | ||
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Bonds Times Square, New York | |
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Bonds Times Square, New York | |
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Bonds Times Square, New York | |
| (afternoon) Hi-School band The Brattles opened the matinee show, plus The Rock-cats? who they had a slap bass and played Stray Cats-type music. | ||
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Bonds Times Square, New York | |
| (evening) The Dead Kennedys | ||
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