Bonds Residency
Supported by Lee Perry and four female singers singing acapella
last updated 12 Oct 05
cdr - slight distortion - aud. master - Sound 4 - time 105.55min - d-mast - tracks 25
June 5th 1981 was a significant date for The Clash. The media coverage of the closing of Bonds and the “riots in Times Square” helped secure The Clash their second network US television appearance on NTV’s Tomorrow Show with Tom Snyder. They made the most of the opportunity to play live, performing excellent albeit shortened for TV versions of Magnificent Seven and Radio Clash. The band played Magnificent Seven in front of the huge Clash backdrop that is seen on Don Letts footage draped over the top of the Bonds building. During Radio Clash, Futura 2000 is seen spraying graffiti on the usual Bonds stage backdrop of corrugated grey ‘fence panels’.
The complete Clash appearance circulates on Clash On TV Vol.1 in very good quality (apart from some ghosting) from a TV rebroadcast. For many years Clash fans had made do with very poor quality video copies of this important Clash footage.
As well as delivering musically The Clash turned Tom Snyder’s banal questioning into some effective communication. Joe demonstrates again his interview skills whilst Mick’s efforts fail to cross the UK/US cultural and language divide. When Mick talks of “sticky wickets” Joe jumps in and translates into “dead end situation” Joe turns talk of his squatting background in London into the experience of private landlords and rip-off rents that people in New York and other US cities could relate to.
Bob Gruen took his famous photos of Joe, Mick and Paul on the roof of the RCA Building where the band were appearing on the Tomorrow Show. Bob would appear later that day this time on the Bonds stage playing his bugle before the 1st encore. For The Clash on the 5th June 1981 they must have felt literally and metaphorically on top of the world.
The Venue
See the 28th May Bonds review
From audience DAT master.
The circulating recording comes again from the audience DAT master and is again very similar to all the other Bonds audience recordings; same taper, same equipment. However this one is a little better with a somewhat improved bass and clarity.
Its distance problems as always with these Bonds recordings that detract from their enjoyment. The quality of the performance again though makes this recording well worth having.
Following Lightning Strikes Joe says " I am sure some of you here are Americans, (something) like to be English in New York". Full words on disc two on this one.
Broadway makes an appearance and Somebody Got Murdered is swapped with Train In Vain in the set list. One More Time at the start of the encores is preceded by a trumpeteer mentioned before the Call Up.
Unusually the set list tonight is the same as the night before; it’s another powerful and committed performance with some memorable highlights. The recording starts with Joe saying "OK, Good Evening and Welcome" and then he comes in too early on London Calling messing up the opening lines. He soon recovers though and the band storm through Safe European Home, the power and the passion coming through, the recording capturing the twin guitar attack well.
A pause before The Leader as Joe says “Just watching, this here’s Sesame Street, got some videos of Sesame Street over here”. There’s lots of cheering then through the PA a noise that sounds either like a microphone held to the Bonds TV set or Mick’s attempt at replicating the Sesame Street music! “Who wants to watch TV?” jokes Joe. In Train In Vain there is again an instrumental break added after Mick’s “spoke to me” line.
"One moment I remember clearly: a crew member put a small TV onstage so Mick Jones could watch the band perform on the Letterman [Tom Snyder] show, pretaped earlier in the day. Joe Strummer was obviously annoyed at this, finally kicking the TV in."
An impassioned White Man In Hammersmith Palais next with Joe clearly again in fine form tonight, his adlibs at the end of the song are unclear. Radio Clash is fine but unexceptional and is followed by Corner Soul with Joe repeating (by way of explanation of the song) over Topper’s heavy drum intro “violence and fighting”. A fine Guns of Brixton is followed by a powerful The Call Up, with Joe beginning the song with "Where's the trumpets, Where's the trumpets...this next song is only of concern if you’re over 14!”
There is an edit before Bankrobber where Topper’s fine drumming is again well demonstrated. There is a further edit at the end of the song, which restarts into Complete Control, tonight without Mick’s teased out intro. A fine impassioned performance the song again sounding reinvigorated at Bonds. Another edit restarts with Lightning Strikes; the band improvising but are tight and together with Joe adlibbing and Mick in good form tonight adding some great heavy guitar licks.
The second CDR begins with Joe asking “What? …I’m sure some of you here are Americans, that song was what its like to be English in New York but now…” and Ivan Meets GI Joe kicks in. Joe’s intro to Charlie Don’t Surf, which features some fine inventive and expansive guitar playing from Mick, is a caustic “Those of you who want crew cuts..stand in the toilet”
Magnificent Seven is again not as extended as the earlier Bonds 8 minute improvised versions but is tight, focussed and very effective. A change of pace next with Broadway but the energy levels are brought back up for the end of the main set with an extended intro Somebody Got Murdered and then Police & Thieves, again replacing Career opportunities in the set. It’s a ‘straight’ performance with some strong playing from Mick and the band are clearly enjoying playing it again; it sounds fresh and reinvigorated, a regular in the set again. An edit at the end restarts abruptly into the beginning of Clampdown; a very strong if unexceptional performance, powered by Topper’s drumming and Mick’s lead guitar.
The first encore begins with an introduction by Joe to the photographer and their friend, Bob Gruen;“This man has been attending the Manhattan clubs of music(?) for 6 years and would like to play something he’s learnt!”. Bob manages to play a simple trumpet refrain and immediately then Topper comes in, then Paul’s bass and then Mick’s crashing guitar chords and the band deliver an intense One More Time; the band in top form with Mick sharing vocals with Joe.
It’s straight into Brand New Cadillac next with Mick’s great guitar playing dominating the sound. An edit before Washington Bullets with again Mick’s great playing dominating the sound but Topper keeps it all together. “El Salvador” shouts Joe before the by now usual mid song speech “I come from El Salvador where the people are fighting to stay alive…the bullets from Washington are killing the people of El Salvador”, the band seem impatient and bring the song to an abrupt end but as the band go straight into Janie Jones, the man continues shouting over the intro which breaks down shortly with him still shouting! The band restart the song delivering an impassioned performance with the band leaving the stage to a rare “thank you and goodnight” from Topper.
An edit begins the second encore and although its short on songs its high in quality beginning with a fine Armagideon Time which has a lengthy intro before Joe comes in with “A lot of people dead in El Salvador, a lot of people dying in El Salvador, cos the battle is getting harder…” Joe continues with El Salvador adlibs, “There’s no justice tonight” shouts a passionate Joe. Then immediately Joe screams “New York’s Burning” and the band tear through London’s Burning with Joe ranting adlibs over the ending in classic Strummer style.
I was lucky enough to see the Clash play twice--a great show at NYC's Palladium and one of their famous shows at Bonds. The latter show was a little lackluster, finally catching fire around halfway in kicked off by a rousing version of Complete Control as I recall.
One moment I remember clearly: a crew member put a small TV onstage so Mick Jones could watch the band perform on the Letterman [Tom Snyder] show, pretaped earlier in the day. Joe Strummer was obviously annoyed at this, finally kicking the TV in.
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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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