Bonds Residency
Supported by the Fall
Three weeks & 17 gigs that shook up New York and America.
last updated 22 May 2006
last updated 7 July 2008 - added WNEW FM Broadcast
Straight to Hell CD etc - FM source – Sound 5 - time 100 min – master? – tracks 24
FM Broadcast CD1 – FM source (unknown radio) diff. Mix – Sound 4 – time 72 min – tracks 18
This FM Broadcast appears as Trick or Treat (mine is speeded up). Min eis also clipped around Track 14 onwards
FM Broadcast CD2 – FM source (unknown radio) diff. Mix – Sound 5 – time 72 min – tracks 18
This FM Broadcast starts off with annoucer saying "you need to get ready for this concert because we are going to Rock the Casbah"
FM Broadcast CD3 – FM source diff. Mix (WNEW) – Sound 5 – time 72 min – tracks 18
First words are "Clash in Concert" contains several more radio segs - different FM broadcast to above. ID as WNEW.
Audience cdr - clear - - aud. master - Sound 4 - time 97min - d-mast - tracks 24
From Here To Eternity - 4 tracks,
Clash On Broadway 1 track
1. Essential Clash DVD
cut down version of CoB from Westway but with unseeen angles and clips. Includes an edited London Calling [audio is unmixed pro recording from 9th].
2. Westway to the World BONUS footage DVD
Includes nearly full tracks of - London Calling [Trick of Treat audio] - Guns of Brixton [dubbed partly] Safe European Home [dubbed with studio single] - Charlie Don't Surf [original sound but from mixing desk] - Radio Clash [original sound but from mixing desk]. Also includes a mash up of a lot of footage from New York and outside Bonds such as the riot.
3. video - press conference, backstage, 16 Tons play on, London Calling nearly full [probably the same length as Westway? but the sound plays on to a montage of NYC/Clash pictures]. The sound is remixed from [Trick or Treat bootleg] radio broadcast from the 9th June as Westway. 5.38min
4. MTV Rockumentary is same as Westway/Clash on TV/Essential DVD but with only very edited clips of the press conference and London Calling. Nothing new except a couple of comments form Mick and Paul.
Great as The Clash were in the studio it was on stage that they were truly phenomenal; their incendiary live shows have been etched permanently on the memories of those lucky enough to have witnessed them. It is a great regret therefore that so few of their concerts were recorded professionally (especially in 76-79) and those that were as Joe often said did not capture them at their best.
We can be very grateful therefore that excellent hifi stereo professional recordings were made of the complete 9th June Bonds concert and in various often mis-dated forms these are the most widely circulating of all Clash bootlegs. Four tracks from this concert appear on From Here To Eternity and live video footage from this night appears in what remains of Clash On Broadway.
The Bonds residency is often cited as the peak of The Clash’s performing career and there is plenty of evidence here to back up those who hold this view. The Clash were such a remarkable live phenomenon that even though the 9th June concert was not one of the best performances of the 17 with Joe sounding at times tired and hoarse, these recordings are never less than hugely exciting and enjoyable.
The strains of playing night after night at Bonds were starting to appear on the 8th and Joe actually voices this during an adlib in One More Time. Strummer though would not settle for second best least of all from himself and this recording is fascinating as it captures Joe wrestling with himself to overcome his clearly pissed off state, something he actually voices in an adlib during the Magnificent Seven.
Mick’s performance though is excellent (unlike his ‘stoned’ contribution the night before) as is Paul’s and Topper’s and the truly excellent sound quality compensates for any drop in intensity on some of these performances and this remains one of the most enjoyable and essential of Clash bootlegs.
Of the 24 songs played 11 were from Sandinista and this is the best sound quality source to hear the often radically different live arrangements of these songs.
Venue
See 28th May review for details
There were at least three audio recordings made of this concert; the CBS/EPIC mobile studio recording, the FM radiobroadcast recording and the audience recording. It is surely inconceivable that CBS/Epic would have allowed their recording to be broadcast on FM radio. In addition Don Letts filmed the concert, and it appears in what’s left of his film ‘Clash on Broadway’.
FM radio recording
This gig was broadcast on FM radio on several occasions including one time on Halloween, hence the title and mis-dating of the Trick or Treat CD.
The complete unedited concert presumably from the unedited FM (backdoor) source, circulates under several titles including 'Bondage at Bonds’, 'Straight to Hell' and ‘Chaos In New York’.
The sound quality is identical on all three, the only differences are the merging of Ivan Meets G.I. Joe with Lightning Strikes and ‘Bondage at Bonds’ has an edit in One More Time, which loses a large chunk of the song. ‘Chaos in New York’ has as a final track Willy Williams' Armagideon Time.
Sound quality is excellent hifi stereo quality as good as any professional live recording. However, as it is probably the unedited FM source it has not though been fully mixed; Mick’s backing vocals are buried away and barely audible with lead vocals very high in the mix.
As this CD has such stunning sound quality there have been some discussions about whether it is sourced from the CBS/Epic mobile studio recording. Thanks to TeddyB for shedding some light on this:
They didn't do a full remix or remaster of any shows in preparation for FHTE. Tapes were struck of whatever multi-track shows were available (nothing that all of you don't know about) and the group made a (not so) short list of possibilities and rough mixes were made of those. There were Bonds tapes from two nights (including a killer Bankrobber from the other night, not the one broadcast). Neither rough mix from Bonds sounded like this, so my guess is it's probably a clean source of the radio broadcast.
The edited down to one CD versions known as ‘Trick or Treat’ and ‘Bonds 1981’ have a different mix and were broadcast in this form on FM radio; Trick or Treat has a few radio announcer voice overs. Trick or Treat somewhat annoyingly has Capital Radio (from the NYC Palladium 21st September 79 FM broadcast) tacked on the end.
is it maybe worth a note to say that although the bonds 1981 cdr is the best copy of the fm mix, it has a cut in cadillac and a skip/screw up at the very end of washington bullets, so it maybe worth seeking out "trick or treat".
The terrific sound mix here could have been done by Mick! His backing vocals are brought up clearly as are his now battery of effects and his guitar now dominates the sound. Joe’s (and his lead vocals) suffer a little as a result and are a touch too far back in the mix. Although the complete unedited version has the more refined sound, this edited version mix captures the real excitement of the live Clash experience much better. With the gaps between songs cut out to get more songs on one CD each song slams into the next. This is a hugely enjoyable CD and absolutely essential.
Watch out for quite severe sound distortion, like repeated loud clicking’s on a few tracks centred around Somebody Got Murdered on some copies. This seems to be worse of a problem on some CD players and on others barely noticeable.
As to which version is the best is probably a matter of personal taste. It’s great they both exist; each has different strengths and weaknesses. Both are highly enjoyable; lead vocals are really “in your face” and crystal clear on the unedited version and the unedited mix is thrillingly explosive and powerful but loses some of the complexities and detail in the sound.
A number of these professionally produced bootlegs have excellent artwork, liner notes and printing.
Bondage at Bonds is not to be confused by the new LP of the same name, which may be from the 29th?)
Pier Pressure CD
Pier Pressure boot CD only includes the first ten from the gig and is obviously mastered from a similar source but has a flatter, marginally distorted sound.
This CD is from two incomplete gigs and some previously unreleased/never heard material. The first ten are live from Bonds. The next 5 tracks are all unheard songs including the now released One Emotion. Followed by Magnificent 7 from the Tom Snyder show.
The Bonds stuff has been released also on the incomplete Trick or Treat or better still on the complete and superb Straight to Hell, which has the best sound of any Clash boot.
Of the unreleased tracks You cant Judge a Woman and Mona are from 1979 and One Emotion and Oh Baby Oh are from the 1978 Rope Outtakes. The Beautiful People and Kill Time are ugly is on Combat Rock Outtakes from 81. Of the Rope stuff, better quality sound can be found elsewhere.
Finally the Tokyo concert for the last 4 tracks. It’s a nice CD if for nothing other than the unreleased stuff. The sounds vary, Tokyo great, Demos OK, NYC good.
Full Audience Source from DAT master
The full audience source confirms the date of these releases and has a clear sound but suffers from the usual distance problems of the Bonds audience recordings. This source has some of the Morricone intro music at the start and there is tape turnover following Complete Control.
As the complete FM source is unedited this inferior audience source is largely redundant.
From Here to Eternity
From Here To Eternity includes Train in Vain, Guns of Brixton and Complete Control from this concert, it misdates it as the 13th. The Clash on Broadway Box Set includes Lightning Strikes with the correct date. We now know CBS/Epic recorded both the 9th and the 8th Matinee shows, which explains some of the confusion. The performance of Bankrobber on FHTE II is the only recording circulating from the 8th June CBS recording.
The FHTE tracks unsurprisingly have the very best sound of all, having been professionally mixed and mastered.
Video recordings
The remaining film from Don Letts ill-fated Clash on Broadway project is included as an extra on the Westway To The World DVD. Thanks to an elongated “aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh” from Joe as he moves across the stage with mic stand during Radio Clash (17 minutes into the film) this footage can be correctly dated as the 9th June as this particular Strummerism was not repeated on any other of the 17 shows!
The excellent live footage includes excerpts from London Calling, Safe European Home, Guns of Brixton, Charlie Don’t Surf and Radio Clash. Unfortunately the sound quality is poor mono; it is little better than the audience recording from this night and the Give Em Enough Rope studio recording is dubbed onto the live footage of Safe European Home.
Why was the CBS mobile live recording from the concert not used? Presumably at the time Don and the compilers of the DVD were confused about the date of the footage or there was confusion resulting from the fact that CBS recorded two of the Bonds shows, a fact that was clearly not appreciated when the FHTE tracks were misdated. Does anyone know?
By the time the Essential DVD was being compiled this confusion seems to have been resolved and the remaining film of London Calling now has a superb stereo hifi soundtrack. What a shame this synching of the film to the CBS mobile live recording could not have been done to the other live footage from the night.
The Essential DVD does use to brilliant effect the Clash on Broadway footage together with the CBS live recording of the Morricone intro and TV news clips to capture the excitement of the Bonds shows, the band preparing in the dressing room, going down the stairs to the stage and then a dramatic pause just before they explode into London Calling.
What a fantastic legacy the Clash On Broadway film could have been; terrific live footage coupled with a superb quality pro-hifi soundtrack. If only that rent had been paid on that storage unit, if only Topper’s sacking had not resulted in him blocking its release, if only, if only! What little does remain though of course only adds to the growing myth and legend of The Clash.
The audience recording has part of the Morricone intro but there are no greetings from Joe before the pro-recordings start with Mick’s guitar ‘feedback’ hanging in the air and then the band blast into an excellent London Calling. Joe’s vocals are high in the mix on the complete pro source but his voice sounds hoarse and tired, it’s not as intense as classic Strummer. Mick had been worried how his voice would hold up but Joe was of course a remarkable performer and though tired and clearly not in the best of moods, he battles with himself throughout this concert to try to deliver his best.
The sound quality is terrific, Joe’s guitar is in the left channel and Mick’s in the right and the mix on the edited source in particular really captures the excitement of The Clash live, its more chaotic, more explosive.
Safe European Home is terrific too, intense and powerful. Paul’s bass lines propel the song along and Mick’s guitar dominates the sound, as it surely should. “Yeah OK, this is The Leader” and Mick’s intro to the first of the 11 Sandinista songs in the set is crystal clear. Indeed this relatively slight song musically is lifted here by the level of detail and clarity in the hifi-sound and is very enjoyable indeed.
The excellent performance of Train In Vain is next and its no surprise that it was chosen for FHTE. As usual by now it drops down near the end to just drum and bass and then builds back up impressively with some great playing from Mick who ends the song with a shouted “All aboard!”
White Man in Hammersmith Palais is sadly not on the edited version so Mick’s backing vocals are largely lost. It is a fine performance though and Joe’s vocals are really in your face and crystal clear. There’s no great inspired adlibs at the end of the song like some nights but he does go into “got the rock steady covered in England going… “ and then he plays the rhythm on his guitar by way of illustration. This Is Radio Clash is superb and is probably the best source for the live arrangement of this song; it’s certainly the best sounding. Joe’s guitar drives the rock/funk rhythm, with Mick playing some great lead guitar and Paul and Topper’s rhythm section are really tight and together.
Corner Soul is the best sounding source for this song live but it’s not the best performance; although it’s still very enjoyable. It’s not quite classic Strummer and is a shorter performance than previously. The excellent performance of Guns of Brixton heard on FHTE is next. Mick’s playing is excellent here, and Paul plays his limited (but very effective here) guitar chops and Joe’s bass maintains the rhythm (Paul and Mick always swapped guitars for this song). It is not an extended unlike most previous Bonds shows and Mick’s “backwards” guitar builds to the fine ending.
There is still little communication with the audience reflecting Joe’s mood. “Yeah, we got a new toy behind the kit here” is Joe’s less than enthusiastic comment on Mick’s effects boxes. Then Topper’s repeated drum pattern and Mick’s effects herald the start of The Call Up. Mick says “This is for Mr Tibbs on Cable TV Channel D at 9’oclock tonight”. Joe fumbles over some of the lyrics but it’s terrific to hear this underrated song in its live arrangement in such great sound quality. Although a more than adequate performance it does not match say the Milan 81 and other more inspired performances.
The performance of Bankrobber from the June 13th matinee show was short-listed for FHTE (hence its inclusion on FHTE II outtakes tape) but this one is terrific too; the band playing night after night at Bonds are supertight and together. Joe sounds more into it here but the hoarseness in his voice is apparent. Mick plays some terrific guitar licks and Topper’s drumming is a delight.
“We’d like to go back to the vaults and dig something out” is Joe’s intro to the superb Complete Control heard in fully mixed form on FHTE. Mick’s great teased out intro begins the terrific new revised live arrangement they had been playing to great effect at Bonds. A highlight of the Bonds shows the band are really enjoying playing their classic song again after a break. Joe works hard to fire himself letting out a great primal woaaaaah! It’s Mick’s showcase though ably assisted by Topper’s powerhouse drumming.
Lightning Strikes is longer than the 13th June matinee performance included on the Clash on Broadway box set. Joe is still fired up and delivers a great vocal; an excellent performance. Invariably the weakest point of the Bonds gigs Ivan Meets GI Joe, is next but the performance is very good tonight and the excellence of the sound make this the best source to hear Topper’s only lead vocal on a Clash song.
The chopper like guitar sound, some terrific ‘feedback’ and some great atmospheric effects conjures up the Vietnam that had so captured the band’s interest and imagination. “You’re listening to Radio Saigon,” announces Joe as Mick picks out the melody then Paul and Topper come in with Joe’s rhythm. It’s one of the best performances of Charlie Don’t Surf and is surely more powerful than the studio version. Typical of the Bonds performances though the band are incredibly tight but not quite at their supercharged very best.
Always a live highlight Magnificent Seven thunders in after a long feed back note then Joe repeats alone “Don’t you ever stop, long enough to get that car outta that gear..” Mick adds some great vocals, trading lines with Joe and is heard clearly on the edited Trick or Treat etc. Joe adlibs; “What have we got today, baseball on channel 7” and “Looking for some magnificence on the Broadway” Despite clearly not being in the best of moods Joe’s pushing himself to deliver and comes out mid song with “Yes, one last time, for the man who’s enjoying himself so much [sarcastic] is here, yes filled with this new burst of spirit here I come… “ Joe then barks out the lyrics with intensity and Topper builds to the great bridge with Joe’ s rhythm guitar banging Strummer like away in the left channel! Mick screams “What have we got…fuck all!” and Joe roars wholly appropriately “Magnificence” repeatedly. It is not as extended as some earlier nights and there have been even better performances but it’s still hugely entertaining and powerful.
A marked change of pace next as Mick picks out some delicate guitar at the start of Broadway. Joe gets some lyrics jumbled and his voice shows signs of strain but its still fantastic to hear in this quality and this is the only recording where you can hear the live arrangement of this song in pro-sound hifi quality. Midsong the delicate playing changes as Joe sings, “driving one of those cars” and his guitar clatters in noisily in the left channel.
Joe shouts “Somebody” and Mick soon obliges with a terrific lead intro to Somebody Got Murdered before Joe’s guitar scratches in (this time to great effect), the power and the intensity amplified by the hifi sound. So much more powerful and intense than on Sandinista this is one of the best performances of the song and Mick’s plays some great-improvised guitar over the extended ending. Superb.
“Junior Murvin” shouts Joe as Mick tunes up,“Yeah this is Police and Thieves” Mick is on top form tonight and his guitar playing is a particular delight here. Joe’s vocals are right in your face, crystal clear and intense and committed. He adlibs “Police & Thieves on Times Square ...and Lexington Avenue, coming out of the precinct loaded down and Russ Meyer is going for a hot dog!” Again not the greatest performance, there’s no classic Strummer rant and the ending of the song could be better but it’s still hugely enjoyable.
Then it’s straight into the usual barnstorming main set closer, Clampdown and in hifi stereo it sounds appropriately like aural apocalypse in hifi stereo exploding out of the speakers! It drops down mid song to drum and bass and then builds and builds magnificently with Toppers drumming a delight and Mick firing off great shards of terrific guitar! Joe adlibs in classic Strummer style “….now with colour television, a little bit of baseball and I’m going back to Europe so I’ll see you later but it won’t be no greater, yeah there’ll be some shit arse group up here, churning out the bullshit, nobody gets anywhere, nobody gets anywhere!” and as the song ends a defiant “Working really hard now, nobody’s gonna stop us”
The band leave the stage and the unedited source has the audience clap and whistle for more and then return for just one encore, which they had been doing on recent nights. An excellent One More Time begins with Topper’s drum intro on the hi hat and bass drum then Paul’s bass note comes in and Mick’s thundering power chord crashes in magnificently. Again this is the best sound quality source (if not the best performance) to hear the wonderful way this song was played live.
In a lengthy rant Joe has a moan about Bonds and his band mates and then returns to the subject matter of the song! “So we stand at Bonds night after fuckin’ night, one more time in the ? it’s just the end of sigh, One More time at Bonds, One More Time with the blues, One More Time with a pissed up band, One More Time with the blues, out right outright dynamite brandy bottles, out right outright dynamite vodka too. If you go down the Bowery take a few quarter bits there’s loads of people laying around the streets that are just about falling to bits!”.
Then it’s straight into Brand New Cadillac and although Mick’s guitar work on this had been better on other nights its still thrillingly fast rock’n’roll. “Street Parade” calls Joe and Topper quickly obliges and the band kick into this rarely performed song, which had only had one previous outing at Bonds. It’s a great performance tight and together unlike some of the earlier somewhat ramshackle performances of it on the European tour. It is certainly the best sounding source for the live arrangement and one of the best performances too. Topper then takes it straight into Janie Jones with Mick’s now usual teased out intro. Its an intense blast of 77 and Joe’s fired up and over the ending he seems concerned about one member of the audience’s reaction “watch your head, alright then have it your own way, I don’t mind but I do really, the point is I do!”
Joe then shouts an instruction of “Topper …Washington Bullets” which proves to be anti-climactic end to the concert. It’s a good performance although Mick’s guitar playing over the ending sounds lazy and ineffective. Joe again fumbles some of the lyrics and then Joe heralds the return of the guy from the Democratic Revolutionary Front of El Salvador with a mid song “El Salvador…Senor!” As the band play on the guy shouts “Sandinistas yeah, El Salvador yeah, Sandinistas, no bullets from Washington are going to stop El Salvador..Reagan’s gonna send you to El Salvador but you’re not going to let them!” Then Joe comes back in on the final verse, and the song ends.
There is lots of cheering but the band have left the stage, the PA starts up, the cheers turn to boos then both the unedited hifi source and the audience recording cut off. The concert thus uniquely fizzles out without the final intense punk classic like Bored With The USA or London’s Burning that always ended the other Bonds shows with an explosive finale.
Songs in italics are not on the edited CD’s Trick or Treat etc
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London Calling bold indicates on video |
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Pier Pressure CD |
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London Calling Mona (1979) Magnificent 7 Washington Bullets |
Safe European Home [Radio Clash CD]
Chris Knowles
The Essential Clash Bootleg Bible
includes this gig
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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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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.... from the 28th May write up
Video /Clash on Broadway/TV News Reports
TV cameras from 2 channels covered the concert for the news channels on the opening night and good quality video dubs circulate on Clash On TV Vol.1. Channel News 4 has live clips of Armagideon Time, Bankrobber and I’m So Bored With The USA.
Seperately there is footage that includes the press conference and nearly all of London Calling uncut with the band in the dressing room, running up the stairs and on stage, though this may be a mix of the opening press conference and Don Letts footage from the 9th June.
Clash on TV [also booted identically as TV Calling]Clash on TV begins with a classic Joe interview clip - “Everywhere, everything is no good, everybody’s walking around going this is no good, everything is gone wrong” cuts to a live clip of Brand New Cadillac, then back to Joe “So there’s no time to stand around with some nice pair of velvet trousers on going on about what you’re gonna do to your women tonight!” Paul is also interviewed about their support of political issues.
Channel 7 live has short clips of London Calling and Magnificent Seven, and includes an interview clip with Kosmo. It also shows missiles being thrown at Grandmaster Flash.
These reports though broadcast on the 29th have live footage definitely from the 28th May, “last night” as it states on screen and then goes onto say “If you want to see them tonight you must have ticketron tickets” and talks about the situation prior to the City Building Department closing Bonds indefinitely on the Saturday 30th morning which resulted in the mini-riot when the matinee crowd were turned away.
Footage form the 9th
[aka Don Letts CoB footage]
The CoB Trailer found on Essential Clash, Clash on Broadway and most of Don Letts footage seems to be from the 9th. London Calling sound is dubbed from the 9th June master using the master [as opposed to remixed broadcast version] where Micks vocals are out of the mix almost. Essential Clash contain no other tracks.
Clash on Broadway [Westway DVD Bonus] The Clash on Broadway found on Westway DVD extras is certainly the best. It contains London Calling, which seems to be dubbed again from the 9th but from the radio broadcast version with Micks vocals in the mix? Most of London Calling features.
Interspersed with Dons New York footage CoB then includes most of Guns of Brixton which is part dubbed. Quite of lot of Safe European Home which is dubbed with the original studio version. Only when we get to nearly full versions of Charlie Don't Surf and Radio Clash is the original sound.
There is footage of the press conference and nearly all of London Calling but this circulates seperately.
This starts with press conference, backstage, 16 Tons play on, London Calling nearly full [probably the same length as Westway? but the sound plays on to a montage of NYC/Clash pictures]. The sound is remixed from [Trick or Treat bootleg] radio broadcast from the 9th June as Westway.
MTV Rockumentary is same as Westway/Clash on TV/Essential DVD but with only very edited clips of the press conference and London Calling. Nothing new except a couple of comments form Mick and Paul.
Photos taken from the 9th further corroborate the date of the TV footage classic rock concert photos. Paul’s in a turquoise vest and black leathers, Mick in white trousers and red shirt and Joe in all red.
Clash on Broadway never released
The press conference was held on the 27th in Bonds foyer and shots from it including Mick’s “sell out” explanation are shown in Clash On Broadway on the Westway To The World and Essential Clash DVD’s. Sadly Topper’s sacking appears to be the reason this film was never released; in May 82 it was reported in the press that the film was almost complete and would shortly be released. But shortly after he was sacked, Topper took out an injunction preventing the release of the film and it went into storage and was later destroyed. What is left of the film though does capture the excitement, the chaos and the cultural changes of the Bonds residency very well.
