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 119.51min - d-mast - tracks 30
The Clash’s marathon run of 17 concerts at Bond’s finally concluded with this appropriately marathon concert of 30 songs. Despite this being the second show of the day The Clash found the energy and commitment to deliver their longest Bond’s show with two long encores ending with an intense White Riot. This is one of the best Bond’s shows to seek out for the variety of the songs played and the quality of the performance.
With master recordings circulating from incredibly all 17 shows it is possible to make your own informed judgement on the quality of the now legendary Bond’s residency by The Clash. Bond’s was The Clash in consistently powerful, effective and professional form. Their ability to produce such vital and involved performances night after night on the same stage is remarkable.
However using Joe Strummer’s own criteria, none of the Bonds shows quite hit the incendiary peaks of their truly greatest performances. As Joe put it “.. There were those nights when it burns, when you cease to be anybody at all, you are just part of something, your hands take over, you don’t know what you’re doing or saying, it BURNS” [MTV 91]. Thanks to the circulating recordings you can decide yourself whether any of the Bond’s shows “burned” but surely it would be hard not to conclude that The Clash’s performances at Bond’s were indeed a remarkable event in the history of rock’n’roll and do substantiate their now legendary status.
Venue
See 28th May review for details
From audience DAT master.
The only recording in circulation is again from the very remarkable taper who recorded almost all of the Bonds residency; an amazing feat and one deserving of our utmost appreciation! His original master tape was transferred to DAT like the others and this one is clearer than most. Bass is almost buried but then this taper’s equipment was not able to capture bass sounds with any real clarity anyway.
The downside as always is distance; that lack of in your face quality that makes for the most enjoyable recordings.
Unfortunately from Pressure Drop onwards the sound quality dips becoming shriller and thinner.
This very clear recording, starts with the end of the ‘60 Seconds to What’ intro, swiftly followed by Topper’s counting in, a “Good evening” from Joe, and The Clash launch into their final Bonds performance with a fine London Calling. Joe sounds pumped up, enunciating each word in classic Strummer style. Safe European Home demonstrates again how their ‘tour muscles’ were now well and truly developed, they are super tight, powerful and professional. “Welcome to the sweat pit!” shouts Joe before The Leader acknowledging the enthusiasm of the fans in front of the stage!
The as always very enthusiastic Bond’s audience roar their approval for Mick’s Train In Vain. “OK You got enough room to move? This is one of New York’s classiest joints, so we don’t want any of this scum shrimp stuff!” says Joe before a fine White Man In Hammersmith Palais.
Radio Clash shows few of the improvised sections of the earlier Bond’s shows; the band focussed on the job and finishing the residency in style.
On an excellent Corner Soul Topper’s drumming is a delight, there is precious little evidence at Bond’s (to these ears) of his drumming suffering from his now well-established and serious heroin habit. There is the now usual extended build up intro to a powerful Guns of Brixton. The consistently excellent performances in this first third of the concert continue with a strong The Call Up, which also features a lengthy intro. Bankrobber is a typically at Bond’s highly enjoyable performance with little variations played each night. “Hold still, Hold still!” shouts Joe during a great instrumental break, Topper again in top form.
Before Complete Control Joe makes a cryptic comment (suggesting their weariness) of “Take out the papers and the trash” which comes from Leiber and Stoller’s Yakety Yak; “Take out the papers and the trash, Or you don't get no spendin' cash If you don't scrub that kitchen floor ,You ain't gonna rock and roll no more”
Mick plays the opening added intro slowly but then lets Topper’s bass drum take over, but Mick’s guitar sounds too distant to be really effective. Joe sounds tired the band forcing themselves through this last hurdle. There is an edit at the end.
“Baseballs strike!” shouts Joe before Lightning Strikes, he sounds fired up for this one and Mick plays some great guitar. Joe adlibs “New York, out of sight, Broadway, roach motel, crazy days” An edit or tape drop out loses a few seconds mid song which gets an extended improvised treatment. There is then a lengthy pause before Topper sings Ivan Meets GI Joe which unusually features some adlibs from Joe (sadly unclear).
“Saigon. General MacArthur” says Joe as Mick gently picks out the intro to Charlie Don’t Surf enjoyably improvising around the melody as the song builds. Not one of the best Bond’s performances of this song though. At the end of the song Mick’s Apocalypse Now sound effects are still continuing and in a typical bit of Strummer wit he jokes “And that’s just the hot dog stall!” A young woman then comes on stage to which Joe responds, “It’s Topper’s Mum! Can we have a microphone here?”
Then in something out of a Springsteen show the female voice asks, “Can I kiss you?” “Yeah” responds Joe quietly, and the audience applaud. It’s straight back to business though as Joe shouts “Don’t you ever stop…” and the band launch into Magnificent Seven with Mick screaming “You lot” as if his life depended on it! “Fuckin’ long in’ it” says Joe near the end but not as long as some of the earlier at Bond’s 8 minute versions!
Joe is in fine vocal form on Broadway, then before a fine if unexceptional Somebody Got Murdered something in the audience provokes him to shout “Its shit, beer, shit”. Joe’s intro to Police and Thieves is “Junior Murvin, Lee Perry, young gifted and black” Mick’s playing is particularly enjoyable, delivering a strong solo and Joe adlibs “54-46 was my number right now someone else has that number” referring to the Toots & The Maytals classic.
Clampdown is ferocious and super tight, as the band conjure up an aural nuclear melt down Joe adlibs “they put your whole body in a matchbox, (on it it says) where you were born, what’s your age, where do you go.” Topper’s thunderous drumming and Joes screams bring an excellent performance and the main set to an end.
After an edit the band come back on stage for an exceptionally long first encore.
Bob Gruen plays his bugle fanfare, and Joe says, “Who’s the bloke who wants this guitar? Hasn’t worked yet then, never mind that” then Mick screams “1-2-3-4” and Career Opportunities kicks off the powerful encores, the band fired up and enjoying themselves. There are plenty of changes to the usual encores with
Street Parade next, heavy with Mick’s lead guitar and battery of effects. A very strong One More Time follows with an edit at the end, which loses nothing. “Pressure on , pr..ess…ure” shouts Joe as the band go into a fine Pressure Drop. Unfortunately from here on in the sound dips becoming shriller and a little more distant.
On Washington Bullets, which features some great guitar playing from Mick, our old friend from El Salvador returns. The representative from the Democratic Revolutionary Front of El Salvador had not been heard for several nights and had taken a lot of stick from parts of the Bond’ audiences, however neither The Clash or he had obviously been swayed by it. He makes a similar speech to earlier nights “fighting to stay alive.. Reagan sends million of dollars to kill my people”.
After a lengthy pause; presumably the band deciding what next to play on this extended encore, they perform an intense, guitar heavy Armagideon Time. Back to 77 for a charge through a fierce Janie Jones and an intense New York’s Burning.
Joe says “Goodnight” but New York wants more and after an edit the band return for a second encore. Junco Partner (not played since the 3rd) has a long intro as all the band return to the stage and Mick’s effects are an increasingly present feature in the band’s sound, even on this song.
After a temporary pause the band crank it right back up for an intense Brand New Cadillac followed immediately by a fitting finale to the historic Bond’s residency of an intense White Riot; an exhausted but no doubt elated band adding a further chorus.
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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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