Supported by Theatre of Hate, Plastic Files
last updated 7 March 2007
cdr1 - average - Sound 4 - time 15min - low gen. tape - tracks 23
cdr2 - average - Sound 4 - time 89min - low gen. tape - tracks 23
“Welcome to the 1981 Clash stand at the Apollo” shouts Joe to the Glasgow faithful as The Clash return again to play two nights at the (in)famous Glasgow Apollo. The accounts from people at the gig that follow testify to the quality of The Clash’s performance preserved by a decent audience recording (sadly incomplete)
Mike Paterson – Guitarist with Plastic Files
support to The Clash 7th October 1981
"..Our experience with The Clash seemed to be one that was mirrored with many other young bands wherever they played. When they had their “Clash stand at the Glasgow Apollo” in October 1981 we saw them from the audience on the first night and from the stage on the second.
As a bunch of cocky kids with a tin-pot band we thought we could just rock-up to the hotel bar after the gig and get a support slot after schmoozing with Joe over a few beers. Which is exactly what happened.
After managing to avoid ejection by hotel staff, myself and our chutzpah-filled singer Martin hid ourselves in the corner of the Albany Hotel bar until the Clash party arrived. They came straight to the bar and as Joe, stood next to me, ordered a round of drinks he turned to us and said “and what are you having?” Beer please, Joe.
We got to chatting. As I’ve subsequently found out, Joe was completely approachable giving you his full attention regardless of who you were or what he was doing. On this occasion he listened to our band story then turned to Kosmo Vinyl and set up our support slot for the next night in a thirty second meeting; “Can these guys play tomorrow?” “Yeah.” “This guy could play through Mick’s amp.” “Maybe. We’ll see you at the stage door at 5.00”
Of course nobody at the Apollo believed us. We were just four 18 year old kids with guitars standing in an alley-way. Eventually we got in, sound-checked and took our place in our room backstage. With a combination of youthful bravado and utter terror we sat waiting until we were called. Baker Glare kept coming in to use the phone (pre-mobile days).
Mick hadn’t turned up for their sound-check. Not unprecedented apparently. An hour and several increasingly frantic phone calls later, Baker stood in front of us contemplating possibilities. To fill the silence I picked up my guitar and with ridiculous affront offered to fill-in for Mick if he didn’t turn up. I know all the songs, see. Baker looked me up and down, looked at the Fender copy guitar and said “Nah. He’ll turn up.”
I'm sure the others in the band will add their impressions but for me the experience of playing the Apollo was like a flaming meteor; intense and over very quickly. We were standing around outside with our flight-cases and drum boxes for ages in the afternoon.
None of the Bouncers believed that we were support. No one had told them and we weren't on the itinerary. Eventually The Clash turned up and their road manager let us in. We watched them rehearse beforehand from one of the boxes but were told off for coming and going backstage too much. I remember that we had a derisory sound check (traditional for third bill support I think) then came on very early (about 7.15pm I believe).
My abiding memory is of confusion over turning on the Fender amp. I'd never played through one before so didn't realise that there was a standby as well as an on switch. A roadie spared me further embarrassment after a minute of catcalls and whistles from the incoming crowd by switching it on for me.
We roared into action and blasted through our short set with a combination of energy and terror. I was so scared I scarcely remember a thing other than that we didn't make any mistakes or hit any bum notes.
I have to say that even though we were energised with adrenaline by the experience The Clash that night were incendiary and at the peak of their powers.
I appreciate now Joe Strummer's comment in The Clash documentary about how the drummer is the driving force of a band as he has to hit the nail on the head of the beat every time rather than be an improvisor like guitar and voice.
Instead of barnstorming the joint they opened with a metronome dub beat from Topper that echoed through the hall and turned into a noir version of Broadway segueing into One More Time. It was a hair-on-the-back-of-the-neck moment. They were magnificent and tireless.
After the gig we joined the entourage in the Clash dressing room. Theatre of Hate were depressed at the crowd’s reaction to them. Pearl Harbour was drunk on vodka. Mick was buzzing and Joe was garrulous (I heard him use the “quintuple E.P” line several times when asked what they were doing after Sandinista).
When Johnny Green announced that the band would have to go downstairs to sign autographs for fans queuing up I had the gall to say something along the lines of disapproving of fawning (maybe I thought it was the punk rock thing to say. God knows. I was 18). Joe said, “phoning who?” in mock misunderstanding then gave me a very gentle lecture on the responsibilities of their position with a poignant Sid Vicious anecdote. That was me told.
A year later we played with The Clash again at the Magnum Centre in Irvine after having had our Apollo slot for the 1982 tour cancelled due to Joe Strummer doing a mysterious runner. Funnily enough, one of the many fans who were let into the dressing room after that gig saw us the previous year. "How come you never played 'Grovel' this time?" he asked us to our amazement..."
Digby Cleaver
Pat Gilbert’s book includes an amusing recollection of this gig by Digby Cleaver, Mick’s guitar tech. Mick had caught flu on the tour and was badly missing Ellen Foley. Mick had a silver bullet on a pendant chain that Ellen had given him. “The first night he danced to the front of the stage and off it flew off the high stage into the crowd. Beneath him is a sea of swirling Scotsmen and it was like bye, bye, that’s gone forever. He comes off stage and he’s furious. He starts a fight with Joe in the corridor, they’re coming back on for an encore, he doesn’t want to go, so they have to force him back onstage. Topper loved winding Mick up and is being really rude about his pendant so Mick’s standing on the drum riser, screaming “You don’t care! You don’t fucking care” right in Topper’s face. So Topper’s there with a big bag of drum sticks pulling them out one by one and throwing them at Mick’s head “Will you fuck off my riser!” That’s what they were like when they were annoyed at each other! Anyway the others go into Armagideon Time while Jones is going through this pantomimic act – on his hands and knees searching for his pendant. Then he gives up looking, joins in with the group, and they’re brilliant. Two fucking brilliant encores” In the end by a freak of chance pendant is returned from the audience.
Venue
From 1927 to 1985 the Glasgow Apollo was a landmark in Glasgow’s architecture and culture. It opened as Green’s Playhouse in 1927 and was built as a showpiece palace in the great era of live entertainment. It was a giant and elaborate building capable of seating up to 4,500 people. During these early days the cinema, ballroom, cafes and vestibules could cater for 10,000 people; incredible even by the standards of today’s multiplexes. It was renowned before the Apollo era as a unique experience, and the rock’n’roll years only added to its fame.
In 1973 after the curtain was finally brought down on the Green’s Playhouse and following a low budget “Changing Rooms” style makeover, The Glasgow Apollo was officially opened. The first ever gig at the Apollo was Johnny Cash. A few months later it was the Rolling Stones debut at the Apollo. The Clash first played the Apollo in October 1977, returning in July 1978 just days before the venue's owner, Mecca, announced plans to convert the auditorium into a bingo hall. Apparently the Clash were told that their show was to be the last at the Apollo.
The infamous Apollo bouncers were going to get revenge on the Glasgow crowd for making their life hell over the years. The Clash played in a very tense atmosphere and found themselves asking the crowd and the bouncers to stop fighting on numerous occasions. The mayhem in the Apollo was filmed for Rude Boy and Joe and Paul were arrested for being drunk and disorderly after the gig. Rude Boy features fans of The Clash blocking the streets outside the Apollo before the 1978 gig.
The website www.inthewilderness.com provides some great stories about the bouncers including one when the bouncers met their match in the form of an unexpectedly violent source - David Soul’s 13 year old teenybopper fans! Their screaming, hysterical crying, punching, kicking and spitting led to police eventually being deployed to keep them off the stage. The bouncers hid from the girls behind the thin blue line!
The Anti-Nowhere League had to do a runner after being annoyed at spitting tried to spit back on the audience but hitting the bouncers instead!Tears were shed for what looked like being the Apollo's swansong. But a big campaign by fans got underway immediately. Petitions were drawn up. Debates were carried on through council chambers and newspaper columns.
As a result Mecca had to change plan and 1978 became one of the best years in the Apollo's history. Tom Robinson and SLF reopened the Apollo on 29 September.
The building was in rapid decline in its last decade, the plaster, bricks and mortar rotted to dangerous degrees and was finally demolished in 1989.
Two tapes circulate but both are from the same audience recording, arguably the best of the non-London leg of the mini UK tour. The best and most widely circulating is from a bootleg tape (see cover) and is probably only one or two generations off the master. It is clear, though with some noise and hiss. The bass, guitars, drums particularly and vocals are equally mixed within a wide stereo sound. There is slight distance from the stage.
The best source appears to have intro music tacked on from another source. The intro music is different from any other Clash show in circulation featuring bass drums, sirens (but different), chopper like sound and organ. Following the edit into the start of Broadway the different dynamics of the two recordings are clear.
At the end of the best tape Armagideon tape cuts out but you can then hear the source tape rewound a few seconds and a section of the song repeated a couple of times.
The second tape has a poorer sound, flatter with less range and is mainly in the left channel. It has though Joe’s introduction to The Leader and the first part of the song missing on the best tape.
The best version of this gig (unless the master can be brought into circulation) therefore would be the best sounding tape excluding the bogus intro, adding The Leader missing section from the second tape and removing the tape rewind section from the end.
Both tapes end mid way through Armagideon Time (missing the rest of the encores sadly) these 1981 marathon 2 hour plus shows presumably beating the C90 taper.
The recording proper begins with chat near the taper then the baffling to the audience, opener of Broadway. Joe comes in early, repeating the first line but sings his lyrics with care and conviction. His vocals are clear but there is a degree of 1st or 2nd gen. loss of crispness.
The gig explodes into life with dramatic intro to One More Time. Joe works successfully to whip up both the band and the audience. Ignore the sound deficiencies and enjoy an excellent hard, tight and fierce performance, one of the highlights of the night.
“Welcome to the 1981 Clash stand at the Apollo OK this is something we wrote – [pause] – You’ll have to wait a long time for that! This is something we wrote called Should I Go or Should I Stay” A wild and again longer version than its album incarnation with some lyric changes. “Another new one here it’s called Know Your Rights, that’s right, all three of them” Lyric changes are fairly clear on this recording, “Number 1 you have the right not to be killed unless by a Policeman or an aristocrat, Number 2 you have the right to food, food, money provided of course you’re going to be investigated, Number 3 you have the right to free speech as long as its not the truth, and has nothing whatsoever to do with the truth, and furthermore has in anyway been connected with the truth” More effective musically and lyrically than previous performances, the song taking shape with each performance.
”And in the left hand corner” cheers as Paul steps to the mic to sing Guns of Brixton, the guitar swop is very quick now. There’s some intrusive chat near the taper but it’s a fine performance with plenty of variation in Mick’s accompaniment. “And in the right hand corner” is Joe’s cue to start a fine Train In Vain.
”OK so this morning you’re lying in bed and…wooah!” Topper’s already kicked into Magnificent Seven and a fired up Joe and Mick belt out the lyrics. Before the bridge Joe adlibs “Only one way to go from here, Guitarville, get onboard!” Very fine but unexceptional with no inspired adlibbing from Joe. A passionate White Man In Hammersmith Palais next with the audience singing along. The band stretch out over the ending improve with Joe instructing “keep that bass feeling now”
“At the back of me Topper Headon’s gonna sing it, right” - a fine if unexceptional Ivan Meets GI Joe. Mick has again changed the tone of his guitar sound on this leg of the tour but it is not an improvement; a too straight rock sound lacking punk attack. Cheers from the audience next as Mick plays the opening chords to Clash City Rockers. Joe belts out the lyrics and it’s as fierce a performance as in 77. Distortion on peak guitar levels is very evident. There’s a big cheer from the Apollo faithful at the end.
Koka Kola again drops down effectively mid song then blasts through to the end, but the guitar sound particularly here is shrill. The lower decibel songs have the best sound and Junco Partner next is very enjoyable with some great drumming and classic Strummer vocals. The song cuts off before the end on both tapes sadly; longest is on the best tape where you can hear the source tape being rewound and played a few times then cuts out.
The poorer tape restarts with Joe joking about the pre-Thatcher Tory leader “… Ted Heath, no kidding, so me and Ted had a drink last night and I sang him this one…in the key of F, fucker!” Joe’s annoyed with either Mick or the audience. The first part of The Leader is missing on the best 1st tape. Washington Bullets next features some fine improvised playing from the band especially over the extended ending. A pause then Topper beats out the crescendo intro to I Fought The Law; another crowd pleaser. Topper’s bass drum beats out the intro to Ghetto Defendant then Paul’s harmonica comes in. Hearing how the new songs are developing through touring is a main part of the enjoyment of this boot. Joe’s impassioned vocal performance is clear so the lyric changes are clear.
There’s another great variation on the crescendo intro to Somebody Got Murdered from Mick. A strong performance but the recording does not do it justice capturing only a thin lead guitar sound. Joe screams “murder” repeatedly over the ending. A strong London Calling is before Clampdown tonight. Mick screams “1-2, 1-2-3-4” as the band slam into Clampdown and again tonight he’s really into it, belting out his vocals. Joe adlibs “there must be someway outta here” a rare glimpse of Joe’s admiration for Dylan. As usual a live highlight, there’s terrific interplay between Topper and Mick and Joe rants on about Geiger counters and then just screams! Instead of ending the main set after an incendiary Clampdown why finish with another unreleased song, This Is Radio Clash? – maybe they’d forgotten its not released till the next month! Joe manages to get a reference to another of his musical heroes, Bo Diddley in an adlib.
After an edit the first encore begins with Topper’s bass drum then Mick’s long gentle intro to Charlie Don’t Surf. There’s no evidence of Digby Cleaver’s account of events on the recording, so maybe his recollection of the night is wrong; Mick’s singing and playing sounds very together on a very fine performance. A pause then Topper takes it into Police and Thieves with a great intro and Mick’s guitar reverb echoing around the cavernous Apollo. “Bass and drum” shouts Joe as the band go into an improvised section before Mick and Joe comes in but again there are no great Joe adlibs on this song unlike earlier years.
The song sequence is the same as Digby’s account with Armagideon Time next and Mick let’s out a piercing scream! Annoyingly with the sound quality at its best now the tape cuts out 1/3rd way into a fine performance. A great shame that neither tape includes the remaining encores which by the accounts were the highlights of the night.
Due to my relative youth (born 1969), I was not even a spotty teenager when my brother kindly allowed me to accompany him to this gig. He was by then a regular at Clash shows around Scotland. As it turned out, this was my only 'real' Clash live experience as Strummer did a runner to France the following year (two weeks before I was due to see them again in Edinburgh)! I did attend the Barrowlands gig in '84 but I have never managed to convince myself that this was the real Clash.
As for the Apollo gig in '81, I will always remember my excitement as the opening music built up to the grand entrance of the Four Horsemen (Theatre of Hate having already got me in the mood as an excellent support).
As the band took stage, my expectancy levels grew. What classic was I about to experience in front of my own eyes?! What powerful opener was to get my young legs jumping up and down?! 'Complete Control'? 'Safe European Home'? '1977' maybe? 'London Calling'? No. 'Broadway'. My brother and I exchanged glances as a great aura of anti-climax swept over the largely male audience. The Clash performed 'Broadway' in relative darkness and unbeliavably I found my mind wandering. I began to take in the atmosphere as Joe's tones mingled with the smell of leather and sweat, fags and lager. But wait a minute. what's this? Topper's drums began to explode and suddenly the lights burst like a giant camera flash. I felt the heat of the lights on my face as larger bodies swept me to the front of the stage without my feet touching the ground. If pogoing hade never been invented, it would have been at this moment as ther was no other possible way to dance. The Clash belted their way through 'One More Time' as if it was a track written for the first album. I remember thinking; if this is what a 'Sandinista' song does for us, I can't wait for 'White Riot'!
The rest of the gig became a bit of a blur but I was certain at the time, and still am to this day that it is the best experience of live music I would ever have.
Some highlights I do remember is 'White Man' for simply watching Joe's passion as he sung it. 'The Magnificent Seven' truly was magnificent as 3000 people shouted "You Lot.. What" in unison with The Clash and blinding front of stage lights. A curious memory is Joe responding to my brother's shout of "All three of them" as he introduced 'Know Your Rights'. Maybe other people shouted "All three of them" but I'm sure I only heard my brother (Joe responds with "Yeah, that's right, all three of them").
The Clash in 1981 were my favourite band and still are. I have had flirtings with other bands through the 80's and 90's (ironically, Spear of Destiny and The Cult especially. Two bands borne from the ashes of Theatre of Hate). However, I always come back to The Clash.
Whoever wrote the 'Punter's View' for the Clash Glasgow Apollo gig on the 7 October 1981 got it totally spot on! I was in the circle or balcony for that one with my cousin. We'd come down from Aberdeen to see it during my Fresher's Week at Aberdeen University. The Theatre of Hate who supported were a late announcement, and had dragged a lot of the hard-core punks in to a Clash gig despite accusations at the time from the hard-core community that the Clash had sold out.
The 'Punter's' thoughts and reactions brought back vivid memories of my first and only Clash gig. When he mentions the cancelled Edinburgh gig, I remember that I had tickets for the Aberdeen gig that was cancelled when Strummer did the runner to Paris so I feel his pain! My cousin went to the gig during the 'Combat Rock' tour at Inverness Ice Rink (of all places!) with my brother.
This is a great site, fantastic memories of a well-spent youth.
Nice One Neil
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Broadway |
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Any further info / reviews
appreciated
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'Clash TV Special' Austrian TV | |
| "Ohne Maulkorb" the only show for youngsters on Austrian state TV - Vienna, Austria The clash tv special from Ohne Maulkorb was filemd at the Clash gig in vienna on October 3rd 1981 and not in may. It was broadcasted on the 10th of october on austrian television. I was at this gig and it was great! Erhard |
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Apollo, Manchester |
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Apollo, Manchester |
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Apollo, Glasgow, Scotland |
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Apollo, Glasgow, Scotland |
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Bridlington Spa, Royal Hall | |
| this is a definate date from ticket stub. Theatre of Hate were support | ||
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Lyceum, Sheffield |
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| likely date though it may be October 9, though this may have been the North East somewhere? | ||
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Royal Court, Liverpool |
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Colisseum, Saint Austell |
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Lyceum Ballroom, London |
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Lyceum Ballroom, London |
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Lyceum Ballroom, London |
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Lyceum Ballroom, London |
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Lyceum Ballroom, London |
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Lyceum Ballroom, London |
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Lyceum Ballroom, London |
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