Supporting the Who

updated 10 July 2008 - punters views

© Allan Tannenbaum

cdr - 1st gen - Sound 4 -
42min - tracks 12

boot tape alt source - Sound 3 - 46min -
bc/m - tracks 13

Tour T-Shirt

edited 1st gen

An edited cdr from a 1st gen source has a very good sound, better than the other source though it is missing Clampdown.

fuller lesser source

Another cdr is a tale of two halves, but with all 13 tracks and a little more intro. Probably from two sources, or the taper improved halfway through?

The first six tracks are very flat with some distortion and too little sound which swirls in the outside and is muddled.

Come track 7 though things change and sound picks up considerably following an edit between tracks. this sounds like the source for the 1st generation above.

The last 7 tracks have a much wider fuller in ye'r face sound. The crowd noise goes up as though the taper has moved to the front and the atmosphere really picks up. There is a touch of echo, but the lead comes across real clear. Quite a few traders have this one.

alternate 3rd source

A third recording, see inlay card below, has a good sound, but is a bit more tinny and seems to come from an audience boot tape source, possibly the source of the first 6 tracks on the source above. The sound drops off fractionally on the back half. It too is full and has Kosmos opening salvo "a little bit of whats happenning in London.."

unknown stadium - not philly

Love your website... I was at the Sept 82 show at JFK... Hooters went on in the morning, then Santana, then the Clash, and the Who went on around 3:45 or so in the afternoon. About 100,000 people in crammed in there, in the sun, all dying to see the Who "one last time" (it was the only Philly show on the Farewell Tour). The Hooters were local faves, but the sound for Santana sucked - the vocals would drop, then the guitar would drop, etc.

So when the Clash came on, everyone was hot, sunburned, and drunk... And started throwing lots of shit on stage and at the band. And their sound was terrible. JFK was not a good place for shows to begin with, but the band had their self-loathing "We've sold out vibe" frothing with their "We ARE the only band that matters" swagger, and it just really hit the crowd poorly.

It didn't help that they were the only thing between the crowd and the Who, either. So folks started booing. I don't know if it was a shorter set than usual, but other than "Rock the Casbah", no one was buying it. And of course the push toward the stage didn't help matters, either. It was gloriously fucked. I wish I'd been able to see them in a smaller venue, but that was my only Clash show.

Oh, and it was only $13.50. Also - Seattle "Kingdome", not "Kingdom"

The Clash - JFK Show Philly 1982

I was looking at your web site and you have pictures of the Clash by Ebet Roberts. The 3 pictures of the band riding in the car with the boombox are at JFK in Philly - They are not at Shea. I guarantee you that those pictures are from the JFK show. I know that brick background very well. That is 100% JFK Philly.

Ebet Roberts is a well known photograher from the Philly area and she was also a good friend of "The Hooters" and did many photo shoots of the Hooters and probably was there at the JFK show since The Hooters opened that show. The other six Ebet pictures I don't know if they are from the philly show. The Who played when it was light outside so the entire Clash show would have been played in the light so I don't think the last 3 are from Philly....

Also, that picture of The Big " Who " stage shot that you have there for the JFK 82 show is not from JFK. The background of that stage does not look right and I guarantee you that is not from the Philly Show. That White Press box over the top of the stands behind the stage was never at JFK. The press box was off to the right facing out from the stage

I was at that show and remember it very well. I have some old photos that are actually pretty good and I will dig them out and scan them and get them to you. I will try to get that done in the next 30 days if possible. I actually have photos of the stage setup from the day before the show that are really cool. I walked right into JFK the day before the show and took some really cool shots. That was back when you could do stuff like that and no one bothered you...

JFK is all gone now and was also the spot where the orig. Live Aid was at. It is now the spot where the 20,000 seat "Wachovia Center" is built and is where they do all kinds of concerts and sports events like Hockey and Basketball. Just thought you might like to know......

Sam

i saw them 24 years ago (around) october 1981 in vienna - was looking forward to this gig for months! and then - have a look at keith toppings book - it must have been one of their worst gigs ever. very disappointing. main reason was the bad pa (their own got stuck at customs), the one they used was absolutely powerless and that in a hall packed with 10 000! bad vibes in the audience. my then girlfriend collapsed due to the shoving and bad air, so during "safe european home" i had to sit on the floor beside her and care for her...

still that wasn't able to diminish my enthusiasm for them a bit. but of course it is a little bitter having seen your heroes at a low point.

One of my greatest thrills as a rock-and-roll fan was in 1982, at a stadium concert in Philadelphia, when the Clash (opening for the Who, in the first of what will no doubt be several dozen farewell tours) kicked off their avalanche of a set with "London Calling" and Strummer punched the air to the beat. This commercially marginal band had gotten over to the masses without compromise. Ninety thousand hot, thirsty fans joined Strummer in motion. I knew at the time that it was an empty gesture, and probably a manipulative one to boot. It didn't matter.

Jimmy Guterman,
The Best Rock 'n' Roll Records of All Time, 1992.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13	London Calling Rock the Casbah Guns of Brixton Police on My Back Career Opportunities Magnificent Seven Should I Stay or Should I Go White Man in Ham Palais Brand New Cadilac This is Radio Clash Somebody Got Murdered Clampdown ** I Fought the Law

Brand New Cadilac

Any further info / reviews
appreciated

Aug 9		Red Rock Amphitheatre, Morrison, Colorado, USA
		Hey, Love the site. I was lucky enough to see the Clash half a dozen times in 1981 and 1982--three nights at Bond's including opening night and the last matinee when we all got up on stage (my brother reminded me the other night of seeing me on stage singing "Jimmy Jazz" into Mick's mike and deciding he too had to rush the stage), Asbury Park in 1982, one of the nights with The Who @ Shea and a night in August 1982 at Red Rocks, a natural amphitheater in the Rocky Mountains outside of Bolder, Colorado. The Bond's shows were remarkable, but the Red Rocks show was great too. The band opened with "White Riot" Mick, Joe and Paul beginning with their backs to the audience and wheeling around at the mikes just in time to nail the opening vocals. Also, Allen Ginsburg came out to do his "Ghetto Defendant" rap (he was chairing a symposium at the Naropa Institute in Bolder on the 25th anniversary of the publication of On the Road which I was in town to attend). Amazing all around. Thanks for compiling this. Jason Chervokas
Aug 11		Civic Center, Saint Paul MN, USA
Aug 12		Aragon Ballroom, Chicago IL, USA
Aug 13		Aragon Ballroom, Chicago IL, USA
Aug 14		Civic Center, Grand Rapids MI, USA
Aug 16		Grand Theatre, Detroit MI, USA
Aug 17		Civic Theatre, Akron OH, USA
Aug 18		Stanley Theatre, Pittsburgh PA, USA
Aug 19		Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh PA, USA
Aug 21		Seattle Centre Arena (hoax)
		see poster - Subject: Seattle Center Arena, August 21, 1982 Hey there, Fantastic site. I just wanted to let you know that the Seattle '82 date (August 21) was a hoax perpetuated by me and two friends who selfishly hoped it might bring the Clash to town since they were skipping Seattle. We knew the US tour was on and we knew the Beat was opening, so we added local Seattle punks The Fartz and printed up the signs ourselves and put them up all over town late one night. The poster was reprinted in Art Chantry's book on Seattle poster art called Instant Litter. I'm sure the scan you have came from that. So there was never a show, never a Seattle date booked to cancel. Just three kids in nearby Tacoma who hoped to see their heroes. We finally did when they came to town to open for the Who later that year. Erik Flannigan
Aug 22		Boston Orpheum Theatre (cancelled)
		see poster
Aug 23		Boston Orpheum Theatre (cancelled)
Aug 24		Boston Orpheum Theatre (cancelled)
Aug 20		South Yarmouth, MA, Cape Cod Coliseum, Hyannis
		It was a general admission show and a lot crammed in. 007 were the support band.
Aug 21		South Yarmouth, MA, Cape Cod Coliseum, Hyannis
		There was definitely a day or two off after the 21st (Joe's 30th b-day party, Kosmo somehow talked the hotel into letting us at the closed bar, some yarn about important people from the record label being there. I remember Joe being behind the bar pouring drinks. In between the Clash gigs Elvis Costello played in the same venue. And The Baker somehow talked me into bringing my mom to the last night, the one and only. Pulsallama supported this night.
Aug 23		South Yarmouth, MA, Cape Cod Coliseum, Hyannis
		I was looking, recently, at the summer 1982 listings for Cape Cod Coliseum (Aug 20th, etal)... I attended all the shows. I was working a summer college job, and it was just about the end of the summer, as Labor Day was closing in fast. There were 3 Clash shows in all, but recollection is they only took one night off (shows were Friday, Saturday, Monday - 20th, 21st, 23rd). In between, Elvis Costello brought his Imperial Bedroom tour through.... I seem to recall being at the venue 4 straight nights - no breaks. I seem to recall, but may not be 100% sure on this, the opening act(s) on some of the nights were Gang Green and/or Jerry's Kids - both Boston hardcore bands at the time. 007 also supported one of the gigs, as your site mentions. I remember the shows being on fire! Loud, fast, and everyone was dancing! Elvis Costello did indeed play with the Attractions at South Yarmouth, MA, Cape Cod Coliseum on the 22nd. Link
Aug 26		Penn Rink, Philadelphia PA, USA
Aug 27		Penn Rink, Philadelphia PA, USA
Aug 28		Providence Civic Centre, Providence, USA
Aug 29		Agora Ballroom in Hartford (West Hartford), Connecticut
		I am sure that I saw them in late August at the Agora Ballroom in Hartford (West Hartford), Connecticut, but that doesn't show up on the 1982 tour dates.  At one time the venue was called Stage West.  They were in the area at that time (Hyannis, Providence and NYC are all close by).   Is it possible that this was a last-minute schedule change or something?  MTownsend(at)adcole.com I saw your website and just wanted to give you the date of the Clash show at the Agora Ballroom in West Hartford, CT. It was on Sunday August 29th, 1982. I think Black Uhuru was the opener. Admission was $10.50 and well worth it. I still have my ticket. Great website. Thanks, Tom
Aug 31		Pier 84, New York NY, USA
Sep 1		Pier 84, New York NY, USA
Sep 2		Pier 84, New York NY, USA
Sep 4		Verdun Auditorium, Montreal, Canada
Sep 5		CNE Grandstand at the old Exhibition (Grounds) Stadium, Toronto, Canada
Sep 7		Orpheum Theater, Boston MA, USA
Sep 8		Orpheum Theater, Boston MA, USA
Sep 25		JFK Stadium, Philadelphia PA, USA
		...supporting The Who
Sep 26		Rich Stadium, Buffalo NY, USA
		...supporting The Who
Sep 30		Pontiac Silverdome, Detroit, USA
		...supporting The Who
Oct 2		State University of New York (SUNY), Binghampton NY, USA
Oct 3		R.P.I. Fieldhouse, Troy NY, USA
Oct 4		University of Vermont in Burlington Vermont
		Opening band was a local act called Pinhead.  About 2,000 tickets sold.  I don't know if a boot exists, but would give my arm for one if it did.  (I was 15, and I was the first one in line - waited 9 and a half hours).
Oct 6		SMU, North Dartmouth MA, USA
Oct 9		“Saturday Night Live”
		NBC-TV appearance, New York NY, USA
Oct 12		Shea Stadium, New York
		...supporting The Who
Oct 13		Shea Stadium, New York
		...supporting The Who
Oct 15		William and Mary Hall, Williamsburg, Va.
		I was at the Oct 15th 1982 show at William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA.  My friends and I had driven there from the podunk towns of Concord and Kannapolis, NC.  In the pre-internet days it wasn't always easy to find out about bands going on tour unless it was some shit band like Boston.  I found out about this show by listening to a Sunday night alternative radio show that I could pick up even though the station was 100-plus miles from where I lived.  I told my friends about it and the following Friday we set out for Williamsburg.  I remember getting out of our car once we arrived and noticing how every car had a different Clash song playing on their respective tape decks.  I felt like I was on another planet.  The show had General Admission seating and we wanted to be down front, but where we were at things got pretty wild.  I remember some guy pulling out a knife right next to me.  I can't remember why now.  The Clash were great, of course.  I never thought I'd be getting the chance to see them and I was stoked that they were playing first album material too and not just the more recent "hits".  They were a turing point in my life and I was never the same because of them. www.Chris Peigler
Oct 16		Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh PA, USA
Oct 17		Memorial Gym, Kent State University OH, USA
Oct 18?		Louisville, Kentucky
Oct 19?		Folsum Field, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado
		Supporting the Who. Uncertain date. It is not the 17th which is Kent State. Possibly the 19th? According to the Who concert guide, The Who played Folsom field on Oct. 17.
Oct 20		Seattle Kingdom
		The Clash supported the Who at the Seattle Kingdom on the 21st of Oct 82. They played about 40 minutes. T-Bone Burnett came on before and was booed. Sadly I have misplaced the tape of this gig but the set was pretty standard.
Oct 22		Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento, USA
		Poster Ticket The Memorial Auditorium only seats about 3500 people. The Clash were getting ready to play with The Who at the two Oakland shows on the 23rd & 25th. They decided to play a solo show by themselves in Sacramento on the 22nd.
Oct 23		Colisseum Stadium, Oakland CA, USA
		...supporting The Who
Oct 25		Colisseum Arena, Oakland CA, USA
		The Clash DID NOT support The Who at the Oakland Coliseum ARENA (the smaller enclosed venue next to the larger Coliseum STADIUM used on Oct. 23 1982) on Oct. 25 1982. I attended both shows and have circulated my recordings of both. It may be my master recording of the Oct. 23 performance that you have heard and reviewed. I hope that helps to refine the info on your site. I'm absolutely certain. We were very disappointed the Clash only played at the larger outside show. Ned Hoey
Oct 29		Colisseum, Los Angeles CA, USA
		...supporting The Who
		31-10-82 Any recording labelled Ozone Park New Jersey is Bonds 9 June 81
Nov 27		Bob Marley Centre, Montego Bay, Kingston, Jamaica
		...Jamaican World Music Festival