Out of Control Tour
The Clash go Back to Basics - European Tour
THE CLASH
Manchester
JOE STRUMMERs ridiculous Mohican razor job is the first clue. The Godfathers Of Punk are back and spitting fire, just like the old days they're- even doing White Riot'! "Ow many of yah are registered to vote?" barks Joe halfway through, before kicking the chocs on a newly penned ditty about the state of the nation. Politics? Leave it out, John!
The Clash are hard-nosed rock and roll -that flat. The truest they spoke is `I Fought The Law', which the pogoing masses can relate to without (presumably) really understanding what it means For the Clash, every song's an anthem, but when you've said that - `I fought the Law/And the law won -you've really summed it up. So no bother chat me politricks this time round OK?
You all know Mick Jones was heaved-ho last year - the new boys look well chuffed to be slinging Les Pauls from the, hip with punk's last remaining outlaws, and do the job with as much aplomb and gusto as you could wish for. Vince White is the rhythm, while lead Keefchording is handled by young Nick Shepherd, a Clash contemporary from years back when he looked mean with Bristol's Cortinas (remember `Fascist Dictator'? Let's hope not).
Shortly after that, Nick grew himself a Ron Wood barnet and took up Marlboros which transformation is now complete as he joins the only Rolling Stones with a vacant position. He loves it-and so do the punters; second generation punks ( "All right punk?") who heard most of the show's set from big brother's Clash collection, well-covered tonight.
As an old established band, the Clash can assemble a mother of a set, and all your faves are in there: `London Calling', `Bored With the USA' (Laugh? I nearly shat!), `Guns Of Brixton', `Clampdown', `Hammersmith Palais'. `Complete Control', `Police And Thieves', `Rock The Casbah' (bit hoarse there, Joe!). Plus a load of new ones whose titles weren't announced - although one was called `Sex Gang War' and another `This Is England', replete with appropriate street-riot footage on a bank of TV monitors flickerinq hiqh above their heads.
The lights were ace as well. They were very loud, very tight, very enthusiastically really, really tough C'mon, you know the Clash already! When they hit `Garage Band', I barfed again (which garage is that then? New York or LA?) but I'm only being snidy, not to say silly. If you think the Clash have sold out, you don't have a clue what they were about in the first place. As Marshall Chess said to Mr Watts after the first night of the Stones' `72 tour: "Gawdammit, Charlie, rock `n roll is on the road again!"
STEVE GAEL
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London Calling |
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Any further info / reviews
appreciated
| SFX, Dublin, Ireland cancelled | ||
| SFX, Dublin, Ireland cancelled | ||
| Ulster Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland cancelled | ||
| Ulster Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland cancelled | ||
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Barrowlands, Glasgow, Scotland | |
| Vince White describes this gig extensively in his Clash biog, The Last Days of the Clash, page 86 | ||
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Apollo, Manchester | |
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De Montfort Hall, Leicester | |
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Colston Hall, Bristol | |
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Drammenshallen, Drammen Norway | |
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Johanneshov Isstadium, Stockholm, Sweden | |
| Vince White describes this gig extensively in his Clash biog, The Last Days of the Clash, page 89. This is where Vince first knocks up Bernie's girlfriend! | ||
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Philipshalle, Dusseldorf, West Germany | |
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Deinze Belgium | |
| Zenith, Paris, France | ||
| this gig never took place. the band were scheduled to play Espace Ballad on the 23rd Feb. but this had to be re-sheduled to March 1st as a national lorry drivers strike blocked the trucks carrying the gear at Calais. Tickets stubs however stiff carry the 23rd date for a price of 80F which would have been about £6 at the time. | ||
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Festhalle, Bern, Switzerland | |
| Vince White describes this gig in his Clash biog, The Last Days of the Clash, page 95 | ||
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Palasport, Milan, Italy | |
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Palasport, Milan, Italy | |
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Espace Ballard, Paris, France | |
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Playhouse, Edinburgh, Scotland | |
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King Georges, Blackburn | |
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Royal Court, Liverpool | |
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Guildhall, Portsmouth | |
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Academy, Brixton, London | |
| Vince White describes these gigs in his Clash biog, The Last Days of the Clash, page 95 | ||
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Academy, Brixton, London | |
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Academy, Brixton, London | |
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Ulster Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland | |
| Supported by the Defects. Vince White describes these gigs in his Clash biog, The Last Days of the Clash, page 98 | ||
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SFX, Dublin, Ireland | |
| Vince White describes these gigs in his Clash biog, The Last Days of the Clash, page 99 | ||
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SFX, Dublin, Ireland | |
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Academy, Brixton, London | |
| Vince White describes these gigs in his Clash biog, The Last Days of the Clash, page 101 | ||
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Academy, Brixton, London | |
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