Supporting the Suburban Studs
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(Photo: Courtesy Martin Booth)
Source: 5 Go Mad @ Roundhouse CD
Sound 3.5 – 32min - cd/m - Tracks 13
What's My Name
5 Go Mad at the Round house also includes
13 tracks from 5 September 1976 The Roundhouse, London
The unfortunate Mr Gray (off Last Gang infamy) writes that ironically, this made for one of the clearest vocal mixes they had ever experienced. Unfortunately the vocals on this recording are not that clear and somewhat distant and thin.
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The guitars come across brightly though. It's a good stereo miked audience recording (presumably by the same taper as the Roundhouse) and very close to the master. Drums and cymbals are very clear with bass there but somewhat buried. Both guitars are clear but the sound is thin and harsh making this a less enjoyable listen than the Roundhouse. It has a sound quality between a 3 and a 4.
Visit these websites for a comprehensive catalogue of unofficially released CD's and Vinyl (forever changing) or If Music Could Talk for all audio recordings
Discogs 
Punky Gibbon Jeff Dove Ace Bootlegs
For all recordings go to If Music Could Talk / Sound of Sinners
This is the second gig on the 5 Go Mad At The Roundhouse CD, and although the sound is not as good as the Roundhouse gig, it is still a rare decent early live recording from the new line up. This Clash performance here is some six gigs on since Keith Levene left after the Roundhouse gig, and where Mick took over lead guitar and Joe rhythm.
The Clash had agreed to come up to Birmingham to support bandwagon no hopers The Suburban Studs. John Ingham in a review in Sounds thought their 45-minute set to be their best yet noting "that every song is pared to the minimum required to get it across with maximum energy and zero flab". The 30 people in attendance did not go amiss as Joe remarked upon the next visit to Barbarellas on the White Riot Tour, dedicating at gig to the few soles who where here on this night.
Although no doubt an exaggeration this would have been a small audience which the recording confirms, yet the band is met with warm applause at the end and returns for an encore. Again there were sound problems with a PA malfunction resulting in the vocals being routed through the club system, with the band's own amps required to project the sound of the guitars.
From Wikipedia: Barbarella's was a nightclub and music venue located in Birmingham, England. The name of the club was taken from the film Barbarella. The club opened in 1972 and closed in August 1979.
This club was one of Eddie Fewtrell's clubs.[1] Fewtrell promoted known rock bands at that time, such as AC/DC, Dire Straits, Queen, Sex Pistols and The Clash.
Duran Duran's drummer Roger Taylor played at Barbarella's with punk bands in the 1970s.
The Clash have developed significantly since The Roundhouse, the songs are faster, shorter and now definitely punk as Ingham pointed out. Out of the set goes Mick's 'I Know What To Think About You', 'I Never Did It', 'Mark Me Absent' and 'Sitting At My Party'. 'How Can I Understand the Flies' and 'Deadly Serious (Dig a Hole)' survive but are further stripped down. In comes White Riot and Career Opportunities with 1-2 Crush On You reduced to the encore and subjected to a piss take by Joe of the teen angst lyrics.
The recording captures the band mid point between the early fast, r'n'b Clash, largely singing Mick's songs about teenage love and school, and the Clash that was to come. A new set of songs with a new direction. Lyrics by Joe inspired by Bernie's situationist politics, and a general instruction to write about as Bernie put it "what you know and affects you".
1. White Riot
The gig begins with Joe saying, "Hello got anymore light, can't see my hero!" and Mick shouting "1.2.3.4" before launching into White Riot. This is the first decent recording of it but it's not that fast and raw yet with a poor solo from Mick. A good song but not yet a classic. There are some different lyrics, sadly indecipherable although Joe does namecheck Birmingham.
Warm but polite applause and someone shouts, "where's the pistols" (who had played Barbarella's recently).
2. London's Burning
This song is nearly the finished article with the drum crash ending now added. It's sung as Birmingham's Burning and it's with boredom now.
3. I'm So Bored with the USA
"A tune called I'm So Bored With the USA", and as if to reinforce the point that this song has undergone a highly significant change and is not now about boredom with a girl Joe shouts America after the first chords. The rest of the words though still sound the same as the Roundhouse version, so a song literally in a state of transition! As well as the lyric changes the song is now faster, rawer, and punk. Joe is obviously surprised at the enthusiastic reaction to at least some of the crowd and asks at the start of the song to some of the audience "you don't really live in Birmingham?, straight up!"
4. How Can I Understand the Flies
Stripped down and further Ramones inspired.
5. Protex Blue
"Talking about a durex!". Sounds brilliant, the finished article.
6. Deadly Serious (Dig a Hole)
"its so Deadly Serious (Dig a Hole), rock'n'roll". Still a slight song soon to be dropped, but with a better ending, punk treatment and great guitar lick mid-song.
7. Deny
Now rawer and faster, with Joe now shouting a rap over the ending coda.
8. Career Opportunities
First recording of this future classic in circulation. Not brilliant yet, a song in transition and with many different lyrics to the later recorded version.
9. 48 Hours
Joe's intro; "now its my turn to give you a guitar solo in the key of E major!" A good version nearing its final form.
10. What's My Name
Joe "In case you're wondering whether, you don't quite know what to do with yourself, maybe join the Police cadets, go on the railways, maybe you wanna work in a bank, or wanna be a popstar, well this is a song entitled What's My Nameeeee!" A great performance, highlight of the set and these early gigs. Mick sings a middle section.
11. Janie Jones
"Now we come to our big rock'n'roll hit of the year!". It's now a punk classic, played faster and tougher than at the Roundhouse.
12. 1977
"Gonna do 1977 then fuck off!" Fast and frantic, sounds great.
13. 1-2 Crush On You
After shouts of more the band return for a one-song encore. Not as good as the excellent Roundhouse version.
Did you go? What do you remember?
Any info, articles, reviews, comments or photos welcome.
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There are several sights that provide setlists but most mirror www.blackmarketclash.co.uk. They are worth checking.
from Setlist FM (cannot be relied on)
from Songkick (cannot be relied on)
... both have lists of people who say they went
& from the newer Concert Database
Also useful: Ultimate Music datbase, All Music, Clash books at DISCOGS
A collection of articles, interviews, reviews, posters, tour dates from early 1976. Articles cover the period form July to New Year.
If you know of any articles or references for this particular gig, anything that is missing, please do let us know.
Last Gang in Town
page 217
The Clash: Barbarellas, Birmingham
Jonh Ingham, Sounds, 13 Nov 1976
WEDNESDAY HAD been booked as Punk Night at Barbarellas, an excuse, if nothing else, for the club deejay to fall in love with the sound.
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