Clash Take the Fifth Tour
Supported by The Undertones & Sam And Dave

updated 7 July 2008 - link to photos by Cathrine Vanaria
updated 25 Dec 2008 - The Clash Play Revolution Rock

Audio 1 - see below
the tape ran at the wrong speed

Audio 2 - speed corrected version
Good - Sound 3.5 - 80mins - low gen? - 24 tracks

Complete Control

WBCN Radio Boston Interview Phone-in Show
following the gig.

In an interview 'The Clash Play Revolution Rock' with Chris Salewicz in Trouser Press, March 1980 the band give their take on the WBCN Boston Radio.

bad speed problems - decent sound

This one came with decent sound but with some horrendous tape speed problems. Corrected, the recording certainly improves somewhat. It is one of the best recordings from this tour and certainly one of the best performances.

The sound improves considerably from the start of London Calling probably as a result of the taper lifting the hand held mike above the heads of the audience; you can hear the mike thud down at the end of each encore. From here on there is a good range of sound and considerable clarity. Some stereo separation also adds to the listening enjoyment.

Only criticism is the sound is a touch harsh concentrated in the mid range. The drums, guitars, bass are all clearly audible, the vocals perhaps down a touch. Guitars come through the mix strongly including Joe’s. There is little evidence of Mick’s guitar effects here too thankfully. Shouts and claps from the lively audience add not distract here to the enjoyment. The atmosphere of the gig is captured well.

The Clash again respond to a very lively and enthusiastic audience by delivering a fired up very strong performance, perhaps not quite as intense as Chicago.

The intro music is The Standells 60’s garage classic Dirty Water which name checks Boston but this though sounds like a cover version as the lyrics have been changed to name check the Thames and London.

The Clash then blast into City of the Dead, an unusual set opener not likely to please the audience. Johnny Green’s book has him adding it to the set list as a joke at Vancouver,(last night of the tour), much to the consternation of the band! However it may well be that this was the night and Johnny’s memory not for the first time is at fault. Before the audience can react its Bored With The USA and then Joe responds to the applause and shouting with “just like to say this is a very nice turnout for us, don’t think we don’t appreciate it” a brilliant Complete Control follows with great soloing from Mick.

Joe then addresses the audience in response to the violence of the bouncers “short announcement, who is the promoter? Where’s Don Law? (He’s a fuckin pig someone shouts} you guys at the end of this aisle, I hereby say people are allowed to stand where they like that pays their money”. This gets the audience going even more and cheer and shouts of encouragement ring out. Joe later said that the bouncers were punching people all over the hall and one girl was beaten up and thrown down the stairs.

The sound quality now improves for the best London Calling to date, harder and tighter than previously without the annoying guitar effects at the start of the song. “Time to be tough…” line still included at the expense of the recorded “ain’t got no swing except for the ring of the truncheon thing”.

White Man is excellent again with the band getting in a loose groove. Joe then tries again (rather charmingly) to get the audience out of its seats and up at the stage with “If you’d just give me a minute to explain, what I meant was I was talking about earlier about Don Law, he’s the promoter and he’s paying these gentlemen in the red T-shirts, you see in England when a band strikes up as it were, they kind of stand up in the aisle and get as near as they can, but if you’re quite happy where you are (No! No! Shouts the crowd. Koka Kola then blasts out segueing brilliantly into I Fought The Law.

The next highlight is the earliest circulating recording of Paul singing Guns Of Brixton here has a different arrangement to later tours. All the performances are strong with Joe clearly fired up. A further announcement from Joe heralds the arrival of Blockhead Mickey Gallagher although he doesn’t even get a name check! “if you hear a new sound in the next few numbers don’t go and get your money back, this greasy guy over here..”

Mickey had arrived unrehearsed that afternoon so that the first time he sees them playing live he played with them. Morley says he was tucked away at the side of the stage barely heard or seen and certainly his debut song Clampdown reaches its mid point before his organ can first be heard.

Gallagher was brought in to add that “wild mercury sound” of electric organ that Dylan loved for his ground breaking 65/66 performances. Strummer of course was and is a big fan of Dylan’s, a feeling reciprocated when Dylan came to see The Clash live and was soon playing with a US punk band on US TV.

Following an intense Police and Thieves Joe says “ Long John Silver (Green) has whispered in my ear that the geezers in the red tracksuits have gone, so those who wanna break a law.. Mick “ Be daring, go down the front a bit, dance a bit!” Some clearly do and Joe says “Oh criminals!” At last getting the sort of intense reaction from the audience to match the intensity of The Clash’s performance they launch into a wild Capital Radio.

The audience roar their approval then it’s the first live recording of Wrong 'Em Boyo introduced by Joe “I want you to listen to this and tell me what you think of it, this one is going down big in England (referring to the ska revival)” Mickey Gallagher does a solo and this is another highlight of a very strong performance.

It’s a roar then through Janie Jones and Garageland to the first encore. Armagideon Time is getting tighter then just as the audience have got their breath back its Career Opportunities and White Riot blasting through the PA.

The highly enthusiastic crowd are rewarded with a second encore of a speeded up Jimmy Jazz with goes straight into What’s My Name.
A very enjoyable performance good sound but oh! to have been there, and the great Sam & Dave too.

Did you go? What do you remember?
Info, articles, reviews, comments or photos welcome.
Please email blackmarketclash

Link
Doug Geer
My first Clash show. My two word review: Life altering.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24	City of the Dead I'm So Bored with the USA Complete Control London Calling White Man In Hamm Palais Koka Kola I Fought the Law Safe European Home Jail Guitar Doors The Guns Of Brixton English Civil War Clash City Rockers Stay Free Clampdown Police and Thieves Capital Radio Wrong 'Em Boyo Janie Jones Garageland Armagideon Time Career Opportunities White Riot Jimmy Jazz Whats My Name

If you know of any articles or references for this particular gig, anything that is missing, please do let us know.

NME - 13th October
Fastest gang in the West part 1

The Clash Play Revolution Rock
Chris Salewicz, Trouser Press, March 1980
The band give their take on the WBCN Boston Radio

The Clash Play Revolution Rock
Chris Salewicz, Trouser Press, March 1980
IT'S FOUR days before Christmas. A dark, early evening damp with snow and rain. Immediately south of the Thames, in the inappropriately genteel Victorians

Clash date
The Boston Globe Thu Sep 13 1979

Clash make the sparks fly
The Boston Globe - Sat Sep 22 1979

The Clash more or less, to have or have not
Boston Phoenix - 19th Sept 1979 - incomplete

A Riot of our Own pg192

If you know any please let us know