Clash Take the Fifth Tour
Supported by Joe Ely Band
updated 12 Feb 2012 - added photos
Audio 1 -
Sound 2.5 - 67mins - 2gen - 22 tracks
The best recording in circulation is a good audience recording spoilt by over amplification/distortion, the taper presumably beaten by the legendary Clash sound levels.
The more the decibels rise, the greater the distortion. Despite this all the instrumentation comes through and vocals are quite clear. There is reasonable range and clarity from what appears to be a low generation copy.
With bass controls turned down the recording is enjoyable to listen to, and the performance very strong. There is plenty of crowd atmosphere which adds not detracts from the enjoyment.
The Clash in Texas
On October 4th The Clash enter Texas and pick up the Joe Ely Band who will be support for the Texas dates and Los Angeles. Ponty Bone, accordion player for Joe Ely lists the dates and has photos from the low key Lubbock show on his website pontybone.com. Joe Ely remembers his dates with the Clash in Texas fondly.
Joe in particular was inspired by being in Texas and in Dallas certainly, The Clash deliver one of the best performances of the Tour.
The Fort Worth Star and Telegram confrism the date as the 6th.
Ray Lowry ‘The Clash came out and shredded the second nights audience .. with their magnificent rock’n’roll’
A clearly charged up Joe launches into Safe European Home and into a new set list for the tour. London Calling is a highlight amongst all strong performances with Joe now adding the screams and cries heard on the album version. On Jail Guitar Doors Joe sings an impromptu verse about Hank Williams.
Wrong ‘Em Boyo and Mickey Gallagher appear early in the set and get the following introduction “this man here in the lame jacket is Mr Mickey Gallagher from the Blockheads, look at the shape of his head if you want proof! Ok this is something designed to confuse you, like you can say to each other is this love or confusion” The latter comment showing Joe’s unease if not for himself but for the audience of The Clash’s embracing of new musical and cultural influences as would soon be evidenced on London Calling.
Guns of Brixton has a shorter arrangement and drops Topper’s intro played in Atlanta. The consistently excellent Whiteman is introduced out of the London A-Z. “We’d like to continue in a groove down Hammersmith Broadway, turn left up the Shepherds Bush Road and draw alongside Hammersmith Palais”.
“Now we’d like to flex the big muscle one time, we’re gonna Clampdown, let’s flex the big muscle". Joe then adds mid song “Voices in my head they say Joe Strummer high time you made a run over the top...” Next its guitar swop time as Mick straps on the acoustic and Joe intro’s it as “Time to get the genuine instruments, this is called dining at the atomic holocaust”
“We get tired of people coming to see us and expect us to do things in certain ways, we get tired of this so we’d like to have a break from our commercial sponsor” as Koka Kola crashes in segueing into the audience favourite, I Fought The Law. The audience is loud and enthusiastic, Texans clearly having no problem relating to The Clash.
There’s an edit before Police & Thieves which is being extended now as on the Pearl Harbour Tour with Joe launching into a different improvised rant over the ending on each performance. “You’ve got to sing now you Texans, Sing you Texans sing, Scream you Texans scream”
Mick’s guitar effects are still in evidence cutting some of the balls out of the songs as they do here but its still a great performance. Joe’s rant encompasses the Kingston Ten, Hill Street Blues and “working on a Maggie’s [Thatcher] Farm, 20 dollars on Tuesday, it’s a long time to pay day, what I borrow last week I gotta pay back this week, so you see now I can’t find no way out… We were just listening to the music one fine day when along comes a ….Police car”
Its then a great frenetic first album charge to the encore with Career Opportunities, Janie Jones and Garageland.
Armagideon Time begins the encore in assured form before a shouted 1-2-3-4 launches straight into Capital Radio and Armageddon descends on the audience.
It’s Capital Radio’s first encore appearance losing its musical and spoken intro as previously on the tour but making up for it through its power and change of pace after Armagideon Time. Joe comes up with another new lyrical section “ Please can I get on the radio, I say forget it, you got a supply of 12 year olds, you got a supply of the world’s best cocaine & you gotta roll of dollar bills that big, you’re gonna need them all if you wanna get a record on the radio!”
“We’ve really got something special for you tonight” is Joe’s introduction of Joe Ely who sings vocals on his tune “I keep my fingernails long so they click when I play the piano”.
A suitably wild White Riot closes a fine performance and enjoyable recording.
the Joe Ely band the follwing night [7th] at their hometown
Rox Club. picture courtesy of pontybone.com
Did you go? What do you remember?
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
If you know of any articles or references for this particular gig, anything that is missing, please do let us know.
Lubbock Calling:
Joe Ely Remembers the Clash
Clash plays hard, loud - and in one dimension
Fort Worth Star Telegram - Tue Oct 9, 1979
'Clash' no smash iin Dallas concert
Fort Worth Star Telegram - Tue Oct 9, 1979
A Riot of Our Own p205
A collection of articles, interviews, reviews, posters, tour dates from the Clash's Take the Fifth US Tour covering the period of the Pearl Harbour Tour.
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