Impossible Mission Tour
last updated 28 Nov 2004
updated June 2021 added poster and ticket
Audio 1 -
Stockholm’s Burning - Sound 3 - time 1hr 51mins - master - tracks 27
runs slightly slowly
Charlie Don’t Surf
The master recording from this concert circulates widely as Stockholm’s Burning (with Amsterdam 81 FM added as a bonus). It is a good audience recording but suffers from a harshness of sound, repeated annoying microphone-knocking noise in the left channel, distortion, and some obtrusive audience chatter/chanting. It has a swirling/shifting sound resulting from the cavernous size of the ice stadium and the sound suffers somewhat from distance from taper to the stage. On the plus side it is complete, vocals and drums are good, it has a better bass sound (though still low in the mix), and lead guitar is higher in the mix, than Gothenburg and Copenhagen.
A stereo audience recording which adds to the enjoyment but during the microphone noise it changes to a mono sound returning to stereo usually shortly after. It is not an un-enjoyable sound though, just poorer in quality than a number of other recordings from this tour.
The lesser master
The set excluding the last four songs was issued on the very rare Swedish LP, which has markedly worse sound and misses off the last 4 tracks. The problems with this one are numerous. The vocals are high in the mix but have substantial echo, as does the whole sound. Distortion affects every frequency, blending any clarity out of it. The one plus is the wide dynamic range though too much of the sound exists at the top end. It appears to come from the rare boot vinyl or either that or it has a lot of quick digital clipping?? Avoid this version.
From: "Rikard Gustafson" <rikard.gustafson[at] tjelvar.org>
Various State Recordings
Sweden 1984
The Swedish radio broadcast the the gig the night after Stockholm ’84 and the producers worked really hard on presenting the new tunes but started up with London Calling. Unfortunately my tape was damaged.
Stockholm 81
The ones I recorded myself when we followed them around the whole fxxxing globe I sent to my parents so they were intact. We recorded two sources.
From what I can recall the SQ was superb but when we pressed our copy of Stockholm ’81 we used my source (It was named “När Djurgår’n fick flytta ut för The Clash” b t w) and Michael, a friend and fellow punter placed his tape recorder in front of the master board.
This alternate source was later used for “Stockholm’s Burning” and it sounds a bit better but this source has this guy who’s talking all the time between the tunes. My source has the idiot who screams “White riot!” behind me when Joe talks. I like mine better but everyone else prefer Michaels…
European State Radio Stations
Greek Radio 85
The Greek state radio recorded this show. (I contacted them a long time ago) but all European state archives are closed for people outside; we can’t buy or hire.
Swedish Radio
When I asked an old Clashist friend and journalist on SR ( Swedish Radio ) what had to be done to get all those shows ( Malmö, Lund, Örebro ’77, Eriksdal ’80, Stockholm and Gothenburgh ’81 and ’84, they have them all - complete with perfect sound!)
I got the answer that if a show is asked for by more than 1000 people they’ll put it on the list for P3 Live, a live show every night at 21.00. (Have a look att www.sr.se and go to P3 Live and see the program and old shows.) Unfortunately it’s only 1 hour and therefore edited.
This, the third quality audience recording from the Scandinavian leg of the tour, is perhaps the poorest. But it is very well worth having for the performance because although the concert does not really catch fire until just before the encores, from then on The Clash, responding to the very enthusiastic audience, deliver of their very best.
A sustained burst over 10 songs of fire, passion and terrific playing, is proof (if proof was needed) that The Clash in 1981 were still capable on the right nights of delivering an absolutely stunning live experience.
Lars Martensson was at the concert and has kindly provided his following recollections, aswell as a Swedish newspaper (Kopia) review of the concert plus a translation. Many thanks Lars.
"The gig in 1981 was probably the first gig I went to, I was 15 at the time so for me it was the time of my life! I can remember the bad sound and that Paul was looking at the backdrop photos more then the audience during some songs. Joe & Topper were more into the show. I also remember the encores they did like 5-6 songs if I remember correct and the place went nuts!
I was also impressed by the intro music by Ennio Morricone, spaghetti western & the Clash, what a great combination!"
The reviewer from Kopia of this show (Jan-Olov Andersson) had big expectations of this gig as the Clash have great songs and their own sound. So the gig should have been a classic one but it wasn’t! Mainly due to the bad sound, the Clash played too loud and the band played most of the numbers carelessly. Only on Ivan, Magnificent 7, Career Opportunities were the band focused. But on the other hand The Clash could have played safe and only gone for a greatest hits show but instead the set list was based on songs from Sandinista.
The support act of the gig was a local DJ/Toaster named Duton Adebayo who the Clash met just the night before the gig and gave him the job on the spot! But the crowd took no notice of him (I don’t even remember him…)
From the evidence of the recording the Swedish newspaper reviewer was right up to a point that this was not a classic performance and there was a degree of the band going through the motions. The point where things changed being Career Opportunities when the band went into top gear and stayed there through the excellent encores. It is not that the earlier song performances are bad, far from it in most cases, just nothing exceptional.
The recording begins with the now permanent Morricone intro music then a “Hello, Hello, Hello” from Joe and the band kick into London Calling. Sound levels fluctuate early on and as usual on this tour Mick’s solo in particular is too far back in the mix to be really effective.
Joe is in fine form throughout and the performances are good but there are better sounding recordings of them elsewhere on this tour. The audience are clearly very lively and getting hot, a concerned Joe asks “You alright here? Water, you want water?” before Mick interrupts with a screamed “1-2, 1-2-3-4” and a fine White Man in Hammersmith Palais begins. As on many songs the knocking sounds in the left channel are at best distracting and at worst seriously detract from the enjoyment of the song. Joe sings over the ending “Do you understand me, Can you hear me?” obviously unaware that most Swedes speak better English than the English!
An edit at the start of Magnificent Seven loses a brief section, a typically so far tonight fine but unexceptional performance. Wrong ‘Em Boyo unusually has some ineffective lazy drumming from Topper on the first part of the song, which stands out because Topper’s drumming on this tour has been consistently memorable.
“And now the next song is for Jamaica, Portugal and the whole UK” introduces Joe before the concert steps up a gear (or two) in terms of energy and intensity with Career Opportunities and then straight into Clampdown. No adlibs from Joe (they would become rarer in 81) but a powerhouse drumming performance from Topper, and the band play with an intensity and togetherness largely missing previously. The first CD ends appropriately here with the end of the main set.
On the second CD it gets better and better through the encores, the band responding to the very enthusiastic audience. “All right now you know the chords, stroke it, stroke it!” is Joe’s intro to a memorable Jimmy Jazz; the band really cooking now. It begins without the lengthy drum intro of previous nights but Topper adds a solo later in the song, as does Paul as Joe says, “the bass player knows something!” It’s straight into a fine One More Time next. Toppers great drumming dominates the sound and holds the song together as the band stretch out, playing almost freeform.
It builds and builds and then as in Copenhagen it brilliantly transforms into the Street Parade, with Topper slowly changing the rhythm. Mick plays some great guitar lines and the song drops down before coming back for a powerful final chorus with Joe repeating Cadillac at the end.
The band take the cue and launch into a super tight Brand New Cadillac that tears along brilliantly. An edit restarts into Janie Jones with Joe on fire, belting out the lyrics. The left channel microphone sounds are still present but what the fuck this is The Clash on a roll!
The audience cheer the band back for a second encore beginning with a powerful almost psychedelic Armagideon Time dominated by Joe’s heavily echoed screams and cries. Then it’s straight into Police and Thieves, receiving its first (recorded) performance of 1981. The audience roar their approval, cheering and chanting along.
A fine performance that played ‘straight’ up to an echoed dub-type section where Mick plays some terrific guitar as the song builds to a climax. A strum of Joe’s guitar and he says “Are you all ready?” As the audience shout back “Yeah” he screams “Stockholm’s Burning” and the band crash into an intense performance. With the audience chanting for more, Joe thanks the audience and the band leave the stage, intending not to return.
The noisy audience shout “We want Clash” and are still shouting amidst boos as the house lights come on and the PA music starts up. But then almost immediately a roar as Topper smashes out a lengthy drum solo, long enough for Mick to be persuaded to return - the audience deserve it! Mick’s guitar blasts out and Joe roars “White Riot!” The band roar through the song then as it ends Joe’s not had enough and shouts “1-2-3-4” and the band launch into a reprise of the chorus. But that‘s still not the end as Topper starts up again for the third time and eventually the song comes to an end with the audience still shouting and chanting for more!
Did you go? What do you remember?
Info, articles, reviews, comments or photos welcome.
Please email blackmarketclash
"The gig in 1981 was probably the first gig I went to, I was 15 at the time so for me it was the time of my life! I can remember the bad sound and that Paul was looking at the backdrop photos more then the audience during some songs. Joe & Topper was more into the show. I also remeber the enchores they did like 5-6 song if I remember correct and the place went nuts!.
I was also impressed by the intro music by Ennio Morricone, spagetti western & the Clash, what a great combination!"
Lars
The Johanneshov ice hockey stadium in Stockholm (see photos) is also a major concert venue hosting a wide range of performers including The Beatles and Dylan. The Clash would return there in 1984.
Originally an outdoor arena it was converted to an indoor one in 1962. Although large and cavernous and seated it did not prevent a great band-audience interaction, with the audience according to Lars above the ice rink surface standing by or on their seats.
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London Calling |
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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.
The reviewer of this show (Jan-Olov Andersson) had big expectations of this gig as the Clash have great songs and their own sound. So the gig should have been a classic one but it wasn’t!
Mainly due to the bad sound, the Clash played too loud and most of the numbers were played carelessly by the band. Only on Ivan, Magnigicent 7, Career Opportunities were the band focused.
But on the other hand The Clash could have played safe and only gone for a greatest hits show but instead the set list was based from songs from Sandinista.
The support act of the gig was a local J/Toaster named Duton Adebayo who the Clash met just the night before the gig and gave him the job on the spot! But the crowd took no notice of him (I don’t even remember him…)
Lars: The gig in 1981 was probably the first gig I went to, I was 15 at the time so for me it was the time of my life! I can remember the bad sound and that Paul was looking at the backdrop photos more then the audience during some songs. Joe & Topper was more into the show. I also remeber the enchores they did like 5-6 song if I remember correct and the place went nuts!.
I was also impressed by the intro music by Ennio Morricone, spagetti western & the Clash, what a great combination!
A collection of articles, interviews, reviews, posters, tour dates from the Clash's 'Impossible Mission' tour of Europe. Articles cover the period form January upto Bonds in May.
sveral post gig interviews. Go to page.
The Clash Live - Barcelona - Jeuvetewal Pavillion - Monday 27th April 1981 - Impossible Mission Tour
Synced version with better audio above - link
The Clash Live - Amsterdam - Jaap Edenhal - Sunday 10th May 1981 - Impossible Mission Tour
Magnificent 7 video - shot at Amsterdam .. we think
for discssion thread on it, go here.
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