Bonds Residency - Supported by the Fall
Three weeks & 17 gigs that shook up New York and America.
last updated 22 May 2006
last updated 7 July 2008 - added WNEW FM Broadcast
page updated - started May 2020
Audio 1 - 'Trick or Treat'
Sound 3.5 - 1hr 9mins - 18 tracks
This FM Broadcast appears as Trick or Treat (mine is speeded up). Mine is also clipped around Track 14 onwards.
Audio 2 -
Sound 4.5 - 1hr 17mins - 18 tracks
Has a different broadcaster at the start
This FM Broadcast starts off with annoucer saying "you need to get ready for this concert because we are going to Rock the Casbah"
London Calling
Audio 3 - WNEW FM Braodcast with announcer
Sound 4 - 1hr 13mins - 16 tracks
Safe European Home
FM sourc diff. Mix (WNEW) - Sound 5 - time 72 min - tracks 18
First words are "Clash in Concert" contains several more radio segs - different FM broadcast to above. ID as WNEW.
Audio 4 - Radio Clash CD
Sound 5 - 1hr 39mins - 24tracks
Safe European Home
Audio 5 - Wolfgangs Vault
Sound 5 - 1hr 39mins - 24 tracks
Washington Bullets edit early on
Safe European Home
Audio 6 - DAT master
Sound 3 - 1hr 40mins - 24 tracks
Safe European Home
Audio 7 - Pier Pressure
Sound 4 - 42mins - 10 tracks
Safe European Home
From Here To Eternity - 4 tracks,
Clash On Broadway 1 track
Video
1. Essential Clash DVD
cut down version of CoB from Westway but with unseeen angles and clips. Includes an edited London Calling [audio is unmixed pro recording from 9th].
2. Westway to the World BONUS footage DVD
Includes nearly full tracks of - London Calling [Trick of Treat audio] - Guns of Brixton [dubbed partly] Safe European Home [dubbed with studio single] - Charlie Don't Surf [original sound but from mixing desk] - Radio Clash [original sound but from mixing desk]. Also includes a mash up of a lot of footage from New York and outside Bonds such as the riot.
3. video - press conference, backstage, 16 Tons play on, London Calling nearly full [probably the same length as Westway? but the sound plays on to a montage of NYC/Clash pictures]. The sound is remixed from [Trick or Treat bootleg] radio broadcast from the 9th June as Westway. 5.38min
4. MTV Rockumentary is same as Westway/Clash on TV/Essential DVD but with only very edited clips of the press conference and London Calling. Nothing new except a couple of comments form Mick and Paul.
There were at least three audio recordings made of this concert; the CBS/EPIC mobile studio recording, the FM radiobroadcast recording and the audience recording. It is surely inconceivable that CBS/Epic would have allowed their recording to be broadcast on FM radio. In addition Don Letts filmed the concert, and it appears in what’s left of his film ‘Clash on Broadway’.
FM radio recording
This gig was broadcast on FM radio on several occasions including one time on Halloween, hence the title and mis-dating of the Trick or Treat CD.
The complete unedited concert presumably from the unedited FM (backdoor) source, circulates under several titles including 'Bondage at Bonds’, 'Straight to Hell' and ‘Chaos In New York’.
The sound quality is identical on all three, the only differences are the merging of Ivan Meets G.I. Joe with Lightning Strikes and ‘Bondage at Bonds’ has an edit in One More Time, which loses a large chunk of the song. ‘Chaos in New York’ has as a final track Willy Williams' Armagideon Time.
Sound quality is excellent hifi stereo quality as good as any professional live recording. However, as it is probably the unedited FM source it has not though been fully mixed; Mick’s backing vocals are buried away and barely audible with lead vocals very high in the mix.
As this CD has such stunning sound quality there have been some discussions about whether it is sourced from the CBS/Epic mobile studio recording. Thanks to TeddyB for shedding some light on this:
They didn't do a full remix or remaster of any shows in preparation for FHTE. Tapes were struck of whatever multi-track shows were available (nothing that all of you don't know about) and the group made a (not so) short list of possibilities and rough mixes were made of those. There were Bonds tapes from two nights (including a killer Bankrobber from the other night, not the one broadcast). Neither rough mix from Bonds sounded like this, so my guess is it's probably a clean source of the radio broadcast.
The edited down to one CD versions known as ‘Trick or Treat’ and ‘Bonds 1981’ have a different mix and were broadcast in this form on FM radio; Trick or Treat has a few radio announcer voice overs. Trick or Treat somewhat annoyingly has Capital Radio (from the NYC Palladium 21st September 79 FM broadcast) tacked on the end.
is it maybe worth a note to say that although the bonds 1981 cdr is the best copy of the fm mix, it has a cut in cadillac and a skip/screw up at the very end of washington bullets, so it maybe worth seeking out "trick or treat".
The terrific sound mix here could have been done by Mick! His backing vocals are brought up clearly as are his now battery of effects and his guitar now dominates the sound. Joe’s (and his lead vocals) suffer a little as a result and are a touch too far back in the mix. Although the complete unedited version has the more refined sound, this edited version mix captures the real excitement of the live Clash experience much better. With the gaps between songs cut out to get more songs on one CD each song slams into the next. This is a hugely enjoyable CD and absolutely essential.
Watch out for quite severe sound distortion, like repeated loud clicking’s on a few tracks centred around Somebody Got Murdered on some copies. This seems to be worse of a problem on some CD players and on others barely noticeable.
As to which version is the best is probably a matter of personal taste. It’s great they both exist; each has different strengths and weaknesses. Both are highly enjoyable; lead vocals are really “in your face” and crystal clear on the unedited version and the unedited mix is thrillingly explosive and powerful but loses some of the complexities and detail in the sound.
A number of these professionally produced bootlegs have excellent artwork, liner notes and printing.
Bondage at Bonds is not to be confused by the new LP of the same name, which may be from the 29th?)
Pier Pressure CD
Pier Pressure boot CD only includes the first ten from the gig and is obviously mastered from a similar source but has a flatter, marginally distorted sound.
This CD is from two incomplete gigs and some previously unreleased/never heard material. The first ten are live from Bonds. The next 5 tracks are all unheard songs including the now released One Emotion. Followed by Magnificent 7 from the Tom Snyder show.
The Bonds stuff has been released also on the incomplete Trick or Treat or better still on the complete and superb Straight to Hell, which has the best sound of any Clash boot.
Of the unreleased tracks You cant Judge a Woman and Mona are from 1979 and One Emotion and Oh Baby Oh are from the 1978 Rope Outtakes. The Beautiful People and Kill Time are ugly is on Combat Rock Outtakes from 81. Of the Rope stuff, better quality sound can be found elsewhere.
Finally the Tokyo concert for the last 4 tracks. It’s a nice CD if for nothing other than the unreleased stuff. The sounds vary, Tokyo great, Demos OK, NYC good.
Full Audience Source from DAT master
The full audience source confirms the date of these releases and has a clear sound but suffers from the usual distance problems of the Bonds audience recordings. This source has some of the Morricone intro music at the start and there is tape turnover following Complete Control.
As the complete FM source is unedited this inferior audience source is largely redundant.
From Here to Eternity
From Here To Eternity includes Train in Vain, Guns of Brixton and Complete Control from this concert, it misdates it as the 13th. The Clash on Broadway Box Set includes Lightning Strikes with the correct date. We now know CBS/Epic recorded both the 9th and the 8th Matinee shows, which explains some of the confusion. The performance of Bankrobber on FHTE II is the only recording circulating from the 8th June CBS recording.
The FHTE tracks unsurprisingly have the very best sound of all, having been professionally mixed and mastered.
Video recordings
The remaining film from Don Letts ill-fated Clash on Broadway project is included as an extra on the Westway To The World DVD. Thanks to an elongated “aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh” from Joe as he moves across the stage with mic stand during Radio Clash (17 minutes into the film) this footage can be correctly dated as the 9th June as this particular Strummerism was not repeated on any other of the 17 shows!
The excellent live footage includes excerpts from London Calling, Safe European Home, Guns of Brixton, Charlie Don’t Surf and Radio Clash. Unfortunately the sound quality is poor mono; it is little better than the audience recording from this night and the Give Em Enough Rope studio recording is dubbed onto the live footage of Safe European Home.
Why was the CBS mobile live recording from the concert not used? Presumably at the time Don and the compilers of the DVD were confused about the date of the footage or there was confusion resulting from the fact that CBS recorded two of the Bonds shows, a fact that was clearly not appreciated when the FHTE tracks were misdated. Does anyone know?
By the time the Essential DVD was being compiled this confusion seems to have been resolved and the remaining film of London Calling now has a superb stereo hifi soundtrack. What a shame this synching of the film to the CBS mobile live recording could not have been done to the other live footage from the night.
The Essential DVD does use to brilliant effect the Clash on Broadway footage together with the CBS live recording of the Morricone intro and TV news clips to capture the excitement of the Bonds shows, the band preparing in the dressing room, going down the stairs to the stage and then a dramatic pause just before they explode into London Calling.
What a fantastic legacy the Clash On Broadway film could have been; terrific live footage coupled with a superb quality pro-hifi soundtrack. If only that rent had been paid on that storage unit, if only Topper’s sacking had not resulted in him blocking its release, if only, if only! What little does remain though of course only adds to the growing myth and legend of The Clash.
Great as The Clash were in the studio it was on stage that they were truly phenomenal; their incendiary live shows have been etched permanently on the memories of those lucky enough to have witnessed them. It is a great regret therefore that so few of their concerts were recorded professionally (especially in 76-79) and those that were as Joe often said did not capture them at their best.
We can be very grateful therefore that excellent hifi stereo professional recordings were made of the complete 9th June Bonds concert and in various often mis-dated forms these are the most widely circulating of all Clash bootlegs. Four tracks from this concert appear on From Here To Eternity and live video footage from this night appears in what remains of Clash On Broadway.
The Bonds residency is often cited as the peak of The Clash’s performing career and there is plenty of evidence here to back up those who hold this view. The Clash were such a remarkable live phenomenon that even though the 9th June concert was not one of the best performances of the 17 with Joe sounding at times tired and hoarse, these recordings are never less than hugely exciting and enjoyable.
The strains of playing night after night at Bonds were starting to appear on the 8th and Joe actually voices this during an adlib in One More Time. Strummer though would not settle for second best least of all from himself and this recording is fascinating as it captures Joe wrestling with himself to overcome his clearly pissed off state, something he actually voices in an adlib during the Magnificent Seven.
Mick’s performance though is excellent (unlike his ‘stoned’ contribution the night before) as is Paul’s and Topper’s and the truly excellent sound quality compensates for any drop in intensity on some of these performances and this remains one of the most enjoyable and essential of Clash bootlegs.
Of the 24 songs played 11 were from Sandinista and this is the best sound quality source to hear the often radically different live arrangements of these songs.
'I saw the Clash at Bonds' - Facebook page
Popular Facebook group that recounts memories for the Bonds residency. Well worth a read.
The audience recording has part of the Morricone intro but there are no greetings from Joe before the pro-recordings start with Mick’s guitar ‘feedback’ hanging in the air and then the band blast into an excellent London Calling. Joe’s vocals are high in the mix on the complete pro source but his voice sounds hoarse and tired, it’s not as intense as classic Strummer. Mick had been worried how his voice would hold up but Joe was of course a remarkable performer and though tired and clearly not in the best of moods, he battles with himself throughout this concert to try to deliver his best.
The sound quality is terrific, Joe’s guitar is in the left channel and Mick’s in the right and the mix on the edited source in particular really captures the excitement of The Clash live, its more chaotic, more explosive.
Safe European Home is terrific too, intense and powerful. Paul’s bass lines propel the song along and Mick’s guitar dominates the sound, as it surely should. “Yeah OK, this is The Leader” and Mick’s intro to the first of the 11 Sandinista songs in the set is crystal clear. Indeed this relatively slight song musically is lifted here by the level of detail and clarity in the hifi-sound and is very enjoyable indeed.
The excellent performance of Train In Vain is next and its no surprise that it was chosen for FHTE. As usual by now it drops down near the end to just drum and bass and then builds back up impressively with some great playing from Mick who ends the song with a shouted “All aboard!”
White Man in Hammersmith Palais is sadly not on the edited version so Mick’s backing vocals are largely lost. It is a fine performance though and Joe’s vocals are really in your face and crystal clear. There’s no great inspired adlibs at the end of the song like some nights but he does go into “got the rock steady covered in England going… “ and then he plays the rhythm on his guitar by way of illustration. This Is Radio Clash is superb and is probably the best source for the live arrangement of this song; it’s certainly the best sounding. Joe’s guitar drives the rock/funk rhythm, with Mick playing some great lead guitar and Paul and Topper’s rhythm section are really tight and together.
Corner Soul is the best sounding source for this song live but it’s not the best performance; although it’s still very enjoyable. It’s not quite classic Strummer and is a shorter performance than previously. The excellent performance of Guns of Brixton heard on FHTE is next. Mick’s playing is excellent here, and Paul plays his limited (but very effective here) guitar chops and Joe’s bass maintains the rhythm (Paul and Mick always swapped guitars for this song). It is not an extended unlike most previous Bonds shows and Mick’s “backwards” guitar builds to the fine ending.
There is still little communication with the audience reflecting Joe’s mood. “Yeah, we got a new toy behind the kit here” is Joe’s less than enthusiastic comment on Mick’s effects boxes. Then Topper’s repeated drum pattern and Mick’s effects herald the start of The Call Up. Mick says “This is for Mr Tibbs on Cable TV Channel D at 9’oclock tonight”. Joe fumbles over some of the lyrics but it’s terrific to hear this underrated song in its live arrangement in such great sound quality. Although a more than adequate performance it does not match say the Milan 81 and other more inspired performances.
The performance of Bankrobber from the June 13th matinee show was short-listed for FHTE (hence its inclusion on FHTE II outtakes tape) but this one is terrific too; the band playing night after night at Bonds are supertight and together. Joe sounds more into it here but the hoarseness in his voice is apparent. Mick plays some terrific guitar licks and Topper’s drumming is a delight.
“We’d like to go back to the vaults and dig something out” is Joe’s intro to the superb Complete Control heard in fully mixed form on FHTE. Mick’s great teased out intro begins the terrific new revised live arrangement they had been playing to great effect at Bonds. A highlight of the Bonds shows the band are really enjoying playing their classic song again after a break. Joe works hard to fire himself letting out a great primal woaaaaah! It’s Mick’s showcase though ably assisted by Topper’s powerhouse drumming.
Lightning Strikes is longer than the 13th June matinee performance included on the Clash on Broadway box set. Joe is still fired up and delivers a great vocal; an excellent performance. Invariably the weakest point of the Bonds gigs Ivan Meets GI Joe, is next but the performance is very good tonight and the excellence of the sound make this the best source to hear Topper’s only lead vocal on a Clash song.
The chopper like guitar sound, some terrific ‘feedback’ and some great atmospheric effects conjures up the Vietnam that had so captured the band’s interest and imagination. “You’re listening to Radio Saigon,” announces Joe as Mick picks out the melody then Paul and Topper come in with Joe’s rhythm. It’s one of the best performances of Charlie Don’t Surf and is surely more powerful than the studio version. Typical of the Bonds performances though the band are incredibly tight but not quite at their supercharged very best.
Always a live highlight Magnificent Seven thunders in after a long feed back note then Joe repeats alone “Don’t you ever stop, long enough to get that car outta that gear..” Mick adds some great vocals, trading lines with Joe and is heard clearly on the edited Trick or Treat etc. Joe adlibs; “What have we got today, baseball on channel 7” and “Looking for some magnificence on the Broadway” Despite clearly not being in the best of moods Joe’s pushing himself to deliver and comes out mid song with “Yes, one last time, for the man who’s enjoying himself so much [sarcastic] is here, yes filled with this new burst of spirit here I come… “ Joe then barks out the lyrics with intensity and Topper builds to the great bridge with Joe’ s rhythm guitar banging Strummer like away in the left channel! Mick screams “What have we got…fuck all!” and Joe roars wholly appropriately “Magnificence” repeatedly. It is not as extended as some earlier nights and there have been even better performances but it’s still hugely entertaining and powerful.
A marked change of pace next as Mick picks out some delicate guitar at the start of Broadway. Joe gets some lyrics jumbled and his voice shows signs of strain but its still fantastic to hear in this quality and this is the only recording where you can hear the live arrangement of this song in pro-sound hifi quality. Midsong the delicate playing changes as Joe sings, “driving one of those cars” and his guitar clatters in noisily in the left channel.
Joe shouts “Somebody” and Mick soon obliges with a terrific lead intro to Somebody Got Murdered before Joe’s guitar scratches in (this time to great effect), the power and the intensity amplified by the hifi sound. So much more powerful and intense than on Sandinista this is one of the best performances of the song and Mick’s plays some great-improvised guitar over the extended ending. Superb.
“Junior Murvin” shouts Joe as Mick tunes up,“Yeah this is Police and Thieves” Mick is on top form tonight and his guitar playing is a particular delight here. Joe’s vocals are right in your face, crystal clear and intense and committed. He adlibs “Police & Thieves on Times Square ...and Lexington Avenue, coming out of the precinct loaded down and Russ Meyer is going for a hot dog!” Again not the greatest performance, there’s no classic Strummer rant and the ending of the song could be better but it’s still hugely enjoyable.
Then it’s straight into the usual barnstorming main set closer, Clampdown and in hifi stereo it sounds appropriately like aural apocalypse in hifi stereo exploding out of the speakers! It drops down mid song to drum and bass and then builds and builds magnificently with Toppers drumming a delight and Mick firing off great shards of terrific guitar! Joe adlibs in classic Strummer style “….now with colour television, a little bit of baseball and I’m going back to Europe so I’ll see you later but it won’t be no greater, yeah there’ll be some shit arse group up here, churning out the bullshit, nobody gets anywhere, nobody gets anywhere!” and as the song ends a defiant “Working really hard now, nobody’s gonna stop us”
The band leave the stage and the unedited source has the audience clap and whistle for more and then return for just one encore, which they had been doing on recent nights. An excellent One More Time begins with Topper’s drum intro on the hi hat and bass drum then Paul’s bass note comes in and Mick’s thundering power chord crashes in magnificently. Again this is the best sound quality source (if not the best performance) to hear the wonderful way this song was played live.
In a lengthy rant Joe has a moan about Bonds and his band mates and then returns to the subject matter of the song! “So we stand at Bonds night after fuckin’ night, one more time in the ? it’s just the end of sigh, One More time at Bonds, One More Time with the blues, One More Time with a pissed up band, One More Time with the blues, out right outright dynamite brandy bottles, out right outright dynamite vodka too. If you go down the Bowery take a few quarter bits there’s loads of people laying around the streets that are just about falling to bits!”.
Then it’s straight into Brand New Cadillac and although Mick’s guitar work on this had been better on other nights its still thrillingly fast rock’n’roll. “Street Parade” calls Joe and Topper quickly obliges and the band kick into this rarely performed song, which had only had one previous outing at Bonds. It’s a great performance tight and together unlike some of the earlier somewhat ramshackle performances of it on the European tour. It is certainly the best sounding source for the live arrangement and one of the best performances too. Topper then takes it straight into Janie Jones with Mick’s now usual teased out intro. Its an intense blast of 77 and Joe’s fired up and over the ending he seems concerned about one member of the audience’s reaction “watch your head, alright then have it your own way, I don’t mind but I do really, the point is I do!”
Joe then shouts an instruction of “Topper …Washington Bullets” which proves to be anti-climactic end to the concert. It’s a good performance although Mick’s guitar playing over the ending sounds lazy and ineffective. Joe again fumbles some of the lyrics and then Joe heralds the return of the guy from the Democratic Revolutionary Front of El Salvador with a mid song “El Salvador…Senor!” As the band play on the guy shouts “Sandinistas yeah, El Salvador yeah, Sandinistas, no bullets from Washington are going to stop El Salvador..Reagan’s gonna send you to El Salvador but you’re not going to let them!” Then Joe comes back in on the final verse, and the song ends.
There is lots of cheering but the band have left the stage, the PA starts up, the cheers turn to boos then both the unedited hifi source and the audience recording cut off. The concert thus uniquely fizzles out without the final intense punk classic like Bored With The USA or London’s Burning that always ended the other Bonds shows with an explosive finale.
Songs in italics are not on the edited CD’s Trick or Treat etc
Did you go? What do you remember?
Info, articles, reviews, comments or photos welcome.
Please
email blackmarketclash
I am a long time fan of the clash - wanted to see the clash log before my first show in 81 - but could never get there or if i got there I could not get into the show.. And it seemed to be bad fate when i went to first see the clash at the BONDS, NY,NY and the show I had tickets to was called off by the fire marshals and we were told to come back a week later.. No ,money and no ride (I live in Boston) I had to hitch a ride on the side of the road... I DID make it and it was the best clash show I ever saw... 7X total after that ..
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I was lucky enough to see the Clash play twice--a great show at NYC's Palladium and one of their famous shows at Bonds. The latter show was a little lackluster, finally catching fire around halfway in--kicked off by a rousing version of Complete Control as I recall. One moment I remember clearly: a crew member put a small TV onstage so Mick Jones could watch the band perform on the Letterman show, pretaped earlier in the day. Joe Strummer was obviously annoyed at this, finally kicking the TV in. - Marlowe
As for greatest live bands well i saw the clash in nyc when they sold too many tickets for bonds in Times Square and were obliged to play something like 2 weeks straight to honour all the tickets sold. This was the sandinista tour but the show covered every period and was quite simplyamazing. Strummer got visibly pissed off when the crowd did not sing along with the obvious anthems but then you can’t expect perfection from a rock audience.Support that night was funkapolitain and the slits which blew my mind as i had no idea they were on the bill. Pearl harbour was the dj between sets.
I've been a Clash fan for a very long time. I had tickets for all 8 of the original Bonds Performances. I was right up front opening night when the club was overpacked by double. Quite a few people passed out and had to lifted and surfed to the stage area to be removed. Bouncers were passing out jugs of water to the front. I LOVE Grandmaster Flash but they were AWFUL. As a matter of fact they were beyond awful. It wasn't racism, it was a matter of an overpacked house and a group that wasn't making music, it was barely noise. What would you call listening to a kick drum for 10 - 15 minutes? Leaving, I literally couldn't stand up straight, there were fire marshalls at every door. SinceI had tickets for the original 8 nights bought at Bonds, my ticket was not valid the following evening. But, I saw 8 shows, and they were all fantastic. I saw them every tour since then, and they remain one of the greatest acts in R&R. One night I was dying of thirst and Mick kept sipping from a large soda cup. So I kept looking at him and motioning for a drink (security would pass water to the crowd). Mick points to his cup and shakes his head no, but finally he gave in and it was RUM and a tiny drop of coke for flavor. I took a sip, passed it on and within a few seconds people were fighting over the cup.
There were a ton of opening acts at the Bonds shows, and none were memorable.
Snowman “I had tickets for all 8 of the original Bonds Performances. I was right up front opening night when the club was overpacked by double. Quite a few people passed out and had to lifted and surfed to the stage area to be removed. Bouncers were passing out jugs of water to the front. It was then that the rappers went into a tirade of "The Clash asked us to be here. They wanted us to perform". Though I love GF&TF5 they couldn't be any worse live. To be squeezed into a sardine can, and hear a pounding bass drum and nothing else was more than anyone should bear. I LOVE Grandmaster Flash, and they were AWFUL. As a matter of fact they were beyond awful. It wasn't racism, it was a matter of an over packed house and a group that wasn't making music, it was barely noise. What would you call listening to a kick drum for 10 - 15 minutes? I saw them a few years later on Long Island where the levels were decent and you could understand what they rapped. It was great. Leaving, I literally couldn't stand up straight; there were fire marshals at every door. Since I had tickets for the original 8 nights bought at Bonds, my ticket was not valid the following evening. But, I saw 8 shows, and they were all fantastic.”
David S “Grandmaster Flash did open for the boys at Bonds. I was there and thought it was really closed-minded and small the way the crowd reacted. They wouldn't even give basic courtesy. Grandmaster Flash was right; the Clash did ask him to play, and frankly the reaction of a white crowd to an inner city act like that had to smack of racism.
The New York Nobody Sings- Clash at Bond's reosted from my blog...
Remember When - The Clash Photos at Bonds Casino – 80s Retro Punk Rock So a few years later, when we got to do the printing for the official Clash at the Bonds Casino gig in NY City, we where ecstatic. We printed the shirts, drove them to NY City, sold them in the streets...
They Shoot Actors, Don't They? Bond's Casino
The Clash at Bonds Casino, Times Square, NYC gigs 1-3 of 17.
IT'S ALL THE STREETS YOU CROSSED NOT SO LONG AGO -The Bow-Ties that Bond BOND INTERNATIONAL CASINO--1530 Broadway, on the east side of Broadway between 44th and 45th Streets. (Often referred to as Bond's.) A short-lived discotheque most famous for hosting the "Clash on Broadway" residency in 1981,
Personal memories
RETRO MEMORIES The Clash at Bonds Casino NYC, 1981 The Clash at Bonds Casino, Times Square, NYC gigs 1-3 of 17.
where you there?
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Following their appearance at the Palladium in 1980 The Clash had refused to play in New York unless they could play in a venue they thought suitable, i.e. an unseated dance hall. In February, Bernie and Kosmo had come to New York to seek out a suitable venue and agreed on Bonds which seemed ideal; it could hold 4000 with minimal discomfort (fire exits would prove the problem) but it was comparatively intimate and had character (art deco interior. History Of Bonds - includes write up and old photos It was a former men’s department store with a lino floor and beams and a makeshift stage. Local promoters could not understand why The Clash did not play a couple of nights at Madison Square Garden (16,000 capacity) like everyone else. Indeed Chris Salewicz was asked to write a piece for Soho News “to find the story behind the story!” “The doors opened at 8pm, we went up a carpeted spiral staircase surrounded by barbed wire and Mooseheads. We went into a large lobby and bar, with Clash concession stands. Through a large bank of double doors we located the dance floor, strobing lights - stunning glow in the dark things, half inflated silver spacemen hanging through trap doors in the ceiling. The dance floor itself was huge with recessed balconies at 2 sides to handle the large number of techies apparently required to keep all the lights flashing and the mikes feeding back. The facilities at Bonds were dance or drop! There was absolutely no seating anywhere.” In the photo below Bonds is the low building on the right.
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London Calling bold indicates on video |
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Pier Pressure CD
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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
To read all the news reports from Bonds including video and audio chronologically in one thread.
1. Background
3. The Clash arriving in New York
and the build up
4. News Reports video and audio
6. The remainder of the residency
7. History of Bonds
longer history of Bonds & images
9. Badges, FSLN hadouts, flyers, Clash
press release ...
10. Photos various - PDF 48mb
If you know of any articles or references for this particular gig, anything that is missing, please do let us know.
Chris Knowles
The Essential Clash Bootleg Bible
includes this gig
Italy to New York
When The Clash landed at JFK airport in New York on the night of the 25th May 1981 they had no idea that their residency at a Broadway nightclub would create such a furore and nationwide media coverage that it became a pivotal event in their assault on America, helping to propel them into the major league Stateside. As Kosmo Vinyl has succinctly put it, “People who didn’t have straight trousers and short hair suddenly knew who we were. It got out - it was big!”. The Bonds concerts became one of the most enduring aspects of the Clash legend. ... more ...
Arrival
A collection of articles covering the bands arrival into New York including previews of the week. Also includes the WNEW preview broacast with Meg Griffin.
Ticket Fiasco
Numerous articles and audio and video reports covering the ticket fiasco.
Bonds News Reports
Audio and video reports covering the ticket fiasco. Fascinating watching / listening that captures those three days well. Includes notes.
Residency
The remainder of the press coverage once the bad had agreed to ensure all ticket holders got in by adding 8 more dates.
Photos - PDF 42mb
All randon phonts bundled here.
Adverts, posters and sundry
Bits and pieces inclduying all adverts and posters.
Comments
Comments for those who attended one of the gigs
Italy to New York
When The Clash landed at JFK airport in New York on the night of the 25th May 1981 they had no idea that their residency at a Broadway nightclub would create such a furore and nationwide media coverage that it became a pivotal event in their assault on America, helping to propel them into the major league Stateside. As Kosmo Vinyl has succinctly put it, “People who didn’t have straight trousers and short hair suddenly knew who we were. It got out - it was big!”. The Bonds concerts became one of the most enduring aspects of the Clash legend
WNEW Bonds week
Prior to The Clash's arrival WNEW FM ran a Bonds Week with Meg Griffin. It includes an intro to the Clash at Bonds week with a montage of old interviews and Clash tracks
Listen again here:
Bonds News Reports
28 May - 30 May 81 - updated 5 Jan 2009When the probelms started on the 29th at the venue the news media decsended and there s both audio and video circulating that captures those few hectic days.Audio: 30 mins of TV and Radio interviews, news and commentary.
Video: The Clash - News Reports about Bond's Casino Shows - June 1981
Video - Clash on Broadway Reels -
"all the original reels have been found and are now with Sony. UPDATE1 The footage the footage that was found is very expensive to transfer. Don hasn't yet ID'd the film boxes (03/2015). UPDATE2 On the Facebook page dedicated to the summer 1981 Nyc residence, from one Kevin Bud Jones that was hired by Don Letts to help shout ing The Clash on Broadway docufilm:"We shot one complete show with multiple cameras and a 24 track mobile recorder. We also shot most of every show with one camera and in house 8 track recording. The band wore the same gear every night and Topper was such a consistent drummer - and the band well rehearsed - that we were able to build edits from different nights with no trouble at all." (03/2015)"There are around 36 tapes in all, each of which would cost at least £500 per tape to transfer (the prohibitive cost is why the filmakers didn't have this material transferred at the time) - it's on a rare early video format called EIAJ. Sam
Facebook The same guy who posted that also wrote this in the comments (bold emphasis mine):
"We shot one complete show with multiple cameras and a 24 track mobile recorder. We also shot most of every show with one camera and in house 8 track recording. The band wore the same gear every night and Topper was such a consistent drummer - and the band well rehearsed - that we were able to build edits from different nights with no trouble at all." "Sadly - we never shot the opening acts. We started the gig with the intention of doing a six song DVD EP - not a full scale documentary. Shooting expanded as the story expanded and the shows stretched on."
"We were not making a concert movie per se - and my part in the post production ended when the material left the US after doing the Combat Rock video which John shot in Texas." All of this makes me wonder where all that footage is and why they haven't done a long form concert video or if they will at some point. I mean, a whole show in multi-camera, 24 track?! I can't imagine that kind of thing just inadvertently gets lost.
I'm sure there is way more about this that is known that I am not aware of. I think I've read that lots of footage has been lost but I don't know any details about that. Concert movies have been constructed from way less (The Doors Hollywood Bowl for one, I expect there are more).Found in London garage 2006 - handed to SonyThere are around 36 tapes in all, each of which would cost at least £500 per tape to transfer (the prohibitive cost is why we didn't have this material transferred at the time) - it's on a rare early video format called EIAJ.
From - I saw the Clash at Bonds play at Bonds - Facebook page
My partner John Hazard and I were fortunate enough to be hired by Don Letts and The Clash to produce and shoot the documentary of Bonds and beyond that is the Clash on Broadway film featured at the end of Westway to the World. What started out as a one week shoot to get six songs live in the can became a year of our lives. The video for This Is Radio Clash was a lift from the 10 minute trailer for the unfinished film that we shot on 16mm and went all the way to a 35mm blowup to show potential distributors. Needless to say - the project was never completed as the band disassembled after Combat Rock. Clash on Broadway is the rough cut we had finished by the time to project was wrapped and went back to the UK.
We shot one complete show with multiple cameras and a 24 track mobile recorder. We also shot most of every show with one camera and in house 8 track recording. The band wore the same gear every night and Topper was such a consistent drummer - and the band well rehearsed - that we were able to build edits from different nights with no trouble at all.Sadly - we never shot the opening acts. We started the gig with the intention of doing a six song DVD EP - not a full scale documentary. Shooting expanded as the story expanded and the shows stretched on.Q. How come we've never seen the release of the entire show?
We were not making a concert movie per se - and my part in the post production ended when the material left the US after doing the Combat Rock video which John shot in Texas.
For all video, it is presumed that significant footage comes from the first night but it is also highly likely it came from other nights.
Clash On Broadway - 19:50
The Clash / Sound System box setIt is not clear which of these comes from which night?London Calling (first night?)
This Is Radio Clash (Tom Snyder show)
The Magnificent Seven (Tom Snyder show)
Guns Of Brixton (first night?)
Safe European Home (first night?)
A good listing of the contents of the The Clash's Sound System box set can be found here.
WNEW Bonds week
Prior to The Clash's arrival, WNEW FM ran a Bonds Week with Meg Griffin. It includes an intro to the Clash at Bonds week with a montage of old interviews and Clash tracks
Listen again here:
Bonds News Reports - 28 May - 30 May 81 - updated 5 Jan 2009
When the problems started on the 29th at the venue the news media decsended and there s both audio and video circulating that captures those few hectic days.Audio: 30 mins of TV and Radio interviews, news and commentary.
For full listing go here
Video: The Clash - News Reports about Bond's Casino Shows - June 1981
Video - Clash on Broadway Reels -
For a full details on video from the opening shows go to the 28th
For information on the Clash on Broadway reels go here
Private Super8mm film footage of the rucus outside Bonds
Someone had a video camera aand has more and better footage from outside.
Press Conference - "See out"
Would like the full press conference.
Video from Bonds
1. Essential Clash DVD
cut down version of CoB from Westway but with unseeen angles and clips. Includes an edited London Calling [audio is unmixed pro recording from 9th].
2. Westway to the World BONUS footage DVD
Includes nearly full tracks of - London Calling [Trick of Treat audio] - Guns of Brixton [dubbed partly] Safe European Home [dubbed with studio single] - Charlie Don't Surf [original sound but from mixing desk] - Radio Clash [original sound but from mixing desk]. Also includes a mash up of a lot of footage from New York and outside Bonds such as the riot.
3. video - press conference, backstage, 16 Tons play on, London Calling nearly full [probably the same length as Westway? but the sound plays on to a montage of NYC/Clash pictures]. The sound is remixed from [Trick or Treat bootleg] radio broadcast from the 9th June as Westway. 5.38min
4. MTV Rockumentary is same as Westway/Clash on TV/Essential DVD but with only very edited clips of the press conference and London Calling. Nothing new except a couple of comments form Mick and Paul.
Tom Snyder show NTV
The complete Clash appearance circulates on Clash On TV Vol.1 in very good quality (apart from some ghosting) from a TV rebroadcast (better than the YouTube broadcast below). For many years Clash fans had made do with very poor quality video copies of this important Clash footage.
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