Bonds Residency Allen Ginsberg makes an appearance
Three weeks & 17 gigs that shook up New York and America.

List of support acts

last updated 19 Feb 02

Audio 1 - DAT master
Sound 4 - 1hr 53mins - 23 tracks

The Magnificent Seven

Hits 3LP - boot LP
Update, can't locate a copy.

Capitol Air - Holy Soul Jelly Roll- Ginsberg 1993 Box Set - Soundboard - Sound 4+ -time 6.08 mins

Two audience recordings circulate, without a doubt the best is direct from the audience DAT master. It is significantly less distant than the majority of this tapers other Bonds recordings; vocals are clearer and more ‘in your face’, drums are similar to the other recordings, bass is again blurred and largely buried, but both guitars are clearer and better detailed. Certainly one of the most enjoyable sounds of the Bonds audience recordings.

A second source circulates as ‘Clash Will Play!’ This source begins with the complete Morricone intro (unlike the better source which has only the last few seconds). It’s from an unknown generation; at least 1st gen but is probably several copies off the master. There is more shouting and talking near the taper on this one. The sound is mainly left channel and thin with significant hiss. Spanish Bombs is placed out of sequence. There are several edits, which lose the end of songs.

Much of this gig has also been booted on the Hits 3LP. The sound quality on this early vinyl bootleg is poor.

Whatever was bugging Joe Strummer so evidently on the night before when the pro-recordings were made had been resolved by the time he took the stage on the 10th. The result was a superior performance, one of the best Bonds shows and while the 9th show somewhat fizzled out with only one encore which ended with Washington Bullets, tonight there’s two excellent encores ending with a manic White Riot. Thankfully one of the best Bonds audience recordings captured the concert in its entirety making this one of the best Bonds bootlegs to own. There’s also the considerable added bonus of Beat poet legend Allen Ginsberg.

Allen Ginsberg, The Clash and Capitol Air

Some background info on Allen Ginsberg:

He was born in 1926 into a Jewish family in Newark, New Jersey. His father was a poet and his mother (who was affected by epileptic seizures and mental illnesses such as paranoia) was an active member of the Communist Party USA and often took Ginsberg and his brother Eugene to party meetings. Ginsberg later said that his mother "Made up bedtime stories that all went something like: 'The good king rode forth from his castle, saw the suffering workers and healed them.'"

As a teenager, Ginsberg began to write letters to The New York Times about political issues such as World War II and workers' rights. When he was a junior in high school, he accompanied his mother by bus to her therapist. The trip disturbed Ginsberg and he later described it, along with his relationship with his mother, in his long autobiographical poem Kaddish for Naomi Ginsberg (1894-1956).

In 1949 Ginsberg entered Columbia University on a scholarship from the Young Men's Hebrew Association of Paterson. In his freshman year he met fellow undergraduate Lucien Carr, who introduced him to a number of future Beat writers including Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs, and John Clellon Holmes. Carr also introduced Ginsberg to Neal Cassady, one of the many that Ginsberg loved. Kerouac later described the meeting between Ginsberg and Cassady in the first chapter of his 1957 novel On the Road.

Ginsberg's principal work, "Howl", is well-known to many for its opening line: "I saw the best minds of my generation destroyed by madness". It was considered scandalous at the time of publication due to the rawness of the language, which is frequently explicit. Ginsberg's leftist and generally anti-establishment politics attracted the attention of the FBI, who regarded Ginsberg as a major security threat.

In 1954 Ginsberg met Peter Orlovsky, a young man of 21 with whom he fell in love and who remained his life-long lover, and with whom he eventually shared his interest in Tibetan Buddhism. Later in his life, Ginsberg formed a bridge between the Beat movement of the 1950s and the hippies of the 1960s, befriending, among others, Timothy Leary, Gregory Corso, Bob Kaufman, Herbert Huncke, Rod McKuen, and Bob Dylan. Ginsberg died of cancer on April 5, 1997.

Ginsberg explained in his own words how he came to be on stage at Bonds with The Clash:

"I was listening to a lot of punk, and I'd heard about The Clash from Steven Taylor. I went backstage once at their 17-night gig at Bonds Club on Times Square and Joe Strummer said, "We've had somebody say a few words about Nicaragua and Salvador and Central America but the kids are throwing eggs and tomatoes at 'im. Would you like to try?" I said, "I don't know about making a speech, but I've got a punk song about that." Simple chords, we rehearsed it five minutes and got it together.

They led me onstage at the beginning of their second set, and we launched right into the guitar clang. It's punk in ethos and rhythmic style for abrupt pogo-dancing, jumping up and down, but elegant in the sense of having specific political details. First stanza drags a little, but there's one point where we all get together for two verses, an anthem like punk song. Only one tape exists, taken off the board. They gave me a copy and it's been sitting around all these years like a little toy. Later we worked together, and I sang a bit on their Combat Rock; also tinkered with Strummer's lyrics.

He expanded further in an interview;

HK:   I know you worked with The Clash on 'Combat Rock.' How did 'Capitol Air' come together, incorporated in this box set? I debuted it on KLOS-FM when I did a radio interview 2 years ago and the phone lines lit up as if somebody won the lotto.

AG:   Well, it's an accident. I wondered into a place called Bonds, which at that time was a big (couple of thousand people) club in New York. The Clash at the time had a 17 night run, and I knew the sound engineer, who brought me backstage to introduce me and Joe Strummer took one look at me and said, 'Ginsberg, when are you going to run for President?' And then he said there was some guy that we've had trying to talk to the kids about Sandinistas and about Latin American policy and politics, but they're not listening.

They are throwing eggs or tomatoes at him. 'Can you go out and talk?’ I said, 'Speech, no, but I have a little punk song that I wrote that begins, "I don't like the government where I live. . ."' So, we rehearsed it for about five minutes during their intermission break and then they took me out on stage. 'Allen Ginsberg is going to sing.' And so we improvised it. I gave them the chord changes.

It gets kind of Clash-like good anthem, like music about the middle, but they trail off again. The guy, who was my friend in the soundboard, mixed my voice real loud so the kids could hear, and so there was a nice reaction, because they could hear common sense being said in the song. You can hear the cheers on the record. I wrote 'Capitol Air' in 1980, recorded with The Clash live, in 1981 or '82.

'Capitol Air' was written coming back from Yugoslavia, oddly enough from a tour of Eastern Europe, realizing that the police bureaucracies in America and in Eastern Europe were the same, mirror images of each other finally. The climactic stanza 'No Hope Communism, No Hope capitalism'. Yea, 'Everybody is lying on both sides.' We didn't play the whole cut because we didn't have enough time, but they built up to a kind of crescendo, which was nice when the whole band came in.

A recording of Capital Air was included on the 1993 CD box set Holy Soul Jelly Roll: Poems and Songs 1949-1993 http://www.glasspages.org/holysoul.html

It is now out of print but would appear to have been from the soundboard. The recording does circulate though and as Ginsberg explained in the interview the sound man turned up his vocals and the band are heard but very much in the background. Although the vocals are clearer the audience recording in many ways is preferable; it has more atmosphere and a crisper more enjoyable sound.

Ginsberg did not sing these lines on stage, (details of the performance in The Gig section later)

Truth may be hard to find but Falsehood's easy
Read between the lines our Imperialism is sleazy
But if you think the People's State is your Heart's Desire
Jump right back in the frying pan from the fire.

The best source begins with the last 30 seconds of the intro after which Joe says, “Good evening” and the band launch into London Calling. Joe is perhaps too keen tonight coming in too early with the first line. Mick’s solo is clear and effective. Joe sounds fired up and enjoying himself and intro’s Safe European Home with “Hey listen this is biography!” The ending goes on too long but it’s an intense and powerful performance.

The Leader is followed by Joe screaming “Train .. all aboard!” Both guitars are very clear and the audience roar their approval for a strong Train In Vain clapping along. The band are brilliantly tight and together tonight.

Mick’s guitar playing is again terrific tonight with Joe acknowledging the fact over the ending of White Man In Hammersmith Palais; as Mick lays down some great guitar Joe says “That’s nice, lets keep it going…Yes so I went to the dance to see Dillinger..”

“All right then now are the instruments prepared” is Joe’s intro to an excellent Radio Clash. Mick adds his effects whilst Joe adds some extra lines including “going to Europe, fasten your seatbelts, extinguish cigarettes” A good indicator that all is well in the Clash camp tonight is the inclusion of Joe’s favourite Spanish Bombs, only played once before at Bonds. Mick’s great lead playing is very clear and he plays variations on the melody. There is a minor tape wear drop out near the end. The audience are loud, lively and enthusiastic.

Guns of Brixton is again terrific with Mick playing ‘backwards guitar’ over an extended building intro. Like many of the later Bonds shows there’s less of the extended song improvisations present in the earlier shows but as here they are certainly no less enjoyable for that. The Call Up next is powerful and tight with Topper adding a marching beat mid song and Joe shouts “Nagasaki” at the end.

Bankrobber is excellent again tonight with Joe adding, “never been in Alcatraz”. The consistency and quality of The Clash’s performances over the whole mammoth 17 shows at Bonds is remarkable.

Mick plays a terrific solo on Complete Control, which again is a highlight of the Bonds shows. An edit near the end reprises a few seconds. Lighting Strikes is supertight and very enjoyable. Mick adds his effects over an improvised mid section. Ivan Meets GI Joe is followed by one of tonight’s highlights a terrific
Charlie Don’t Surf. Whilst the band produce on the intro an alternative soundtrack for Coppola to use on Apocalypse Now Joe intones “Yeah, this is Radio Saigon on 575FM band, traces of fun but lets talk about the waste. Approaching LXZ, beware the red flare, beware the red flare! ..Hello, come in please, come in, call the medivac” Eventually Mick plays the melody line, and the song proper starts but there’s more improvisation and some great guitar work from Mick. Over the ending Joe sings, “Charlie don’t surf, Charlie don’t work, Charlie don’t fight, Charlie got a wristwatch made out of Saigon gold”.

Topper starts the drum intro to Magnificent Seven too early then stops abruptly for Joe to shout “Don’t you ever stop long enough to get that car outta that gear” then the band crash in as planned. It’s another excellent performance of this song, which is so powerful and different in its live incarnation. Joe adlibs early on “Hey boss, kiss your shoes, I’ll do anything” Topper finally brings the song to an end after Joe adds his “fuckin’ long in it” comment.

Broadway next is tight, together and very effective. “Do you think I need spectacles?” shouts Joe before Somebody Got Murdered and maybe there’s a problem in the audience as the band play the longest ever intro to Somebody Got Murdered that goes on and on! The crowd roar their approval at the end of another powerful performance. Next it’s straight into Police and Thieves the twin guitar interplay clear and effective. Topper plays some different fills mid song as the song drops down to drum and bass before Mick and Joe come back in and the band build up to a crescendo. The ending is just missing one of Joe’s inspired rants but it’s a very enjoyable performance.

“1-2-3-4” screams Mick and the band explode into the main set closing climax of Clampdown. Mick voice sounds different; bitter and sincere as he sings “…the best years of your life…” lines. A few lines get jumbled up and repeated early on but the song builds and builds powerfully. The band conjure up a powerful onslaught of sound, an aural equivalent of the melt down Joe then rants about in Classic Strummer style “So you don’t wanna come underground, we’re going 500 feet down, 500 feet, What we gonna do there!? Don’t ask no more questions, son! Where’s my Geiger counter! and they’re working for the clampdown”

The first encore begins with an announcement from Joe “Yeah we something never before seen and never likely to again either! Welcome President Ginsberg, come on Ginsberg!” There is a pause when Joe is just heard to say “Let it rip, give me an A” and then the audience cheers as Ginsberg launches into his own rant at the state of the world; Capitol Air

I don’t like the Government where I live,
I don’t like dictatorship of the rich,
I don’t like bureaucrats telling me what to eat,
I don’t like Police dogs sniffing around my feet,
I don’t like communist censorship of my books,
I don’t like Marxist’s complaining about my looks(?)
I don’t like Castro insulting members of my sex, leftists insisting we got the holy fix,
I don’t like capitalists selling me gasoline coke, multinationals burning
Amazon trees to smoke, big corporations take over media mind,
I don’t like the copper barons(?) that are robbing Guatamala banks blind
I don’t like KGB gulag concentration camps,
I don’t like the Maoists Cambodian death dance,
15 million were killed by Stalin, Secretary of Terror, he has killed our own red revolution forever,
I don’t like anarchists screaming love is free,
I don’t like the CIA they killed John Kennedy, paranoid tanks sit in Prague and
Hungary but I don’t like counter revolution paid for by the CIA, tyranny in Turkey or Korea 1980,
I don’t like right wing death squad democracy, Police state Iran, Nicaraqua yesterday, laissez faire governments place secret police over me,
I don’t like communism don’t like capitalism, everybody lying on both sides it’s a joke,
The bloody iron curtain of American military power is the mad mirror image of Russia’s red rebel(?) power, no hope communism no hope capitalism yeah,
Everybody’s lying on both sides yeah,yeah,yeah,
The bloody iron curtain of American military power is the mad mirror image of Russia’s red rebel(?) power,
Jesus Christ was spotless but was crucified by the mob, law and order Herod’s hired soldiers did the job,
Flower power is fine but innocence has got no protection
The moral of this song is that the world is in a horrible place, scientific industry devours the human race, Police in every country armed with Tear gas and TV
The man who shot John Lennon had a hero worshipper’s connection,
Secret masters everywhere bureaucasize for you and me, aware, aware wherever you are, no fear, trust your heart, don’t ride your paranoia dear(?) pray together with an ordinary mind armed with humour and?
Enlighten all mankind”

The band do their best to play along but its mainly Joe’s rhythm and Topper’s crescendo beat that holds it together with Mick adding guitar later in the song. Ginsberg’s delivery is unique and effective and the whole performance is very enjoyable. The lyrics of course could have been written for The Clash, and it’s doubtful the band would have disagreed with any of it. This joint affinity would of course develop into their collaboration on Ghetto Defendant.

“What do call that!” says Joe before the band go into One More Time which suffers from an abrupt edit early on, but which loses a few seconds only. The sound quality dips but soon improves. A good but not inspired performance.

Brand New Cadillac is terrific though the band tease around with the intro before exploding into it. Joe is fired up and intense.

After Ginsberg’s take on the world next its Joe’s with Washington Bullets. It’s a harder and heavier than the album version with great guitar work from Mick who sings along with Joe. When Joe shouts the by now usual “El Salvador” there is no speaker from El Salvador just a great solo from Mick. Topper then takes it straight into an intense, very fast Janie Jones which ends with a great stressed “This is NOT Budweiser talking!”

The second encore is equally as excellent as the first. Armagideon Time has lots of vocal effects from Joe to complement Mick’s electronic variety. “New York’s Burning “ screams Joe, and he name checks Queens and South Bronx in an intense performance and further adlibs in classic Strummer style over the ending. Topper then takes it straight into an incendiary really fast White Riot. There’s no reticence from Mick who sings along and Joe’s on fire, bringing an excellent gig to an end with a suitably intense finale.

Did you go? What do you remember?
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London Calling Safe European Home The Leader Train in Vain White Man This is Radio Clash Spanish Bombs Guns of Brixton The Call Up Bankrobber Complete Control Lighting Strikes Ivan Meets GI Joe Charlie Dont Surf The Magnificent Seven Broadway Somebody Got Murdered Police and Thieves Clampdown Capital Air One More Time Brand New Cadillac Washington Bullets Janie Jones Armagideon Time London's Burning White Riot

To read all the news reports from Bonds including video and audio chronologically in one thread.

1. Background

2. Bonds Residency

3. The Clash arriving in New York
and the build up

4. News Reports video and audio

5. The Ticket Fiasco

6. The remainder of the residency

7. History of Bonds
longer history of Bonds & images

8. Posters and adverts

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.

If you know any please let us know