updated 25 December 2008 - punters comments added
updated 18 May 2010 - full tape review

Photo courtesy of Pat Richardson

Audio 1 -
Sound 2 - 74min - unknown gen - tracks 20

Somebody Got Murdered

The only circulating recording is of unknown generation but it’s probably been copied several times at least. The master must be a very decent stereo-miked audience recording - can anyone provide an upgrade?

The sound deficiencies do not ruin though the enjoyment of the performance and the energy and atmosphere in the Convention Hall, packed with Clash fans comes through. Certainly not an essential Clash boot but one worth having nevertheless.

Vocals are clearest and Joe is in pumped up form throughout. Bass is blurred but there just. Guitar’s OK but drums ironically as it’s Terry first gig of his return are the poorest so it’s hard to judge his performance.

Sound dips significantly after an edit in Bankrobber. 

Looking back 17 odd years after the event, Joe's regret at his part in the sacking of Topper still hurt badly. ìI donít think we played a good gig after Topper was firedî he said bitterly. When pressed he conceded there was maybe one good gig at Asbury Park! Many thousands of people who saw The Clash post Topper would no doubt disagree with Joe but thanks to recordings circulating from all 3 of the nights from Asbury Park (just days after Topper's sacking) we can compare our judgement with that of Strummerís!

The performance on the 29th is memorable, the band responding to a wildly enthusiastic audience of their East coast fans and perhaps it is this night Joe remembered as he was taken to hospital after it when a firecracker exploded on his leg (bringing the gig to a premature end). That would make the night, stick in his memory!

Listening to the recordings from the 3 nights though it would be nice to think that Joe remembered the gig of the 31st as it is an exceptional performance (particularly from him) and luckily is captured on an excellent master audience recording.

Up the hill backwards

Topper was fired at a band meeting the day after they returned from Lochem on Friday 21^st May. Accounts differ as to whether Lochem was a final test and also whether the sacking was final or whether there was a way back in if he sorted himself out. For the press the reason given was “a difference of opinion over the political direction the band will be taking” Topper was said to be taking time out before deciding his future. 

A day after the sacking Clash convert, Charles Shaar Murray was called in for an exclusive for the NME. See link Up The Hill Backwards. Joe kept the reasons for Topper’s departure vague saying it was Topper’s choice.   Topper has said that until Joe later let it slip to a journalist the real reason for his sacking, he was not an intravenous drug user, but after that his addiction nosed dived out of control.

Joe explained the reasons for him going AWOL, or at least those reasons he was willing to give at the time. Mick’s response with a fixed stare, “Well I felt that anything Joe does is all right” The plan was to continue as a trio with guest drummers as required. Joe; “..we're going to go over to New Jersey and start a four-and-a-half week American tour, and then we're going to come back here and do the British tour that we should have done before - that's if we can find a drummer. After that we don't have any plans." Mick ; "After that, we all disappear!"

The Return of Mr Terry Chimes

Common sense would suggest that with US Tour commitments a few days away the rest of the band would not have sacked Topper without a replacement lined up, and this was Topper’s view. However this was The Clash (!) and Terry interviewed by Chris Salewicz (for the excellent Redemption Song) was adamant that he first heard of it when Bernie contacted him on 24th May, 5 days before the first Asbury gig. In the previous 5 years Terry had played with several bands including Generation X and been a session musician. 

He met with Bernie, who was typically anything but straightforward and Terry said to give him a few hours to make a decision. Phoning Mick to help him make the decision he was told Bernie deals with business! Terry agreed to do the tour but as Mick anticipated he had none of their albums. Twenty five songs needed to be learnt in a few days and Paul was already in the States so rehearsals were with Joe on guitar and Mick on bass. Terry wrote down the drum parts on paper and had them stuck in front of him so he could look at them whilst playing!

Alex Michon  

Bernie was in the process of opening an office for The Clash on West 26th Street and Broadway in NYC. Alex Michon was there to work on designs for a clothing business and with Paul developed new stage outfits with camouflage designs and Vietnam era military styling. These designs were years ahead of their time (today Gap flog camouflage trousers at inflated prices!) but at the time they were cutting edge indeed prior to the Asbury Park shows they were reportedly mistaken for British soldiers on the way to the Falklands War!

Joe in response to criticism of preoccupation with visual style reflected “I think you have to come up with some kind of glamour. You are stepping on stage after all, you are putting on a show…I don’t think we’d have got across to as many people if we’d just worn cable knit jumpers and baggy corduroy librarian trousers”

Baker had quit in solidarity with Topper so Ray Jordan was now one of the few remaining familiar faces among the Clash support staff. 

A listen to the recordings of the three nights confirms Digby Cleaver’s (Mick’s guitar tech.) view “We were winging it, seriously winging it. The fact that the others were so good covered up for the fact that Terry wasn’t particularly let’s say anyone who’d seen us with Topper would notice the difference”

Terry’s return though appears to have re-galvanised the band as the performances are all very committed. They had to rally together to carry Terry through these first shows and perhaps a return to the first album line up helped too. The animosities and disagreements would soon return but at Asbury Park the band were reinvigorated.  

We can only wonder what Terry’s thoughts were when he saw the Convention Hall audience and compared it to his last gig with the band at The Harlesden Coliseum in March 1977! A study of the set lists though debunks largely the myth that these first shows were heavily slanted to the first album to help Terry.

Thanks to Pat Richardson for supplying the 3 photos from the gig.

A comment on the support act ;’I went to some shows in Asbury Park and this awful group "Pulsalamma" was the opener. It was about 10 girls who blew into bottles and played washing boards while screeching. That's not entertainment’.

Cover of Programme for Pulsalama
(same artist that did New Jersey March 7 1980)
Venue: On The Boardwalk at Asbury Park, Convention Hall
Date: May 29, 30 and 31, 1982
Quality: No program; Cover art.
copyright Moyssi -
for further info and purchase got to http://www.moyssi.com/

Recording begins as the intro music fades and Strummer announces  “London Calling to the faraway towns” Despite their 5 days of practice with Terry, there are new variations in the arrangements to a number of songs including the intro to London Calling. Joe is in strong voice and focussed adding an edge to the performances tonight, which cover over the understandably wobbly nature of Terry’s contribution.

Second song unusually is Police & Thieves. The band are energised and committed, the song sounds fresh and Mick’s guitar work is strong. Again there’s the new “drop out” dub mid section but it’s not an extended instrumental as earlier at Lochem and Hong Kong. Paul’s plays a short bass solo section before the band come back in. Some tape drop-outs lose much of the left channel at the end of the song and Terry’s contribution sounds plodding and unimaginative.

“Good to see your faces again - would you please welcome on the drum kit Mr Terry Chimes” says Joe before Train in Vain; the audience clapping along. Next it’s the first live outing for Car Jamming. Early on you can hear a loud bang as a firecracker goes off, then a hush in the audience but the band carry on with Joe’s vocals delayed a few seconds before he comes in; now even more fired up! A later firecracker in the encores would burn Joe’s leg curtailing the show so he could get hospital treatment. It sounds raw and hard guitar dominated and a little rough but has plenty of energy and commitment.

“Career Opportunities the ones that never knock” Fast and hard; the band sound together and determined to make a success post Topper. “The following is a public service announcement - with guitar” Know Your Rights now has the Combat Rock intro and the reference to the aristocrat Lord Lucan, who disappeared after the murder of his maid (and no trace has ever been found!)

It’s a fine performance the lyrics refined and re-recorded for Glyn Johns an improvement over the original Rat Patrol and live versions; the song though again dissolves out abruptly without any proper ending. 

Terry not surprisingly struggles most with the more improvisatory songs like Magnificent Seven (that Topper excelled with). It’s again very committed, a big improvement on Lochem the “guitar city” bridge again has a funky riff section from Mick, the band then pause, Terry gives two thumps then the band then build it up to the crescendo drum ending. Not bad though for 5 days practice!

Ghetto Defendant debuted at Lochem next followed by “Mick’s gonna begin” and the band launch into a fired up Clash City Rockers. Getting the vibe from the equally pumped up audience Joe quips “Well I think we’re reading for some music” and the band blast through Janie Jones.

After an edit which may have lost some songs the tape continues with Should I Stay Or Should I Go, - now as per the album version with Joe’s cod Spanish, whoops and cries; adding to the song which still here sounds fresh. The “round the back…” lyrics gone.

Joe apparently reading a note says; “Be quiet please I’m trying to concentrate! Lord, Lord it says here, I got the sickness blues so I must have done something wrong. This is from Larry Ross, you’re biggest fan. This is from Vince Taylor who hates our guts!” and the band tear into Brand New Cadillac. Mick adds new variations on the lead guitar lines, their music still changing not yet stagnating. 

Terry’s drumming on Bankrobber is unimaginative and plodding but Joe’s urgent vocals and Mick’s guitar fills make up for it, the audience sing along. An edit loses

the last third of the song it restarts with sadly much poorer sound with Somebody Got Murdered. Tape not seated, twisted or similar, sound now flatter with distortion.

“OK we’re gonna try and rock the casbah!” First live Rock The Casbah is fast paced and Mick’s lead guitar sound is different from the album version. Mick was experimenting at Asbury with different guitars and effects with decidedly mixed results. Despite the level of under rehearsal the song sounds fresh, Joe’s really involved and Mick joins him on the choruses.

“Jacko, the light switch, Jacko!,yeah” and the band go into a slow leaden intro to Complete Control before Joe finally comes in adding his energy and the performance picks up, he adlibs (not clear) over Mick’s lead guitar over the ending. Clampdown up until now had always been a set highlight and a showcase for Topper’s drumming talents. Terry though slows it down and it lacks any drumming finesse; but to be fair he did only have 5 days to learn it!  Mick does not help though and at the adlibbed Three Mile Island point he adds strange distorted guitar effects (underwater sounds!). Usually his guitar playing at this point adds to and complements Joe’s adlibs but not here. Joe’s adlibs are unclear but include “drinking vodka on Capitol Hill ..like a Swiss Cheese ..we ain’t got no ‘59 Chevy wheels falling off !” It almost breaks down at one point Terry unable to  hold it together like Topper when the band improvise. “Let there be drums” orders Joe but lo there were none! Terry just thumps away; the realisation of their error in sacking Topper must have been very apparent at this point!

Very unusually the encores begin with Guns of Brixton, the tape running slow and Paul’s voice is distorted. I Fought The Law is also poor lacking any teeth; Topper had always given it the explosive crescendo intro but here Terry painfully never gets there! 

An edit restarts with the intro to Straight To Hell, another firecracker goes off mid song but does not stop Joe but at the end of the song the band leave the stage. After a long pause and edit Kosmo announces “Hello, The firework .. hit Joe on the leg and took part of his leg away! So there won’t be anymore tonight, see you tomorrow!”

2x photos courtesy of Tony Russell

Photo courtesy of Pat Richardson

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

I went to some shows in Asbury Park and this awful group "Pulsalamma" was the opener. It wasabout 10 girls who blew into bottles and played washing boards while screetching. That's not entertainment.

John Shipley I was there for all 3 shows also!! My car was in the shop so I rented one. I took 3 different friends on all 3 different nights. A 410 mile round-trip from Hanover, PA to Asbury Park, NJ each night. A total of 1230 miles to see the Greatest Band in All of the Land in ONE weekend! I was exhausted on the last trip home & almost fell asleep on the NJ Turnpike. Pulled over for about an hour's nap before I headed home. Gotta love my girlfriend at the time who let me do this when she wanted to spend that weekend with me. Days with her, CLASH By Night!

The Asbury Park Convention Hall is a 3,600-seat indoor exhibition center located on the boardwalk and on the beach in Asbury Park, New Jersey. The outside of the venue appears in the cable TV rushes from the 30th May video. Built between 1928 and 1930 it is used for sports, concerts and other special events. Adjacent to the Convention Hall is the Paramount Theatre; both are connected by a Grand Arcade. Both structures are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

This portion, which would be christened "Convention Hall", extended 215 feet over the beach and the waterline, and was supported by steel encased concrete pilings. Rock and roll has been a mainstay at Convention Hall since the 1950s. On June 30, 1956, a concert by Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers at the Hall ended prematurely when a fistfight in the audience erupted into a full scale riot. Three people were stabbed and then-Mayor Roland J. Hines threatened a city-wide ban on rock and roll performances. In the mid-1960s, promoter Moe Septee started booking rock acts at Convention Hall, including some bands who would go on to achieve legendary status. Between 1965 and 1975, Septee booked The Beach Boys, James Brown, The Byrds, Ray Charles, The Dave Clark Five, The Doors, The J. Geils Band, Herman’s Hermits, Janis Joplin, Otis Redding, The Temptations, Pink Floyd, and The Who, among many others, including the Rolling Stones; who Joe jokes about on the 30th. It has of course a long connection with Bruce Springsteen.Concerts at Convention Hall continued even after Septee's retirement up to the present day.