Support: The (English) Beat

updated 15 Sept 2012 - added full review

Audio 1 -
Sound 3 - 1hr 32mins - very low gen - tracks 24

Wrong 'Em Boyo

One audience recording circulates which is complete and good quality. The source posted on DIME is stated as being of unknown origin but from the crispness of the sound is from either the master or very close to it. It suffers from distance, minimal bass, some distortion and a lack of range. However, it has plenty of detail, a good guitar sound and is a very atmospheric recording; the taper in amongst the very lively Palladium audience which adds not detracts from the enjoyment. Not as good a recording as the 18^th but not far behind at all.   

Graham i found this while working on Nirvana recordings

He apparently taped audience masters of 6/19/82, 10/29/82 and 5/28/83 audience master of the US festival without the annoying cut would be nice what about the other 2, are they circulating?

The fifth and final night of The Clash’s residency at the Hollywood Palladium: a decent audience recording and a performance that at least matches that of the 18^th. The band bang out song after song with little between song chat or improvisation but tight, energised, committed performances that prove there was indeed life in The Clash with Terry on the drum riser. Well worth seeking out.

The recording starts with the Morricone intro with the shrieks, whistles and cheers of the audience as the band come on stage. “Good afternoon” says Joe, (reflecting the band’s nocturnal habits rather than the GMT time presumably!) and the band kick into London Calling. Joe is in good voice or rather growl and the guitars are clear. Spanish Bombs is unusually the second song followed by Clash City Rockers; tight, energetic and committed as are almost all the performances this night.

Guns of Brixton is enjoyable with inventive lead guitar. A quick bass swop and the audience clap along enthusiastically to Train In Vain. “Let’s hear you sing it now” requests Joe before Bankrobber. “Lights can see you all now..please welcome Mr Terry Chimes on the drum kit” There is then an odd start to Magnificent Seven ; is there a mix up with Mick and Terry, does Terry think its Know Your Rights or something else? Is it meant to be a new intro? Either way it’s a unique Mag 7! After 30 seconds or so it goes into the usual arrangement and a strong performance. Know Your Rights is next; strong and tight. Then Joe in a rare chat with the audience says “All the gamblers in the audience, put your money down, take your bets 10 to1 we won’t get through this next number, this is entitled the Wrong Em Boyo. Mick is into his playing tonight (decreasingly so as the year goes on) and plays around effectively with the intro. 

Terry thumps a start followed by splintering guitar intro-ing a good Junco Partner. “OK you lot need some help here..” Joe’s in good voice on Rock The Casbah, the band pumped up and Mick’s guitar work very effective too. End of first side of the C90 original tape.

Somebody Got Murdered has a longer than usual crescendo intro. Joe’s entrance as always adds drama and edge. A tight and effective Brand New Cadillac goes into Should I Stay Or Should I Go; which goes down especially well.

Energy levels are maintained with Career Opportunities and then Safe European Home. The shouted 1-2, 1-2-3-4 from Mick is once again the signal for the band to slam into Clampdown. This had been dropped from this tours lack lustre performances and coincidence or not this is certainly a much more exciting, enjoyable performance of this main set closer and previously consistent gig highlight. Mick’s lead guitar is clear and effective and Joe adlibs at length; sadly largely indecipherable,”…pulling the trigger, bang, Watch this space for further details”

The recording continues as audience scream and clap for more. The first 

encore starts with Mick’s ‘clang’ and echo effects guitar intro to Ghetto Defendant. The song then segues midway into Armagideon Time a new variation (previous night it was Police and Thieves into Armagideon Time); with again Joe calling out Ranking Roger (from the support band The Beat) with a repeated “Rrrrrr-Roger!” Roger reprises his toasting from the previous nights.

“Hey Roger” shouts Joe; the  vocal interplay between the two all adds interest to this set staple for the band (and audience)to stop it going stale. The band then blast into Police On My Back ending the encore with I Fought The Law.

Second encore begins as usual with Straight To Hell, not as good as the previous night’s with Mick’s guitar off key. “That song was written by Charles Dickens!” shouts Joe at the end. Mick’s still off key lead guitar bangs out (as per 77 rather than the 81/82 slow build up) the start of Complete Control, as effective a performance of the song as any post Topper. A fierce passionate Garageland ends a fine gig; Joe belting out the words in classic Strummer style.

Did you go? What do you remember?
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"I was 19 years old when I saw the Clash in Hollywood. This was the very first time & only time I was to see them. I had been a fan since the release of London Calling."

"The Palladium was overcrowded/oversold but a charming old-time Hollywood style dance hall. The English Beat opened for them and was Outstanding! I was down on the main floor for their show, but the crush of the crowd moved me upstairs to the balcony for the Clash's performance."

"The opposite Balcony section was completely sealed off for a private party. Later that summer I would read in Rolling Stone magazine that Bob Dylan had been the private party! The Clash were great although you could see Mick had problems at times getting the desired feedback out of his guitar. Someone threw a shoe at Joe and hit him square in the face! He stopped the show and asked "Who threw that? Why don't you come up here and get it then? Aye? I didn't think so you fucking pussy!" that he ripped into the next song. It was a highlight! "

Went to see them in LA at the Palladium in 1982, stupidly thought we could get tickets at the door. The show had been sold out for weeks. The security guards were nice enough to open the doors for a little bit so the rather large crowd outside could see for a few minutes. The best concert I never attended.

Ticket from the gig and this account of events here 

…When it was announced that the boys would be playing at the world famous Hollywood Palladium that summer there could not have been any reason for me not to be there other than death itself. By this time in my life I had gone to see many punk bands at venues such as The Whiskey, the Roxy and The Music Machine but did not consider myself to be a punk, just a fan of the music. I stayed clear of the mosh pits that formed at every show and enjoyed the music, the events and the scene. 

As The Clash took to the stage at The Palladium on that balmy Southern California night, the wave of young enthusiastic punks pushed me over to the left front of the stage where I found myself at arms length from Mick Jones’ combat boots, but uncomfortably close to the amp that was positioned right in front of me. The juice of the guitars, bass and drums hummed in my ear all night long but I would not have had it any other way as I was up front at a potent Clash concert. The band had a forceful opening set as I recall with fast numbers such as London Calling, Career Opportunities, White Riot and Clampdown setting the tempo for the show. By mid-show, Joe Strummer slowed it down a bit, took out an acoustic guitar, got on one knee and started to almost serenade the fueled and passionate crowd with what I recall was a ballad called Bank Robber. At this moment in almost slow motion, a punk from front center hocked out a loogie projected right at Joe. From my vantage point it looked to be about 8 inches long and twisted slowly in circles in mid flight while being backlit from one of the stage lights. The projectile landed directly on Joe’s face and dangled from his ear much like a slime scene out of the yet to be released film Ghostbusters. Joe, the consummate punk, barely missed a beat where he did nothing but laugh as he wiped it off with his hand and continued with the song. When the show ended with the punk encore of “I fought the Law”, I was loaded with adrenaline, drenched in sweat and had a horrible ringing in my left ear, a consequence which continues to this day. 

I had the good fortune to see The Clash two more times; in October of 1982 at the Los Angeles Coliseum as they opened up for The Who and then again in the summer of 1983 at the US Festival in San Bernardino, but neither matched the up front raw energy of the Hollywood Palladium show… I still have the ticket stub from that night which is a bit odd since I was not nearly as nostalgic back in 1982 as I am today. Perhaps I knew someday 28 years later, I would still be talking about The Only Band That Mattered.

The band chose to return to the Hollywood Palladium where they had played in October 1979, for their LA shows; this time though they sold out 5 nights, The Jam it was pointed out struggled to fill just one.

The seat less dance floor there no doubt a key factor but perhaps also the glamour and history of this famous venue played a part in the band’s choice. The Palladium at 6215 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California remains a famous icon which has hosted everything from Sinatra, Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, MC5 The Who to the Pornographic Film industry’s Award Show. 

Built in 1940 in an art deco style with a 11,200 square foot (1040 m²) dance floor with room for up to 4,000 people, it cost what was then a huge $1.6 million on the site where the original Paramount lot had stood. In February 1965, Martin Luther King, Jr. was honored at the Palladium by city officials recognizing his Nobel Peace Prize. The Palladium reopened after refurbishment with a Jay-Z concert on October 15, 2008 after a year long, multi-million dollar renovation. 

squared, colour corrected