In November 1982 The Clash arrived in Jamaica to play at the World Music Festival, held in the Bob Marley Performing Centre, Montego Bay. The grandly named arena was apparently not much more than a gravel car park with a stage at one end. The line up looks incredibly impressive all these decades later. As well as Ladbroke Grove's finest, The Beat, The Grateful Dead, Squeeze, Joe Jackson, the B- 52s, Jimmy Cliff, Peter Tosh, Toots And The Maytals, Black Uhuru, a touring version of The Beach Boys, Rick James, Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight were all booked to play. The Clash had sacked Topper Headon by this point, his heroin use pushing him out of the band (a move that Joe admitted years later was the start of the end). Terry Chimes had been drafted back in, on the basis that he at least knew all the early songs. Clash history has treated Terry a little unfairly, his re- naming on the sleeve of the first album as Tory Crimes, his unwillingness to get on board with the band's political stance and self confessed desire for a Ferrari. Admittedly, he wasn't as good a drummer as Topper, but who was? The sets he played with the group in 1982 and 1983 show he was more than capable of filling the drum stool as they slogged their way round stadia (supporting The Who), arenas and festivals.
At Montego Bay problems with the running order and set timings meant The Clash didn't take the stage until very late on the second night of the festival, about 4.00am. Feelings were running high and people were pissed off. There's a story about the band demanding $200, 000 in cash to play and being the only band that refused to be filmed. Joe was unhappy about ticket prices excluding the locals from attending. The audience, not unsurprisingly at that time of the night/morning were a bit subdued, Joe trying to whip up some atmosphere on a couple of occasions including threatening to send The Grateful Dead on in their place. The set has been widely bootlegged, recorded from the sound desk. The Clash, according to people who were there and the evidence of this recording, were pulling out all the stops and gave it their all from opening with London Calling and then onward. The middle section of their set, from Junco Partner through to Bankrobber sounds particularly good. It's Friday. Red Stripe. Jerk chicken. The Clash.
London Calling
Police On My Back
Guns Of Brixton
The Magnificent Seven/ Armagideon Time
Junco Partner
Spanish Bombs
One More Time
Train In Vain
Bankrobber
This Is Radio Clash
Clampdown
Should I Stay Or Should I Go
Rock The Casbah
Straight To Hell
I Fought The Law
It's been a while since I sat down and listened to this set, but I'll do so with a beer tonight.
ReplyDeleteI've been beat up, I've been thrown out
ReplyDeleteBut I'm not down, no, I'm not down
I've been shown up, but I've grown up
And I'm not down, no, I'm not down
This chorus from I'm Not Down, may have been where The Clash, for all the big arena's and stadiums they were playing may have felt, but onstage, there was still a desire, a need to perform and to communicate. They were never meant for arenas, in my mind. The massiveness of the space put restraints on the density of their sound, even if the band made up for it with performance power and conviction. Thankfully, not every show they did during 82 was in these open caverns and seeing them playing outdoors on a NYC pier in the pouring summer rain was memorable for the energy and the sheer will they showed to play through it.
Yes, this is a good point Echorich, their songs weren't made for stadiums and arenas.
ReplyDeleteI stood watching The Stone Roses in a football stadium a few years ago and the same thought crossed my mind about that band too.
Interesting conversation you guys are having about some bands not being right for arena/stadium performances. I wonder if any bands are good for stadiums? I'd far rather be in a 1,0000 max or better still two or three hundred capacity. I know its the only way bands make money these days ( & good luck to them), but it ain't very rock n roll. Me, i gave up on stadiums with Blue Oyster Cult in 1978.
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Never been to a stadium gig. Biggest was Wembley Arena and that was a horrible place with dreadful sound.
ReplyDeleteBut I'd have happily seen The Clash play anywhere.
Yes that's a fair point Nick.
ReplyDeleteSure, I don't mean to put down any chance of seeing The Clash or any of the legendary bands. But i really do wonder what kind of experience of a gig you can get from these huge arena shows. I know that is sometimes the only chance people have of seeing a favourite band. I just feel commerce takes over and rock n roll becomes a bit of a theme park. Also bands reforming, made up of ex roadies, when all the original line are dead or not present, like the current Dr Feelgood. So maybe The Clash will reform and Paul Rogers will do Joe's part. I really am joking.
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I'd happily watch Mick, Paul and Topper (or Terry) play Mick's Clash songs. I saw Justice Tonight at the Ritz doing something similar and it was great. Wouldn't want to see them do anything with a Joe replacement, can't see that being in any a good thing. I don't think that a 3 man version of the Clash band would be playing stadiums though.
ReplyDeleteI don't think there's anyone I'd pay to see play in a stadium. I don't think it's a good way to see a band. The theme park comparison is apt SRC.
I just finished listening to this one straight through and thoroughly enjoyed it. Really fun imagining being in the audience in a strange part of the world listening to Joe as the sun must have been creeping up during the encore. Regardless of the seriousness of the content, Spanish Bombs is a great pop song. I missed the organ a bit though.
ReplyDeleteI have seen a couple of arena shows that worked for me (because I was so close), but if you are so far away that you end up just watching a video screen then you have not spent wisely. It has been 19 years since I saw a show in a huge setting like that and haven't missed it a bit.