Even before the end of The Clash’s first concert at Bonds on the Thursday night the Fire trucks and Fire Marshall’s were waiting outside. The Fire Marshall interviewed for Channel 2 said “Last night there were 3649” people in Bonds and imposed a closure order on the venue. The Plasmatics had recently played Bonds with 4000 people inside and blew up a car onstage. The truth as to why there was a problem when The Clash played has never been exposed but the widely held view was that it was a result of inter-club rivalry and a residency by the high profile Clash was too much for one or more of Bonds competitors. As Joe said, “…somebody paid somebody, who paid somebody, who paid somebody to come in and shut the building down” Mojo 96.

After a meeting though with Fire chiefs and Bernie and Kosmo a compromise was agreed which allowed the scheduled show to go ahead on Friday night. There was a limit set of 1725 people and Ticketron tickets would be honoured first, as it was believed that most of these would have been bought by non New Yorkers, and thus would have had the furthest to travel and be inconvenienced the most. Those who had bought tickets direct from Bonds would have to wait for additional Clash shows slotted in at the expense of Gary Glitter and Stranglers concerts.

This again all changed the following morning when the Building Commissioner stepped in and closed Bonds indefinitely - but that’s a later story.

Tonight’s concert went off without a hitch although touts (scalpers) were charging $40 for the $10 Ticketron tickets. Boston Rock No.9 (link) gives a review of the concert. A hostile reaction to the support acts continued over from the first night with opening acts The Modettes and an unspecified group of rappers booed off. Mick dedicated Magnificent Seven to Grandmaster Flash tonight and perhaps spurred on by the hostile reaction by at least part of their audience to the new music they were now embracing, The Clash deliver tonight one of the best performances of the Bonds residency.

If the conspiracy theory of inter-club rivalry and corrupt municipal practices is to be believed (and it was then and is still now widely accepted) then the agreement reached with the Fire Department on Friday 29th May which allowed that night’s concert (and future ones) to go ahead, was presumably not damaging enough for those behind the action.

Certainly we do know that just hours before the Saturday matinee for under 18’s was to go ahead, the Building Department stepped in and effectively closed Bonds indefinitely stating the club was a potential death trap because of unsatisfactory fire exit arrangements. As TV news reports put it “2000 fans were turned away [from the Matinee] with the help of mounted Police” and “hundreds poured into the street shouting obscenities and blocking traffic”. Some protesters were hit by billy clubs and one girl was arrested.

This mini-riot (Don Letts filmed scenes) provoked extensive TV and radio coverage, the front page of the New York Post declared ““Clash” in Times Square” (which the band proudly had made up as T-shirts) and was the basis for the band members oft since repeated boast that it was the first riot in Times Square since Frank Sinatra’s bobbysoxers in the late 40’s.

Kosmo writes in Bob Gruen’s book; “What happened to The Clash at Bonds was that they got phenomenal media coverage… Up to this time the coverage of punk was safety pins and Sid & Nancy. So this was a very positive thing. I think the riot in Times Square did it..The record company were banned from the gig, because they’d done nothing to support Sandinista. So you’ve got the biggest media event going on and CBS have to say, “We can’t help you, contact Kosmo at the Gramercy”. They learned a lesson there. It put The Clash on the map for real, big-time brand recognition. We clawed our way into the Premier Division with that one”

Although these events are covered in some depth by the various books on The Clash and magazine articles at the time, they do contain factual errors.

The Clash could have (like many bands would have done) just walked away and refunded the ticket holders but that would have been contrary to The Clash’s long established and proven track record of commitment to its fans. So The Clash instructed lawyers to seek court orders to overturn the ban and Kosmo and Bernie laboured to negotiate with the authorities. Both Saturday’s planned performances though had to be cancelled as a solution proved hard to achieve. The persuasive power that achieved the breakthrough according to a number of accounts (and its such a great story it has to be true!) came ironically from the Building Commissioner’s own daughters who were Clash fans and badgered their father into submission!

WNEW FM

Sunday’s events are well documented on the circulating audio dubs from WNEW FM (who had a reporter at Bonds to provide updates on developments) and from TV news reports. The WNEW FM reports begin with confirmation that the Saturday shows were cancelled because the Building Department said there had been “previous infractions of safety rules”. The Clash though had “no plans to leave town” and every effort was being made to get the shows back on. Everyone agreed the problems came from “rock club rivalry”.

On Sunday 31st May at 2pm The Clash called a press conference and Building Commissioner Irwin Fruckman confirmed all inspections had been completed (improved security and reworked fire exit systems now in place) and shows could go ahead safely provided no more than 1725 people were let in.

Bernie statement

At 3pm the press conference was over and the reporter spoke to Bernard Rhodes. Bernie in a rare recorded interview explained that agreement had been reached after talks with the Fire and Building Departments and the Mayors Office. The dates had now been rescheduled with 8 new shows added so that everyone who bought original tickets would get to see The Clash. Refunds or exchanges would be available to those who could not make the rescheduled dates. As on the Friday night it was Ticketron ticket holders who would be serviced first, they are the “people that the did most travelling, New Yorkers will a get special show as they have been so patient”.

Bernie then made this statement; “Bearing in mind we’ve been up for the last 3 days and nights trying to sort this out we feel that the policy of The Clash has been upheld - that is giving you the news behind the news to music, and if we can present a show no matter how tired we are that you people out there enjoy then we hope that it has been worthwhile …we think you are more informed than any other audience.”

WNEW

FM announcer then said Sunday night’s concert is going ahead with a 10pm start, The Clash on at 12 who have been “doing an amazing job of straightening out this whole thing - WNEW FM in New York - Clash on tonight!”

Channel 2 TV news report (audio only circulating) has Mick saying, “we’re playing tonight”, and Paul “We like it here” and Building Commissioner, Irwin Fruckman interviewed confirming it was now safe for the concerts to continue.

A performance of the punk-rock group the Clash was canceled yesterday following an order to close the crowded Bonds Disco on Times Square, where it was to have taken place.

Hundreds of angry fans were cleared off 45th Street by mounted police officers after it was announced that the London-based group would not perform its scheduled 1 P.M. show.

''Hell, no! We won't go!'' chanted the fans, some of whom had waited in line since 3 A.M.

It took about 20 minutes to disperse the angry group of 800 fans. No arrests were reported. The show was canceled after the city Buildings Department issued an order requiring the disco to shut down because of a problem over exits.

Joel Heller, the disco's manager, said two June matinees had been arranged for the fans who were to have attended the afternoon show yesterday.O??-A performance of the punk-rock group the Clash was canceled yesterday following an order to close the crowded Bonds Disco on Times Square, where it was to have taken place.

Hundreds of angry fans were cleared off 45th Street by mounted police officers after it was announced that the London-based group would not perform its scheduled 1 P.M. show.

''Hell, no! We won't go!'' chanted the fans, some of whom had waited in line since 3 A.M.

It took about 20 minutes to disperse the angry group of 800 fans. No arrests were reported. The show was canceled after the city Buildings Department issued an order requiring the disco to shut down because of a problem over exits.
Joel Heller, the disco's manager, said two June matinees had been arranged for the fans who were to have attended the afternoon show yesterday.

Passes

Posters

81 05 28

81 05

May 29th Concert

Bonds - Lisa Allan The Clash Live Up to their Name

81 05 29?

The New York Times: Pop The Clash Quartet

81 05 30

Daily News City & disco clash, and Clash cools it

Sun May 31 1981

NEWSP Bonds 'City & Disco clash' Larry Sutton

1981 05 29

Journal and Courier

Sun May 31 1981

Clarion Ledger

Sun May 31 1981

Sioux City Journal

Sun May 31 1981

Star Gazette

Sun May 31 1981

The Gazette

Sun May 31 1981

Thanks to Phil at Sex-Pistols.net for this info.

KRAUT: Donny Cowan - bass/vocals, Davey Gunner - vocals, Doug Holland - guitar/vocals (replaced by Chris Smith) , Johnny Feedback - drums/vocals.

Phil: The famous Clash gigs at Bonds Casino, NYC, in 1981, proved to be a pivotal moment for KRAUT. What was the story behind this?

Donny: When the NYC fire Dept. closed down the Clash shows because of fire code violations by Bonds (not quite enough exits), The Clash decided (nice guys that they are) that everyone that bought a ticket would get to see the band, so 3 shows turned into 11 shows... Who would open on those extra nights? I decided it would be KRAUT. Kraut had only been together 4 weeks so I quickly brought the band into the studio and recorded a rough 3 song demo -'Kill for Cash', 'True Colours', and 'Just Cabbage'. ... more ...

FAX 7 RUMOURS Bonds Ticket Fiasco

81 06 15

Courier Post

Sun May 31 1981

The Atlanta Constitution

Sun May 31 1981

For Bonds it was double capacity or nothing

1981 05

The Central New Jersey Home News

Sun May 31 1981

The Record

Sun May 31 1981

The Herald News

Sun May 31 1981

The Journal News

Sun May 31 1981

IRA MAYER The Clash Rocks with raw energy

1981 05 31
Sunday night Bonds review Clash rocks with raw energy

FOR THE CLASH, MUSIC IS PART OF THE MESSAGE

Debra Rae Cohen writes frequently about rock music. By DEBRA RAE COHEN

The Clash - who will be at the Bond International Casino in Times Square for eight performances starting Thursday - emerged along with the Sex Pistols in the British punk rock explosion of 1976. Both bands played music that was fast and furious, brash and bitter, in response to the seeming hopelessness of the British economy. But while the Sex Pistols' Johnny Rotten turned each song into an apocalypse -proclaiming ''no future'' for himself, for society, and for rock and roll - the Clash made each song a battle that might, conceivably, be won. Above the guitarist Mick Jones's insistent power chords, Joe Strummer used his raspy vocals like a rallying-cry. One of the group's early singles, ''Complete Control,'' even found them taking a heroic stance in response to an argument with their record company.

That lack of ''complete control'' became, for the Clash, ever more irksome, especially with the top 20 success of last year's ''London Calling.'' For their most recent release, ''Sandinista!,'' they produced a three-record set, hoping that CBS Records would accept it as the equivalent of three albums, thus fulfilling the band's contract with the label. The gambit failed; the Clash still owe CBS two more albums.

But Strummer and Jones, who are astonishingly prolific songwriters, were unwilling to face the backlog of material that would have resulted from cutting down the project. So ''Sandinista!'' was issued intact, its bulk representing, to the hostile British critics, directionless self-indulgence, and, to many in the record industry, a perverse commercial gamble. Priced at a low $14.98 at the band's insistence, ''Sandinista!'' has sold respectably, but not nearly as well as ''London Calling,'' the consistently powerful tworecord set that established the Clash commercially in the United States.

Artistically, however, ''Sandinista!'' is a near-total success. The album's initially daunting two-hour sprawl turns out to be structured with both passion and purpose, skillfully paced to provide - like a live performance - breathing-spaces, humor, and moments for reflection, as well as high-energy barrages. While much of the music is a far cry from the Clash's original two-minute skirmishes, the record fulfills the promise of those early songs, extending their struggle by universalizing it.

City calls a truce in Clash wars and the band plays on

NME Bonds Fiasco Under Fire in New York

81 06 01

Asbury Park Press

Mon Jun 1 1981

Poughkeepsie Journal

Mon Jun 1 1981

Quad City Times

Mon Jun 1 1981

The Windsor Star

Mon Jun 1 1981

The Ottawa Citizen

Mon Jun 1 1981

Star Gazette

Mon Jun 1 1981

The Boston Globe

Mon Jun 1 1981

The Charlotte Observer

Mon Jun 1 1981

Clash Melee Points Up Danger of Overselling

by Robert Palmer
New York Times June 3, 1981

The Clash concerts at the Bond's International Casino, West 45th Street and Broadway, have been causing quite a stir, and not because of the British rock band's political lyrics and incendiary performing style. Bond's was closed by the city Department of Buildings on Saturday after the Clash played to a crowd estimated at 3,640 people; the club's legal capacity is 1800.

But after the club complied with building inspectors by installing fire-exit signs and making other minor alterations, it was allowed to reopen - on the condition that audiences not exceed the legal limit.

The Clash agreed to play six extra performances to accomodate ticket-holders who were turned away from this week's performances. ... more ...