The Clash Live - Sunday 1st May 1976 - White Riot Tour

This like all the White Riot shows is fast and furious and very intense. The performances build in energy culminating in terrific encore versions of White Riot through to 1977.

The band opens with a pause before lurching into Londons Burning. A steady 1977 and I'm so bored follow as the band in this opening date find their feet. Things start to crank up through a confident Pressure Drop where the bass really reverberates… Mick introduces Hate and War quietly as the the enthusiastic audience bellow out requests. Tentatively Joe suggests for those wanting to know the songs/words "this is Cheat". Toppers drums drive the performance with Mick solidly playing guitar.

As the audiences' enthusiasm builds up Joe suggests Police and Thieves "is for all you reggae fans", the sound coming across well, including Paul's bass. Before Capital Radio Joe refers to the shortages of the NME flexi-disc; "you're supposed to get this for nothing, although I haven't got one , John Peel has". (The band addressed the black market situation by re-releaseing the track on 1979's Cost of Living EP). Deny is f/b a tape turnover but does not affect either track.

Echoing the lyrics of the song, Remote Control is introduced by "this is the Civic Hall right". The sound improves slightly with White Riot "the song that ain't No.1" with the vocals less distant which ends the set. These last 4 songs are the highlights of this pretty good recording as the band seem to have settled down, a confidence expressed by Joe, "right we're gonna give you Garageland".The recording cuts off straight after the last words of a rousing 1977 (…1984)

A music fan and freelance writer who grew up in Shalford wants to hear from people who went to punk band the Clash's gig at Guildford Civic Hall on May 1, 1977.

David Rose, published on: 12 Feb, 2019, Updated on: 14 Feb, 2019

Guildford Dragon NEWS

Did You See Punk Band The Clash At Guildford Civic Hall in 1977?

Published on: 12 Feb, 2019 Updated on: 14 Feb, 2019

A music fan and freelance writer who grew up in Shalford wants to hear from people who went to punk band the Clash's gig at Guildford Civic Hall on May 1, 1977.

Writer Malcolm Wyatt.

Malcolm Wyatt, who now lives in Lancashire, is hoping readers will have memories of the gig. It was the first date of a UK tour that featured other emerging punk bands and included the Buzzcocks, Subway Sect, the Slits, and the Prefects.

Malcolm says: "The Jam were also set to feature, but a fall-out followed between Clash manager Bernard Rhodes and the Jam's manager John Weller, father of singer and guitarist Paul Weller, prevented that.

"While it was the Clash's second punk package tour, this time they were headlining. And as roadie and friend of the band Robin Banks put it, recalling that first night, 'We couldn't believe what was happening to us. We looked out into the auditorium at all the people packed in there. Suddenly it was like the dream of becoming rock stars had come true.'"

There is a fair amount of detail about the tour from musicians' memories that can be found in music books, while Malcolm is particularly interested to hear from music fans.

Cover of Malcolm Wyatt's book This Day in Music's Guide to The Clash.

Malcolm has written and had published his own book about the band titled This Day in Music's Guide to The Clash. He adds: "I'd like to follow this book up with an 'I Was There' style book on the band, and already have memories of that visit to Guildford in writing.

"One example is that of Steve Smith of Guildford band the Vapors who worked in the loading bay at Debenhams in Guildford before becoming a full-time musician.

"He got his personal music apprenticeship pre-punk, but saw the Clash at Guildford Civic Hall on that important night in 1977 and that proved to be the catalyst in finding his future direction. He told me: 'I was a bit of a hippy, to be honest. I had long hair and sat up in the balcony. But the next day I thought, "I'm a punk rocker", I cut all my hair off and threw all my records away. The Clash completely changed my life, just from going to see them at the Civic Hall. Music was so boring at that time. All of a sudden I was looking at this thing and thinking, "This is great!"'

"Incidentally, I've also mentioned in my book a vague note of another Clash visit to the area, one that pre-dated the White Riot tour. It was in October 1976 in Guildford at a pub disco run by pop band Marmalade's ex-bass player. Was that bass player Graham Knight, who was with them from 1966 to 1973 and 1975 to 2010?

"The Clash's Paul Simonon and Joe Strummer reminisced about that date in a 1982 NBC TV interview as having 'only one person in the audience'. It would be good if that person could come forward now and corroborate that memory!"

If you have any details of the Clash in Guildford in those early years, please leave a reply in the box below, or contact Malcolm direct by email to: mi.wyatt@btinternet.com

This Day in Music's Guide to The Clash by Malcolm Wyatt is available from Ben's Collectors Records in Tunsgate, Guildford, for £12. You can also order from Amazon and other online sellers, and from the author himself, with more details by clicking here.

Responses to Did You See Punk Band The Clash At Guildford Civic Hall in 1977?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16	Londons Burning 1977 I'm so Bored with the USA Pressure Drop Hate and War Cheat Police and Thieves 48 Hours Capital Radio Deny Remote Control Career Opportunities White Riot Janie Jones Garageland 1977