Setlist

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

White Riot Tour with the Jam, Buzzcocks, Slits and Subway Sect.

There may be two sources for this (or they may be the same source) but neither are in ciculation.

Audio

from low gen? - quite good - Sound 3.5 - 47min - Tracks 16

Cheat

This a low generation audience tape has some bass distortion, but which perversely captures the excitement, power and intensity of the live experience as you can feel the amps overpowered. (some might not like this on their recording!) There is a good range of sound with Mick's guitar and Toppers drums quite clear amount of.

Audio 2 -
Jordi Valls Punk Tapes book

link to full text here

During 1976 and 1977 Jordi Valls recorded live on nine audio cassettes some of the early punk gigs in London. These tapes, featuring The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Damned, Subway Sect, Billy Idol & Generation X, The Slits and Buzzcocks, capture the true sound of punk - raw, countercultural and subversive - as a phenomenon that had a radical impact on popular music and fashion, first in Britain and America, and then worldwide. Arguably the most interesting aspect of punk is its vital, visceral energy, and the demonstration that the only thing that really matters is the intention, the power of the imagination, and nothing more. This book is a witness of this movement. With substantial graphic material such as photographs, newspapers, cuttings, gig tickets, make up this big and valuable archive on a movement so intense as self-destructive.

The Clash. 20.9.1976 100 Club Oxford Street, London (punk festival).
The Clash. 16.10.1976, University of London.
The Clash. 29.10.1976, Fulham Old Town Hall, London.
The Clash. 5.11.1976, Royal College of Art, London.
The Clash 11.3.77 The Coliseum, Harlesden, London.
The Clash. 1.5-1977. Civic Hall, Guildford.

first night of The White Riot Tour

This is the first night of The White Riot Tour which would establish the band nationally alongside the Pistols as THE major bands of the punk movement. It was almost certainly Topper's first major gig and was also a tour which would lose £28,000 due to smashed seats, a huge retinue of hangers on and general excess.

With the release of White Riot and The Clash album plus all the media coverage (both music press and national), the band were now met with packed audiences eager to experience the new punk phenomena. This transition from playing small clubs with largely disinterested audiences happened so quickly that Joe starts this gig with a totally superfluous for those who don't know we're The Clash"

Record Mirror Listing

30 April

Album advert

Clash Ad 16 April 1977

fast and furious

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)

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

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

Link or archived pdf

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.

48 Thrills Issue No.4

Guildford review 3 & 4

Archived PDF

Alternate PDF (partial)

My life was never the same after

My first experience of the Clash was Sunday May 1st 1977 on the White Riot Tour in Guildford. Jimmy Pursey and Billy Idol were in the audience, no-one had heard of them at that time. My life was never the same after.

The first ten rows or so of seats were all ripped out

Trevor Hicks - I was at the opening night Guildford concert. The organisers clearly didn't know what to expect as the venue was all seater --- that lasted for about ten minutes when the first ten rows or so of seats were all ripped out to allow dancing -

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