Short European Tour of Holland, France, Switzerland,
Germany and Sweden

updated 5 Jan 2010 - added alternate master
updated October 2020 - added photos
updated 22 January 2022 - added hi re res Dutch review
updated Jan 2024 added poster and newspaper clippings, reports
Updated July 2024 fanzine and other bits

Possible two audience sources for this one. Received numourous copies all similar.

Audio 1

full source - sound 2 - 44min - unknown gen? - tracks 13

Audio 2

edited - slight upgrade - sound 3 - 34min - low gen? - tracks 11

Audio 3 - to follow

Audio 4 - alt source master

I'm so Bored with the USA

Various recordings circulate

A number of recordings circulate;

The complete concert version of this recording is a poor one but is a small upgrade on many copies widely circulating.

The full one

This full one came from a decent source, but everything sounds distant with little clarity and range (it also came with All the Young Punks demo as the last track). It’s far from terrible though; with lead guitar coming through best and vocals and backing vocals clear enough. Drums are thin and dull but the bass comes through. Its still an enjoyable listen, just, though, because the performance is so strong. On this version there is an edit after Hate & War where after the sound picks up a notch, particularly the guitar.

Older edited one

Older copies of the previously shorter version are much better than the full one but omits the last two tracks (encore's). It is much clearer, though still dull. There is no distortion and only a bit of echo, distance from the stage. The lead guitar and drums are quite clear and bass rumbles away semi-coherently. The vocals are clear as well. At a guess it is a few copies from the original which gives rise to a touch of ‘swirling’ sound at the top end.

Newer edited one

However, the master of this 11 version recording has now come into circulation. This is a significant upgrade and a very enjoyable listen. There is good clarity of sound and reasonable range. It only suffers from the usual audience recording problems of distance particularly on the vocals and a somewhat buried bass. The guitars are heard best with considerable clarity and punch.

This master recording suggests there are two seperate sources for this gig.

Start of a short European Tour

The start of a short European tour and their debut at the famous Paradiso Club in Amsterdam resulted in a great fired up performance typical of the Tour.

The band was back in Amsterdam after their debut just 4 months earlier and now the reaction of the crowd is loud and volatile.

The Clash responds with a great performance. Joe kicks off with "We've just come from London and this is a song about London ... London's Burning". That's almost the only stage comments from Joe; it's a typical 77 intense charge through the short set.

Poster

back in Amsterdam after their debut just 4 months earlier

The Paradiso, a converted old church (see venue) would have been well known to the band as a famous venue dating back to the late 60's (indeed its still in regular use today).

The band was back in Amsterdam after their debut just 4 months earlier and now the reaction of the crowd is loud and volatile. The Clash responds with a great performance. Joe kicks off with "We've just come from London and this is a song about London ... London's Burning". That's almost the only stage comments from Joe; it's a typical 77 intense charge through the short set.

Highlights are many; Capital Radio is now getting an extended treatment with Joe improvising words on the middle section. and City of the Dead gets its live debut (Complete Control single was released 3 days earlier in the UK).

On the master recording in particular Mick’s guitar work on Police & Thieves cuts like a knife. Clash City Rockers is excellent with the ending now being developed. The audience is getting more lively and noisy with each song. The most interesting performance is Complete Control, which is restarted halfway through. Mick is singing presumably because Joe is in the audience or there has been some kind of incident (does anyone know?). The song breaks down to just Topper’s drums, stops briefly and then drums restart again before Mick comes in on guitar and vocals.

Joe eventually comes in at the “I don’t trust you, why should you trust me” section (these lyrics were not written till post Mont de Marsan). The band then blast through Janie Jones and White Riot with what sounds like a stage invasion, certainly the words are shouted out from people in the crowd.

Souisie Sioux

Thank you, Martijn de Jonge, for this photo and the newspaper review clippings about the 26 September 1977 concert in Paradiso, Amsterdam, by the Clash, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and the (Dutch) Flying Spiderz!

The Banshees then owned only guitars and two drumsticks. Kenny Morris had to borrow the drum kit of support band The Flyin' Spiderz.
All sorts of things went wrong technically. Steven Severin's bass broke down, he had to borrow Paul Simonon's. Later, Joe Strummer's guitar broke down, he had to borrow Siouxsie's.

The Dutch newspaper reviewers did not know much about punk. They wrote Siouxsie as Suzy. They did not like the Flyin' Spiderz, who they did not even mention. They did not like the Clash, or the Banshees, and particularly not Siouxsie who they slagged off as a 'probably unemployed ex-Woolworth's cashier singing out of tune'. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!

A different view on the three bands at this concert was in Dutch fanzine Aambeeld, see / p. 14. Herman De Tollenaere | Facebook

The Clash Official

All FB posts on Clash Official
All FB posts

1977, The Paradiso, Amsterdam

Fcebook post

Clipping (Dutch)

Link

Newspaper reports (Dutch)

Link

Muziekkrant Oor magazine

A jubilee issue of the dutch magazine Muziekkrant Oor celebrating 30 years of punk. Link

Punk

Fanzine

Link

Setlist

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13	London's Burning 1977 Capital Radio The Prisoner City of the Dead Police and Thieves Hate and War Clash City Rockers I'm So Bored With the USA Protex Blue Complete Control Janie Jones White Riot