Extensive archive of articles, magazines and other from the 'Sandy Pearlman dates in early gigs in 1978, and the Festival gigs in May 1978

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There are several sights that provide setlists but most mirror www.blackmarketclash.co.uk. They are worth checking.

from Setlist FM (cannot be relied on)

from Songkick (cannot be relied on)
... both have lists of people who say they went

& from the newer Concert Database and also Concert Archives

Also useful: Ultimate Music database, All Music, Clash books at DISCOGS

Articles, check 'Rocks Back Pages'

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The RAR gig

The RAR gig proved a significant milestone in The Clash's history: the first time in front of a huge audience; estimated at anywhere between 50 to 100,000. It attracted national media attention and had a direct association with organised left wing politics to which the Clash, Joe particularly, were sympathetic.

Much was made of Joe's Brigade Rosse shirt. Famoulsly interviewed after by Terry Lot for Record Mirror Joe had quite a bit to say. The full text from that interview is here.

The event is well documented, A Riot Of Our Own, Last Gang both have extensive chronologies, and also amongst the media at the time as well as the Rude Boy video and DVD footage. Both are identical and contain 2 songs as does the promo cassette from Atlantic Publishing (for further info on this cass. check George Gimarcs 'Post Punk Dairy' page 103). One track made it onto the official live release.

Significant impact

RAR had a significant impact in raising the consciousness of young people against racism and the National Front. Playing at the rally was perfectly logical in view of the bands anti-racist stance since forming two year's earlier. A platform for The Clash to present their stance, through songs such as English Civil War (debuted here), about the dangers of the far right.

The previous Aug 77 had seen riots in Lewisham with NF marchers confroneted by ANLanti-protestors. Link here.

The bands performance is a very well received, one of the highlights of Rude Boy is seeing tens of thousands of people pogoing to White Riot. Hazan and Mingay for the Rude Boy film recorded White Riot and London's Burning.

Audio and video and overdubs

Songs that can be found on the Rude Boy promo cassette (Rude Boy outtakes), whilst London's Burning is on the official release, From Here To Eternity, all in excellent sound quality, though there was some subsequent remixes of studio dubs to enhance the quality. The films producers claim this to be minimal but other sources, such as Green suggest otherwise.

They also claimed film was in short supply so they tended to never record whole gigs, though more may exist somewhere as may further professional audio recordings from the gig and 1978 as a whole.

Rock against racism: on the front line with the Clash, Specials, Undertones & Elvis Costello

12.10.2014 | Dangerous Minds

It all began in 1968 when an old Tory coot Enoch Powell gave a racist speech against immigration and anti-discrimination legislation at his West Midlands constituency in England. Powell claimed he was horrified at what he believed was an unstoppable flow of immigration that would eventually swamp the country where "in fifteen or twenty years' time the black man will have the whip hand over the white man." It was an incendiary and offensive speech full bile and hate, and became known as the "Rivers of blood speech" because of Powell's quotation from Virgil's Aeneid about "'the River Tiber foaming with much blood.'"

Many of the white working class supported Powell, most shamefully the London dockers' union staged a one day strike in his favor. Powell became the pin-up of the far right and his words appeared to sanction their rise, in particular the odious neo-Nazi National Front that promoted its racist policies with the boot as much as the ballot. Against this rose Rock Against Racism - "a raggedy arsed united front" co-founded by Red Saunders, Roger Huddle and others in 1976.

At first, Rock Against Racism was just an idea - a way to bring together a new generation of youth against the stealthy rise of the far right. It may have remained just an idea had it not been for Eric Clapton announcing (see video) during a concert in 1976 that the UK had "become overcrowded" and his fans should vote for Enoch Powell to stop Britain from becoming "a black colony." Allegedly Clapton then shouted "Keep Britain white." His racist tirade led to Saunders and Huddle writing a letter to the music paper NME pointing out that half Clapton's music was black. The letter ended with a call for readers to help establish Rock Against Racism. The response was overwhelmingly positive.

In April 1978, 100,000 people marched across London in support of Rock Against Racism, which was followed by a concert at Victoria Park headlined by The Clash and the Tom Robinson Band. It was a momentous event, which singer and activist Billy Bragg correctly described as "the moment when my generation took sides."

Photographer Syd Shelton documented the rise of Rock Against Racism during the 1970s and 1980s from its first demonstrations, the concert in Victoria Park, to the gigs, bands, musicians (The Clash, The Specials, The Undertones, Elvis Costello, etc), the young activists and supporters who stood up and proudly said: "Love Music, Hate Racism."

Previously on Dangerous Minds

Anti Nazi march planned by RAR

31 March 1978

Record Mirror Join the fight against the front

8 April 1978

Link

Record Mirror Anti Nazi fest.

8 April 1978

Link

NME Thrills

Tom Robinson rally

The Clash were added later

Link

Supporters card, travel (coach) details

Rare RAR poster

The Clash Ignore Alien Orders | Facebook

"Although we were already going to the RAR event at Victoria Park - primarily to see X-Ray Spex and Steel Pulse - we were then really excited to hear that The Clash were to be a late inclusion. Getting to Victoria Park was easy for us Eppingites, as it was a short trip on the Central Line to Mile End underground station. We then followed the slow moving and excited crowd to the park.

First up were those Day-Glo punks, X Ray-Spex. Poly Styrene had shaved her head before the gig and was wearing a woolly scarf wrapped around her head. I wondered whether this was an anti-sex symbol stance, or was she just feeling ill? All afternoon the bands were plagued by poor sound quality. But Polly’s distinctive vocals and saxophone- driven sound were going down well with the crowd.

Next up, the main course and the band that everyone was eagerly waiting for, the mighty Clash. Joe Strummer came on stage wearing a red T-shirt, with a Red Brigade slogan on the front, and white drainpipe jeans. He looked the business, and in sharp contrast to the longhaired Mick Jones. They kicked off their set with Complete Control and finished with Jimmy Pursey jumping on stage and singing White Riot with them." (Ed Silvester)

“The first time I saw The Clash was at Victoria Park, London, the Rock against Racism show in 1978. Me, my brother and my best mate had read about the gig in the music papers and decided we had to go, we were 16 and 17 years old and had never been anywhere like this before, but this was not to be missed.

We got the train from Sheffield to St Pancras along with a few like-minded souls and then made our way to the meeting point at Trafalgar Square to find hundreds of people gathered there. After all the speeches and rallying, the march set off, banners flying, towards Hackney through areas of London we had never heard of and past glowering groups of geezers outside pubs, all looking like they wanted to kick our heads in just for being on their turf, never mind the fact we were all punks, hippies and political types, not their mates at all. We didn’t care one bit, this was something special and we were gonna see The Clash for the first time!”

We finally got to Victoria Park and saw the size of the crowd and the stage set and ready, Steel Pulse and the Tom Robinson Band played which was great but we only really cared about The Clash. They came on and the crowd went crazy, it’s all a bit of a blur 40 years later but I can still hear the racket now as they blasted through the songs we had only previously heard in our bedrooms. Mick leaping about the stage, Joe’s voice and the drums and bass booming across the park. I bet the tower block residents loved it!" (Robert Brown)

"When I look back on that day now I realise just how important it was to my friends and me. We immersed ourselves in music even more after Victoria Park and The Clash became ‘our band’. We’d go and see them every chance we had and every new release of theirs was a major event for us. It might sound corny, but I do believe that the event helped to shape our lives. My brother Ben Marshall and his mate Jim Shelley went on to become journalists - both initially writing about music, before moving in to the mainstream media. My cousin Michael still plays in local punk bands and I became a DJ, a job that I did for 25 years, and one that took me all over the world. And whilst I’m not saying it was all down to that one performance, seeing The Clash at Victoria Park was certainly a major catalyst. It showed us the power of music. How music can connect with people and how it really can change things.” (Dave Mothersole)

Extracts from IGNORE ALIEN ORDERS: ON PAROLE WITH THE CLASH. YOu can bu the book here
https://www.tonybeesleymodworld.co.uk

4 page flyer

4 page flyer reverse

Flyers

Clash/Buzzcocks/X-Ray Spex Rock Against Racism/Anti Nazi League 1978 Carnival Poster

Sold at Record Mecca auctions - A very rare poster advertising the April, 1978 London 'CARNIVAL' sponsored by Rock Against Racism and the Anti-Nazi League.

The concert featured The Clash, Buzzcocks, Steel Pulse, X-Ray Spex, The Ruts, Sham 69, Generation X and the Tom Robinson Band. The Southall based reggae band Misty In Roots led the march from the back of a lorry (truck) during the carnival, although they did not appear on the main stage.

Two posters

There were two posters for this event; the first listed the Tom Robinson Band and Steel Pulse and this one, the second (very similar in design) added X-Ray Spex (all of the other bands signed on afterward and didn't appear on any posters.)

The posters were printed on newsprint and machine folded; most were pasted up on walls, and few survived. This example is in mint condition, and measures 24 1/2″ x 36. Designed by the great David King.

Read more about this historic event at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Against_Racism and
http://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/apr/20/popandrock.race

THIS ITEM HAS BEEN SOLD.

The National Front is a Nazi Front

Transport Ticket

Programme

NME, Carnival

6 May 1978
review Chris Salewicz

GUARDIAN: ‘If there are death threats, don't tell me' - how Rock Against Racism fought fascism

Online or Archived PDF

Something very wow about Strummer

1978? at a Rock Against Racism/Anti-Nazi festival in Victoria Park(?) I saw the Clash live for the first time. The sound was appalling and Mick Jones was wearing pink trousers. We were miles away from the stage but there was still something very wow about Strummer. So much anger. So much energy.

Marched for hours from Trafalgar Square and was bricked by NF skinheads on route

Peter Strike Yes I did go, infact I went on that particular coach from Norwich and had the same yellow ticket .... marched for hours from Trafalgar Square and was bricked by NF skinheads on route , arrived at Victoria Park to find that I had missed The Clash , X ray spex and Sham 69 !!! Gutted but caught the end of Tom Robinson ... still very glad that I was there that day though Great memories ..

David Allder - I was there. What a day

Steve Bonzi Vizard - 1st saw the clash at the rock against racism concert victoria park. What a fantastic day.

Andy Gibbs - I was at this Gig. I remember Joe's red brigade T Shirt..Brilliant

The Clash Official | Facebook

On this day in 1978 / Photos

Angus Walsh On this day in 1978. The Clash would of performed at Victoria Park at the Rock against Racism gig on April 30th 1978. Here are some photographs of Joe Strummer. Also my dad was there and what a experience he had!

Mick Jones, Rock Against Racism 1978

Must have been breathtaking! I wish I could have been there, but unfortunately I was 10 years too young! I can only congratulate everyone who was there! The Clash Official | Facebook

Today marks when The Clash played at Rock Against Racism at Victoria Park

The Clash | Facebook - Syd Shelton and Val Wilmer 

NME pullout covering the Rock Against Racism outdoor gig in Victoria Park, London, Sunday 30 April 1978

Link

Open photos in full in new window

Many thanks to David Newton for permission to share this awesome photo he took of The Clash at the Rock Against Racism gig which was held on 30/4/78... Loving The Clash | Facebook

Alamy photos

Rock against racism

Record Mirror ANL photo

6 May 1978

NME: Against the Nazis

All the photos and images

Courtesy of Daen Danny (in the pistols t-shirt)

More photos at the bottom

The Clash at the Rock Against Racism/Anti-Nazi League carnival in Victoria Park, 30 April 1978. All photographs by Syd Shelton

Pictures courtesy of Steve Kirk

Link

More photos

Spurs against the Nazis, sticker

Stickers & details

RAR sticker

There is the official footage and an uncirulating full version in black and white of the Clash. Therehave also been documentaries.

Far Out Magazine Relive The Clash's fiery performance

Far Out Magazine Relive The Clash's fiery performance at the Rock Against Racism Carnival in 1978. Archive PDF

The Clash at Victoria Park 'White Riot'

Open in new window (854 x 480)

Documentary: White Riot Rock against racism

BY ALFREDO VIOLANTE WIDMER:

Documenatry Website

White Riot follows the Rock Against Racism movement of the '70s, revealing both the nastiness of the rising National Front at the time and the amazing power of music, activism and a real desire for social change at a grassroots level. Best Documentary BFI London Film Festival.

Rubika Shah's energising film charts a vital London protest movement.

Rock against Racism (RAR) was formed in 1976, prompted by 'music's biggest colonialist' Eric Clapton and his support of racist MP Enoch Powell.

White Riot blends fresh interviews with queasy archive footage to recreate a hostile environment of anti-immigrant hysteria and National Front marches. As neo-Nazis recruited the nation's youth, RAR's multicultural punk and reggae gigs provided rallying points for resistance. As founder Red Saunders explains: 'We peeled away the Union Jack to reveal the swastika'.

The campaign grew from Hoxton fanzine roots to 1978's huge antifascist carnival in Victoria Park, featuring X-Ray Spex, Steel Pulse and of course The Clash, whose rock star charisma and gale-force conviction took RAR's message to the masses.

Open TRAILER in new window (1080p HD) / Youtube / time 2:47mins

WATCH FULL DOCUMENTARY HERE:

White Riot follows the Rock Against Racism movement of the 1970s, revealing both the nastiness of the rising National Front at the time and the amazing power of music, activism and a real desire for social change at a grassroots level. Best Documentary BFI London Film Festivals. Dir. Rubika Shah | 80 mins | UK | 2019

Key cast: Writers: Ed Gibbs & Rubika Shah (Let's Dance: Bowie Down Under 2015) Featuring: Red Saunders; Roger Huddle; Kate Webb; The Clash; Steel Pulse; Tom Robinson; Poly Styrene; Sham 69; Alien Kulture Cover photo by Syd Shelton

Awards: Winner Best Documentary at the BFI London Film Festival; Special Mention for the Generation 14+ Crystal Bear, Berlin Film Festival Also voted top film at the ICO Spring Screening Days - March 2020

WHITE RIOT: documenting Rock Against Racism

Join us from your home for an online conversation exploring the rise of Rock Against Racism.

Chaired by radio DJ, presenter and producer Iyare Igiehon, the conversation features White Riot director Rubika Shah, Pervez Bilgrami of punk band Alien Kulture, and Director of the Black Music Research Unit at Westminster University and former member of Steel Pulse, Mykaell Riley.

Anti Nazi League| Rock against Racism | Protest | Demonstration | Thames Television |1978

First broadcast: 22/02/1979

Thames Televisions 'Our People' programme follows some of the organizers behind the Anti Nazi movement in the East End of London - including the 'Rock against Racism' ANL demonstration and carnival in 1978.

Open TRAILER in new window (480p) / Youtube link / Thames TV Link

Interview / documentary: Carnival by Red Saunders, co-founder of RAR

40 years ago today. 30 April 1978 is a short video piece recollecting the Rock Against Racism Victoria Park Carnival by Red Saunders, co-founder of RAR.

On Sunday 30 April 1978, 80,000 people gathered in Trafalgar Square, and danced their way through the East End to Victoria Park in Hackney for the first big Rock Against Racism Carnival Against the Nazis. RAR had emerged in reaction to an alarming rise in racist attacks on the streets, and support for the neo-Nazi National Front at the ballot box. Mainstays of the UK pop scene such as Eric Clapton and David Bowie - white musicians capitalising on black music - made statements that further inflamed racial tension. A letter to the music press, written by Red Saunders and signed by a group of fans, voicing their horror at such hypocrisy, quickly gained widespread support. RAR was part of a broader anti-racism movement in the late 1970s, but it has become a symbol of the role that people-led movements and popular culture can play in shaping and influencing attitudes.

Also, check out these great films about Rock Against Racism, the Anti-Nazi League, and the anti-racist and anti-fascist struggle in the 1970s:

Nazis are no fun parts 1, 2 and 3
youtube.com/watch?v=2k-67CeuBFI
youtube.com/watch?v=QuauYi_2ec8
youtube.com/watch?v=9kBTQXr4SWk

Open video in new window 720p / 7:30mins / Vimeo link /

Who Shot The Sheriff?

Directed by Alan Miles and featuring the 1978 Rock Against Racism Carnival in East London's Victoria Park, 'Who Shot The Sheriff?' tells the story of one of the most exciting mass movements in British history. The film features interviews and unseen footage from the Rock Against Racism movement of the 1970's including The Clash, X-Ray Spex, The Specials, Misty In Roots, and Sham 69. The documentary tracks the rise of racism and the National Front in Britain during the 70's and shows how a generation, black and white, fought back against the Nazi threat.

Who shot the sheriff? Parts 1,2 and 3 by Alan Miles

Who Shot The Sheriff? PART 1 from Alan Miles on Vimeo.

Directed by Alan Miles and featuring the 1978 Rock Against Racism Carnival in East London's Victoria Park, 'Who Shot The Sheriff?' tells the story of one of the most exciting mass movements in British history. The film features interviews and unseen footage from the Rock Against Racism movement of the 1970's including The Clash, X-Ray Spex, The Specials, Misty In Roots, and Sham 69. The documentary tracks the rise of racism and the National Front in Britain during the 70's and shows how a generation, black and white, fought back against the Nazi threat.

Who Shot The Sheriff? PART 2 from Alan Miles on Vimeo.

Who Shot The Sheriff? PART 3 from Alan Miles on Vimeo.

Walls come tumbling down the music and politics of Rock Against Racism, 2 Tone and Red Wedge, 1976-1992

Internet Archive

BBC: White Riot:
The music activists who took on racism

The exhilarating protest movement of 1970s Britain, Rock Against Racism, still resonates today. As a new documentary is released, Arwa Haider looks back - and to the future. Read the article or archive PDF

Ranson Note Rock Against Racism Riots, Reggae, Punk, Rebellion & The Clash

Ranson Note

Archive PDF

April 30 1978. Victoria Park, East London. Tens of thousands of punks, new wavers, reggae fans, soul boys, socialists, communists, trade unionists, families and people of all hues had trudged the five miles or so from Trafalgar Square in the heart of the capital, through the City and into East London. Back then it was a hotbed of racism and an area that had been targeted by the National Front for impending local elections. With a general election also on the horizon, these hordes had gathered under the banner of Rock Against Racism, a movement that had mushroomed in little more than a year into a cornerstone of the fight against a rising tide of fascism.

It was the crowning glory of the early days of the organisation and also the focal point of ‘White Riot': a documentary which, after screening at the London Film Festival and enjoying assorted one-off online events, now makes its way into cinemas and on to digital release today. ...

Read the full article

Readers Digest Rock Against Racism, 1978 When music united against fascism

Link or archived PDF

Rock Against Racism: the concert in Victoria Park that united a nation

Roman Road LDN
Frederick O'Brien
5 November 2021

Archive PDF

Victoria Park was witness to one of the biggest anti-racism campaigns of the century, combining the decade's energy for punk rock and protest.

The 1970s was a time when racist attacks on immigrants and ethnic minorities occurred openly on the streets and support was increasing for far-right organisations, such as the National Front. Blending music, politics, and campaigning, Rock Against Racism (RAR) was formed.

The movement's first gig was held in November 1976 at the Princess Alice pub on Commercial Street. Bands and singers, including one of Britain's top reggae bands, Matumbi from south London, and jazz and blues singer Carol Grimes, took to the stage. This gig galvanised local RAR groups to set up their own music concerts across the country, leading to the most famous: ‘Carnival Against the Nazis' in Victoria Park. Read the fulll article

Flashback: The Clash Rock Against Racism in 1978

Watch the punk legends play 'White Riot' at Victoria Park

BY ANDY GREENE
13 May 2014

Behind paywall

The Anti Nazi League Rock Against Racism Rallies

Link

Lots of detail on all the rallies with lotsof photos of the marches and concerts

Archive PDF

The Independent Rock against racism Remembering that gig that started it all

Friday 25 April 2008

Archive PDF

Rock Against Racism and the Anti Nazi League's historic 1978 Carnival is celebrated in an anniversary gig. Here, some of those who organised or played at the original concert - and members of the audience - remember the event Ben Naylor , Chris Mugan , Colin Brown , Charlotte Cripps Read the full article

‘If there are death threats, don't tell me' - how Rock Against Racism fought fascism

Tim Jonze
Tue 23 Aug 2022

Archive PDF

In the 1970s, the National Front were on the march. So Britain's music fans and artists united. As a new show celebrates RAR's achievements, we examine its impact, its legacy - and its thrilling, shambolic climactic concert ...

Read the full article

April 1978 - Anti-Nazi League march and concert - Victoria Park

WYCOMBEGIGS.co.uk

Archive PDF

There was a mini-pilgrimage from High Wycombe on Sunday 30th April 1978 to attend a joint ‘Anti-Nazi League' and ‘Rock Against Racism' march and concert in London. The march started from Trafalgar Square and would make the 4 mile trek towards Victoria Park in Hackney, East London, for an open air concert attended by an estimated 80,000 people and featuring X-Ray Spex, The Clash, Steel Pulse and Tom Robinson Band.

Read the full article