Clash on Parole Tour
Supported by The Specials & Suicide

page updated - April 2020
updated October 2020 - added two photos
updated Dec 2023 added advert
updatd April 2024 added venue info including Clash/venue ban, article from 83

No known audio or video

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A late addition to the tour and the last night according to johnny Greens A Riot of our Own pg99

Johnny Green took my tape recorder

I was just re-reading Johnny Green's "Riot of our Own" and when I got to the bit about the Bury St Edmunds gig (July 14 1978) my mind wandered back almost 30 years, to when I was 16.

I had taken two extra things to Bury St Edmunds that day - a "White Man in Hammersmith Palais" single sleeve (to be autographed) and one of those piano-style tape recorders (for bootlegging purposes). Positioning myself at the front, right-hand side, I thought life would be easier if I just placed the tape recorder on the stage; that way I could forget about it and enjoy the band. Paul Simonon was over on that side & when he made his darting runs forward he kept kicking the tape-recorder. At first I thought it was accidental, but he kept on doing it. I could see he was getting annoyed, because he couldn't manage to knock it off the stage. Whenever it went close to the edge I simply stopped bouncing around for a second and moved it back.

Half-way through the gig this typical Camden Town rockabilly type came over and grabbed the tape-recorder. I obviously looked crest-fallen. "You can come and get it after the show," he said, not at all unpleasantly. It was Johnny Green of course. But I was still a bit concerned that I would never see it again, and tape recorders (in those days) were expensive items.

After the encores I said to the people I had come with that I was going to try and get my belongings back. I think they wished me good luck. In those days I didn't really drink, so my only courage was righteous indignation at the loss of my tape-recording equipment. I soon found the backstage area and also the Camden Town rockabilly. True to his word he gave me the tape recorder back, minus the tape. We chatted amiably about the possibility of recording the band live, the reprehensibility of amateur bootleggers and (his words, not mine) the fact that the Clash never really sounded as good as they should when these live recordings surfaced. And then he invited me in for a drink.

What a scene of utter debauchery ! Half pint cans of Heineken and bowls full of peanuts. Mick Jones sitting in a chair looking pleased with himself, Paul Simonon glowering away at nobody in particular (surely not me). I helped myself to a can of lager and some peanuts. Then Mr Rockabilly decided to introduce me to Mick Jones as the person who was trying to bootleg the show. Well, he couldn't have been more good humoured about it.

"Who's a naughty bootlegger then ?" he said. "Hold your hand out."

I held my hand out. He tried to whack it, and I pulled it away just in time. Backstage with the Clash was just like being at school, but with free beer and peanuts. I was probably on my third can of Heineken, sitting on the floor, when somebody said,
"Hey, what are you doing here ?"

"Oh, it's alright," I said, "he said it was okay."

By this time I considered the Camden Town rockabilly as my friend and passport to beer & nuts. He really was a good guy.

The Clash, now I know, had finished their tour. They were in no rush to do anything. They lingered around in the empty Corn Exchange chatting to the fans. They all signed the "White Man" sleeve, even Paul, bless him. And afterwards, if the Camden Town rockabilly's account is true, the roadies got paid & had a whale of a time.

So, there does exist a tape of that Bury St Edmunds gig. It was confiscated by Johnny Green & was probably recorded over or thrown in a bin, or strewn around the streets of Bury St Edmunds by the road crew. Tim Joyce

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I helped promote the gig at Bury St Edmunds Corn Exchange

The Clash in Suffolk
The Clash played Bury St Edmunds Corn Exchange in 1978 supported by The Coventry Specials (who later dropped the 'Coventry').

The promoter for the Bury gig was John Hessenthaler:

"The punk thing was a bit of a no-go area, because on the Sex Pistols' Anarchy tour, which The Clash were on, many of the advertised gigs had been cancelled because of local council policy, swearing etc. "It was a July gig and the local council tried to stop it, but because I had a contract with them I insisted it went ahead.

"There were rumours that there was going to be trouble, but that didn't happen.

"There was also a rumour that Bob Dylan was going to come to the gig, because he was a labelmate and in the country for the Blackbushe Aerodrome festival, but that didn't happen."

The promoter estimates that tickets cost around £2.50 and the capacity of the Corn Exchange was around 900 - around double what it is in 2010.

"It was a great night and quite interesting from a business point of view," said John.

"I'd agreed a fee of £250 with The Clash's management and they were so convinced that it was going to be rammed, that they rang me up a few days before the gig wanting to change it so that they'd get a percentage of the door.

"However, I didn't feel it was going to be quite as big as they thought, so I agreed and they ended up going away with less that the original agreed fee!

"Once you get into the realms of dealing with PA companies and agents, all this 'power to the people' stuff - it doesn't really apply behind the scenes."

Plans for regular pop venue (1983)

83 01 21 Bury Free Press Friday Bury StE venue

Corn Exchange, Bury St Edmunds

The Corn Exchange is a commercial building located in Abbeygate Street, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England.

It was built in 1862 by Ellis and Woodard of Fenchurch Street in London in the neoclassical style, built by Lot Jackaman in ashlar stone at a cost of £7,000 and was officially opened by the then-mayor, Charles Beard, on 16 July 1862 1.

The building was originally used as a corn exchange, but the use of the building as a corn exchange declined significantly in the wake of the Great Depression of British Agriculture in the late 19th century 1. In 1969, a floor was inserted allowing shops to be established on the ground floor.

This also enabled the first floor to be used as an events venue and subsequent performers included the rock band, Slade, in April 1972 12 and the rock band, The Clash, in July 1978 12.

Following disturbances associated with the latter performance, the council banned live performances in the town for 20 years 1.

Corn Exchange, Bury St Edmunds - Wikipedia 2: 
Corn Exchange, Bury St Edmunds - Wikiwand
Bury Sound - History
Suffolk News - Sixteen Things You'll Only Know If You Grew Up in Bury St Edmunds
Suffolk News - 15 Things You Only Know If You Grew Up in Bury St Edmunds
Bury Concert Club - Bury St Edmunds Concert Club History
My Generation - Ken Pettitt's Recollections of the Music Scene in Mildenhall and Local Districts circa 1960s-80s

Council bans gigs following the Clash gig

The Apex

The Apex - 40 years ago, there was a notorious gig in Bury St... | Facebook

40 years ago, there was a notorious gig in Bury St Edmunds that resulted in the council banning live music from public venues for nearly 20 years!

That gig was The Clash at Bury St Edmunds Corn Exchange on Friday 14 July 1978.

Were you there? If so, we'd love to know if you can spot yourself in this photo and please comment with any memories you have from the night.

The gig will be recreated at The Apex on Thursday 5 July, when London Calling will play the set list performed by The Clash in 1978, with support from The Specials Ltd. 

For more info or to book - http://bit.ly/TheClash2018

Nicholas Whittaker - My memories were of a row of skinheads in the toilet spitting their teeth into the sink. We were ment to have gone on that coach, but missed it and had to get a taxi. We did return on the coach though. Arthur's tours I think it was.

The Apex | Facebook

Outside the Clash gig at Bury St Edmunds, Corn Exchange 14th July, 1978.

in Gigs by PITE

The Clash's 1978 visit to Bury St Edmunds to be recreated at The Apex 40 years on

East Anglian Daily Times - Michael Steward / 14/06/2018 / PDF archived

A promoter who brought The Clash to Bury St Edmunds in 1978 is recreating the concert 40 years on with a leading tribute act playing the setlist from the notorious gig.

In July 1978, John Hessenthaler - against all local authority opposition - promoted the legendary punk rock band at the Corn Exchange in Bury and support came from the The Coventry Automatics, who later became The Specials.

Although the expected insurrection was limited to a couple of minor skirmishes, the gig became so notorious that the council banned live music from public venues for 20 years.

Mr Hessenthaler said: "The punk thing was a bit of a no-go area, because on the Sex Pistols' Anarchy tour, which The Clash supported, many of the advertised gigs had been cancelled due to of local council policy.

"This local council tried to stop it, but because I had a contract with them I insisted it went ahead. There were rumours that there was going to be trouble, but that didn't happen.

"There was also a rumour that Bob Dylan was going to come to the gig, because he was a label-mate and in the country for the Blackbushe Aerodrome festival, but that didn't happen either."

Tribute act London Calling, who have toured the USA and across Europe, will recreate the concert at the Apex on July 5, with support from The Specials Ltd.

The Clash Revisited (Bury '78) starts at 7.30pm. Tickets are £24.50, call the Box Office on 01284 758000 or visit www.theapex.co.uk

Photo, possibly from the gig

Blackmarketclash | Leave a comment

If you know of any recording, email blackmarketclash