Clash on Parole Tour
Supported by The Specials & Suicide

updated 1 Aug 2011 - added vers3 recording
upidated 26 January 2022 added new Steve Jones photo

Audio 1

full gig lesser - below average - Sound 2.0 - 66min - unknown generation - 20 tracks

Audio 2

better but edited - Sound 2.5 - 62min - low gen - 20 tracks

Audio 3

best - full - Sound 3 - 67min - low gen - 20 tracks - includes all of first Complete control

What's My Name and ..

Audio 3 ("Jones and Jones") - I'm so Bored with the USA

Sources

The first source includes the first run-through of Complete Control and the sound should be very good, like that of the 24th earlier, but is spoilt by excessive bottom end over amplification, though the top end remains good. Vocals are distant but guitar comes through powerfully.

The second source is a small upgrade as it has greater clarity and bass is not distorted but starts at the beginning of the second Complete Control. It too suffers from distant vocals, has better instrumentation clarity and width but lead guitar sound is not as powerful as source 1.

Better source has several cuts

The second source is the more enjoyable but this is a matter of personal preference. Small sections of between song tuning up are cut from this source but is otherwise complete except for a small edit at the start of Stay Free.

This source came with a significant bonus of having all of the Something Else January 1978 BBC TV performance in very good quality. It’s the only source to include the interesting discussion with Paul and Joe and a then Government minister.

Official releases - wrong dates

Rude Boy and From Here To Eternity gives this gig as the source for the Complete Control, Safe European Home and What’s My Name included in the film and FHTE. However, if Barry Myer’s immediate account is correct, as is likely, and Complete Control was repeated on the Thursday 27th then the versions of these songs should be the same on these two bootleg sources. They are not though.

Even allowing for the extensive overdubbing we know took place, we do know on the film Joe says “Aberdeen, Manchester, Perthshire” etc before Safe European Home” and this could not have been dubbed in to match Joe’s lip synching for the 27th.

From the two bootleg sources that exist for this gig Joe does not give this intro and the versions of the songs do sound different as well. So it is safe to conclude that Rude Boy and other official dates are wrong, something many collectors have long suspected.

Currently we know three audience audio tapes exist. From the 24th, 25th and this the 27th. From the 25th tape of Safe European Home, we know that this is not the Rude Film version either.

Safe European Home was played on the 24th but sadly it has been edited from the audio tape [as also with Whats My Name].

Only Complete Control was played and is on the audio versions of the 24th. Either this night, or the unrecorded 26th are obviously the sources for Rude Boy. Complete Control does sound a lot like the 24th one. Rude Boy promo cassette.

The 27th gig

What we do know for absolute certainty from these two bootleg sources is that The Clash put in another thrilling performance on the 27th July 1978. The performances are strong throughout and build up to a terrific rush through the released songs at the end of the set and the encore with special guest artistes.

"This is a song we ain't done before"

Complete Control fades in, halfway through Joe alters the lyrics talking to the sound guys, heh you, the bass he sings as the bass drops. A general confusion ensues following and some bass tuning takes place and Joe talks to the audience, "We were gonna do Tommy Gun" during the lengthy wait. "This is a song we ain't done before" and Complete Control take 2 kicks in.

The band power through the first half of the gig before pausing, only for Joe to say, "Get on with it, I ain't waiting" and Safe European Home kicks in. After Garageland which ends the set the tape cuts. Steve Jones comes on stage for the last two. The guitar sound is very powerful.

White Riot is just manic as the punk supergroup takes place. Joe ad libs Gary Glitters Rock'n'Roll Hey lyrics in just before the tape cuts off before the end. The drumming sounds heavier, less and more precise and it sounds like it could be Cook on drums.

I saw all the clash gigs (4) there. Brilliant.

I saw all the clash gigs (4) there. Brilliant. I followed them a lot back then. We were punks from the neighbourhood and someone from the band..usually Joe or Baker or JG would let us in through the back door. Once we had to scale 30 feet up a drain pipe to the dressingroom window. The MM bouncers were animals and there were always a lot of fights in there.

Melody Maker

review of the 27th

Record Mirror

review of the 27th

Sounds

review of the 27th

Setlist

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20	Complete Control Complete Control Tommy Gun Cheapskates Jail Guitar Doors Drug Stabbing Time Clash City Rockers White Man in Ham Palais Capital Radio Stay Free Police and Thieves Blitzkrieg Bop English Civil War Safe European Home Whats My Name London's Burning Garageland Janie Jones I'm So Bored with the USA White Riot