Sort it Out Tour

updated 7 July 2008 - added ticket stub
Updated 13 Feb 2012 - added punters comments
updated 22 May 2015 - added 15 track audio upgrade

Audio 1

looking for upgrade? - Sound 2.5 - 64min
copied to many times - 19 tracks

Tommy Gun

Audio 2

upgrade - Sound 3 - 47 mins - much better - 15 tracks
Misses ECW, Stay Free, P&T & Julies...

Tommy Gun

Video / Revolution Rock

Revolution Rock video is often misplaced as from this gig the 23rd November, maybe because the Granada footage from 1977 comes from November? With both audio recordings circulating – it is from the 2nd July at the Apollo.

Hazan and Mingay allegedly (citation needed) took some footage here as well for the Rude Boy film though whether any exists now is unlikely (given Rude Boy has been recycled so many times).

This recording is the best circulating of the Sort It Out UK Tour (excluding the later Lyceum shows). The more recent upgrade (May 2015) is a distant average audience recording. The older versions suffered from tape problems, loses sections of songs and affects all of English Civil War through to Garageland with a scratchy interfering sound. These problems the result probably of a poor quality and aging cassette mechanism but they do not ruin the enjoyment of the songs affected.

An upgrade nearer to the master would be highly welcome but this recording is certainly lowish generation with a good range and clarity. It’s a showcase for Topper’s skills as the drums come through clearly and strongly. Guitars and vocals suffer somewhat from distance but generally the sound is an enjoyable listen capturing the performance and atmosphere well.

Tickets

Sarcastic intros of “Tommy’s Mum” and “Stay Sick”!

It's back to the Apollo and the band work hard to get the same great reaction to their On Parole gig, achieving it at the end with a stage invasion for White Riot.

The gig was reviewed in an article in the NME dated 2nd December 78. It’s another great performance with Joe sarcastically commenting on the audience’s reaction of clapping, clearly wanting something much more intense and wild. He did get covered in mucus though! commenting, “I’ve got enough snot of my own, I don’t need yours!” Tommy Gun and Stay Free get sarcastic intros of “Tommy’s Mum” and “Stay Sick”!

Joe pleads “ Got a force field here, can’t cross it, what’s all this holy silence, come on lets have a bit of aggro” before crashing into an inspired White man. By the encore Joe acknowledges the reaction of the crowd and the band blast through Complete Control, London’s Burning and White Riot, which has to be restarted to accommodate the crowd of lead vocalists now on the stage!

The recording starts with Barry “Scratchy” Myers Tour DJ fading out a reggae track before Safe European Home ignites the set. There is then a gap of silence due to a tape fault but which does not lose anything of a great I Fought The Law.

Cheapskates loses 40 seconds mid song and a typically great Police & Thieves loses its ending to an edit, the recording starting after the opening bars of Julie’s. Capital Radio is again excellent and thanks to the quality of this recording Joe’s ad libs are mainly audible.

Hazan and Mingay took some footage here for the Rude Boy film though whether any exists now is unlikely.

NME Manchester review - 2 Dec 1978

Just what the world needs – another NME piece capturing The Clash On The Road Part 128, you say?

Original version and text version

Manchester Apollo (November 78)

Big gig with a huge stage, allowing them (especially Mick) to run around all over the place. They had that multi-flag backdrop and they looked and sounded like they were ready to conquer the planet. The crowd went bonkers and all the stupid seats at the front were gradually smashed up with the debris being handed to the security guys at the side of the stage. I met Mick and Joe at the rear of the hall afterwards and got my ticket stub autographed by them both. I asked Mick if they were doing an after-show he replied "You're kidding, I'm knackered!".

I also popped down to a HMV records in the centre of Manchester (the day before, I think) where they dropped by to meet the fans. They weren't behind a desk or anything, Mick and Joe just ambled in. They walked towards me and I was so taken aback and timid that I just froze up as they walked past. I only hung around for a few minutes before returning to my college class which I should have been attending.

James

Absolutely brilliant

Mark Rushton - @marqueemarkR

My first gig was this very tour a few weeks earlier at Manchester Apollo. Absolutely brilliant,  Innocents were OK, Slits were even better (Budgie on drums, Ari had cold but still sounded great). Clash were incredible,  stage invasion for encore of White Riot and ripped up seats.

Andrew Nield - @AndrewNield7

I was there...

The Clash Official | Facebook

1978 The Clash perform at the Manchester Apollo 

The Clash | Facebook

Photos

The Clash at Manchester Apollo

Did you go? What do you remember?

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Setlist

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19	Safe European Home I Fought The Law Jail Guitar Doors Drug Stabbing Time City Of The Dead Clash City Rockers Cheapskates Tommy Gun White Man English Civil War Stay Free Police And Thieves Julies In The Drug Squad Capital Radio Janie Jones Garageland Complete Control Londons Burning White Riot