there was never anyone to come close to the Clash

Sort it Out 1978 was my last time to experience Clash live: this performance was white heat with a stage presence vastly more professional than seen before and all the classic songs from the first albums and early singles delivered with an intense energetic conviction.

The only place to be at a Clash gig was right down the front - jostled amidst the die-hard fans: Strummer, Jones and Simonon moved energetically about the stage: sometimes in tight formation at the front - other times widely separated, with Joe on Topper's drum stand. This and the sudden extreme lighting changes, added to an intensely exciting show but made photography very hit and miss. Clash were THE LIVE BAND of 1977/78 … they never disappointed, there was never anyone to come close to them.

Clash always had excellent support acts: ‘Sort it Out' had Slits and The Innocents. Slits had become more subtle since their earlier incarnation: Viv, Tessa and Budgie provided solid pulsing rhythm for Ari's teenage brat holler - screeching, chanting, purring and cooing lyrics that explored urban bohemian experience and emotion. Unfortunately I recall very little of Innocents live. Dave Smithson

The Clash were amazing

Janice Horsell - I was at this as a very young punk

Abinger Gregorious Hammer - me too,I was on that tour. -

Alan Bound - I was there too. Wish my mate hadn't been assisting my pogo. Lifted me for height just as we got under the balcony by the bar. Missed a large chunk of the set, but not the underneath of the balcony. Happy lack of memories.

Bouncers were very hit and miss if you were/looked young

David Phillips - The gig that shaped my music taste to this day!

Rob Davis - That was a great gig.

Second Time Around - Another great night, as others have said the bouncers were very hit and miss if you were/looked young. I was 16, and looked younger. I was ok this night as I was with people who were all 18/19, great times, great memories.

Rob Davis - Was at this one. A great night.

I was at that one, aged 16

Geoff Munro - Great photos ... I was at that one, aged 16 ... was always a worry if the bouncers would single you out for looking too young and not let you in ... got there early and bumped into Mick Jones and had a chat ... undoubtedly spent the next day too tired to take anything in, in school !!!

Mark Anderson - I was there, the Slits were the act that made the big impression on me that night

Gary Pearce - My missus was at this gig, it's a shame there are not more crowd photos from back in the day, I'm sure there would be many familiar faces

Steve Harris - Great night , top quality support from The Slits too , fab photos

Mitzy Griffiths - Was there for this one.

Alun Williams - I Was at that one too

That expectation when they came on stage

Andy Allen - Remember that gig like it was yday. 16 years old in my home made punk clothes and that expectation when the boys came on stage

Mart Robinson - I was there that night, London clash followers were all sniffing glue, remember parts of the top rank stank of evo stick !

Stuart McArtney - Was there for this, backstage after with probably half the audience! Thanks Tiziano.

Ian Smith - I was there, the Clash were amazing. So much energy.

Met Mick and Joe that night, always remember White Riot

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The Clash at Top Rank Suite, 26th November 1978 - search results | Facebook

Andrew Lewis - Met Mick and Joe that night, always remember White riot was manic that night, Bernice Rhodes gave us free clash badges for showing him the way around the rank, Great memories.

David Phillips - One of the best gigs and great memories!

Steve Harris - My first Clash gig , epic

Lesley Neary - What a gig

I was there, 15 years old, glorious

Second Time Around - I was there, 15 years old, glorious

Mark Orchard - Brilliant gig

Mark Anderson - I was there, first time I saw the Clash, and thought the slits were brilliant. Must have missed the innocents, as I have no memory of them

Simon Buck - Took me forever to peel that the poster off the wall just up from the Philharmonic, hence the ragged edges. Had bunked off school earlier that day to get the Jam's autographs in Buffalo Records.

Sean Lewis - I was there as a 14 year old

Great photos by Dave Smitham

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The Clash at the Top Rank, 26th November 1978. photos: Dave Smitham

Geoff Munro - Great photos ... I was at that one, aged 16 ... was always a worry if the bouncers would single you out for looking too young and not let you in ... got there early and bumped into Mick Jones and had a chat ... undoubtedly spent the next day too tired to take anything in, in school !!!

Second Time Around - Another great night, as others have said the bouncers were very hit and miss if you were/looked young. I was 16, and looked younger. I was ok this night as I was with people who were all 18/19, great times, great memories.

Steve Harris - Great night , top quality support from The Slits too , fab photos

The Clash at Cardiff University, 4th November 1977 with support from Richard Hell and the Voidoids

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Cardiff Music History / Hanes Miwsig Caerdydd | Facebook
Cardiff Music History / Hanes Miwsig Caerdydd

one of the greatest - maybe the greatest - gigs I ever saw

Nick Horton - Some amazing things about one of the greatest - maybe the greatest - gigs I ever saw:

1. Tickets were £1.50! I know, I know: inflation, the music business is a different world now etc, but even the most bog standard bands seem to charge £100-plus today. If the Clash were around now, hope to god they'd have stuck to their "fans first" principles.

2. "No under-18s" is hilarious. I was 15 and so were loads of my mates who were there. Don't think the bouncers or trading standards were bothered, thankfully.

3. "No admission after 10.30pm": in those days you could turn up at 10.25 and often the first band hadn't even started. I saw Generation X in Newport and they didn't come on until about half-midnight. All very rock'n'roll, but not great for a bunch of 15- year-olds trying to get home for school next day.

But then again... wouldn't have missed any of it for the world.

Mick Jones chucked half a pint over me, I was well chuffed!

Rob Davis - I was there. Also supported by all female French punk band The Lous

Andy Allen - Mick Jones chucked half a pint over me, I was well chuffed!

Janine Price - I was there, Great gig

Managed to blag my way backstage and had a very interesting conversation with Paul Simenon

Howard Jones - Managed to blag my way backstage and had a very interesting conversation with Paul Simenon about the capacity of music to effect social change over a crate of Newcastle brown

Ewan Cameron - I was there , one of the 10 occasions I saw the clash

Watched it from the light projection room

Mitzy Griffiths - Watched it from the light projection room. Great view.

Neil Murray - I was there. Voidoids were great. Saw The Clash a few times, but this is the gig I remember best. Wild atmosphere and racket. Glorious.

it's still there as the best gig I've ever seen

Steve Ashford - Nick Horton it's still there as the best gig I've ever seen

Michael Bassett - If I remember correctly the sound was awful but the atmosphere was electric. Punks down the front and students round the sides and behind - it was like two different tribes at the gig.

Gerald Abell - I was there. Blood everywhere in the gents

Hywel Richards - The first gig I ever took my (now) wife to.