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It was loud, the crowd was intense, The Clash were incredible!
@Jxff - I was there, it was loud, the crowd was intense, The Clash were incredible!
@akatgif - OMG, I was there, too. One stand-up memory is the open floor allowed us to get so close to the band.
Don Mackay - It was awsome
My ears are still ringing
Nick Santana - Was at the civic…local band the dils opened
Henry Stamper - [Ears ringing] Days? Mine are still ringing!!!
We were like in shock after the show
February 9, 1979, Democratic Underground Forums - We were like in shock after the show. The whole performance went to our brains and we can remember every last bit of it, what now..nearly 40 years later.
Judi Eng - - their concert was amazing......it was a small venue and it was perfect......
They got snowed in at Pearson international airport
Mark Weishaar - Saw the clash when they first came on that tour. Santa Monica Civic auditorium. Then after, they got snowed in at Pearson international airport in Toronto in 93 and got stranded for 5 hrs with Bo Diddley and his band.
They were so awesome they pulled out some acoustic kit and did an hr+ live set for us stranded folks. Tremendous honor Bo had a wicked sense of humor.
The Clash at the Civic
The Santa Monica Civic Auditorium is a multi-purpose convention centre a in Santa Monica, California. It was built in 1958 and has a seating capacity of 3,000.
The Clash played there twice, the first time being this time, on the 1979 Pearl Harbour Tour (or Give 'Em Enough Rope Tour, if you're from Epic Records.
The support acts were: Bo Diddley, as with every date on this tour, and The Dills, a radical leftist punk rock band from California.
The Clash reportedly weren't best pleased with their performance, having to stop during Complete Control etc., but the gig received positive reviews in the press and is remembered very fondly by those at the gig.
The second time The Clash played there was in 1984, with the Clash MkII lineup, with former Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren (in his hip hop phase) and Los Lobos as the opening acts.
The Clash - Live at the Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica (02.09.1979) - YouTube
Best concert I've ever attended
Martin Zaehringer - Saw this tour during their stop in LA [Pearl Harbour]
Sam Gardner - Santa Monica civic. I couldn’t figured out what all the fuss was about. I was dumb. Best band ever.
Tom Miller - I was There
Steve Hibbert - Looking forward to spending part of my Saturday attending a series of community workshops at the historic Santa Monica Civic Auditorium to discuss and explore saving (and the potential future uses for) this venerable building. On a personal note, I saw the best concert I've ever attended there, The Clash in 1979! Facebook
Meeting the Clash pre-gig
Mark van Rossen - At the time, my friend Gerard and I worked with a company that shot Don Kirschner's Rock Concert intros. We were given free tickets to the show from DKRC. Low and behold when we were taken to our seats in the 11th row Paul Simon and his date were in "our" seats. They had to move! So we looked at each other and smiled sat down cracked open some Guinness Stout that we smuggled in cheered like wow, how cool is this. Paul and his date just scooted forward and sat in row 10 right in front of us. We had a good laugh. After Bo Diddley opened Paul and his date left. Great times and music indeed! (I guess they just weren't quite into the Clash yet!)
David Stradal - I was at Barneys Beanery in LA, a friend of mine wanted to play pool, I suck at pool..but, I said ok. We went to one of the tables, a group of 4 punk looking guys were playing. I asked if we could play winners..they said sure. I put my money down...when we came up, the conversation went like this....I take it from your accents, you are from England....Yes we are....What do you do? We play music, have a band...Whats the name of your band?...The Clash...Never heard of you..you break....We played for about an hour, I think they were relieved that I was not some over the top fan. Had a fun time, shared some beers and laughs. We all sucked at pool
The Dils would later move to Austin and become one of the first and best cow-punk bands, Rank and File
Damien William Castle III - Saw Bo Diddley support The Clash at The Santa Monica Civic in February of 1979 Rock N' Roll Motherfuckers | Facebook
Jon Ney - I saw Bo open for The Clash at the Santa Monica Civic. Facebook
Patrick Fletcher - I caught that tour at the Santa Monica Civic Center
Scott French - Saw them in Santa Monica on this tour.
@caliscribe2120 - I saw The Clash at the Santa Monica Civic in February 1979. You mentioned the opening band The Dils. That band would later move to Austin and become one of the first and best cow-punk bands, Rank and File
Left early with tics from San Diego and missed them!
William Sweeney - I saw them at the Santa Monica Civic, February 1979, great show!. The Dils, San Diego's favorite, were to open.
I lived in San Diego so we left four hours early. STILL missed them...curse you LA traffic ...but it was a Friday...should've KNOWN!! I had seen the Dils a few times by then, a truly great band, but we really wanted to cheer our homies on....bummed. Bo was truly wonderful, he was bold and serious. Then he started showing off his (homemade by him!) cool trademark rectangular guitar. He flicked a switch on it and on the front it flashed on and off, alternating "BO" then "DIDDLEY"! The crowd roared. He said later his hearing was never the same though..."Them Clash boys is LOUD!!"
I saw the Clash and Bo on this tour. It was unbelievable.
Dennis William Walsh - Saw this tour twice [Pearl Harbour]
Dave Gonet - I saw the Clash and Bo on this tour. It was unbelievable.
Paul Nielsen - Bo Diddley was the 1st concert I ever went too took my girlfriend at the time we must have been the youngest people there 16 year olds he was brilliant.
Anthony Moriarty - It was the Pearl Harbour Tour '79 as i printed the tee's for it in London, Kamikazi Pilot on front & Aircraft Carrier explosion on the back. Joe Strummer Never Forgotten. RIP
@NICO9000 - I saw them for the first time on their first US tour in February 79 has gone down in history as a pivotal one for punk in the States. I was 19 when I first saw them, and it still stands in my top 10 of all time, along Springsteen, Nick Cave, and a few others. Such great memories!
Tom Berard - Mike Rep Hummel - I saw them on 2/15/79 in DC. Such an amazing show!!!!@rexvardeman521 - Saw the show from this tour at the Ontario Theater in Washington DC. They had Bo Diddley as the opener. Best show I’ve ever seen.