Pearl Harbour Tour supported by Bo Diddley & The D-Ceats

updated 10 July 2008 - added article Prefect who Rocket Word
updated 5 Jan 2010 - added Bo Diddley Video & 3 superb photos c.Peter Muise

Audio 1

Sound 1.5 - 31min - unknown generation? - 11 tracks - full upgrade wanted

Drug Stabbing Time

Video Bo Diddley opening for The Clash

6:32 backstage & onstage

crudely edited incomplete recording

The only recording in circulation is incomplete with only 11 track's, the first and last incomplete and the songs crudely edited together between songs.

Its an audience tape that suffers from loss of clarity, some distortion, and the taper is well back from the stage. There are also some tape problems. The sound is dull with little range but its not awful by any means, with lead guitar coming through quite well. I have never seen fuller versions in circulation. Better sound than Santa Monica but its incompleteness makes it less enjoyable.

This has been know to turn up as Canadian FM recording but it isn't.

Video: Bo Diddley reminise

Bo Diddley talks about his experiences opening for the Clash on their 1979 US Tour. This interview took place in November 2002 at the Rock Nightclub in Maplewood, Minnesota.

"smashed the neck off my fuckin' guitar though, funny I used to hate bands that smashed their instruments"

Back on the bus again to the now defunct Ontario Theatre in Washington DC. Mick received a message saying Washington was the City of the Dead, evidence that the words were getting through to US audiences despite Joe stating otherwise in his sarcastic between song comments on this tour.

Mick thought it was a good gig "smashed the neck off my fuckin' guitar though, funny I used to hate bands that smashed their instruments". Mick had received shocks throughout the gig from his trusty Les Paul finally losing patience on London's Burning. The sceptical Allan Jones writing in Melody Maker witnessed the gig and wrote that Hate & War collapsed into chaos (little evidence of that here), City of the Dead "this one's for Sid" had rescued it, Safe European Home continued it but Police & Thieves was stumbling and ragged

Flyer

Pass, tickets

I was floating on air

"I had the tremendous good fortune to see the DC show at the age of 17 and I was just completely blown away.  I changed my college major.  I went into radio then clubs and promotions.  The show altered my life path.  I think that at most 300 were in attendance.  There was a crude merchandise stand up front selling buttons and t-shirts.  It was snowing that night.  I spent my gas money on a plain medium white t-shirt with the cover of GEER on the front and back.  8 dollars.  The D-Ceats played their last gig opening for Bo who did a 17 minute version of Who Do You Love.  The Clash came on to USA.  I distinctly remember Mick snapping his les paul against the stage left amp stack.
 
Leaving the show I remember looking down at my feet on the show covered sidewalk at Ontario & Columbia RD NW just to check and make sure that I was still on terra firma.  I *felt* as thought I was floating on air.

Young Punk met Old Punk at the Ontario Theater last night as The Clash and Bo Diddley tore the sold-out house apart

Diddley, Clash - The Washington Post

By Harry Sumrall, February 15, 1979 at 7:00 p.m. EST

Young Punk met Old Punk at the Ontario Theater last night as The Clash and Bo Diddley tore the sold-out house apart with two generations of rock 'n' roll.

The Clash are latest sensations in the world of punk, that riotously ridiculous form of music that refuses to die. Like all self-respecting musicians of their sort, their music was a droning mass of power chords, static rhythms and off-key ranting that was propelled by sheer energy and not much else.

Stumbling across the stage, dressed in tight black pants and greased-back hair, they were like visions from an earlier age of rock 'n' roll. What their set lacked in musicality, it more than made up for with excitement, but after awhile even too much excitement becomes a bore.

While Bo Diddley isn't exactly a punk himself, his music was a prototype for that style. The block-like chords and pounding beats of his classic songs had the crowd on its feet, yelling, "Hey Bo Diddley," along with the chorus. Dancing and strutting about, with his famous box-guitar, Diddley sang with a sense of freshness that has withstood a quarter-century of rock history.

Punk rock should be so lucky in its old age.

The Prefect Who Rocked the World

By Desson Howe - Staff Writer
Copyright 2002 The Washington Post

Joe Strummer wasn't Joe Strummer when I met him.

That was in the late 1960s, in England. He was John Mellor, a thin-lipped, sarcastic prefect sitting in his study. The younger students had big collective rooms for their homework. But prefects had private rooms, which they'd share with one or two senior colleagues. He was older than I was -- 17, I suppose. I was 11 or so, a new student at the City of London Freemen's School in Ashtead, Surrey, and a so-called "grub." I had been sent upstairs to summon him to "prayers," the boy boarders' nightly session of Our Fathers and so forth.

"It's prayers," I said, with no idea I had just transgressed the code. You never ran into a prefect's study unannounced. At this British private school, the prefects had an almost mullah-like presence. You had to do anything they told you, without hesitation. Some, I found to my distress, used that authority for physical and emotional cruelty. By blundering into his inner sanctum, I was asking for trouble.

Mellor looked up from his desk. Stared at the ridiculous "plebe" in school tie, short trousers and blazer before him. Curled his top lip and said: "Knock on the door, you crud."

I had to close the door and knock again. He waited a long time before telling me to enter. I opened the door and told him again.

"I bloody heard you the first time," he said.

Unlike the other prefects -- I can still see their dour expressions, pale skin, zip-up boots and pink shaving bumps -- Mellor had a fantastic, surrealistic and absurd sense of humor. And at the boarder gatherings, in which we stood in hushed, military lines before our housemaster, Mellor played to the gallery -- the grubs. We were so grateful. Prefects never gave us the time of day, except to beat us or force us to polish their shoes.

John Mellor was the one with the implied twinkle. Always playing pranks, mind games. Not as cruel as the others. Always funny. I suddenly remember that he once wore a T-shirt with a heart on it. It said: "In case of emergency, tear out." I never imagined how much it would hurt to think of that now.

"Howe, you're in for the high jump," he thundered one night, after catching me talking in the dormitory after lights out. I was shaking. Even Mellor could be like the rest of them, at times. This was going to hurt.

Solemnly, he made me stand in front of my bed. Withdrew a leather slipper from his foot and told me . . . to jump over my bed. End of punishment.

He used to make me sing the Rolling Stones' "Off the Hook." Every night. My voice hadn't broken yet. I sang it like a choirboy. ("Sittin' in my bedroom late last night," I squeaked.) It broke him up to hear my rendition.

He made me recite the names of the band members. Who plays bass? Bill Wyman, I told him. What about the drummer? Charlie Watts. Right, he said. Who's your favorite band? The Rolling Stones! Not the poxy Beatles.

In this POW camp of a place, John Mellor was my Hogan.

We had graduated by the late 1970s when we learned he had formed a group called the Clash and, even better, become punk rock's hard-sweating leader. And he'd changed his name to Strummer. Joe Strummer. What a laugh.

But what music he played! Bloody brilliant. Forget the Sex Pistols -- they were just a spitting, guitar-thrashing Kings Road gimmick. The Clash were the real kings. "London Calling" was, and remains, one of the great rock albums of all time. Come on. Sing with me now: "Rudie can't fail, oh-no!"

After he left school, I didn't see John for years. Although there was that surreal afternoon when he visited City Freemen's on "Old Boys' Day," wearing an afghan coat. He was under the influence of something. Just grinned at us, still geeks in our school uniforms. Did you see Mellor? We asked each other later.

My family immigrated to America in the 1970s, so I followed "Joe Strummer" along with the rest of his American fans. Formed a band in 1979 with my friend Ken Cobb, who had become a big fan of the Clash. One of our cover songs was "London Calling." Did the Washington audiences get it at Mr. Henry's of Tenley Circle, or the Reeks club? We didn't care. We played it anyway.

I talked my way backstage at a Clash concert in the late 1970s, when they played at the Ontario Theater on Columbia Road. There he was, with that curled lip again. He didn't seem to remember me that well. But he was gracious. And I met the other members of the band: Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, Topper Headon. Bo Diddley was walking around backstage as well. Thick fingers festooned with rings. Bloody hell, I thought. John Mellor's got Bo Diddley opening for him!

And then came the most meaningful reunion of all. It was just last October at the 9:30 club, when Ken and I went to watch Joe Strummer and his last band, the Mescaleros, kick off their American tour.

He played such sublime music from his latest album, "Global a Go-Go," a world-music-loving classic of its own. From the new album, the high point was "Bhindi Bhagee," a lovely song with South African-style lead guitar, about a bloke from New Zealand who comes to the singer's neighborhood searching for a restaurant that serves the quintessentially Brit dish, mushy peas. And he played almost every classic a Clash and Strummer fan could ask for.
I realized what was so great about his songs: He didn't care if they made sense. They were beautifully, achingly personal. You got him or you didn't. We got him, all right. And we were lucky enough to get backstage and meet him afterward.

Someone pulled a curtain back, and there he was again. Older. Wiser. And now he seemed to remember me. No more curled lip -- he was smiling. He'd taken off his shirt because he was so hot. We sat there with him for hours, just talking. Others came around too, including Ian MacKaye of Fugazi. And I realized in a palpable way, he wasn't my John Mellor. He was everyone's Joe Strummer.

With other well-wishers, we migrated to another room, drank and spoke about so many things. I told him everything I could remember about the old days at Freemen's. He laughed. Joked into my ear. Ken spoke to him, too. And he allowed us to be the cheesiest fans of all, repeating his lyrics back to him. Singing in that nasal Strummer voice. He enjoyed them with us.

Finally, it was time to go. Our wives probably thought we were dead. I handed Joe my card. He told me to visit him at his farmhouse one day. Beautiful countryside. Shame about the telephone towers. It wasn't going to happen, the visit. But it was a heady thought. I imagined seeing him at his front door, a straw in his mouth, Wellington boots on. Waving.

That's where he died Sunday. At home with his wife, Lucinda, and his three daughters. Whom I've never met. I can sense a powerful, silent wave of appreciation from fans around the world.

Maybe Ken and I will raise more than one single-malt whisky to Joe, to John, and to whoever or whatever he's become. We'll play the music, of course. Talk to other fans. That's what you do. I don't care if I don't go to another concert again, Ken said Saturday night, the night before John died. It'll be nothing compared with our night with Joe Strummer. Bloody well right, mate. Bloody well right.

Copyright 2002 by the Washington Post Company. All rights reserved. This article was published on Tuesday, December 24, 2002, on page C01.

Never have I experienced what I experienced at that Clash show in 1979

"It was an explosive show - I was there right at the front of the stage and remember it well!  Bo Diddley opened for them, as well as some friends of mine in a local DC band called the D.Ceats.  Ahhh the good old days! 

I have seen over 2000 concerts from 1977 to date.  Classic bands, seminal bands - WIre Fall U2 REM, great zydeco, jazz and lounge - you name it.  Nirvana the week Nevermind was released - you get the idea.  Never have I experienced what I experienced at that Clash show in 1979.  The energy, possibility, emotion and sheer sense of life itself emminating from the stage was without equal. They were the greatest live band of the past 40 years."

Best night of my life.

Richard Wayne Sarvay - I was there!

Tom Berard - I was at this show - 2/15/79. I was directly behind Nathan Strejcek. The chains attached to the back of his leather jacket were hitting me in the face as he pogoed up and down. Best night of my life.

Stuart Greenwell - Second row center!!

John William - J Scott  - and I were there

I even snuck in to their dressing room

Dave Johnson - I was there! I even snuck in to their dressing room. A great memory. https://www.facebook.com

Lisa Casson - I was at that show! 

John Klemann - Yep. I remember that!! I think Erick was working security.

Lisa Casson - Me too. I was security for green room. Nobody could get through our security team, we knew all of the tricks. LOL Great photos!!! Miss you much!

D.A. Kulczyk - I was at that Cleveland show

Stuart Greenwell - Second row center!!

"The Greatest RnR Band In The World"

John Shipley - I was there and remember it well. My first sighting of the Clash.The weather was crappy, a mix of sleet & snow. My girlfriend drove us to the show. When I got there, I had to urinate as I drank beer on the ride from Towson State where we were attending.

When I went in the men's room to use an urinal, there was Joe about an urinal away. Too awestruck to say a word to him! Only thing that struck me then was he was short. Other than that, that show only crazed me for more of "The Greatest RnR Band In The World". Got the original poster & stub & backstage pass for that memorable concert.

Ear-splittingly loud, raucous, rearranging the fucking architecture of the Ontario Theater

Phil Demetrion - The Clash were just what we expected them to be: all white light, white heat, ear-splittingly loud, raucous, rearranging the fucking architecture of the Ontario Theater. As someone who had spent many nights at CBGB's in the mid-'70s, I felt at home in Washington for the first time.

Clarke Kelly - I think the DCeats stole that show. 1st time I saw Martha Hull. I still have a cassette of it(snuck a cassette recorder in). I loved the Clash, but they sounded much worse than their opening acts - all muddy distortion - and I have the tape to prove it.

A young Ian Mackaye and Henry Rollins were there

Andrew Strayler - Henry Rollins has talked to me about being at this show. A very influential experiance for him.

El Marko Ecaen - A young Ian Mackaye and Henry Rollins were there. Clash City Collectors | facebook.com

Amazing show. Still have photos somewhere.

Patrick Curren - Was browsing the Washington Post just now and read an article that the Ontario Theater in D.C., Adams Morgan neighborhood, has been replaced with condos. Only time there was to see the Clash on their first U.S. tour, named the Pearl Harbor tour, for some reason. The late great Bo Diddley opened. An odd pairing.

Drove from Williamsburg in the black Gremlin with WCWM-FM buddy Susan Marquis for this show. Recall it was a kind of a dreary snowy day in Feb. 1979. Amazing show. Total hard core punk. Stayed over at her parents place in Virginia, maybe Falls Church, then drove back to the 'burg. 

Know a bunch of 35mm negatives are stashed somewhere in my pix archives. Don't recall making prints. This is not my pic, but it shows the band around the same time. Always had great times with the wonderfully interesting and smart radio station girls. Delighted to be connected these days with four or five via Facebook. Patrick Curren | Facebook

Best concert I’ve ever seen.

Rex Vardeman - Saw them on that tour at the Ontario Theater in Washington DC. Best concert I’ve ever seen.

@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.
In Feb 1979 The Clash toured the US for the first time #theclash - YouTube

Kevin Downs - I also so the DC show. FYI - below is a great interview with Bo about the tour. "My ears is still hurtin'"!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPc5_A9NZhk

I snuck into the Clash's dressing room at the DC date of this tour

Dave Johnson - I snuck into the Clash's dressing room at the DC date of this tour. I got autographs from the band and Bo Diddley gave me this poster, but I was too young and stupid to get his autograph. [Pearl H]

Scott Pendleton - I saw that tour in DC at The Ontario Theater. Best I ever saw The Clash.

Joel Zakem - I was at that show

Search results

The Clash Washington 1979 - search results | Facebook
The Clash Washington Ontario Theatre 1979 - search results | Facebook
The Clash Ontario Theatre 1979 - search results | Facebook

Blackmarketclash | Leave a comment

NME T'zers

Link

Punk band touting here, has limited expectations

Baltimore Sun - 25 February 1979

Full page or Enlarge Clash review only

The Clash perform in Washington, D.C. during the Give 'Em Enough Rope Tour, 1979. Peter Muise

The Clash | Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/

See also:
The Clash perform in Washington, D.C. during the Give 'Em Enough Rope Tour, 1979
- search results | Facebook - https://www.facebook.com

International Clash Day passed into law in Washington D.C.

Bill Text: DC CER22-0012 | 2017-2018 | 22nd Council | Introduced | LegiScan
https://legiscan.com/DC/text/CER22-0012/id/1509731

Bill Title: International Clash Day Recognition Resolution Of 2017

Erik Bergman | Facebook

Erik Bergman - Thanks to everyone who made today's #InternationalClashDay a huge success, particularly Council member Charles Allen who spearheaded the passage of the resolution declaring February 7, 2019 International Clash Day in Washington, DC!

The Clash chose to play The Ontario Theatre in Washington, D.C. on February 15, 1979, as the sixth show of their very first North American tour, and returned to The Lisner Auditorium on April 8, 1984, further endearing the band to a legion of fans that would go on to proclaim them “the only band that matters.”

The Clash inspired socially conscious bands such Bad Brains, The Pietasters, Teen Idles, Minor Threat & Fugazi  to form in order to advocate for disadvantaged people in their city and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED BY THE MAYOR OF WASHINGTON, D.C.

THAT FEBRUARY 7TH 2019 IS International Clash Day
We encourage all residents to Rock the Casbah.

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Photos: Ontario Theatre, Washington

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Setlist

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11	Guns on the Roof (edited) Jail Guitar Doors Tommy Gun Drug Stabbing Time Hate and War City of the Dead White Man Safe European Home English Civil War Clash City Rockers Stay Free (edited)