Protest Gig, cancelled

updated 19 July 2006
updated June 2022 added Punks of London flyer/auction notes/video link
updated September 2022 - added 2x newspaper articles
updated April 2024 added bits incl flyer

Daily Mirror - Punk band backs fans

Tuesday 3rd April 1979

Link

A jail warning for punk fans. "We can't have the public put in fear" - court

Fulham Chronicle - Friday 13th April 1979

Link or full page PDF

London's Burning

Video | Facebook
The Original Soho Punk Rock Tour

1979, Kings Road. The Clash were meant to play on a rooftop by Beaufort Market but were stopped by the SPG. The early footage is Spitalfields/Brick Lane. Joe Strummer appears at the end

Every band played

Marion Millot - Jock MacDonald organised a concert with my all-female punk band the Lou’s plus Jim Walker’s band (who had left PIL) etc. on January 24, 1979 at Acklam Hall – every band played, but [it is alleged] he never paid any of us."

Paul Fearn - Hello Marion, I remember seeing you supporting The Clash in 1978 (?) at Sheffield Top Rank, always wondered what happen to the Lou's!

Marion Millot - Paul Fearn  - hello Paul, thank you so much for asking. We continued to play together until the summer of 1979. Drummer Sacha and rhythm guitarist Raphaëlle continued to play in England for a while, then in different bands in the Nederland. Singer, guitarist Pamela Popo and I (bass) we played in France in different bands. Raphaëlle passed away in 1992, my good friend Pamela Popo passed away last year, just a few months after the release of two vinyles of the Lou’s. After the releases, I was able to write to Sacha thanks to a relation (we had lost sight of each other). I wish you all the best.

Chris Grief - The photo of a lad being lead away [on teh Londons Burning/NME article] by a copper is an old friend of mine Guy Howard

Remember the police being heavy handed

Paul Gamblin - Me and a couple of mates were up the Kings Road from Taunton that very day, we wondered about all the punks, met Jock who seemed very keen and edgy but got bored and missed all the fun.
Clash City Collectors | facebook.com

Jonny Diamond - Remember it well

Lorne Cartlidge - Was there...lad at the front running I think was one of our lot ..shep from Derby..think he did'nt stop til he got back to Derby

Joe Swinford - I was there. I remember the police being heavy handed, and we left when it became unbearable. Remember, we were up to London from the sticks, not some trendies.

all this talk of Punk reminds me of the day we went to Beaufort Market ...

Eddie Piller | Facebook - all this talk of Punk reminds me of the day we went to Beaufort Market. Eddie Piller | Facebook - Was anyone else present at the famous Beaufort Market Riot at the end of march 1979 - this was the rally by punks, mods and skinheads to defend Beaufort Market on the Kings Road against forced closure by the police. Organised by Jock McDonald of the Bollock Brothers, The Clash were rumoured to be playing, and I am pretty sure I heard them briefly. There were 70 odd arrests and I think the SPG got stuck in quite heavily. I was there and am just writing it up for my book. I need to speak to someone else who was there to see if my memories concur...

Jeffrey Munday - I was there Eddie. I ended up on the roof of Beaufort Market waiting for the Clash to play. Was at many of Jocks ' get togethers ' . The one on the coast was a massive Punk Skin Mod footie match on the beach. Of course it was all calm till the old bill turned up 

Barry Pease - Was there that day too - seems like so so long ago - that footage is priceless

Nicky Porter - I didn't riot but bought a purple mohair jumper from Beaufort Market.  You would have been a very young rioter

Eddie Piller - I might have been Nick but as you know I started gigging early. we were caught up in the exc itement of it and went with Jock to Brighton for a similar thing a few weeks later

Barry Pease - Yes I was there eddie, the clash were rumoured to be playing, thats what got us to jump on a 49 bus and go over the river

Jeffrey Munday - Yes I was there . Ended up on the roof of Beaufort market waiting for the Clash

Ken Cooper - I was there was a lively day

Bradley Hall - I was there. With a gang of punks from Hackney , we the first bunch to walk into the small park / square where the riot started . I've still a pair of bondage trousers from smutz , a shop in the market

Andrea Maria Marchant - Just consulted with the husband who is a huge clash fan. 31st march? He says the clash cancelled moments before they were due to go on as they were served with a writ and due to the police presence. There were over 100 arrests and the clash were thinking of playing a benefit gig for all the arrested people but it didn't go ahead. Interesting article here with links to press cuttings ... 

Arron Jones - Hi Ed, your memory ain't too good! I was selling Jock Mcdonald all he's bootleg tapes at the time, he decided to have a party in the shop & on the roof, he gave me flyers to give out, In Notting Hill I gave some to Joe Strummer & Mick Jones they said they knew Jock Mcdonald & would speak to him about playing, they didn't end up playing, but the rumours started there & thousands turned up ending in a riot at Sloane square x

Arron Jones - Mick Jones did come along though x

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A fine evening at the World’s End Bookshop, 357 King’s Road

Max Décharné| Facebook - Max Dйcharnй - A fine evening at the World’s End Bookshop, 357 King’s Road earlier this month talking about my new book on the history of the area, right at the heart of where much of it happened. 

Back in the punk days, the site was a vintage shop I used to visit called 20th Century Box, seen in the top photo, March 31 1979, alongside some of the punks angry about the closure of Beaufort Market (opposite left) and that the free Clash gig on its roof had been stopped by police. Upstairs next door in those days was Flat 26, 355 King’s Road, launchpad for Dan Treacy and Ed Ball’s King’s Road record label. 

Many thanks to Fitzrovia Flaneur who look the lower photo of my talk and helped make the event happen, and to the shop’s owner Giles Lyon, seen on the right, for all his hospitality.

https://found.ee/Kingsroadbook