This page lists all known Clash gigs from 1979 with info. If you have any corrections please email blackmarketclash
Tours
Feb 79 - Pearl Harbour US Tour ...
Jul 79 - Finland + UK dates ...
Sep 79 - Take the Fifth US Tour ...
Dec 79 - Acklam Hall Secret Gigs ...
In the studio
Jan 6 | Saturday Morning Show LWT | |
The Clash interviewed by Elvis Payne for 'The Saturday Morning Show' on London Weekend (regional) TV on the ITV Network. Archived at BFI (restricted) |
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Jan | Recording Capitol Radio Two | |
January Studio - Wessex Capitol Radio Two Groovy Times Gates of the West I Fought the Law Line Up Joe Strummer - vocals, guitar Mick Jones - guitar, vocals, harmonica Paul Simonon - bass, vocals Topper Headon - drums Producer – Bill Price, The Clash |
Debut US Tour
Fresh from recording at Wessex Studios the Rude Boy overdubs and the Cost of Living EP The Clash tour the States for the first time in the now historic Pearl Harbour tour. A band with a mission to "resuscitate a barely breathing US rock scene", their target the "music to drive by" of Foreigner, Boston etc, etc.
Continuing problems with CBS meant they refused to finance a tour and their US CBS label, Epic reluctantly put up $30,000 and provided little promotion or back up. By way of illustration Epic called it the much less provocative Give ‘Em Enough Rope tour. Epic were horrified at the choice of Bo Diddley as support but The Clash united without Bernie and fired up were determined to do their first US tour their way. Rope had sold 50,000 copies already and 'The Clash' was then the largest selling US import.
Extensive archive of articles and magazines from the Pearl Harbour Tour period
Video and audio from the Pearl Harbour Tour period
Pearl Harbour Tour
Jan 31 | Vancouver - Commodore Ballroom | |
Vancover Interview with Topper and Paul One track has surfaced, full tape wanted |
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Feb 7 | Berkely CA - Community Centre | |
Feb 8 | San Francisco CA - Geary Temple (Fillmore) | |
Secret gig, "The Only Band that Matters" |
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Feb 9 | Santa Monica CA - Civic Auditorium | |
Feb 13 | Cleveland OH - Agora | |
Feb 15 | Washington DC - Ontario Theatre | |
Some footage of Bo Didley supporting |
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Feb 16 | Cambridge MA - Harvard Square Theater | |
Feb 17 | New York NY - Palladium | |
Feb 20 | Toronto - The Rex Danforth Theatre | |
Various interviews 26mins / 5mins / 6mins |
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Feb 23 | English Civil War 7" single released | |
Wikipedia |
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Nothing better to do
The Clash played two "secret" gigs played in the small Notre Dame Hall, off Leicester Square, central London. These were played either to trial new material before the Rainbow Theatre, Southall Defence Fund gig on the 14th July or simply as Joe says in the intro, because "they had nothing better to do". The band would then head off to FInland to play the Ruisrock Festival.
Extensive archive of articles and magazines from the summer of 1979
Video and audio from the summer of 1979
London dates and recording London Calling
Mar 6 | London - Alright Now TV | |
Mar 31 | London - Beaufort Market |
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May 7 | Cost of Living 7" EP - release, re-release | |
Wikipedia |
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May | Recording Vanilla, Vanilla demos | |
May-July Studio - Vanilla Demos, Relased officially on London Calling Deluxe Edition Vanilla demos (London Calling) Line Up: Joe Strummer - vocals, guitar, Mick Jones - guitar, vocals, harmonica, Paul Simonon - bass, Topper Headon - drums, Producer - The Clash. Source - Route 19 Revisited page 106 |
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Jun 21+ | New York NY - Peppermint Lounge - 21st / 22nd / 23rd | |
Jul 5 | London - Notre Dame Hall ... secret gig | |
Jul 6 | London - Notre Dame Hall ... secret gig | |
Jul 8 | London Weekend Television - ROCK ATTITUDES | |
The London Weekend Show. British bands in the USA.Janet Street-Porter, Paul Gambaccini, The Clash. BFI archive N-3742025 |
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Jul 14 | London - Rainbow, Southall Defence Fund | |
Aug 4 | Turku - Ruisrock Festival | |
Jul 23 | 'The Clash' album (US) released | |
Wikipedia |
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July | Recording London Calling | |
Late July-August Studio - Wessex All London Calling tracks except "Armagideon Time" and "Train in Vain" Line Up: Joe Strummer - vocals, guitar, piano, Mick Jones - guitar, vocals, piano, Paul Simonon - bass, vocals, Topper Headon - drums, John "Irish" Earle - baritone and tenor sax, Ray Beavis - tenor sax, Dick Hanson - trumpet, Mickey Gallagher - organ, Bill Price - engineer. Guy Stevens - producer. Source - Route 19 Revisited (horn players per p. 154) |
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Aug 25 | Derry - Punk Festival, Templemore Sports Complex | |
With London Calling only just in the can The Clash flew out to California to fulfil their last pre-Blackhill commitment at the Tribal Stomp Festival and leaving Bill Price responsible for the final mixes. Monterey was not part of the official Take The 5th Tour.
The ooficlal opening night of the "Take the Fifth" 2nd US Tour was at Saint Pau. Fifth as in Amendment but from Boston onwards it was literally true; with Mickey Gallagher playing keyboards. The Tour would build on the low key success of the earlier Pearl Harbour tour and despite mixed audience and US media responses Johnny Green wrote it was the tour when it felt like The Clash were really starting to take off.
Cartoonist Ray Lowry along for the ride wrote the tour proved that "Americans do care about rock'n'roll rather than rock music; if The Clash packed it in tomorrow we'd lose the sole living evidence that rock'n'roll aspires to be anything more than blind escapism".
Extensive archive of articles and magazines from the Take the Fifth Tour period
Video and audio from the Take the Fifth Tour period
The Clash Take the Fifth Tour
Sep | London - Notting Hill (Secret gig) | |
Sep 8 | Monterey CA - Tribal Stomp Festival | |
Sep 12 | Saint Paul MN - Civic Centre | |
Sep 14 | Chicago IL - Aragon Ballroom | |
Sep 17 | Detroit MI - Masonic Temple | |
FM radio interview 54mins |
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Sep 18 | Cleveland OH - Agora [DId this take place?] | |
Sep 19 | Boston MA - Orpheum Theater | |
FM radio interview 39mins |
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Sep 20 | New York NY - Palladium | |
Sep 21 | New York NY - Palladium | |
... includes the soundcheck |
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Sep 22 | Philadelphia PA - Walnut Street Theatre | |
Sep 25 | Montreal - St Denis Theatre | |
Sep 26 | Toronto - O'Keefe Centre | |
Snippet from City Limits Two minutes of Tommy Gun live at the O'Keefe plus interview [w/ Pennie Smith?] about torn out seating. 35min |
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Sep 28 | Worcester MA - Clark University, | |
Sep 29 | Maryland MD - Uni of Maryland, Ritchie Coliseum | |
Oct 2 | Atlanta GA - The Agora | |
Oct 4 | Austin TX - Armadillo Club | |
Oct 5 | Houston TX - Cullen Auditorium | |
Oct 6 | Dallas TX - Palladium | |
Oct 7 |
Lubbock TX - Rocks Club | |
Oct 10 | San Diego CA - The Golden Hall | |
Oct 11 | Los Angeles CA - Hollywood Palladium | |
Oct 13 | San Francisco CA - Kezar Pavilion | |
Oct 14 | Portland OR - 'a local theatre' | |
Oct 15 | Seattle WA - Paramount Theater | |
Oct 16 | Vancouver - PNE Pacific National Exhibition | |
Two secret gigs, hastily arranged for Christmas and Boxing Day 1979 were held for a combination of reasons; to thank their patient fans, as a warm up for the Kampuchea benefit performance on the 27th at the Hammersmith Odeon and because as Mick said no one in England has anything to do over the Christmas holiday.
Kosmo is reported in Bob Gruen's book (which includes a number of photos from Acklam Hall, see below) as giving the reason that the Westway to the Clash is what Trenchtown was to the Wailers a physical and spiritual place, so the idea to play at Christmas was to do something for the community from which they came. It was home, Mick Joe and Paul all walked from their places to gig.
Extensive archive of articles and magazines from late 1979
Video and audio from late 1979
Christmas dates
Nov 5 | Recording London Calling b sides | |
November 5-12 Studio - Wessex Armagideon Time Train in Vain Line Up: Joe Strummer - vocals, guitar, Mick Jones - guitar, vocals, harmonica, Paul Simonon - bass, vocals, Topper Headon - drums, Mickey Gallagher - organ, Guy Stevens - producer. Bill Price - engineer. |
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Dec | Unknown interview with Joe | |
Dec | BBCR1 Tommy Vance, John Tobler with Mick/Paul 6m | |
Dec | BBCR1 John Tobler with Mick 18mins | |
Dec 7 | London Calling 7" single released | |
Dec 7 | London Calling 12" single released | |
Dec 14 | London Calling double album released | |
Wikipedia |
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Dec 25 | London - Acklam Hall ...secret xmas gig | |
Dec 26 | London - Acklam Hall ...secret gig | |
Dec 27 | London - Hammersmith Odeon | |
...Concert For Kampuchea two tracks officially released with better sound |
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Dec 31 | London - 'Ladbroke Grove All Stars', Tabernacle | |
Jun 76 - Black Swan , five piece ....
Sept 76 - 100 Club, London gigs ....
Dec 76 - Anarchy Tour ....
Jan / Mar - Early 77 Gigs ....
May 77 - White Riot UK Tour ....
Jul 77 - European Dates ....
Oct 77 - Out of Control UK Tour ....
Jan 78 - Sandy Pearlman UK Dates ....
Apr 78 - UK Festival Dates ....
Jul 78 - Out on Parole UK Tour ....
Oct 78 - Sort it Out UK Tour ....
Feb 79 - Pearl Harbour US Tour ....
Jul 79 - Finland + UK dates ....
Sep 79 - Take the Fifth US Tour ....
Dec 79 - Acklam Hall Secret Gigs ....
Jan 80 - 16 Tons UK Tour ....
Mar 80- 16 Tons US Tour ....
May 80 - 16 Tons UK/Europe ....
May 81 - Impossible Mission Tour ....
Jun 81 - Bonds Residency NY ....
Sep 81 - Mogador Paris Residency ....
Oct 81 - Radio Clash UK Tour ....
Oct 81 - London Lyceum Residency ....
Jan 82 - Japan Tour ....
Feb 82 - Australian Tour ....
Feb 82 - HK & Thai gigs ....
May 82 - Lochem Festival ....
May 82 - Combat Rock US Tour ....
July 82 - Casbah Club UK Tour ....
Aug 82 - Combat Rock US Tour ....
Oct 82 - Supporting The Who ....
Nov 82 - Bob Marley Festival ....
May 83 - US Festival + gigs ....
Jan 84 - West Coast dates ....
Feb 84 - Out of Control Europe ....
Mar 84 - Out of Control UK ....
April 84 - Out of Control US Tour ....
Sep 84 - Italian Festival dates ....
Dec 84 - Miners Benefit Gigs ....
May 85 - Busking Tour ....
Jun- Aug 85 - Festival dates ....
Sept 85 - European Tour ....
Jan 86 - Far East Tour ....
1986 onwards - Retrospective
74-76 - Joe with the 101ers ....
Jul 88 - Green Wedge UK Tour
Aug 88 - Rock the Rich UK Tour ....
Oct 89 - Earthquake Weather UK ....
Oct 89 - Earthquake Weather Euro ....
Nov 89 - Earthquake Weather US ....
Jun 99 - Comeback Festival dates ....
July 99 - Short US Tour ....
July 99 - UK Tour ....
Aug 99 - Festival Dates ....
Oct 99 - UK Tour ....
Nov 99 - Full US Tour ....
Dec 99 - European Xmas dates ....
Jan 00 - Australasian Tour ....
May 00 - Mini UK Tour ....
Nov 00 - supporting The Who Tour ....
Jul 01 - UK & US Instore Tour ....
Oct 01 - Full US Tour ....
Nov 01 - Japanese Tour ....
Nov 01 - Full UK Tour ....
April 02 - Brooklyn NY Residency ....
Jun 02 - UK Festivals ....
Jul 02 - Hootenanny Tour ....
Aug 02 - UK Festival Dates ....
Sep 02 - Japanesse Dates ....
Nov 02 - Bringing it all Back Home ....
Audio exists and circulates | |
Audio exists but is not in circulation | |
No known Audio | |
Audio (radio) interview | |
Soundcheck |
Video exists and circulates | |
Video exists but is not in circulation | |
No known Video |
Gig cancelled | |
Never took place / bogus date | |
Unoffical release | |
Offical release |
Clash pages only - Rated 0-5 for iTunes. How real the sound feels re: the sound you'd hear in the concert hall. |
to Rated 0.5 to 5 for sound (for iTunes) |
Unknown generation |
Master source |
Low generation (better) |
High generation (copied too much) |
Soundboard |
FM |