This page lists all known Clash gigs from 1979 with info. If you have any corrections please email blackmarketclash




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)
Jan Recording Capitol Radio Two
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 Vancover - Commodore Ballroom
Vancover Interview with Topper and Paul
Feb 7 Berkely CA - Community Centre
Feb 8 San Francisco CA - Geary Temple (Fillmore)
Feb 9 Santa Monica CA - Civic Auditorium
Feb 13 Cleveland OH - Agora
Feb 15 Washington DC - Ontario Theatre
Some footage of Bo Didley supporting
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
Feb 23 English Civil War 7" single released







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
May 7 Cost of Living 7" single / EP released
May Recording Vanilla, Vanilla demos
May-July Studio – Vanilla,
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
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
Jul 14 London - Rainbow, Southall Defence Fund
Jul 23 'The Clash' album (US) released
Aug 4 Turku - Ruisrock Festival
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)
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 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
Sep 18 Cleveland OH - Agora [DId this take place?]
Sep 19 Boston MA - Orpheum Theater
FM radio interview 39mins
Sep 20 New York NY - Palladium
Sep 21 New York NY - Palladium
... includes the soundcheck
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
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 Vancover - 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.
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
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
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 - Hong Long & 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