Impossible Mission Tour

last updated 18 Aug 2004
updated June 2022 added ticket

Audio 1

Sound 3 - time 1hr 47mins min - unknown generation - tracks 26
Runs very slow. Distant with distortion. Could be improved the mast would be better

One More Time

Sound Quality

A decent recording was made of the concert but to date the lowest generation copy in circulation is a poor one.

As it is though the sound is not awful but due to it being a number of copies down from the master there is a dullness and lack of clarity. The tape appears to run a little slow. Vocals are heard best and bass is quite good. Guitars are thin and generally the sound suffers from distance from the stage. The sound varies at different points with some distortion and tape wear in places. Junco Partner stands out in isolation as having the best sound.

The taper was in amongst a very lively audience so there is plenty of atmosphere.

The recording is probably complete but as there are numerous edits so this may not be the case. Some lesser copies may exist minus White Riot at the end. Magnificent 7 is an average of the overall sound.

The Clash arrive late

After a 12-hour drive from Bordeaux The Clash arrive late for the concert but according to the NME T-zer’s column it was a particularly successful night with the audience ‘going apeshit’. Unfortunately the sound recording circulating is one of the poorest of a generally well-recorded tour making this an inessential bootleg.

D'jal: The sound is not very good, but playing it memories come back song after song; in fact, it was the same thing in the hall that night: they did'nt have time for a soundchek: ("12 hours on the road from Bordeaux!!")

I remember EXACTLY the words of Joe: "hello! sorry to keep you waiting... we've had 12 hours on the road from bordeaux"

I remember Paul's bass was SO STRONG that the floor and walls were shaking and vibrating, smashing my heart; most of the time, Paul was turning his back, looking on the drum kit or the back of the stage...

Mick Jones had a pair of "electronic drums", when he smashed it, it was an astounding whistle(you can hear it at the end of "this is radio clash" for example)

Topper was good this night, if I remember(Ivan meets GI Joooooooooooe!!) and Joe shouting, diving, creeping and crawling, with his bad teeth....

I remember that the songs had sometimes completely different arrangements between the LPs and the stage; I had seen Springsteen in the same hall in april 1981, and the sounds(LPs/stage) were exactly the same: I prefered the imagination / invention of the clash

I remember at the end of the show, 2 hours of dance/pogo/shouting, my clothes were completly wet with sweat, just like after a shower...

in the french rock press/newspapers, the Lyon's gig was said to be "one of the better concerts of the CLASH" ...I WAS HERE!!!! for many people in France, "may 1981" was the arrival of Francois Mitterand(1st socialist president); for me, for some years, "may 1981" was the date of this concert so thanks for making me 20 years old today...

Poster

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Mistake on the printed tickets

On the ticket there is a mistake. It's written 'C'est un concert METAL HURLENT'. In fact they should have wrote 'C'est un concert METAL HURLANT'.

'METAL HURLANT' was a french magazine that talked about comics, pictures, rock music etc. They made a comics in which The Clash featured.

Lyon - Palais Des Sports

"I think I was in the audience at the 5/5/81 Clash gig in Lyon, France. Up to now, I was pretty sure it took place at the Palais des Sports, and not at the Palais d'Hiver"

This contribution is backed up by the ticket for the gig (see link) which has the Palais Des Sports as the venue.

The venue is a large sports arena still very much in use today.

The ticket includes a description of the type of music to be played in French, which reads great in English - “C’est un concert metal hurlent”!

"but it’s 12 hours on the road from Bordeaux”

The recording begins with King of the Road on the PA. The song by country singer Roger Miller was evidently a favourite of Joe’s and recorded by The Clash around the Sandinista sessions.

Joe starts the gig with an apology; “Sorry to keep you waiting but it’s 12 hours on the road from Bordeaux” The performances sound fine tonight but not exceptional, the most interest is in hearing the Sandinista songs developing live.

Joe says “I’m now gonna sing a song that didn’t sell in England, its from 5 years ago or 4 or 3 I don’t remember its called White Man In Hammersmith Palais” -displaying some of the bitterness the band know felt towards the UK.

Lightning Strikes is developing apace with a proper worked out ending now added. Joe adlibs including repeated references to Vince Taylor. This Is Radio Clash is extended to 6 minutes plus with a ‘dub section’ of drum and bass.

Before Ivan Meets GI Joe, our Joe cryptically says of Topper “everybody duck now because he’s gonna motherfuck you!”

Joe provides a great sarcastic intro to Charlie Don’t Surf “This is Radio Saigon, coming to you on 12 Megahertz on the Armed Forces Network- tonight we have the Flamin’ Groovies and Moby Grape plus all the rich sons of Jah on acid, get it together for your evening rock show!”

An edit before The Magnificent Seven brings a slight sound improvement. The audience are heard for the first time doing the “What” response to the band’s shouted “You lot!” The song is extended and Topper adds the finished ending that would end the song in most performances from now on.

Junco Partner has the best sound and is the highlight of the recording. Unfortunately another edit and the sound dips again. Train In Vain ending coda is now noticeably less interesting than on the 16 Tons Tour whilst in contrast the arrangement on the 1981 Bankrobber (This one’s for Jacque Loussier!) is very enjoyable. An edit loses the end of the song.

Clampdown so far on this tour has lost some of the intensity of previous performances. It is followed by Career Opportunities, which ends the main set. It would appear that One More Time, the usual set closer would have followed but for a call of nature from Mick! When the band return Joe says “Thank you…Mick Jones has just gone for a piss!”

One More Time, getting stronger with each performance starts the first encore, followed by fine versions of Spanish Bombs and Brand New Cadillac. The Street Parade is getting tighter too and it’s a song that allows Mick to improvise and play with his ever-growing array of effects! Janie Jones; “A rave from the grave, a blast from the past” ends the encore.

The second encore begins with a lengthy but unexceptional Armagideon Time before the energy levels rise considerably for a charge through Lyon’s Burning and White Riot at which the recording ends abruptly.

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didn’t have time to make a correct check sound

I was in the Lyon 05/05/81 Palais des sports gig. The Clash arrived lately in the city and didn’t have time to make a correct check sound. But no matter, it was real dynamite for all of us. It seems to me that at the end of the gig, Joe Strummer was singing ‘Lyon’s burning’ instead of ‘London’s burning’…

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Rock n Folk 170 : The Clash

March 81

Interview

Rock n Folk ; Review of the gig

French magazine

Best Magazine 152 Mick Jones-Paul Simonon

March 81

Metal Hurlent - Palais gig review

Photos

Link / Open images in full page

Setlist

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

London Calling Safe European Home The Leader Somebody Got Murdered White Man In Ham Palais The Guns Of Brixton Lightning Strikes Corner Soul This Is Radio Clash Ivan Meets GI Joe Charlie Don’t Surf The Magnificent Seven Junco Partner Wrong Em Boyo Train In Vain Bankrobber Clampdown Career Opportunities One More Time Spanish Bombs Brand New Cadillac The Street Parade Janie Jones Armagideon Time London’s Burning White Riot