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

London Calling Safe European Home The Leader Somebody Got Murdered White Man In Ham Palais The Guns Of Brixton This Is Radio Clash The Call Up Complete Control Junco Partner Lightning Strikes Ivan Meets GI Joe Charlie Don't Surf Bankrobber The Magnificent Seven Wrong 'Em Boyo Train In Vain Career Opportunities Clampdown One More Time Brand New Cadillac Janie Jones Armagideon Time Washington Bullets I'm So Bored with the USA

The drama of the Bonds residency

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12	Background Bonds Residency The Clash arriving in New York and the build up News Reports video and audio The Ticket Fiasco The remainder of the residency History of Bonds Longer history of Bonds Posters and adverts Badges, FSLN handouts, flyers, Clash press release ... Clash on Broadway Reels List of Support Acts

1. Background: The Clash at Bond's

Italy to New York
When The Clash landed at JFK airport in New York on the night of the 25th May 1981 they had no idea that their residency at a Broadway nightclub would create such a furore and nationwide media coverage that it became a pivotal event in their assault on America, helping to propel them into the major league Stateside. As Kosmo Vinyl has succinctly put it, “People who didn’t have straight trousers and short hair suddenly knew who we were. It got out - it was big!”. The Bonds concerts became one of the most enduring aspects of the Clash legend. ... more ...

2. Residency

The remainder of the press coverage once the bad had agreed to ensure all ticket holders got in by adding 8 more dates.

3. Arrival

A collection of articles covering the bands arrival into New York including previews of the week. Also includes the WNEW preview broacast with Meg Griffin.

4. Bonds News Reports
Audio and video reports covering the ticket fiasco. Fascinating watching / listening that captures those three days well. Includes notes.

5. Ticket Fiasco
Numerous articles and audio and video reports covering the ticket fiasco.

6. The remainder of the residency

7. History of Bonds

8. Longer history of Bonds plus old photos

9. Posters and adverts
Bits and pieces inclduying all adverts and posters.

10. Badges, FSLN handouts, flyers, Clash press releases ...

11. Clash on Broadway Reels
What was filmed and what happened to it?

12. List of Support Acts

13. Photos
Random phonts bundled here.

14. Comments
Comments for those who attended one of the gigs

Bonds Residency, Three weeks & 17 gigs that shook up New York and America.

Supported by the Modettes, and Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five
List of support acts

updated May 2005
updated 8 Jan 2010 - added punters comments, new photos and video
updcated Nov 2020 better recording (3)

Audio 1 - alternate master

Sound 3 - time 1hr 40mins - tracks 24
Cuts out at the start of Police & Thieves and omits Bored with the USA.

Safe European Home

Audio 2 - DAT master - FULL

Sound 3.5 - time 1hr 47mins - tracks 26

Safe European Home

Audio 3 - upgrade

Sound 3.5 - time 1hr 44mins - tracks 26

Safe European Home

video - Bonds TV News Reports

short live clips and interviews from Channel 4 & 7 (on Clash on TV Vol.1)

audio - Radio & TV Reports

a collection of news pieces reporting on the ticket crises at it happenned - 25 mins - updated Jan 2009

More info including full audio and video News Reports here.

For all video

it is presumed that significant footage comes from the first night but it is also highly likely it came from other nights.

For further details on video on from the opening nights go to the 28th

For information on the Clash on Broadway reels go here

Audio recording

The taper who recorded most if not all of the circulating Bonds audience recordings, had serious problems with the first half of his recording of the 29th May concert. Near the end of Lightning Strikes the sound that up to that point suffers seriously from hiss, low output and flatness breaks down further for a few seconds then markedly improves there after.

Whatever the cause of the original problem we do know that as it comes from DAT via the master recording that it was a result of problems with the tapers settings or equipment rather than poor transfers from the master.

The sound from Ivan Meets GI Joe onwards is one of the best of the Bond’s audience recordings; clear instrumentation, good range and clarity. It suffers though like all Bonds audience recordings from distance, a lack of “in your face” immediacy. On the first half of the concert it is like hearing the concert from a gap in a semi-closed dressing room door but in the second half it is as if the door is wide open!

The widely circulating recording has the wrong encores which are actually from the 28th May, whilst we know from the Bonds TV reports that the normally circulating 28th May recording had the wrong encores (almost certainly from the 29th May) tacked onto the end! See 28th May review for details.

Certainly when the encores are swopped over the sounds match their wrongly divorced partners! The first 2 nights were the only Bonds shows to end with Bored With The USA, and Police & Thieves is confirmed as played on the 29th by the Boston Rock article.

Fire trucks and Fire Marshall’s were waiting outside

Even before the end of The Clash’s first concert at Bonds on the Thursday night the Fire trucks and Fire Marshall’s were waiting outside. The Fire Marshall interviewed for Channel 2 said “Last night there were 3649” people in Bonds and imposed a closure order on the venue. The Plasmatics had recently played Bonds with 4000 people inside and blew up a car onstage. The truth as to why there was a problem when The Clash played has never been exposed but the widely held view was that it was a result of inter-club rivalry and a residency by the high profile Clash was too much for one or more of Bonds competitors. As Joe said, “…somebody paid somebody, who paid somebody, who paid somebody to come in and shut the building down” Mojo 96.

Tonight’s concert went off without a hitch although touts (scalpers) were charging $40 for the $10 Ticketron tickets. Boston Rock No.9 (link) gives a review of the concert. A hostile reaction to the support acts continued over from the first night with opening acts The Modettes and an unspecified group of rappers booed off. Mick dedicated Magnificent Seven to Grandmaster Flash tonight and perhaps spurred on by the hostile reaction by at least part of their audience to the new music they were now embracing, The Clash deliver tonight one of the best performances of the Bonds residency.

After a meeting though with Fire chiefs and Bernie and Kosmo a compromise was agreed which allowed the scheduled show to go ahead on Friday night. There was a limit set of 1725 people and Ticketron tickets would be honoured first, as it was believed that most of these would have been bought by non New Yorkers, and thus would have had the furthest to travel and be inconvenienced the most. Those who had bought tickets direct from Bonds would have to wait for additional Clash shows slotted in at the expense of Gary Glitter and Stranglers concerts.

This again all changed the following morning when the Building Commissioner stepped in and closed Bonds indefinitely - but that’s a later story.

Tickets

good evening and welcome

The recording begins just as the intro music ends and the band kick into London Calling. The sound is poorer on this first half of the recording but all the instrumentation comes through OK and Mick’s solo cuts through. His guitar sound for the Bonds residency has again changed subtly from the European tour and is high and clear in the sound mix. A short pause then Safe European Home after which Joe first addresses the very lively sounding audience with a “good evening and welcome”. The Leader would remain the third song in the set list for the remaining Bonds shows, which reverted, back largely to the set order of the European tour.

Somebody Got Murdered is another strong, high-energy performance. Joe sounds more up for tonight than the first show where unusually it was Mick’s energy that drove it along. A strong White Man in Hammersmith Palais has Joe adlibbing over the ending. The band run through fine if unexceptional performances of Guns of Brixton, Radio Clash and The Call Up, the deficiencies in the sound reducing their enjoyment. “Guitar festival” is Joe’s intro to Complete Control which builds and builds, showcasing Mick’s fine playing.

“Not too slow” orders Joe before Junco Partner and the band respond with a fine performance, and an improvised ending. Mick’s ‘fireworks’ effects, like on many songs tonight feature prominently. Lightning Strikes sees further improvisation and near the end of the song the sound improves markedly, which coupled with high energy performances makes the rest of the recording very enjoyable indeed.

“I leave you now with Mr Topper Headon” is Joe’s intro to Ivan Meets GI Joe the sound now detailed and clear, but still too distant to make it an especially enjoyable sound. Charlie Don’t Surf is the first of the inspired performances tonight; Joe is fired up, adlibbing an intro of “Choppers, the choppers descend, ? payback, light the red flare” then Mick’s guitar comes in followed by a scream from Joe. He continues to adlib but they are largely unclear but their effect coupled with some terrific guitar playing from Mick is very impressive. Bankrobber starts with Joe leading the audience through “Daddy was…, Daddy was…” call and response style and Mick adds some very effective guitar licks.

Magnificent Seven is proceeded by, “This next number is for all those people who loved and appreciated Grandmaster Flash because without him this number probably would not have existed”. The band fired up, kick into a terrific extended 7-minute version of hard as nails punk funk. Mick’s soaring guitar is a delight and Joe acts mid song as musical conductor instructing, “OK then guitar, get on the guitar” as Mick takes in into the bridge, then “shush..listen to the bass guitar”, Joe adds adlibs then Topper builds it up again with repeated drum rolls. “Magnificent” screams Joe repeatedly, the band clearly enjoying themselves with Joe and Paul play riffs off each other before Topper’s crescendo drum rolls bring it to an end. The crowd roars its approval.

“… And now” shouts Joe as Mick’s 81 style guitar intro signals an excellent Wrong Em Boyo. It’s then straight into Train In Vain, which sounds fresh and inspired with Mick’s terrific playing clear in the mix. Joe says “Over to you..” before Mick screams “1-2-3-4” and the band crash into a high octane Career Opportunities. With no gap and with their backs to the audience The Clash storm into Clampdown then swivel around as Joe shouts “what are going to do now?” Joe conducts the orchestra; “Drums, drums” as Topper lays down an avalanche of drumming then “guitar.. shush” allows Mick to stretch out and play as the band deliver a terrific performance. As the music drops down Joe repeats, “working for the clampdown, you’re begging to be melted down” Topper builds it back up for a thunderous finale and the song ends with a scream from Joe.

The encores (taken from one of the 28th May tapes) begin with One More Time, a shorter performance than the norm now, fine but unexceptional. The lively crowd roar their appreciation as the band tear through Brand New Cadillac. Washington Bullets, a constant feature of the Bond’s sets for obvious reasons tonight has an extended ending with some fine playing from Mick but no El Salvador message, unlike at the first concert. The band kick the energy levels back up with a charge through Janie Jones to end the first encore with Joe’s adieu of “goodnight, sleep tight!”

An edit restarts with the second encore opener of Armagideon Time, which features some great lead guitar, but there are no adlibs from Joe and the song ends with a heavily echoed “suppers up”. Next its straight into an excellent Police and Thieves (rarely played once on the European Tour) the arrangement is played ‘straight’ but Mick’s guitar playing is a delight and there is a short improvised end section before Topper’s familiar drum pattern brings the song to an end. Joe then says “OK thank you.. Monsieur ..USA” and the band blast into a searing I’m So Bored With The USA, the last time a Clash concert would end with this song.

Did you go? Comments, info welcome...

Info, articles, reviews, comments or photos welcome.
Please email blackmarketclash

i was assigned to selling ‘official” clash shirts on broadway

ned flood says
sleazy bruce, trip and bernie rhodes…it was a blur…i know we used our passes to sneak friends into the shows…i was assigned to selling ‘official” clash shirts on broadway..literally..”on the street’…

i got into a shouting match with clash manager kosmo vinyl about the prices i was charging…way to go ned….piss off the band on the first night. and remember kiddies it was when times sq. was shady…drugs/hookers/dive bars.

it’s where i met ‘the drunk cabbie” who printed up the legendary “clash in times sq.”shirts…so i go back stage and give a shirt to joe strummer personally

…i was nervous…he cut the sleeves off with a switch blade…paul simonon came up asking for the shirt..i don’t remember if i came back. i did have a beer while trying to act cool. grand master flash opened some shows…they got booed…

i saw joe ely in the crowd.the funny thing was the saturday riot was for the afternoon show.everybody looks so young. death or glory-ned “vender” flood -bond’s survivor.

The Clash Photos at Bonds Casino 80s Retro Punk Rock

Keith

Before getting into the business of restoring old soda machines, i was in the T-shirt business for many years. Me and a couple of friends started printing shirts in 1977 on my best friends parents porch.

Although we would print anything to make a buck we really loved printing shirts of our favorite rock bands. It was right around that time we got into punk rock, and our favorite punk band was The Clash !

So a few years later when we got to do the printing for the official Clash at Bonds Casino gig in NY City we where ecstatic. We printed the shirts, drove them to NY City, sold them in the streets and even manned a concession stand in the show. Talk about a great time, hanging out in NY City, selling shirts and going to Clash concerts.

Police on horse back pushing people out of the streets

My memory is a little hazy, not sure how many shows we saw or how long we stayed in NY but we where there on May 30TH.

The Clash were originally scheduled to play eight shows: May 28, 29, 30, 31 and June 1,2, 3, and 5, 1981.

But on May 30TH the concert was canceled by the Fire Department because of over crowded conditions. The promoter sold far to many tickets than the place could hold and it almost caused a riot around the theater which was in Times Square. Police on horse back pushing people out of the streets, people running around yelling who knows what.

But eventually order was restored and no one was hurt and The Clash being a band of the people decided to honor every ticket that was sold and kept playing every night until all tickets where used.

Hope you enjoy the pictures and if you have any memories of when the Clash took over the Bonds Casino in NY City please share them here.

“White riot - I wanna riot White riot - a riot of my own” The Clash