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a pumped up performance

The audience recording reveals a pumped up performance; what the performances particularly of the new songs lack in polish and tightness are made up for in energy and commitment. The Clash again at the Mogador residency demonstrate their ability to change and evolve not just with the new songs but in changes, some subtle some significant to the older songs. Paul’s (easily understood !) explanation appears in the Big French article, “Musicalement, c’est l’aventure ou la regression”

The recording starts with a shrill siren sound, which ends quickly then the very lively audience surrounding the taper chant for the band. Paul’s bass note signals their arrival with the new and very surprising stage opener of Broadway. Joe’s vocals are clear and he screams out his lyrics with passion, but Mick’s guitar blasts in somewhat harshly. Bass is pretty good and there’s plenty of top end detail on the cymbals; an upgrade to the master would reveal a very good indeed audience recording. The arrangement of the song has changed since Bonds, there’s more emphasis now on the quiet beginning of the song, its more atmospheric and the ending drops back down to drum and bass for a few bars now.

It’s straight into One More Time next and some coruscating guitar from Mick, his guitar sound since Bond’s again changing. Joe sounds fired up, screaming over the ending. A very fine start to an enjoyable gig and recording.

This Is Radio Clash next, an inspired performance; The Clash are still 5 years on from the punk explosion playing fantastic music, its just evolved and grown musically. There’s still no evidence at the Mogador of the band standing still and stagnating. This is the first of the unreleased songs tonight, its more funky here with less lead guitar. Joe shouts “Futura play that drum sound”, poor guy he’s trying to spray paint the backdrop and also has to help Mick out with his ever increasing electronic effects sounds!

 Should I Stay Or Should I Go? gets its (almost) live debut next after an introduction by way of a translation of the title in Strummer French! Some different lyrics and of course no Clash Spanish of course yet from Joe. There’s an additional guitar break, and although clearly not fully worked out yet, (not surprising as presumably it was written only a few weeks before) it’s still a pumped up and enjoyable performance.

Cheers from the very enthusiastic audience greet Paul’s announcement of “Guns of Brixton” There’s again some minor changes to the arrangement which is stripped down and shorter than some of the extended Bonds performances.

Mick shouts “1-2, a 1-2-3-4” and the band blast into White Man In Hammersmith Palais. Some sound problems on tape or digital transfer spoil the start. Joe adlibs at length about the new groups in UK “new groups what they got going on they’ve got those brand new type of suits, made out of ..” rest is unclear. A strong performance. Magnificent Seven has an edit sadly that loses most of song. It restarts near the end of the song and with a minor improvement in the sound. Joe screams “Magnifique!” over the ending.

Train In Vain has some minor tape drop outs, and Topper adds a different drum pattern when the band bring the song down to just drum and bass and then back to a powerfully effective ending with the audience roaring their approval. “Alright now” Joe speaks in French - introducing Ivan Meets GI Joe. Topper and Joe sing the chorus and the very lively audience again around the taper clap and cheer. The audience sound adds to the atmosphere, it certainly is not a sterile live sound!

The audience roar with approval as they recognise the familiar intro to Clash City Rockers, making an always welcome return, it had not been played live since June 80, over a year ago. It’s a bit ragged at the start with Mick singing lead first but then Joe comes in fired up. Joe impatient to slam into the next song says before Koka Kola sarcastically “OK I think we’re gonna wait 20 minutes for the lift!” 

An edit restarts with the better sounding second tape section losing the start of Bankrobber. A spirited performance with more of a reggae feel than earlier 81 performances; more easy skanking.  Lots of shouting from the audience, to which Joe responds with “you’re English is very good!” Mick’s teases out the guitar intro to The Leader. “Futura” shouts Joe at the end and then says in Strummer French “La bas ici Monsieur Futura 2000 from New York, et maintenant he’ll racont the histoire de graffiti pour vous - Futura!…give us a ? you cunt!” Paul plays the bass line and after a false start Futura gets into his rap. Mick’s guitar fills adds some interest to the repetitive bass line arrangement. Unlike many later audiences there’s plenty of applause for the performance.

Washington Bullets has some great guitar from Mick and an extended instrumental break at the end. “Everyone - welcome to the city….drum style” says Joe before the band give Ghetto Defendant its live debut (to our ears). There’s a long intro before Joe comes in, the third verse has different lyrics to the Combat Rock version but his words are sadly unclear. “Its time we had some control!” says Joe and Mick responds, picking out the intro to Complete Control, the audience roaring with their recognition of the song.  

A Strummer Jones interchange before Clampdown! “Est maintenant… carry on” Mick adds sarcastically “No one’s listening”. Joe ignores him ”the chopper descends” and Mick shouts “1-2-3-4” and the band explode into an excellent passionate performance. An edit loses a few seconds, the band drop down to the drum (and cowbell) and bass section with Mick intoning “I won’t work” and Joe adlibbing about  “I went to see the Rolling Stones and they said its from the Beatles” The rest of Joe’s great rant is sadly unclear. “Murder” shouts Joe as the band go into a terrific crescendo building intro to Somebody Got Murdered. Mick’s singing is rather histrionic and out of tune, but as the tempo drops down Topper adds a great drum fill taking the energy back up again, the band on fire. For the first time the usual set opener London Calling ends the main set. An edit mid song loses a few seconds but it’s another passionate, committed performance. As the band leave the stage the audience scream for more.

 The encores and the second CD begin in an almost unique fashion with an instrumental Lightning Strikes, which after a sustained chord goes into Overpowered By Funk. This is a different (and poorer) performance to the one on Up And At Em LP. These are though the only live recordings of this song, which demonstrated again how, their New York rap and funk influences were increasingly transferring over to their live shows. This debut performance of the song is not surprisingly ragged at times and Mick’s guitar is discordant and   ineffective in places. It is though a fascinating performance.

“It’s cold in the morning and it’s cold in the evening …gotta sing this one” sings Joe at the start of Armagideon Time. Ranking Roger from support band The Beat toasts over the top dominating the sound as Joe’s vocals drop back in the mix.” Thank you Roger” says Joe at the end as Topper plays on then plays a terrific drum roll intro and the band slam into a barnstorming Safe European Home. There is a long instrumental section before Joe comes in joined by the massed ranks of the Mogador male voice choir!  There are some tape defects, which cannot detract from a hugely enjoyable performance.

The band leave the stage but the rapturous audience (no doubt that Paris was indeed a “Clash city”) soon get them back for a second encore which kicks off the live debut of the also rare Inoculated City. Joe sings his lyrics and his voice and Mick’s guitar give it a much greater edge than its Combat Rock incarnation. The pitch problems, which affect the rest of the tape, are noticeable now and the song rather fizzles out but it’s a fascinating performance nevertheless.

It’s straight then into a blistering Brand New Cadillac. Tape problems near the end lose a few seconds and the pitch goes up and down badly, but the energy of the performance transcends the sound’s shortcomings. 

The band leave the stage again after an only 2 song second encore. There is no edit and the audience scream, shout and whistle for more. The recording captures the electric atmosphere, you feel as though you’re standing therein the Mogador stalls!  Cheers as the band return and Mick plays the Spanish Bombs melody gently before Tops on hi hat only comes in then with his drum roll the band slam in. Another strong performance but the pitch problems (probably on the master) are getting worse. Know Your Rights is the final song on the tape and the last of the song debuts tonight. Again it’s a little ragged but still very enjoyable with Joe’s lyrics shouted over the music rather than integrated (as it would be later) into the music. Mick plays a solo and the song and the tape ends abruptly. 

Chris Knowles The Essential Clash Bootleg Bible includes this gig

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