updated 7 July 2008 - added posters
updated 9 Jan 2010 - added punters comments
updated 12 April 2011 - added Jons photo link Flickr & added punters comments
updated xmas 2013 with full review
updated June 2024 added new photos
Audio 1 - Down at the Casbah Club LP
Sound 3.5 - 1hr 14mins - LP - tracks 19
This is Radio Clash
Audio 2
Sound 2.5 - 1hr 35min - tracks 24
This is Radio Clash
There is also a full recording
from a master source with inferior sound.
Sources, quality
Two recordings circulate; a complete audience source very close to the master and an incomplete superior sounding double vinyl bootleg source.
The ‘Down At The Casbah Club (or … the return of Tory Crimes)’ bootleg LP circulated from late 1982 and exists now in collections across the globe. It’s front cover reproduces the Casbah artwork used in posters and flyers for the tour, its rear cover has an old 1978 B&W band photo (so no Terry) with the song titles (quite a few mistitled or simply not played that night) and the wrong recording date of 17th July.
The LP’s sound source is an almost as good as it got for the time audience recording; the only deficiencies are a lack of an “in your face” sound due to distance to the taper and a blurred bass sound due to the limitations of the recording equipment. Due to the position of the taper, Mick’s lead guitars’ a little low in the mix reducing its impact. The LP source is incomplete starting appropriately enough with the Guns of Brixton but has various edits over its 4 sides of vinyl which loses the start of some songs and some of Joe’s introductions. It is surprising and certainly disappointing that unlike most bootleg LP’s the original (and presumably complete) the original complete master tape has not surfaced.
The alternative audience source is complete with no edits between the encores but has a flatter sound with less range, little midrange and less clarity than the LP’s. A combination of the two sources provides a complete best sound available document of The Clash captured on one of the best performances of the tour.
‘Down At The Casbah Club'
The second night of the tour and the second night at the Brixton Fair Deal (later renamed the Academy) was again a memorable performance with the band energised by playing in London again and newly in Brixton; which had special meaning to Mick and Paul (see 10th July review for background). Fortunately unlike the first night two good audience recordings capturing the whole gig are in circulation. The “Down At The Casbah Club” double LP bootleg was on sale at Portobello Market from late 82 and widely circulates, whilst the alternative complete but poorer audience tape was more recently brought into circulation.
Reflecting The Cashbah Club theme for the tour (which according to the band’s statement ‘will take over halls for the night as a celebration of low life and Clash fans. As well as The Clash playing, there will be guest appearances by celebrities, public figures and other attractions’) and also just as much the band’s willingness to give new music’s and black cultures a wider audience, the support band were the Drummers of Burundi.
The Drummers of Burundi from the small African country gave performances which were as much a spectacle of dance as of music. A crescent of around a dozen great log drums, made from hollowed-out tree trunks covered with dried animal skins faced, as this writer remembers rather startled but not hostile Clash fans on the wide stage! They went onto to gain wider exposure the following week at the first WOMAD Festival in Shepton Mallet, Somerset (with The Beat), a stone’s throw from Joe’s later favourite campfire at Glastonbury.
Lodging I confess with greater clarity in my memory was watching on a TV at the rear of the venue the World Cup Final from Madrid; a 3-1 win for Italy over West Germany. A vivid memory certainly though from a hot sticky summer night was how easy it was to worm your way to the edge of the stage and then how gobsmacking cool The Clash front line looked (and sounded) as the opening bars of London Calling thundered out of the piled high PA stacks.
The tour was enough of an event for the national tabloid the Daily Mirror to cover the Brixton shows (10th)
Adverts
Adverts for the original gigs on the 22nd and 23rd gigs
Original adverts, dates in May
Adverts: Rescheduled dates
Tickets
Brixton Fair Deal / Academy
This venue had a special meaning to Mick and Paul well before they played there as Paul told the Guardian in 2013 as it was the cinema he and Jones went to as children. "It's actually where I saw my first ever pop show..We all turned up as 10-year-olds, and they said: 'Right, boys and girls, we've got a special surprise for you - we're not going to show you a film!' So everyone was: 'Booooo.' 'No. we've got a special surprise - we have Sandie Shaw!' And Sandie Shaw came on, and she was going on about not having any shoes. So we had an hour set from her, and that was my first pop concert."
The venue started life as a cinema and theatre in 1929 on the site of a private garden in Stockwell Road. It was built at a cost of £250,000 as an "Astoria" theatre. The opening show was the Al Jolson film The Singing Fool; a description for himself Strummer might have welcomed! The building still retains many of its original features, including the proscenium arch and Art Deco interior. The Astoria eventually closed its doors as a cinema on 29 July 1972. It was then converted into the Sundown Centre rock venue in September 1972, but was not a success and the Sundown closed down some four months later. In May 1974 planning permission was sought to demolish the Grade II listed building and replace it with a motor showroom and petrol station. However the redevelopment scheme was scrapped. The building was kept heated after it closed, and was used as an equipment store by the Rank Organisation.
In 1981, The Astoria, remodelled was re-opened as a rock venue called "The Fair Deal" with a concert by UB40 and an interior restoration, but the venue closed in late 1982 due to debt. The venue was bought by Simon Parkes in 1983 and in the same year re-opened as Brixton Academy. The Academy's success steadily grew throughout the 1980s with numerous reggae productions and it was hired out to major rock and pop acts such as Eric Clapton, Dire Straits & The Police for rehearsal. In 1995, Break For The Border bought the Brixton Academy. Under its new ownership (McKenzie Group), reinvestment started immediately with a complete £500,000 refurbishment of the Art Deco building frontage to its original grandeur, additional facilities both front of house and backstage and a capacity increase to just under 5,000. The venue is currently run by the Academy Music Group after a re-branding in August 2004, and hosts a range of live acts and club nights.
The venue now known as the 02 Academy has also been voted venue of the year twelve times since 1994 in the annual NME Awards. The Smiths played their last ever gig here in December 1986 which was an Anti-Apartheid benefit. Sadly the most watched performance was by Madonna in 2000, broadcast live online and was watched by a record-breaking audience of 9 million. Dylan and the reformed Sex Pistols are amongst the many acts choosing the venue as its it one of the biggest non arena venues in London. This was a key reason The Clash hosted all their London shows there in 82 and 84 with the vast downstairs area unseated for dancing; maximum capacity is 4,921 (3,760 standing downstairs; 1,083 seated and 78 standing in the circle).
“This tune is from the vaults"
The non-LP source begins oddly for a Clash gig with an unknown male voice “warming up” the audience with a naff “Give me a C - L - A- S - H , what does it spell, you’re right give yourself a big hand” before (after an edit) the distinctly cooler usual Ennio Morricone intro music begins.
Joe says to cheers “Welcome, hope you enjoyed the Burundi drumming there, I would like to start off with this selection, London Calling to the faraway towns.” Sound is fairly flat, the guitars are quite clear and the band are clearly pumped up again as they maintain the energy levels with a strong Clash City Rockers. The sound quality makes Know Your Rights sound rather muddy and harsh, Spanish Bombs is better, introduced by Joe with “If there’s any intellectuals here I want you to shout Oi! Get your notebooks out!“
“This tune is from the vaults first heard by Lee Perry” and the band launch into a fine Complete Control. “Paul’s turn” says Joe as he switches bass with Paul for Guns of Brixton ; at which point the Down At The Casbah LP starts and the sound quality significantly improves ( brighter, some stereo separation , much better top end, vocals clearer, more enjoyable and detailed). Guns of Brixton is performed very well here as it was mainly on the 82 tour, a chance for the band to stretch out more musically. Immediately the song ends Mick gently picks out the opening to Somebody Got Murdered, Joe shouts “Murder” then Terry picks it up, then Joe’s slashing rhythm guitar brings urgency and it builds to the crescendo with Micks lead chords dominant and impressive. It’s a great live song of course but the top drawer quality of this night’s gig is clear. Joe’s vocal entry adds drama and passion and both Mick and Joe scream it out over the ending, A highlight.
“Put the light on so I can look them in the eyes please. I see there’s some people gate crashing on the top here. Hello people (Casbah LP restarts) [addressing those sitting in the Circle above] and don’t strain yourself! Alright I want you to relax, lie back in your seats and nod off!” Mick then screams “1-2, a 1-2-3-4” and the band crash into an excellent White Man in Hammersmith Palais (back in the set for the UK tour). It has an extended drum and bass ending coda with Joe adlibbing “went on down to the Brixton Deal… only partly clear and then finally Terry‘s rat a tat tat drum motif brings it to an end.
“A 1982 song entitled Career Opportunities” is fast, tight and effective. Ignore the recordings deficiencies, crank up the volume and it’s a very enjoyable listen. The LP source misses the start of Joe’s intro to an energised pumped up Magnificent Seven. Mick’s chopped chords typical of his playing of this song at this stage in 82 now and the “guitar city bridge“ has been more effective before and no extended adlibs make this a fine but unexceptional Mag7.
Joe adds his steam whistle whoops to the start of Train In Vain then it’s a rare treat of One More Time, another highlight. This Is Radio Clash is played with blow torch intensity; there were still nights without Topper where “it burned “ as Joe put it and this is one of them. Tight, mean and each musical nail driven down hard by the band. Joe and Mick’s vocals particularly strong here.
“We’re gonna try and Rock The Casbah here, so all you ethnic minorities put on your national dress and lend us a hand! Turn to page 29” Next before Police on My Back Joe says curiously “Yeah I think Topper is in the audience somewhere [was he really?], I’d like to introduce Mr Terry Chimes on the kit” Mick gives an intense vocal and Joe whoops over the top, with the instrumental drop down section particularly effective. “Ignition on“ shouts Joe; the LP misses the start of Brand New Cadillac that rarely disappoints live. With a shout of “1-2-3-4” the band slam into Clampdown. Mick’s guitar sound on the start is again different, he’s still trying out different effects, keeping it fresh but in 82 not always successfully! Joe & Mick’s vocals are intense and we get an extended Strummer adlib some unclear “tiny friendly little Geiger counter .. give an accurate reading of your bombs…give you a demonstration” -Joe then thrashes furiously away ay his guitar and lets out a scream before Terry and band bring it back up for the final assault.
The band leave the stage but the non LP source continues through the screams/shouts of the audience for more before eventually the clapping subsides and Joe says in his best opera diva voice “Hey Paul give me the note of G!”. The LP loses this intro to an enjoyable performance of Bank robber where Joe adlibs “here in Brixton comeback to the British Isles..” Armagideon Time shouts Joe and almost seamlessly the band segues into an effective if unexceptional performance. “Take it away Mr Jones” and Mick leads an enjoyable romp through Should I Stay or Should I Go followed immediately by I Fought The Law, to end the first encore.
Again the non LP source continues through to the thump of Terry’s bass drum pattern, and the band returning one at a time for a fine impassioned Straight To Hell, and with Mick in gas mask and combat camouflage full military attire! Stay Free appropriately at Brixton is in the set, introduced by Mick with “This is for the Rude Boy Terry (McQuade?)” to which Joe quips “Yeah the Rude Boy’s here tonight!” Mick’s lead guitar coda is too far back in the sound mix to be effective. Then a very memorable sweaty night for all ends with a pumped up Garageland (start of which is missing on the LP) with Joe emphasising the guttersnipes line.
Did you go? Comments, info welcome...
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two fantastic nights
I'm writing from Milan, Italy, and looking by chance at your website it helped me to remember my two fantastic nights that I had with The Clash at the London-Brixton Fair Deal on July 1982. I was 16 years old at the time.
I remember everything, from the morning, when I had in the rear pocket of my jeans a copy of Sounds with Joe Strummer with the mohawk on the cover. That day I bought only one Big Mac during all day in order to save money for the tickets: I ate the first cold half-Big Mac at noon and the other half at 7 pm. I waited around 3 pm Joe and the rest of the band outside the backstage and now I'm trying here at home to find out some photos that I took that afternoon with Joe and some japanese fans.
That was also the night when Italy won the soccer World Cup against Germany. A great night.
Now I run as editor-in-chief the italian edition of GQ for Cond © Nast.
michele lupi < >
Can't remember much but the insane energy
I too was at the 11 July show in Brixton. It was my first time seeing The Clash.
I remember being pleasantly stunned that I could buy a ticket (cheap!) just the day before. It was a dream come true for a guy from the States to drop into London and find that the band would be playing.
Loved the venue; an old theatre with the seats removed. I can understand why an audience bootleg would sound distant and echoey.
What made the night especially memorable was first watching the Italy-West Germany World Cup final on a big TV off the lobby while downing a few pints. As I recall, the show started shortly after the game ended.
The show? Can't remember much but the insane energy, but Train in Vain and I Fought the Law I remember well.
Ears ringing, I boarded the train a happy man.
(Coincidentally, I saw them twice more in the States in the next 18 months. Neither show matched the one in London.)
Bill Stieg - <
>
Chris Knowles - The Essential Clash Bootleg Bible includes this gig
Flyer adverting the FM broadcast
I
nteresting - flyer adverting the FM broadcast of the gig on Pirate Radio later in October. Believed to refer to the Fair Deal gig later in the month - the 30th July.
NME: Three convictions on the road from Hell
17 July 1982 or the 8 August 1982
The Clash: Fair Deal, Brixton, London
Not sure which one of the three gigs at the Fair Deal this refers to, presume it's the 10th?
text version | another original
Sounds Square Deal Clash
Not sure which one of the three gigs at the Fair Deal this refers to, presume it's the 10th?
Casbah Rockers
French Magazine
Brixton FD review
Rock n Folk 188 (Sept 82) French Mag
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10th July 1982 review
Clash in a flash
Not sure which one of the three gigs at the Fair Deal this refers to, presume it's the 10th?
Combat Rock in Brixton Town
Heatwave magazine (Swedish)
July 1982
article on the Brixton gigs
English translation
No polish Just Punk Passion
Daily Mirror
13 July 82
On the Road with the Clash
Link Traxmarx - includes this gig
Photos
12x Photos from Jon Jackson [Flickr]
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Brixton Academy for the second London show of the Casbah Club Tour.
Extensive archive of articles, magazines and other from the Casbah Club Tour of the UK, July, August 1982
Full page - Articles Magazines - Dates - Fanzines - International Articles - Joe Goes Missing - Photos Joe running London marathon - Passes - Posters - Snippets - Audio/Video
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Setlist
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London Calling |
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Down at the Casbah Club 2LP |
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The Guns Of Brixton |
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There are several sights that provide setlists but most mirror www.blackmarketclash.co.uk. They are worth checking.
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Topper sacked, Joe disapears
ARTICLES, POSTERS, CLIPPINGS ... A collection of A collection of known articles from coveringr the period of the Tour can be found here.
Extensive archive of articles, magazines and other from the Casbah Club Tour of the UK, July, August 1982
VIDEO AND AUDIO Video and audio footage from the tour including radio interviews. Radio - Joe Strummer Interviewed by Lisa Robinson around June 1982
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