updated 12 Feb 2008 - added clippings & Grand rapids gig review
updated 4 October 2015 - added full gig review

Audio 1

master - poor copies circulate - 92min - low? - tracks 22

Audio to follow

Sound quality

The only recording in circulation is very close to the master, stereo micro phoned audience recording. The recording suffers from distance to the stage and a lack of range. Joe’s vocals are the clearest (Mick’s more distant) but the drum sand guitars sound is weak and ill defined.  Sound quality is better than Chicago the night before but still not enough clarity or range to be really enjoyable.  

The recording appears to be complete however there are two versions of Rock The Casbah, seemingly from the same source? The first loses the last third of the song but has the best sound   and the second is almost complete losing a few seconds at the start. Then abruptly stops at the end.

Despite the sound deficiencies (there are better sounding ones from this tour) it is not at all an unenjoyable bootleg which coupled with the quality of the performances make it well worth seeking out.

Poster

The Civic Auditorium, Grand Rapids MI

The Civic Auditorium, a neo-classical building completed in 1932, was constructed on the east Constructed in 1932 as the art-deco centrepiece of Grand Rapids, the Welsh Civic Auditorium hosted hundreds of Big Band concerts during the first half of the century, and later welcomed the likes of Simon and Garfunkel and Johnny Cash among a long list of top-name performers. The facility was demolished in 2003 to allow for a $220 million renovation project designed to convert the interior into a ballroom for the DeVos Place Convention Center, which shares a wall with the existing auditorium. The Welsh's original limestone facades and lobby were kept intact.

In 1982 for The Clash gig the 3,800-seat multi-purpose arena was a near sell out, illustrating their rising status as a major act in the US in contrast to the band’s static popularity in the UK where smaller venues outside of the “Clash cities” struggled to sell-out.

“Ok Mick’s gonna sing in English and I’m going to follow in Spanish”

The recording starts as the intro music begins, there’s some knocking on the mics and there is some chatter at times during the recording but otherwise it captures the again very enthusiastic audience well. London Calling is still played fast and urgent (unlike some gigs later in the tour), Joe again is animated and in good voice, Mick varies his solo yet again; still improvising/experimenting. Next up Know Your Rights is again fast and hard.

“Lighting up Mr Jackson ..is that a crutch I see before me, handle caught my hand (?) that’s Shakespeare!”  says Joe in jest half remembering his Macbeth before the band delivers a tight This Is Radio Clash. The sound quality might not be that great but The Clash on stage audibly were that night, the recording capturing the excitement if not the musicality of the performance. Joe adlibs some and skats and woops Strummer style over the extended instrumental ending.

“For those of you who’ve seen us before I’d like to introduce Mr Terry Chimes on the drum kit” Car Jamming is urgent and tight, the US audience very enthusiastic and more so than on some of the UK tour. White Man in the Hammersmith Palais next up, the drum sound poor bit Joe’s in top form, adlibbing over the extended ending. “Mr Paul Simonon to the microphone”; Guns of Brixton an aural assault, Mick adds his effects and guitar fills.

“Ok Mick’s gonna sing in English and I’m going to follow in Spanish”; an energetic Should I Stay is followed by “Woop woop warp” and The Call Up but Mick’s guitar too buried  in the sound to be really effective. After the “Hup 2-3-4’s” from Joe and audience fade Mick shouts” 1-2-3-4 “and the band slam into Career Opportunities. An enjoyable

Junco Partner is followed by Mick’s Train In Vain.

Following an edit the recording goes straight into an incomplete Rock The Casbah, losing the last third. Curiously a second Rock The Casbah then follows which is complete except for the start, both versions appearing to sound like they come from the same recording. The recording (second CD) then restarts with Brand New Cadillac followed by Wrong Em Boyo (no gap between the two parts this time) followed by Somebody Got Murdered on which Mick picks out another variation on the intro. The audience roars back on the “Hurrah” on the set staple on this tour to date, English Civil War.

The Clash are varying the songs and the order of songs on this (what will be a long tour) to keep their interest, here ending the main set with Safe European Home (and the gig with I Fought The law). An edit into the first encore (not obvious) and Joe adlibs some on Armagideon Time before Mick belts out Police On My Back. Magnificent Seven is in the encores to bring on Kurtis Blow and to impress on the audience their endorsement of him. Midsong Joe breaks into “Now what do we have for entertainment. I’d like to bring on Mr. Kurtis Blow” who raps a little as the band play on. He then gets into his MC role “If you love The Clash everybody scream”. Certainly no boos for him audible only cheers and after the short interlude before Joe comes back in to continue the song. A 6 minute highlight.

Again after a barely audible edit the second encore begins with the usual Straight to Hell. Then another edit; cuts off Joe’s introduction to their cover of Toots and the Maytals, Pressure Drop “We’re just about to murder one of their greatest hits. Mick’s lead guitar here is clearer here and impressive. The gig ends with a charge through of I Fought The Law and an “Adios” from Joe.

The punks abused Curtis Blow

Kcairns - Felt so bad for the warm up band, Curtis Blow, the punks abused him!!!!

The crowd were jammed in

Did you go? Comments, info welcome...

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Setlist

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

London Calling Know Your Rights This Is Radio Clash Car Jamming White Man In Ham The Guns Of Brixton Should I Stay Or Should I Go? Call Up Career Opportunities Junco Partner Train In Vain Rock the Casbah Brand New Cadillac Wrong 'Em Boyo Somebody Got Murdered English Civil War Safe European Home Armagideon Time Police On My Back The Magnificent Seven Straight to Hell Pressure Drop I Fought the Law