Supporting the Who

updated 10 July 2008 - punters views
updated 5 jan 2010 - added punters view
updated June 2024 added reviews, tickets

Audio 1

1st gen - Sound 4 - 42min - tracks 12

Audio 2 - boot tape alt source

Sound 3 - 46min - bc/m - tracks 13

Sound quality

edited 1st gen

An edited cdr from a 1st gen source has a very good sound, better than the other source though it is missing Clampdown.

fuller lesser source

Another cdr is a tale of two halves, but with all 13 tracks and a little more intro. Probably from two sources, or the taper improved halfway through?

The first six tracks are very flat with some distortion and too little sound which swirls in the outside and is muddled.

Come track 7 though things change and sound picks up considerably following an edit between tracks. this sounds like the source for the 1st generation above.

The last 7 tracks have a much wider fuller in ye'r face sound. The crowd noise goes up as though the taper has moved to the front and the atmosphere really picks up. There is a touch of echo, but the lead comes across real clear. Quite a few traders have this one.

alternate 3rd source

A third recording, see inlay card below, has a good sound, but is a bit more tinny and seems to come from an audience boot tape source, possibly the source of the first 6 tracks on the source above. The sound drops off fractionally on the back half. It too is full and has Kosmos opening salvo "a little bit of whats happenning in London.."

Bootleg tape cover

The Who: Truly a show to remember

Philadelphia Inquirer 1982-09-26

The Who still cause a big sensation

The Villanovan illanova University Villanova Pennsylvania 1982-10-01

Did you go? Comments, info welcome...

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

When the Clash came on, everyone was hot, sunburned, and drunk

Love your website... I was at the Sept 82 show at JFK... Hooters went on in the morning, then Santana, then the Clash, and the Who went on around 3:45 or so in the afternoon. About 100,000 people crammed in there, in the sun, all dying to see the Who "one last time" (it was the only Philly show on the Farewell Tour). The Hooters were local faves, but the sound for Santana sucked - the vocals would drop, then the guitar would drop, etc.

So when the Clash came on, everyone was hot, sunburned, and drunk... And started throwing lots of shit on stage and at the band. And their sound was terrible. JFK was not a good place for shows to begin with, but the band had their self-loathing "We've sold out vibe" frothing with their "We ARE the only band that matters" swagger, and it just really hit the crowd poorly.

It didn't help that they were the only thing between the crowd and the Who, either. So folks started booing. I don't know if it was a shorter set than usual, but other than "Rock the Casbah", no one was buying it. And of course the push toward the stage didn't help matters, either. It was gloriously fucked. I wish I'd been able to see them in a smaller venue, but that was my only Clash show.

Oh, and it was only $13.50.

Photos from the Philly show

The Clash - JFK Show Philly 1982

I was looking at your web site and you have pictures of the Clash by Ebet Roberts. The 3 pictures of the band riding in the car with the boombox are at JFK in Philly - They are not at Shea. I guarantee you that those pictures are from the JFK show. I know that brick background very well. That is 100% JFK Philly.

Ebet Roberts is a well known photograher from the Philly area and she was also a good friend of "The Hooters" and did many photo shoots of the Hooters and probably was there at the JFK show since The Hooters opened that show. The other six Ebet pictures I don't know if they are from the philly show. The Who played when it was light outside so the entire Clash show would have been played in the light so I don't think the last 3 are from Philly....

Also, that picture of The Big " Who " stage shot that you have there for the JFK 82 show is not from JFK. The background of that stage does not look right and I guarantee you that is not from the Philly Show. That White Press box over the top of the stands behind the stage was never at JFK. The press box was off to the right facing out from the stage

I was at that show and remember it very well. I have some old photos that are actually pretty good and I will dig them out and scan them and get them to you. I will try to get that done in the next 30 days if possible. I actually have photos of the stage setup from the day before the show that are really cool. I walked right into JFK the day before the show and took some really cool shots. That was back when you could do stuff like that and no one bothered you...

JFK is all gone now and was also the spot where the orig. Live Aid was at. It is now the spot where the 20,000 seat "Wachovia Center" is built and is where they do all kinds of concerts and sports events like Hockey and Basketball. Just thought you might like to know...... Sam

The Clash - Shea Stadium according to ©1982 Bob Gruen. Our contributor Sam says they're Philly. http://www.starfileonline.com

Greatest thrills as a rock-and-roll fan

One of my greatest thrills as a rock-and-roll fan was in 1982, at a stadium concert in Philadelphia, when the Clash (opening for the Who, in the first of what will no doubt be several dozen farewell tours) kicked off their avalanche of a set with "London Calling" and Strummer punched the air to the beat. This commercially marginal band had gotten over to the masses without compromise. Ninety thousand hot, thirsty fans joined Strummer in motion. I knew at the time that it was an empty gesture, and probably a manipulative one to boot. It didn't matter.

Jimmy Guterman,
The Best Rock 'n' Roll Records of All Time, 1992.

Peace and love, Ronny

Wanted to thank you for your site.  Was googling my first concert The Who in 1982 JFK.  The posts helped jog some great memories...smoking hash out of a can and such...by the way i didn't boo the clash that day. peace  Ronny

Photos

The Clash arrive by taxi © Allan Tannenbaum

Setlist

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13	London Calling Rock the Casbah Guns of Brixton Police on My Back Career Opportunities Magnificent Seven Should I Stay or Should I Go White Man in Ham Palais Brand New Cadilac This is Radio Clash Somebody Got Murdered Clampdown ** I Fought the Law