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the 'shows' generated some excitement
BUSKING TOUR...Joe and Paul took the boys on an impromptu busking tour - playing publicly and outside venues acoustically... the 'shows' generated some excitement about the forthcoming album... They all hitched from London by the M1 and agreed to meet up in the pub near Nottingham Railway Station. The Last Days of the Clash - Vince White pg 226
From Passion Is a Fashion
The Real Story of The Clash by Pat Gilbert (2004), p 352-3:
In May 1985, [Clash manager] Bernie Rhodes, [manager] Kosmo [Vinyl] and Joe [Strummer] devised the Clash’s last hurrah—a busking tour of Britain. The idea was that the group would assemble at [guitarist] Vince’s flat, leave their wallets on the table and hitch to Nottingham with a few acoustic guitars. They’d then see where the wind would take them. Over the next two-and-a-half weeks, Britain’s provincial towns and cities were thus treated to the extraordinary sight of The Clash popping up under railway bridges and in subways to entertain them with Monkees, Chuck Berry, Eddie Cochran and Cramps songs.
The group kipped on fans’ floors and in cheap B&Bs. They survived on the money thrown into their hats. It was a genuinely exiting and unpredictable experience. Joe described it as ‘the best tour we ever did.’
Paul [Simonon] agrees. ‘It was like starting out fresh again,’ he says. ‘It was great. “We’ll meet you in Glasgow in a week’s time,” and the idea was to leave everything behind other than the guitars. You couldn’t take any money with you. We survived by our wits. It was as exciting as the Anarchy tour, you never knew where you were going next. I remember we were in Leeds, it was 2 a.m., and it was outside this black club, and people were coming out and really digging us. There were two white guys and they were shocked it was us. They said, “Where you staying?” And we said, “We’re not staying anywhere,” so they invited us to stay at their mum’s. The money we made from busking meant we could go further, we didn’t have a plan of where to go next. There was no rules. You didn’t have to be on the so-and-so plane at twelve o’clock.’
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Princess Street, Edinburgh (afternoon)
No known audio or video
"The band played in the centre of Edinburgh in Princes Street (the main Street) at the corner of The Mound where there is a speakers corner, where basically you can get up and spout off as long as your not offensive.
They played quite a few numbers before heading off to Coasters with a large following running after them, as they are only about a mile apart."
Music Bar next to Sneaky Pete's in Cowgate
No known audio or video
Next to Sneaky Pete’s in Cowgate
Colin Anderson - @ColinAnderson65 - @holyroodmandy @brucerisk - 07/08/2018, 10:27
Saw The Clash 3 times in Edinburgh on this busking tour. Once in Rose Street and [once] in a music bar [La Sorbonne?] next to Sneaky Pete’s in Cowgate when they walked in and asked if they could play some songs on the stage. Also at Coasters in Tollcross. Fantastic times.
Gateway Exchange
Video - see below
2 songs 'North South' and 'Cool Under Heat’. This footage was recorded on an old style hand held camcorder outside the Gateway Exchange probably sometime on the 14th. See below for video.
Gateway Exchange Video
Angus Dixon - to - The Clash Blog - 4 November 2012 ·
previouly unseen footage (and the only known to exist) of joe and the clash mkII's busking tour in edinburgh will be on BBC Alba TV (virgin 188, sky 168, freesat 110) on monday night at 2230 as part of their buskers series - don't worry there's english subtitles. it will also be available on the i-player.
BBC ALAB Busking programme link
Rare footage shows spectacular Edinburgh Clash performance during 1985 busking tour
Link / edinburghlive.co.uk / Jacob Farr / 26 APR 2023
The video footage shows frontman Joe Strummer singing upside down with bright orange hair as onlookers took in the Clash's performance outside of the Gateway Exchange.
Rare footage has resurfaced showing what is believed to have been the only video footage of the Clash’s Busking Tour from May 1985.
Read the full article online / text version
Camcorder footage outside the Gateway Exchange
6:30mins
From the video recorder
I know there are various dodgy audio recordings of the Clash's Busking Tour from May 1985, but I think this may be the only video footage (please correct me if I'm wrong!). It's only 2 songs 'North South' and 'Cool Under Heat' and I think it was recorded sometime on the 14th May.
The band were in Edinburgh on the 13th, 14th and at least part of the 15th May. I know this because I saw them at La Sorbonne Club on the night of the 13th and on the 14th at Coasters nightclub ( without a PA in front of 1300 people!).
The gig at La Sorbonne was amazing, I'll never forget the moment they walked in the door - leather jackets, red scarfs and guitars on their backs - the coolest thing 19 year old me had ever seen and still one of the greatest nights of my life - I even managed to buy Joe a pint!
They also played outside BHS on Princes St and then outside the old St James Centre on the 13th.
This footage was recorded on an old style hand held camcorder outside the Gateway Exchange probably sometime on the 14th and was given to me by a friend of a friend. I've finally got the tape converted to a digital format and so here it is.
Please excuse the quality, it's a bit shaky to start with - but stick with it! The band are obviously having a great time, and both songs sound fantastic - much stronger than the subsequent 'Cut The Crap' versions.
I've no idea if they played any more songs (probably), but these are the only 2 songs I have. You'll see Joe singing upside down (much to Pete and Paul's amusement!) and then breakdancing (sort of) - this is the Clash live like you've never seen before! And please, before the Clash MK2 haters all start 'it's not the real Clash without Mick Jones, blah, blah blah', just give it a rest.
It's 37 years ago, get over it! MOVERS AND SHAKERS COME ON!!
Recollections of Tim Keppie, the support band at La Sorbonne!
See below the recollections of Tim Keppie, whose band were supposed to be playing La Sorbonne on the night of the 13th if May… ‘May 13th 1985 says the world wide Web was the date The Clash performed at the shady Edinburgh music club La Sorbonne.
The Heights, my band had played there regularly around that period and even got paid £40 each time we did. We were booked that evening to play again bit something was very different this time when we arrived. We could hardly get in the door it was rammed with young punks. We manoeuvred ourselves and our gear through to the backroom as usual.
Next thing I know the head barman comes to our table asking who is the leader of the band. I sang and played guitar so I answered it was me. He then said "Joe Strummer wants to talk to you out front". So off I went, excited and also apprehensive ". I met Joe who appeared wired and fairly intense. "What do you wanna do, go on first or last?". So grabbing the opportunity I said "you go on before us". Joe put up no argument and I followed him through the back and onto the stage where they borrowed our drummer's snare drum and then to a huge roar from the crowd proceeded to blow the roof off this shit hole with acoustic guitars and no mics.
A greatest hits set with all the classics thrown in.
They finished, we went on and thankfully a few punters had hung around and put up with for about an hour.
I headed through to the front where Joe was sitting and Paul was posing in front of the mirror. I was nervous to approach Joe bit got up the courage and said :Why are you doing this?" He answered "To get back to the kids man".
It was one hell of a night for a 19 year old kid who loved The Clash and had seen them the year before fully electrified at the Playhouse and been blown away.
They hung around Edinburgh next day and performed another gig at Coasters in Tollcross to a full on capacity crowd and now both these nights have gone down in local history and RnR legend’.
As remember by Tim Keppie 29/09/22. 37 years later !
Coasters
Coasters
Crowd sing a long - Sound 3 - 30min - low? - 11 tracks
Pressure Drop (full tape)
Sound quality
There are marginally slightly better copies than this. A bit less compresseion. I have two tracks from that.
Much like Back to Basics LP/Acoustic Daze CD recorded at Newcastle but slightly lesser in sound, Edinburgh is flatter than any others (busking) in sound but the instruments are a little clearer over the audience singing than at Sunderland.
A little thin at the top end but clear of any distortion. Pete Howards drumming is clear throughout and the spanish guitars can be heard just about, as can the band singing, espeicially in the earlier numbers.
For the most part these busking recordings consist of members of the audience singing to Pete Howards drumming but are atmospheric/exciting none the less.
Queues round the block
Gordon Bruce
Saw them in princes street. I saw them at Coasters in Tollcross on the following night, 14th May with David Reid. Word of mouth event; queues round the block; free entry; some doubt as to whether they would turn up; then basically a big acoustic singalong. Incredible.
Incredible
Iain MacLaren
I saw them at Coasters in Tollcross on the following night, 14th May with David Reid. Word of mouth event; queues round the block; free entry; some doubt as to whether they would turn up; then basically a big acoustic singalong. Incredible.
PictureThis Scotland - @74frankfurt
The Clash at Coasters, Edinburgh, during their 'busking tour'. (May 1985) Picture: Neil Aitken
Edinburgh Coasters - Edinburgh gig archive
Coasters: Photo Simon Clegg circa 1979
Simon Clegg writes "The Roller disco picture of everybody leaving after a gig; Although it's not a very good picture technically a lot of people seem to like it."
Fans outside Coasters waiting for The Clash
"Clouds was the upstairs part of Coasters (now called the Cavendish) where strummer played again with the clash busking in 1985 and with LRW in 1988. Coasters itself is pretty small and both the upstairs rooms are tiny."
Edinburgh Clouds / Coasters
In 1985 'Coasters' was the blanket name used for the 3 club complex, the main club on the ground floor operated as Coasters for Roller disco and under 18's club,†at night the Coasters signs†were switched off and the 'Outer Limits' signs were switched on and the bars opened, this area had a capacity of†over 1000 and is the area that Joe†Strummer played in.
The upper floors operated†at the weekend as 1st floor (Bermuda Triangle) was the 'Hoochie Coochie Club' (capacity around 250) promoted by Alan Campbell and Sam Piacentini, it was Alan Campbell that brought Joe into the club after coming to see me to arrange for us to open at short notice. The queues went right around the block and we were packed out way beyond capacity, even after closing the doors another huge queue formed who could not get in.
The club was literally bursting at the seams and along with security staff I had to help to stop the sheer weight of the crowd from damaging the DJ podium and equipment, while Joe and companions did a fantastic acoustic set on a corner stage. Even though everyone was packed like sardines there were no incidents of any kind and the crowd behaved impeccably throughout, truly a very special night!!
The 2nd floor (Barbados Suite) operated as the 'Goombay Beat' (capacity around†150) promoted by Newton Sekibo, the rest of the week the clubs were available for hire, with the main Coasters/Outer Limits area being in great demand for live concerts mainly promoted by 'Regular Music' (Barry Wright & Pete Irvine) we did everything from REM, China Crisis, New Modern Army, The Pogues to Village People, Gloria Gaynor, Edwin Starr etc etc etc etc etc....approx 2-3 Live Concerts every week.
The Club only returned to its old name of the Cavendish in 1989 after we sold the club. It had been the Cavendish up until around 1970, changed to Clouds by Unicorn Leisure until the early eighties when it became Coasters/Outer Limits/Hoochie Coochie Club and Goombay Beat, then it was reverted to the Cavendish in 1989.
Hope this helps give a little more info and insight into the occasion described on your site!
Best Regards Ricky Lewis & Suzi Mowbray
London Calling Italia | Facebook
Songsmiths | Facebook
Photos by Neil Atkins (colour) and Stephen Gray from The Clash, Coasters, 14 May
backstage at the upstairs part of Coasterís Disco in Edinburgh,
14th May 1985, (photos by Steven Grey) here
Donald Mactaggart
Was at coasters gig but never seen this brilliant photo
Edinburgh that's me on the left
Busking / Edinburgh
John Arbuckle - @JDArbuckle65 - 1 Mar 2018
Replying to @74frankfurt - Remember seeing them kicking about at Potterrow and telling my mates I'd just seen the Clash..."naaah!"
Merienda Restaurant - @MeriendaEdin - 3 May 2019
Replying to @74frankfurt - and @iainpope73 - My pal was a 16 year old Edinburgh lad and his garage band were the support
Did you go? Comments, info welcome...
Info, articles, reviews, comments or photos welcome.
Unknown Busking Photos
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Gateway Exchange
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North and South |
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Busking Tour1985
ARTICLES, POSTERS, CLIPPINGS ... A collection of and other items the Busking Tour
VIDEO AND AUDIO Video and audio footage
BOOKS
Reagan, Thatcher, and the Last Stand of a Band That Mattered By Mark Andersen, Ralph Heibutzki
by Jacopo Ghilardotti Chapter: Il Ritorono
Features archival footage and new interviews to tell the story of the band's final days. The four primary members of the band - Jones, Joe Strummer, Paul Simonen and Topper Headon tell their sides of the story as do Nick Sheppard and Vince White, both of whom replaced Jones, and original drummer Terry Chimes, who returned to replace Headon in 1982.
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