Lost Glasgow | Reeling in the years

The Clash at the GSA, May 1985 (Pictures Ross Sinclair)

Reeling in the years: The Clash at the Glasgow School of Art (GSA), May 1985

If you've followed LG for any length of time, you'll know that I'm an ageing Clash fan. That's why I was so excited today when former Soup Dragon turned artist and lecturer Ross Sinclair posted these previously unseen images of the band's 'busking' gig at the Glasgow School of Art, in May 1985.

A very hungover 19-year-old me is somewhere in that happy throng

I asked Ross to jot down his memories of those, hazy, crazy three days when the Clash came to town...

"I suppose, thinking back on that Clash visit to Glasgow, its was all about the magic and mystery of life before mobile phones and 24/7 communication - the sheer excitement of it.

"Rumours spread like a wildfire virus (to mix some metaphors!)- the Clash - in Glasgow - BUSKING! What - no way - where - how - why?

"And then they were at the art school - drinking in the Vic Cafe - then upstairs for 'the gig' and then down to the Rock Garden and later 'Dukes' - (though maybe that wasn't the right order!).

"I taped the gig downstairs at the Rock Garden and lost it immediately!.

"Folk trailing around town after them, waiting to see if they'd do another impromptu singalong set - I'd seen them at the Apollo in 79/80? London Calling tour, I think, which was amazing - but now you could talk to them - stand beside them - be 5 feet away as Joe shouted all the hits in your face over the sound of the crowd drowning them out singing along - the drummer playing on a plastic chair - the guitar player you'd never seen before? YTtS maybe? Paul Simonon looking as cool as ever.

"In retrospect of course it was the end of the Clash, they were disintegrating by then, Mick Jones and Topper Headon were long gone, it was a last gasp, back to their roots, on the streets before a final implosion that, with Joe's early death, could never see the magic revived in the days of million dollar pay checks and the A-list revival circuit.".”