The Clash Live 1985

This page lists all known Clash gigs from 1985 with info. If you have any corrections please email blackmarketclash

Tours and studio

May 85 - In the studio ...

May 85 - Busking Tour ...

Jun- Aug 85 - Festival dates ...

Sept 85 - European Tour ...

Oct 85 - Last days of the Clash ...

Jan 86 - Far East Tour ...

The Clash were met with the news that they were No.4 among western bands banned in the USSR. The Clash were recording the final album.

Extensive archive of articles, magazines and other from early 1985

Video and audio from early 1985

In the studio


Early 85		New demos for CtC
		January through April Studio - Weryton Studios Tracks - Cut the Crap and associated b-sides Line Up: Joe Strummer – vocals, Nick Sheppard – guitar, co-lead vocals, Vince White – guitar, Herman Young-Wagner – keyboards. Michael Fayne – drum machine programming, co-lead vocals on “Play To Win”, Norman Watt-Roy – bass on all tracks except “Do It Now” and “Sex Mad War”, Paul Simonon – bass on “Do It Now” and “Sex Mad War”, Pete Howard – drums on “Do It Now” and “Sex Mad War”, Producer Bernard Rhodes. Engineer – Ulli Rudolf, Simon Sullivan Source – “We Are The Clash” page 251, 258, “The Complete Clash. ”We are The Clash page 246
19 Jan		BBCR1 Punk to Present Andy Kershaw Listen
Mar 20		Rennes - Salles Omnisports with 3 other bands
		This date was cancelled. They played later in July Guehenno Festival where a fight happened between road crews of The Clash and Depeche Mode
Early 85		French radio Joe Interview - Listen

BUSKING TOUR...

In 1985 The Clash mark II assembled in a London flat , left their wallets on the table and headed off on tour with a few acoustic guitars , they hit towns and cities across the country playing gigs and sleeping on the floors of some lucky fans ,punk rock eh, the tour ended in Glasgows Dukes Bar on old Dumbarton Road where theres a plaque on the wall outside that very pub today that reads 'The Clash played here May 16th 1985'

The impromptu busking tour - playing publicly and outside venues acoustically generated some excitement about the forthcoming album...

Nick Sheppard, The Clash guitarist from 1983-86

For the infamous busking tour in 1885 we [the second incarnation of The Clash minus Mick Jones] set off from the start of the M1 with an acoustic guitar and £10 in our pockets. We did deals with pubs, passed the hat round, slept on people’s floors, had a massive political row in Sunderland and pissed The Alarm off in Leeds.

The Last Days of the Clash - Vince White pg 226

Setting off Friday, 3rd May, they all hitched from London by the M1 and agreed to meet up in the pub near Nottingham Railway Station. >

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 Bed and Breakfasts. 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.’

Extensive archive of articles and magazines from the Busking Tour period

Audio and video from the Busking Tour period

Busking Tour - north of England, Scotland



May Fri 3rd & Sat 4th		Nottingham - under the canal bridge
		Nottingham - Outside Marks & Spencers, The Precinct
		Nottingham - MacDonald’s on Clumber Street
		Nottingham - Old Market Square
		Nottingham - Garage Club
		Nottingham - Station
May 4 Sat		Nottingham - Selectadisc

May 5 S		Leeds - Jamming on National Express coach
		Leeds - Hyde Park
		Leeds - Outside Pubs and Clubs
		Leeds - Le Phonographic nightclub
		Leeds - Outside Leeds Railway Station
May 6 M		Leeds - Royal Park Road pub, Royal Park Road
		Leeds - Merrion Centre?
		Huddersfield - town centre (6th May?)
		Huddersfield - they came to play a gig in Huddersfield many moons ago and just started busking in the street without anyone knowing, 1st rate band, 1st rate lads - David Shilton
May 7 T		Leeds - University
		Leeds - Faversham Pub

May 8 W		York - St Sampson Square 12noon
		York - St John's car park
		York - Jam down Petersgate 9.00pm
		York - Minster, York 9.30pm
May 9 T		York - Kings Square/Market Square
		York - Ripon & St Johns College

May 10 F		Sunderland - The Bunker
		Sunderland - The Carlton Bar inside Langham Tower

May 11 S		Gateshead - The Station (6pm)
		Newcastle - Greys Monument
		Newcastle - Underpass on edge of the Town Centre
		Newcastle - Exhibition Park Subway
		Newcastle - St James Centre

May 11 S		Sunderland - Gollums Bar, Mowbray Park Hotel
		Sunderland - The Drum Club
		Genevieves function room of The Mayfair
May 12 S		Sunderland - Salem pub and Geoff’s Flat, Hendon

May 13 M		Edinburgh - Princess Street (afternoon)
		Edinburgh - Rose Street
		Edinburgh - La Sorbonne
May 14 T		Edinburgh - Princess Street (afternoon)
		Edinburgh - Gateway Exchange
		Edinburgh - Music bar next to Sneaky Pete’s in Cowgate?
		Edinburgh - Coasters

May 15 W		Glasgow - Six Pub
May 16 T		Glasgow - The Rock Garden
May 16 T		Glasgow - University evening - the cul de sac bar
May 16 T		Glasgow - Mayfair Reggae Disco early evening
May 16 T		Glasgow - Dukes Bar evening
May 16 T		Glasgow - The Wind Jammer Bar
May 17 F		Glasgow - Art College - Vics Cafe 12 noon
May 17 F		Glasgow - The Fixx Pub on Miller Street
May 17 F?		Glasgow - Woodlands Road

May 18 S		Manchester - City Centre (set up but didn't play)

Unknown



?		Portsmouth (the wrong date/ Did it take place?)
		Certainly the wrong date but we have this info on good authority: Back of British Home Stores. According to the fanzine 'Six Gun Sound' The Clash busked in Portsmouth on Monday 22 October just after the release in September of This is England (Released September 30, 1985). The Clash played Career Opportunities, Police & Thieves, English Civil War, All the Young Punks, Brand New Cadilac and 'a scorching rendition of their new single This is England'. Six Gun Sound was a BAD fanzine a couple of years later supporting the band of the same name who started out as Rebel Truce until they realised there were 2 Rebel Truces'. A copy of the fanzine would be helpful.

The Clash embark on what will be there very last 3 gigs

Extensive archive of articles, magazines and other from summer 1985

Video and audio from summer 1985

Summer Festivals 1985


Jun 29		Copenhagen - Roskilde Festival
Jul 13		Guehenno, France - Rockscene Festival
Jul 27		Athens, Greece

A cancelled European Tour and rumours abound of the bands status. A period which saw the final album and solo single released.

Extensive archive of articles, magazines and other from Sept to the end of 1985

Audio and video from Sept to the end of 1985

European Tour


Sep 13		Paris - Le Zenith
		Cancelled (according to Kosmo) due to injunctions by Mick Jones on the name The Clash.
Late 85		Raw & Unfiltered The Interviews
Sep 30		This is England 7" single released
Sep 30		This is England 12" single released
Oct 3		Gothenburg - Scandinavium
		We are The Clash page 324
Oct 4		Stockholm - Isstadion
Oct 5		Lund - Olympen
Oct 12		Utrecht - Vredenburg
Oct 19		Europen Tour cancelled
		NME publish Clash press release. European and UK dates cancelled due to restrictions on the use of the name The Clash. The band hope to reshedule dates before the end of the year.
Nov 4		'Cut the Crap' album released
		For full summary of reviews go to We are The Clash page 237 and page 319
Nov 4		Fingerpoppin 12" promo single released

The last days of The Clash

Extebsive archive of articles and magazines from 1986 and the last days of the Clash

The last days of The Clash


Early 86		Are You Red..y 7" single penciled in for release?
Jan 86		European Tour
Feb 86		Far East Tour
		A Tour was being arranged for the Far East in early 1986 and Europe (late 85/86).
Early 86		Shouting Street 7" single penciled in for release
Jul 86		Love Kills
1986		Joe Strummer 001
		Outtake from the Alex Cox film ‘Sid & Nancy Recorded in Kentish Town. 1986 with The Sooth Sayers. Produced by Joe Strummer. Crying on 23rd Joe Strummer: Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Bass. Mick Jones: Guitar. Chris Musto: Drums, Percussion. 2 Bullets (with Pearl Harbour> Produced by Joe Strummer. Outtake from ‘Sid & Nancy.’Pearl Harbour: Vocals. Joe Strummer: Rhythm Guitar, Bass. Mick Jones: Guitar. Chris Musto: Drums. B.J. Cole: Pedal Steel Guitar. N.B. Both songs were recorded in Kentish Town and are the first recordings of Joe and Mick since ‘Combat Rock.’
1986		Joe Strummer 001
		Joe Strummer/Mick Jones from Candy Mountain Previously Unreleased. Recorded 1986. Produced by Mick Jones. Track: US North Unused song from the Robert Frank and Rudy Wurlitzer film ‘Candy Mountain’. Joe Strummer: Vocals, Guitar. Mick Jones: Vocals, Guitars, Bass. Greg Roberts: Drums. Dan Donovan: Keyboards. Felippe Gonzales: Bongos. Xavier Solano: Agogo. Strings played by The Radio Futura Philharmonic Orchestra, Madrid

		What the next Album could have looked like ...
1990		Return to Brixton
1991		Train Vain