BRAVO #25, 8 June 1977, 2 pages

Scandal at the Clash concert

— Scandal at the Clash concert in the London Rainbow Theatre reported by Margit Rietti, detailing violent fan riots, an aggressive atmosphere fueled by the band's provocative style and music, including tracks like Janie Jones, and London's Burning.

— Gig culminated in a major brawl, with fans tearing up seating and throwing it at the stage, leading to police intervention.

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BRAVO #25  |  8 June 1977  

BRAVO #25

8 June 1977 – DM 1.20 for home delivery plus delivery fee 65 Pfg, Lire 600, £0.36, Skr 3.75 incl. VAT, Fl 3.53, sfr 1.70, Printed in Germany

Scandal at the Clash concert

England’s scene punk idols

Punk fans live dangerously! When Clash, the hottest British group, kicked off at the London Rainbow Theatre, punk fans went crazy. Fights broke out, entire rows of seats were thrown onto the stage. BRAVO shows here how a rock concert should not happen...

PHOTO: After the hall battle: the venue is a pile of rubble. Left: Clash guitarist and singer Joe Strummer heating up the crowd

Clad in black leather, covered with chains and safety pins, their closely cropped heads dyed in rainbow colours and in full war paint – that’s how the followers of the new punk wave streamed into the hall. Fired up by the latest punk scandals, there was a tense mood from the very start.

The normal concert-goers, who had stuck on Pink Floyd, Elton John and Wings stickers, were immediately picked on.

It was already boiling dangerously when the support acts Jam, Prefects, Subway Sect and Buzzcocks took to the stage. It boiled over when Clash themselves blasted off. In their self-made army uniforms, with their shaggy hair and with defiant songs, they stoked the fire even more. In between they banged out a few swear words from the stage that would have made even Snow White choke on her apple.

Their music is just as loud as it is stirring. And although with songs like Intercity, Carnaby Street and London’s Burning they could be seen and heard everywhere – with a few songs they go too far. The eerie influence that Clash exert on the fans is visibly dangerous.

During the number Janie Jones the roaring and yelling grew stronger and stronger. Arguments and fights broke out between the more moderate and the freaked-out fans. Finally, the big riot erupted. In their frenzy, the fans tore the front rows of seats out of their fittings and hurled them onto the stage. Police officers stormed the hall and brought the wild goings-on to an end – sooner than expected, the fans found themselves with their screaming girls back outside the Rainbow. The next day, a large part of the Clash tour was cancelled by the promoters.

BRAVO says: Nothing against the hot music of the Clash. But the aggression and hatred that comes across the stage goes too far. With these excesses they are truly doing no favours to themselves, their music, or the fans...

Margit Rietti

These are the three toughest guys from Clash (from left): Mick Jones, Joe Strummer and Paul Simonon

From the very beginning the fans at the Rainbow went wild, later it turned into riots

Hate – this masked fan has “Hate” written on his helmet. Instead of enjoying the music, he wants riots

BRAVO #25  |  8 June 1977