Weekend Concert: The Clash Live in Tokyo 1982

by rootrunner | Music | 2697 Views

The Clash: Live in Tokyo 1982

” The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska,dub,funk rap, and rockabilly. For most of their recording career, the Clash consisted of Joe Strummer ( lead guitar ,vocals), Mick Jones (lead guitar, vocals) Paul Simonon( bass guitar, vocals) and Nicky “Topper Headon ( drums , percussion). Headon left the group in 1982, and internal friction led to Jone’s departure the following year in 1986. ” from Wikipedia

I was very lucky to see the Clash in their hayday up very close at the Orpheum in Boston in 1882 when their two hits “Rock the Casbah” and “Should I Stay or Should I Go” were receiving alot of radio play. I had a vintage T-shirt from that concert with an incredible print of what a Casbah scene would look like (Indiana Jones crowd) but I think was stolen from the victorian age print in mono pink, I wore it out for ten years at least and finally let it go, into the bin of no more.

I’d like to add a short bit by Big Radio Dynamite led by Mick Jones formerly of the Clash Live at the London Town and Country Club 1990 just to show the immense talent an offshoot project had from the orignal band.

Rootrunner

Comments | 7

  • Submitted by scrispe on June 7, 2013 at 6:48 am

    Awesome!! The Clash are

    Awesome!!

    The Clash are great. I don’t really think they were much of a punk band after ’78 or so, but still a great rock band.

    Complete Control is my favorite Clash song. Tommy Gun, Death Or Glory, White Man In Hammersmith Palais….all classics.
    That’s so awesome you got to see them in ’82.

    Nice post!!

    • Submitted by rootrunner on June 8, 2013 at 3:33 am

      Clash

      Thank you, Even though it was some 31 years ago, Gulp, choke, I vividly remember Mick Jones in camo pants, red Converse sneakers, and a Gomer Pile cap, Strummer was incredibly on that evening and was having a great time so much so he dove into the crowd just out my reach for some body surfing, first time I had witnessed that action, he was literally thrown back on stage landing in perfect form on his feet to finish off the tune.

      My apartment roomates while living in Boston always said they sold out, I say like selling out every concert!! RIP Joe, one of the greats!

  • Submitted by paulgardner on June 8, 2013 at 7:16 am

    Clash!

    Love this.
    Not a great live band imo, but an important one. I saw them in Seattle opening for the Who. It was post Mick Jones et al – really just Joe Strummer & 3 nobodies. (and the Who was sans Moon – really not the Who, sorry to say).

    Still a fantastic band: their version of I Fought The Law – one of the great rock songs of all time; Safe European Home (in this concert); Rocking the casbah; Train in Vain; Janie Jones and on and on

    I look on the Sex Pistols as the Beatles of punk – short, brilliant career. The Clash are the Stones. Not as brilliant but holy smokes! the amount of great material they produced is something else.

  • Submitted by P on June 10, 2013 at 6:53 am

    1982

    I saw them in 1982 when they opened for The Who at Shea Stadium (RIP). I was a very lucky 16 year old!

  • Submitted by cgrotke on June 10, 2013 at 6:57 am

    Two bands for one

    Fun seeing the Clash and BAD side by side. One is sort of pop punk, the other punk pop.

    I recall London Calling as an epic, almost scary record. It seemed urgent and serious, with an edge to it. Years later, it sounds more “normal” but at the time it came out, it was different and had a sound that really stood out.

  • Submitted by scrispe on June 10, 2013 at 10:38 am

    Paul's Post

    In response to Paul’s post:
    I agree 100% with everything you said. I am so psyched you feel the Sex Pistols are better than the Clash and I think your Beatles/Stones analogy is spot-on.
    So many people I talk to praise the Clash over the Sex Pistols and I completely disagree. The Clash were still great, and I like them, but not as brilliant (or awesomely punk) as the Sex Pistols.

    Also, I don’t care what year you saw them, or what lineup they had, seeing The Clash and The Who on the same bill would be FANTASTIC. That’s so cool you got to see that.

    Where do the Damned fit in with this equation? I wore my 1980 Damned shirt yesterday – from The Black Album.
    Wait For The Blackout
    History Of The World
    Smash It Up
    Neat Neat Neat
    New Rose
    Plan 9, Channel 7

    All classics.

    • Submitted by paulgardner on June 10, 2013 at 4:46 pm

      Missed Out on the Damned

      Somehow the Damned never connected with me.
      Back in ’78 – ’80, my brother would send me collection after collection of punk stuff and based on what I reacted positively to he would send more of that band.

      The Damned never grabbed me much.

      Smash it Up, and Noise, Noise Noise and a few others are good songs, but not distinct to me from a lot of other stuff.

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