(Broadcast)
3 June 1981 - Bond International Casino - New York, New York
The recording starts as a fine London Calling is counted in with plenty of ‘controlled feedback’ from Mick. The sound is a little flatter than usual but soon picks up. Next Safe European Home blasts in and Mick plays around interestingly to begin with his guitar parts on the end section but then seems to lose interest. The band are still in the process of warming up on The Leader but are responding to another very noticeably enthusiastic and noisy Bonds audience. Train In Vain is brought back again to its 4th position in the set and there is a change in the arrangement (and in later gigs) with an extended instrumental break after “..speak to me”. During this tonight Mick speaks to the audience but his words are unclear. The audience are very appreciative and before a fine White Man In Hammersmith Palais Joe responds with a pleased “Yeah, yeah, yeah…it was like a morgue in here last night – attack, attack, attack!” Joe as usual adlibs over the final section but his words sadly are unclear due to the sound quality limitations. An extended This Is Radio Clash is followed by the return of Corner Soul and then Guns of Brixton; all fine performances but unexceptional. The Call Up tonight though is inspired. It’s preceded by Joe’s “Any minute now the drums will play” and Mick’s firework sounding effects are prominent but effective. It’s a very fine performance, tighter and more spirited than most of the earlier Bond’s performances of this underrated live Clash song. It’s straight in then to a fine Bankrobber and then Joe asks the audience, “come on lets have some encouragement” and certainly gets it, the audience going wild for a stunning (at Bonds now recharged and reworked), Complete Control. There is an extra long teased out start, and the band really tear into the song, Mick’s solo verges on the histrionic, and when the song ends abruptly, the audience roar their approval. An edit begins the 2nd CD with Joe adlibbing over the beginning of Lightning Strikes “lightning strikes at random, random”. Mick adds some great guitar, the band in strong form, and Joe adlibs aplenty (although largely unclear). A fine Ivan Meets GI Joe next and then Charlie Don't Surf with a lengthy intro, “into the darkness”, Mick’s improvised guitar work here though is less effective. Magnificent Seven tonight is shorter but very tight, powerful and effective; “keep your eyes on front, keep your eyes straight ahead”. Broadway appropriately gets its live debut at Bonds, with the same arrangement as later performances. Mick’s guitar fills are great and inventive but an abrupt ending shows the arrangement live is not quite worked out yet. “Its time to work” shouts Joe before Somebody Got Murdered, which builds from a very slow intro into a very good performance. Career Opportunities is dropped from the set and replaced by Police and Thieves with a new intro; Topper plays the drum intro but Mick now plays the melody over the top as Topper keeps the drum rolls going before the usual reggae chords kick in. Whether intentional or not its very effective, the band continuing to reinvigorate songs that had been staples in previous live sets. Mick’s playing is inventive and improvised but as previously at times tonight more interesting than especially memorable. Next Clampdown crashes in with Mick again improvising around his usual guitar intro. Joe’s (and Mick’s) vocals are impassioned and Joe rants powerfully over Topper’s drumming over the suitably climactic finale to the song and the main set. An edit begins the first encore with as usual One More Time, which has a lengthy Topper intro as presumably the rest of the band return to the stage, and then finally Joe’s rhythm guitar comes in. There’s no Mick guitar sound to begin with so either a sound problem or Mick has not made it back from the dressing room! There is a lengthy instrumental gap mid song but Mick’s crucial contribution to the song is somewhat lacking so it is not a memorable performance. An edit before Brand New Cadillac brings a better performance and an improvement in sound, fuller bass but distance problems remain. A further edit before Washington Bullets and the sound now is noticeably louder, fuller and clearer, this is the best sound on the recording and continues through to the end. There is lots of cheering mid song as presumably the El Salvador leaflets are released from the ceiling onto the audience. Tonight’s speech from the El Salvadorian is mostly unclear but Mick’s playing here is some of the most inventive and enjoyable tonight. It’s straight into then an impassioned Janie Jones to bring the encore to a close. An edit before the second encore, which begins with Armagideon Time. Joe adlibs aplenty during a strong performance with Mick’s playing and effects particularly enjoyable. A shorter concert than those previously ends in fine style as Joe screams New York's Burning and the band then tear through London’s Burning.
01 - London Calling
02 - Safe European Home
03 - The Leader
04 - Train In Vain
05 - This Is Radio Clash
06 - The Guns Of Brixton
07 - The Call Up
08 - Bankrobber
09 - Charlie Don't Surf
10 - The Magnificent Seven
11 - Somebody Got Murdered
12 - Police & Thieves
13 - Clampdown
14 - One More Time
15 - Brand New Cadillac
16 - The Street Parade
17 - Janie Jones
18 - Washington Bullets
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