The Clash - France 1981

(Soundboard)

9 May 1981 - Palais St. Sauveur - Lille, France


Although not one of the best performances from the tour, this CD is a great place to check out the developing new arrangements on this tour of the Sandinista songs and the variations on the older songs in soundboard hifi quality.
London Calling fades in at its start to begin the CD. A good performance but with Mick’s solo too far back in the mix, a feature of this tour. Safe European Home and The Leader are both fine performances. “And now we have Mr Mick Jones” and the afore mentioned duly picks out the intro to a powerful Somebody Got Murdered with committed vocals and playing from Mick and some great drum fills from Topper. The sound improves in the left channel early on in White Man In Hammersmith Palais. An excellent performance only marred by Mick’s ineffective solo. “You better watch the Guns of Brixton are going to crash you” intros Joe with its new arrangement heard very clearly here. The audience are markedly less lively than at Paris the night before. Joe tries to understand the shouts from the audience but although he tries hard with his pigeon French tonight he proves again that his Spanish was much better than his French! Topper then starts up a solo drum intro, Joe comes in but then breaks off, and a still rather ragged performance of Lightning Strikes proceeds. Its wing and a prayer stuff with Lightning Strikes on this tour with the band improvising each night with Joe struggling with the mass of lyrics and changes to the rhythm. Much more familiar territory next for a powerful “Un chanson de 1958” I Fought The Law ending with Joe screaming “But the fuckin’ law won!” Joe then announces amusingly “I would now like to sing for a change” before an excellent performance of Corner Soul. It is tight and committed with Mick’s guitar fills effective and inventive, certainly one of the highlights of this CD.
There is an edit, which restarts into the beginning of Ivan Meets GI Joe that still sounds ragged and ineffective with Topper getting the lyrics jumbled. Joe has the same problem during Radio Clash singing at one point “I got the words wrong!” It’s an enjoyable performance the band delivering an extended improvised ending. Joe adlibs over the ending of a fine Charlie Don’t Surf suggesting the audience don’t like it and no doubt many in the audience would be struggling with these unfamiliar Clash fayre. Back to more typical Clash energy and attack next with an excellent Magnificent Seven, which just lacks an inspired rant from Joe to make it exceptional! Joe sounds tired and pissed off asking, “Where’s Junco Partner?” but as if to lift their own spirits the band play a soulful, almost mournful, slowed down Bankrobber, another definite highlight. At one point the music drops down and Joe just whispers the lyrics hoping to hear the “Ooh’s” backing from the audience, after a few seconds he is duly rewarded and thanks the audience. The variations in the new arrangement of Wrong ‘Em Boyo are well evidenced here but tonight’s performance is somewhat lacking in fire. The recording sadly ends with Train In Vain, now a little slower, more soulful performance than in 1980.
-blackmarketclash.com

01. London Calling
02. Safe European Home
03. The Leader
04. Somebody Got Murdered
05. White Man In Ham Palais
06. The Guns Of Brixton
07. Lightning Strikes
08. I Fought the Law
09. Corner Soul
10. Ivan Meets GI Joe
11. This Is Radio Clash
12. Charlie Don’t Surf
13. The Magnificent Seven
14. Bankrobber
15. Wrong ‘Em Boyo
16. Train In Vain

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