The Clash for Christmas Day 1979, just 50p at the door please.
Good evening, welcome back to the blog. It’ll probably already be Christmas Day when you read this (or after) so I hope you had a splendid time, got away from work, saw some friends and family and best of all relaxed and enjoyed the company of those that matter to you. I realise the economy has left many of us with not a lot to cheer about after 2008 and 2009 are done slapping everyone around the face, so I’ll also take this chance to wish each of you a New Year that is full of better events. I’m trying to feel festive despite the lack of snow (looks quite the opposite in England and Chicago to name but two places) we’re tinkering with the idea of driving up North to see snow this weekend but that also involves being very cold which takes away the craving quite a bit.
Few things better sum up how much the music industry has changed in 30 years than the poster below. It’s not a misprint, The Clash really did play a Christmas day show at Acklam Hall (and another on Boxing day!) for the princely sum of 50 pence back in 1979. This wasn’t The Clash that nobody had heard of mind you, this was a band at the peak of their creativity having just released London Calling two weeks prior. An amazing gesture for the fans and used by the band as a warm up prior to the Kampuchea concert on December 27th at the Hammersmith Odeon. Acklam Hall is a tiny little place (capacity 250) so if you were one of the few who made it to either concert you’re a rare breed indeed.
The Clash didn’t let the price reflect the setlist of course as a full 20 song set was offered on both days. I wish I was jumping on the tube at Goldhawk Road on the afternoon of December 25, 1979 right now….oh those were the days. Speaking of London Transport….there’s going to be a new Routemaster Bus.…with TWO staircases? What’s that about? That news, coupled with the healthcare bill passing in the US today are two gifts I’ll happily take this year!!
Have a brilliant Christmas or if you don’t celebrate it have a brilliant something else. If you just hate the holidays….well…get back to doing that I suppose. I’ll be back soon with the usual updates and more.
Tim
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Hiya TIM just to wish you and yours a very MERRY XMAS and much LOVE AND PEACE for the coming year.What a xmas day that would have been back in ’79,be great to hear from someone who went,lucky gits.Playing on xmas day for 50p, ONLY The CLASH would do that,makes me smile just thinking about it.All the Best Mate ,Dave
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Thanks David, have a brilliant day and reciprocal thoughts for the year ahead.
Cheers,
Tim
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Go here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEFugU8H3sw for an excellent video tribute by The Warriors with a song called The Future Is Unwritten all about Joe
I was lucky enough to be there. on the 26th Dec 1979. Never thought of myself as a rare breed (lucky git maybe)
Wayne, what do you recall about the show? Considering maybe 400-500 people were there the two shows combined you’re definitely rare!
Myself and a mate would go to as many Clash gigs as our paper round money would allow us to. This gig was special because we got to meet Nicky Headon at his flat and then picked the rest of the band up in a mini bus, i seem to remember Paul getting into the bus with a girl on each arm. Then onto the gig, some blogs say they walked to the gig but thats not right. well not on boxing day that is. The show was great, if you can imagine the Clash setting up and playing in your front room while you sit on your sofa to watch you will get some idea of how this gig felt, ok it was loud and raw but it didnt matter after all it was the Clash i did use the flyer/ticket as my profile pic but im not sure if you can view it, would be nice to know if any more have survived. My mate was the lucky one he got the poster signed by all
One of the parents I know at Southfield Primary School, where all my girls attend/attended, in West London was also lucky enough to be there on 26th December 1979, Tim. This is the very same school where John Entwistle went, back in the day as a little bit of trivia…
Wayne – Cheers for that….!!
What file type did you scan the ticket / flyer as? Be glad to chuck it on the blog….
Tim
Funny…I just read a biography of The Who recently. Was amazed how many of those same streets I (unknowingly) strolled for a good few years.
The Who’s John Entwistle attended Southfield Primary School, mainly whilst living with his Grandmother I believe, in a flat at 81a Southfield Road. Roger Daltrey moved to 135 Fielding Road, W4 when he was twelve, just round the corner from Entwistle.
They later met in Southfield Road when Entwistle was returning from a gig with his girlfriend Alison, carrying his bass. Incidentally, the house in Fielding Road Roger told me was one of the first big things he bought when he made money from The Who……
This was at a photo session I did for The Teenage Cancer Trust charity in 2005 along with ‘Alan Partridge’….
Hi Tim, i will send you a copy. The ticket has two sides, one as my profile picture the other side is a picture of Joe and Topper please could you show both sides on your blog. it would be great to know if any more have survived there cant be that many. Wayne
That would be great….and I’ll be happy to post it
Tim im sure you know that The Who will perform a 12min medley at halftime at super bowl Sunday night 8th Feb to coincide with the release of The Whos greatest hits
Sorry thats Sunday 7th the release of the CD is the 8th
How can you compress The Who into 12 minutes?….shame that can’t be done with American football….
About time the Who brought out a greatest hits collection. They’ve not done one for about 5 years. Not that I’m cynical or anything, you understand.
The most recent effort was actually a ‘best of’ – different animal entirely.
Could try ‘The Essential Who’
…I’d really recommend buying complete studio albums. Pete Townshend wrote many of them to have the individual tracks listened to in a specific order…Tommy and Quadrophenia being obvious examples. For The Who a ‘greatest hits’ is a good way in, but I’m willing to bet you’ll end up buying the albums eventually ! Start with ‘Who’s Next’ would be my recommendation, but I’m sure others would make their own suggestions.
Finally, if you didn’t see their performance at Glastonbury, then I’d really advise seeking it out. For a couple of old blokes, plus Pino Palladino on bass, John ‘Rabbit’ Bundrick on keyboards, Zak Starkey (Ringo’s son) on drums and Simon Townshend on guitar, they completely blew away EVERYONE else there. An amazing atmosphere !
[...] I see that a lot about ‘these days’ that is easier, more convenient, more options…but if you’re anywhere near my age I think you’ll agree that Christmas was much better in the 70’s and 80’s. As for The Clash…they never made a Christmas single, and I don’t even think the word even pops up as lyric does it? Their most famous yuletide event being the warm up gig for the Concert for the People of Kampuchea that they did on Christmas Day 1979 for 50p – which we talked about last year on the blog. [...]