On This Day 11/07/1978 The Specials

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On this day, 11 July 1978 , legendary ska/punk band The Specials played Cardiff’s Top Rank as support to punk giants The Clash.

Originally called The Hybrids, The Automatics, later became Coventry Specials, Special AKA eventually becoming The Specials (Jun 78-81).

The group was formed in 1977 by songwriter/keyboardist Dammers, vocalist Tim Strickland, guitarist/vocalist Lynval Golding, drummer Silverton Hutchinson and bassist Horace Panter (Sir Horace Gentleman). Strickland was replaced by Terry Hall shortly after the band's formation. The band was first called the Automatics, then the Coventry Automatics. Guitarist Roddy Byers (usually known as Roddy Radiation) agreed to join the band in March 1978 ahead of a recording session of demos.

The Specials at Cardiff Top Rank

The new line-up changed their name to The Special A.K.A. The Automatics after another band called the Automatics signed a record deal with Island Records. The new name was a bit of a mouthful and was shortened to The Special AKA. The name Special AKA soon evolved into The Specials – the moniker that would be used for most of the band's career.

Joe Strummer of The Clash had attended one of their concerts, and invited the Special AKA to open for his band in their "On Parole" UK tour. This performance gave the Special AKA a new level of national exposure, and they briefly shared the Clash's management. During the tour Neville Staple, who was initially one of the roadies, became a full member of The Specials when his version of "Monkey Man" was incorporated into the group's set.

Jerry Dammers (keyb)
Lynval Golding (gtr)
Horace Panter (bass)
Silverton Hutchinson (drms)
Terry Hall (voc)
Roddy Radiation (gtr)
Nevile Staples (voc)

On This Day 24/05/1977/ Subway Sect

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On this day, 24 May 1977, punk band The Subway Sect played Cardiff’s Top Rank supporting The Clash on their White Riot tour. Also on the bill were, The Slits and June Buzzcocks.

The core of the band was singer-songwriter, Vic Godard, plus assorted soul fans, who congregated around early gigs by the Sex Pistols until Malcolm McLaren suggested they form their own band.

Subway Sect were among the performers at the 100 Club Punk Festival on Monday, 21 September 1976 – sharing the bill with Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Clash and the Sex Pistols.

The first line-up of Godard on vocals, Paul Packham on drums, Paul Myers on bass and Rob Symmons on guitar lasted for four gigs before Mark Laff replaced Packham. Laff himself then left for fellow punk group Generation X after the White Riot tour.

A third drummer, Bob Ward, was recruited, and it is this line-up that can be heard on the band's first John Peel session and also on the single "Nobody's Scared". This was the first and only release on Braik Records, a label owned by Bernie Rhodes, who managed both Subway Sect and The Clash.

Rhodes subsequently supervised the recording of their debut album at Gooseberry Studios in London, with Clash sound man and producer Mickey Foote at the production helm. At that time the band toured extensively with The Clash and others.

Joe Strummer…..

“Number One for me at the moment are the Subway Sect. They've got some good ideas. The Slits are good, too. Palmolive on drums! She's the female Jerry Nolan. But like everyone, they need to do thirty gigs in thirty days and they would be a different group. Then they'd be great. The same with us.”

On This Day 04/11/1977 The Clash

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On this day, 4 November 1977, punk legends The Clash played Cardiff University on their Get Out Of Control Tour. Support was provided by Richard He’ll and the Voidoids.

The Clash were still suffering the full backlash of punks bad reputation, including front page headlines for the riot at the Rainbow back in May on the White Riot Tour.

Several dates on the rebeliously entitled 'Get Out of Control Tour' had to be cancelled or re-arranged. Out of the original 21 dates/venues, 19 were advertised as having 'no seating'.

The tour was due to open at the Ulster Hall, Belfast but the insurance was pulled and the gig was cancelled at the last moment. This led to punks blocking the road outside the venue and a confrontation between the punks and the police, which became known as the "Battle of Bedford Street". Compared to many other riots in 1970's Belfast it was small scale but it was unique in that it was a non-sectarian "riot" of Protestant and Catholic punks.

On This Day 17/10/1989 Joe Strummer

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On this day, 17 October 1989, former Clash frontman and punk legend Joe Strummer played Cardiff University with his band The Latino Rockabilly War on his Earthquake Weather Tour.

Earthquake Weather is the only album by former frontman of The Clash, Joe Strummer, released on 20 September 1989. The album was well received by critics, but was not a commercial success. The majority of the album was recorded in Los Angeles, California in 1988 and 1989, as evident from the cover photography and design by Josh Cheuse.

It was the first time Strummer had worked on his own musical project. In previous years he had worked with Alex Cox on the soundtracks of his films Sid and Nancy and Walker in 1986 and 1987. He also worked on the production of his former Clash partner Mick Jones' second album with the band Big Audio Dynamite in 1986.

Joe Strummer and the Latino Rockabilly War
Joe Strummer: Vocals and Rhythm Guitar
Zander Schloss: Lead Guitar and Vocals
Lonnie Marshall: Bass Guitar and Vocals
Willie MacNeil: Drums
Jack Irons: Drums

Setlist

Sleepwalk

Jewellers & Bums

Gangsterville

Sikorsky Parts

Armigedeon Time

(Willi Williams cover)

Highway One Zero Street

Trash City

(Joe Strummer song)

City of the Dead

(The Clash cover)

Tropic of No Return

(Joe Strummer song)

Slant Six

Nothin' About Nothin'

Junco Partner (Worthless Man)

(James Waynes cover)

What's My Name

(The Clash cover)

Police and Thieves

(Junior Murvin cover)

Shouting Street

Pressure Drop

(The Maytals cover)

King of the Bayou

London Calling

(The Clash cover)

Island Hopping

Brand New Cadillac

(Vince Taylor & The Playboys cover)

The Magnificent Seven

(The Clash cover)

I Fought the Law

(The Crickets cover)

On This Day 24/05/1977 The Clash

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On this day, 24 May 1977, Punk Rock legends The Clash played Cardiff’s Top Rank on the band’s White Riot tour.

On 25 January 1977, the Clash signed to CBS Records for £100,000, a remarkable amount for a band that had played a total of about thirty gigs and almost none as a headliner.

Mickey Foote, who worked as a technician at their concerts, was hired to produce the Clash's debut album, and Terry Chimes was drafted back for the recording.

The band's first single, "White Riot", was released in March 1977. The album, The Clash, came out the following month.

Filled with fiery punk tracks, it also presaged the many eclectic turns the band would take with its cover of the reggae song "Police and Thieves". The Clash suddenly found themselves as the flag-wavers of the punk rock consciousness.

Though the album charted well in the UK, climbing to number 12, CBS refused to give it a US release, believing that its raw, barely produced sound would make it untellable in that market.

A North American version of the album with a modified track listing was released in 1979, after the UK original became the best-selling import album of all time in the United States.

The Clash at Cardiff Top Rank

In May, the band set out on the White Riot Tour, headlining a punk package that included the Buzzcocks, Subway Sect, The Slits and The Prefects.

On This Day 24/5/1977 The Clash

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On this day, 24 May 1977, punk legends The Clash played Cardiff’s Top Rank on their White Riot tour, their first as the headlining band. Support was provided by The Buzzcocks, The Slits and The Subway Sect.

The band had not long released their debut album The Clash in February and released Remote Control, the second single taken the album, a few weeks before the gig.

Written and recorded over three weeks in February 1977 for £4,000, it would go on to reach No. 12 on the UK charts, and has been included on many retrospective rankings as one of the greatest punk albums of all time.

The cover artwork was designed by Polish artist Rosław Szaybo. The album's front cover photo, shot by Kate Simon, was taken in the alleyway directly opposite the front door of the band's 'Rehearsal Rehearsals' building in Camden Market.

Setlist

I'm So Bored With the U.S.A.

Hate & War

48 Hours

Deny

Police and Thieves

(Junior Murvin cover)

Cheat

Capital Radio

What's My Name

Protex Blue

Remote Control

Garageland

1977