CLASH – BOND’S INTERNATIONAL CASINO 1981 SOUNDBOARD (2 CD-R)

Description

Bond’s International Casino, New York, NY, USA 9th June 1981
★Super high-quality stereo soundboard recording!!

　The original soundboard master, also used in the official masterpiece “FROM HERE TO ETERNITY: LIVE,” is now available. The complete live album of the “SANDINISTA! Tour” is set to be released.

　This recording captures the “New York performance on June 9, 1981,” in stereo soundboard format.
The 1981 Bonds International Casino show was a legendary event in The Clash’s history. Initially, eight consecutive shows were planned (which was already impressive), but a foolish promoter got greedy and sold 3,500 tickets for a venue with a capacity of only 1,750. Naturally, the venue was overcrowded, the New York City Fire Department ordered the shows to be canceled, and the situation came to the brink of riots. At the time, tens of thousands of fans flocked to the area around Times Square, where the venue was located, seeking tickets, and some ended up sleeping on the streets for several days. The situation was so chaotic that mounted police had to be deployed.

　Normally, the tour would have been canceled, but The Clash (after dissing the greedy promoter) declared, “We’re not leaving until everyone who bought a ticket has gotten inside.” They hastily doubled the schedule to 17 consecutive shows. Their incredible response and the way the entire city was immersed in The Clash’s spirit led the media at the time to haile them as “Kings of New York.”

　This album is a soundboard recording that pours the full live performance from that time into your brain. So, let’s take a look at the overview of their activities at the time and confirm their position.

●1980
– January 5th – February 27th: Europe #1 (42 shows)
– March 1st – April 27th: North America #1 (11 shows)
– May 9th – June 21st: Europe #2 (29 shows) ←※HAMMERSMITH 1980
《December 12th ‘Sandinista! Released》
●1981
– April 24th – May 26th: Europe #3 (23 shows)
– May 28th – June 13th: North America #2 (20 shows) ←★HERE★
– September 23rd – October 26th: Europe #4 (23 shows)

[Unearthed official-grade full soundboard]
　This is THE CLASH from ‘LONDON CALLING’ to ‘SANDINISTA!’. The legendary Bonds series of shows began at the start of “North America #2”, and this recording is the 15th show of that series.

　This show is also included in the official release “FROM HERE TO ETERNITY: LIVE,” but this release is the complete version of the entire performance. It is the complete version of the original soundboard recording. We have previously introduced the Kinney recording, the classic pressing “HAMMERSMITH PALAIS 1980 2ND NIGHT (Wardour-388),” and if that was a superb audience recording from the “LONDON CALLING” era, then this release is an unearthed, official-quality soundboard recording from the “SANDINISTA!” era.

　The sound itself is of the highest quality, comparable to a top-notch “official unearthed recording.” Compared to the official release, “FROM HERE TO ETERNITY: LIVE,” it lacks the polished finishes of an official release, such as the echo effects, but its raw, unprocessed sound is fantastic. It’s a texture that will be irresistible to seasoned soundboard enthusiasts. From the slight huskiness in Joe Strummer’s voice to the undulating feedback of Mick Jones’ guitar, the sound comes to your ears exactly as it came from the mixing console, without any additions. Moreover, the crowd noise between songs is mixed in with good balance, so it doesn’t feel like a compilation like an official release, but rather can be enjoyed as a complete “FROM HERE TO ETERNITY” performance. In other words, it has the same quality as an official release, but surpasses it in realism. Whether you prefer the refinement of an official release or the raw energy of the live performance is up to the listener, but there is no doubt that this is the definitive version.

[A full show that also serves as a complete version of FROM HERE TO ETERNITY]
　This unearthed, official-quality sound can be enjoyed in a full show that features a large number of tracks from ‘SANDINISTA!’, along with plenty of killer tunes from ‘LONDON CALLING’. Let’s organize the setlist, including its relationship to the official ‘FROM HERE TO ETERNITY: LIVE’.

●Sandinista! (12 songs)
– The Leader / Corner Soul / The Call Up / Lightning Strikes (Not Once but Twice) (★) / Ivan Meets GI Joe / Charlie Don’t Surf / The Magnificent Seven / Broadway / Somebody Got Murdered / One More Time / The Street Parade (★) / Washington Bullets
● Others (5 songs + 7 songs)
– London Calling: London Calling / Train in Vain (*) / The Guns of Brixton (*) / Clampdown / Brand New Cadillac
– Others: Safe European Home / (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais / This Is Radio Clash / Bankrobber / Complete Control (*) / Police and Thieves / Janie Jones
*Note: “*” indicates a take that was also included in the official release “FROM HERE TO ETERNITY: LIVE”. “★” indicates a limited edition song that was not performed after this tour.

…and so on. What’s immediately overwhelming is the generous offering of 12 tracks from “SANDINISTA!”. The multifaceted nature of that massive album is fully displayed on stage.

　Furthermore, “Lightning Strikes (Not Once but Twice)” and “The Street Parade” are limited-edition tracks that were never performed again after this tour, while “This Is Radio Clash,” which hadn’t been released yet, was included in the setlist. This sense of balance is also characteristic of the era when he was known as the “King of New York.”

　This release allows you to experience the full show from the incident era, which was also featured in the official “FROM HERE TO ETERNITY: LIVE.” That’s all there is to it. With a raw, real sound that’s different from the polished official releases, it pours the entire legendary night at Bonds into your brain. This is truly an absolute classic in THE CLASH history. Please enjoy it to the fullest.

★Stereo soundboard recording of the “Bonds International Casino performance on June 9, 1981.” This is the full performance version of the original soundboard from the official “FROM HERE TO ETERNITY: LIVE,” with superb quality comparable to an unearthed official release. This is an absolute classic that allows you to enjoy the full show from the “SANDINISTA!” era with a raw, real sound that’s different from the official releases.

Disc:1 (60:49)
1. London Calling
2. Safe European Home
3. The Leader
4. Train in Vain
5. White Man in Hammersmith Palais
6. This is Radio Clash
7. Corner Soul
8. Guns of Brixton
9. The Call Up
10. Bankrobber
11. Complete Control
12. Lightning Strikes
13. Ivan Meets GI Joe
14. Charlie Don’t Surf
15. The Magnificent Seven

Disc:2 (37:55)
1. Broadway
2. Somebody Got Murdered
3. Police and Thieves
4. Clampdown
5. One More Time
6. Brand New Cadillac
7. Street Parade
8. Janie Jones
9. Washington Bullets

STEREO SOUNDBOARD RECORDING