The lucky ones who showed up at London's Roundhouse on September 5, 1976 had no idea they were about to witness a moment of history. It wasn't thanks to the headliner of the evening — the pub rock band Kursaal Flyers, then riding on their sole hit Little Does She Know — nor the rockabilly outfit Crazy Cavan 'n' the Rhythm Rockers, nor DJ Andy Dunkley. It was the third name on the bill, so fresh and unknown that it hadn't even made it into the newspaper listings: The Clash. Rolling Stone France ↗
The band had formed just a few months earlier under the direction of manager Bernie Rhodes, who a year before had played a decisive role in putting together the Sex Pistols. The original lineup — singer and guitarist Joe Strummer, guitarists Mick Jones and Keith Levene, bassist Paul Simonon, and drummer Terry Chimes — first performed on July 4, 1976 at the Black Swan in Sheffield, and then played two or three more shows in London. Most of the time, though, was spent getting to know one another, since they had been complete strangers when Rhodes brought them together, and writing new songs. Rolling Stone France ↗
The Roundhouse concert was only their fifth. SuperMusic has over 150 lyrics and chords for The Clash.
Illustrative photo: The Clash performing at Chateau Neuf in Oslo on May 21, 1980. Photo: Helge Øverås / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
50 years ago, The Clash played Roundhouse to a hostile audience
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