The Clash Blitz America

The Clash : Drug Stabbing Time

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In February of 1979 The Clash blitzed America on a ten day, seven city tour in support of Give 'Em Enough Rope. They started in Berkeley and finished in New York. If the band who began most shows with "I'm So Bored of the U.S.A." had changed their minds about America on their very first tour of the country, they didn't let on to a Time Magazine reporter:

"American audiences like music to keep you happy, " observed drummer Nicky "Topper" Headon. "It's music for you to drive home by". Lead guitarist Mick Jones declares scornfully "The Aerosmiths, The Foghats, the Bostons- they've kind of signed themselves out".

Joe Strummer explained why they opened with that "I'm So Bored With the USA":

Because we wanted to rind out if they had a sense of humour in America. And the answer was that they were double into that number. They loved it, because we were saying we were sick of the cheap rubbish on TV, all the sub-standard cultural imports that came out of America. The kids were as bored as we were with all that rubbish.

Bo Diddley was the opening act. They shared a tour bus decked out like the inside of a Texas brothel. ( I imagine)

Lacking any kind of radio airplay, The Clash do make some inroads thanks to the Pearl Harbor Tour.Bruce Springsteen, David Johansen Andy Warhol, Nico.John Cale, Robert Deniro and all of Blondie see their show at the Palladium in New York. The tour helps the band sell 50,000 copies of the album in the US which convinces CBS Records to finally release their debut album stateside that summer.