May 28, 1981

I can't remember not being a Clash fan and I can't remember ever not knowing about the legendary 17-show residency at Bonds International Casino in New York City near Times Square that kicked off 40 years today, a landmark cultural event that drew in such fans as Martin Scorcese and Robert Deniro and introduced America to opening artists such Lee Scratch Perry and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five (who were booed by the American audiences, prompting a furious Joe Strummer to storm onstage and yell at them.)

The residency was only supposed to 8 shows but 3,500 tickets for each show for the 1,750-seat venue were sold, leading the NYC Fire Marshall to step in and threaten to cancel the shows. Times Square area came to a standstill and the event made national news thanks to protestors, rioters and police being called out to keep the scene under control, after which The Clash volunteered to accommodate all fans with tickets by playing 17 shows instead of the original 8: "the band condemned the brazen greed of the promoters while demonstrating unprecedented integrity to each and every ticketholder by doubling the original booking with a total of 17 dates extending through June".

Longtime Xmastime buddy Mike Lisk was at one of the shows; he's seen a million rocks shows over the decades and I remember him telling me once that to this day he'd never seen an audience in such anticipation for a band; it sounds like they were waiting impatiently on the edges of their seats as if on a live wire dancing above water.