The first video at top features The Clash live in 1983, from Devore, California. The event was the US Festival (commemorative website here). The Clash headlined the first night of a three-day gig. Opening bands that day, on May 28th, included INXS, Flock of Seagulls, and the Stray Cats. The second day, May 29th, was the hard-rock concert featuring lots of big acts, like Judas Priest, Ozzy Osborne, and Van Halen. I attended the third day of events, May 30th. What a rock spectacular! The lineup included U2, Missing Persons, Joe Walsh, Stevie Nicks, and David Bowie. (Also playing in the beer gardens was Los Lobos, just when they started to hit it big in Los Angeles.)
I was a Bowie freak at the time. "Let's Dance" had just come out and Bowie's career was in something of the "grand statesman's mode." Reaching a commercial pinnacle, he was happy and settling down after his sensational 1970s gender-bending turns ("Ziggy Stardust", etc.), and the drug-addled European-esque episodes of the 1980s ("Heroes," etc.). Some may recall that Stevie Ray Vaughn had played lead guitar on the studio album for "Let's Dance", but Vaughn didn't tour (there was a falling out with David, if I recall).
Anyway, I couldn't afford to attend all three days, although I'm still kicking myself for never having seen The Clash in concert - one of my favorite bands, and "Brand New Cadillac" one of my favorite songs. The studio version is at the second video above, an excellent homemade picture and video-clip collage.
Back online later tonight!
I gotta help my little one with his homework and do some MORE house cleaning - or my wife will have my neck for too much blogging! In the meanwhile, check out my good friends at Grandpa John's, Midnight Blue, Pat in Shreveport, Pelican Marsh, and Three Bears Later.
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