Bond's Casino

In May and June of 1981 The Clash played a series of shows at Bond's Casino in New York City. In support of their album Sandinista! they planned eight shows at the Times Square venue, but soon discovered that promoters had wildly over-sold the shows' capacity. Fire marshals shutdown the third performance on Saturday night. In response, The Clash decided to honour every ticket purchased and increased their run at Bond's to 15 shows (or 16 or 17, depending on the source). Of the exhausting ordeal Joe Strummer said, "We took a stand and it nearly killed us," but the move stands as a testament to the band's integrity and love of music.

Luckily some of that series was documented, including the June 9th show which was recorded in full for radio broadcast. On the 30th anniversary of the Bond's show this month, the music still sounds every bit as vital.

For more information on the Clash's stay at Bond's check out this great resource for period articles or read what Jonathan Lethem has to say about the boys here. A couple news reports and live footage of the shows after the jump.