Ongoing History of New Music Daily: The end of The Clash

The Clash were one of the most influential bands in the history of alternative music, so it’s kind of surprising at how quietly they broke up and how little anyone seemed to care. 

The beginning of the end was in the fall of 1983 when Mick Jones was fired from the group.  Then in 1985, a new Clash line-up released a not-so-good album called Cut the Crap. 

Then things really started to go downhill.  Fans abandoned the group and their only gigs were busking appearances on street corners and subway stations. And instead of staying hotels, the Clash crashed at the homes of fans. 

Things were so hazy at the end that no one (even the band) seems to remember where the last Clash gig was.  The best guess is somewhere in Scandinavia in the summer of 1985.

Check out Thursday’s post on a quaint internet-and-music story. And don’t forget to check out my podcast The Ongoing History of New Music where you listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google, Stitcher, or wherever you get your on-demand audio.