I was there -2 days Metal day and Rock day. Roth was so wasted. You could see the headlights of all the people leaving the show on the horizon. Judas Priest and The Scorpions really took that show to another level. I had witnessed their first USA gig in my hometown of Cleveland at the ‘1979 World Series of Rock. I was at 2 of the greatest festivals ever next to Woodstock. Rock will never die!
I like how Van Halen had a favored nation clause in their contract. When Bowie agreed to play the show for $1.5MM, VH received an extra $500K. Their lawyers/management were on top of their game.
To bad no footage exists of David Bowie's performance on the last night. I was there. The crowd had started burning their tattered blankets and battered chairs after three days of non stop partying. Several huge bonfires were roaring when he launched into "Let's Dance!" Spontaneously, masses of people started dancing around each bonfire. It was one of the most beautifully tribal experiences of my life.
US Festival Heavy Metal day was THE concert, the one I dreamed of being at back in 83, wasnt even aware of it until Circus mag started covering it . That world back then & that environment ....... extremely different than todays world in almost every way. Its almost like that was heaven & this is hell.
The part where Roth “forgets the lyrics”, that’s all an act, he did that at numerous shows during “Romeo Delight”, it’s a “part”. Pretty funny since they reportedly received $1.5MM for that show
Correct. I believe DLR wrote about it in his book. He said one time he really forgot the words and the crowd ate it up. So, he started doing it on purpose.
@@boxychubbo6922 I know. I'm old enough to remember when rock n' roll was a viable force culturally and commercially. Unfortunately, in that regard it's dead. Hip hop and flashy diva bullshit has been winning the race to the bottom for 20+ years.
I was there, at the soundboard area taking pix. Wearing my WQFM Rock On Milwaukee shirt. Went to the Van Halen aftershow party. I have never seen so much Schlitz Malt Liquor in one spot. Huge buffet. I was playing a video game. Tapped on the shoulder. "hi, I,m Edward" He asked me if I was having a good time. I asked him where Valerie was. She went home already. That was a great time for an eighteen year old.
I was there at the US FESTIVAL...... serving in the Marines in the early 80s. Southern Cal was the place to be for concerts back then. And yes the MIGHTY VAN HALEN was a force of nature!!!! RIP EDWARD
I waZ there their for the Saturday and Sunday performances. What I have not seen in the comment section is that "MEN AT WORK" played from Australia, or Russia/USSR(forget which country) via satellite on the jumbo-tron(big screen above the stage) that is how Woz(co-founder of Apple/Mac Computers) wanted to showcase technology for that time period. During the CLASH performance on the screen or backdrop they were showing pictures of USA's Direct and INdirect intervention, involvement in Vietnam, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Chile and Guatemala. If you ask how was the USA involved in those countries, there's their's a federal agency that has dedicated itself and is funded for these purposes. Also on Saturday morning LOS LOBOS were playing in one of the beer gardens, for me that was an UNexpected pleasurable surprise. Before the SCORPIONS took the stage some military jets flew over the crowd very low... not sure why? REgarding BOWIE, he had just released "LETS DANCE" album and Stevie Ray Vaughn played on 2 songs... And supposedly BOWIE had asked him to tour as his guitar player on this tour, to which SRV said only if Double Trouble(SRV's band) could be an opening act on few of the shows, to which BOWIE said no. So SRV and Double Trouble toured on there their own promoting there their first album "Couldn't Stand the Weather"(SRV knew about climate change??), and the rest is history, as the saying goes. Also for this historical musical event it was the LAST time that "WALL of VOODOO" performed live also. And the following weekend(first weekend of June) was Country Western. As Me and my friend were leaving after the first day back to our camp site, mind you its now Sunday morning about 1am, and the Heavy Metal fans are already lined up to enter when the gates open at 8/9AM. And boy did those Heavy Metal fans rip into the "NEW WAVE" fans with there their homophobic insults. In the campsite/parking lot I saw license plates from NY, Massachusetts, Florida, and even Canada. Also there their were a few marines that attended because 29 Palms is nearby, a Marine base.... it's all just tid bits of useless information... EYE agree VH definitely entertained.
Semper Fi Brother 🇺🇸 I was in 79-83, I was also at this concert, all three days, it was about one month before I EAS, my friends told me I had a great time ! ✌️🤪
When people bring up the US Festival, Van Halen is for the most part the only thing people remember. Dave and his drunk antics play a large part in that. He knew how to work the machine;)
@@RobertFithen That's not true. I spent a number of years interacting with Clash fans, the kind of devotees that have every bootleg recording in existence. Their performance at the US Festival always comes highly recommended from that crowd. In part it's because it was a soundboard recording, but that's not the only reason. It was Mick Jones's last show because Strummer and Simonon were fed up with his diva attitude. They were obviously all pissed off for various reasons. For a punk band like them it greatly worked to their advantage.
People don't realize how instrumental Berlin were in the formation of so many different types of music, one being electro, they were pioneers, and a genuinely good band, with fresh ideas, I sometimes don't think they get enough credit, so that's cool you gave them a shout out.
@@brianmcmanus4690 You just don't know WTF your talking about, you no music knowing. Wham! lovin troll, go listen to your Seals & Croft and let the adults who know what their talking about discuss musical history and the evolution of it, you obviously dont know it from a hole in the ground, cockroach
Great show! I've been looking for footage of both years and really liked it! Time in a bottle for sure. So many great performances. Love the Clash & VH
I'm blessed to have been there. Loads of fun. The first day we did a lot of acid so it was really wierd. I enjoyed Oingo Boingo. I remember freaking out on the dude from Men at Works strange eyes. The Clash did seem agro but the sounded good. Heavy Metal day was hot as hell. These cute girls were trying to hook up we my friend and I but I was too much of a nerd and too high to seal the deal. What a dork I was! Anyway, Judas Priest blew my mind. Scorpions were awesome. Triumph was really good. Motley Crue sounded really off. Ozzy was okay. Quiet Riot was good and Van Halen was a Hot Mess!!! U2 was great on the last on the last day and Bono climbed hung up a big Irish flag and did Sunday Bloody Sunday. Terri Nunn was a wet dream, especially for a 14 year old boy. Yeah... US 83 was pretty killer. Thanks Woz! 😎
I saw VH 1984 & Fair Warning tours. Saw ol’ David Lee with his band on his Skyscraper tour also (Steve Vai and other hotshots in the band). Gunslingers all. Say what you want about David, he knows how to put on a great show. I was there.
Roth is a big MC, party animal for a good times, party band. It’s Eddie’s showcase and David is just pumping it up out front and out very loud! He can get away with some of his antics because it’s a party band. All in the name of fun and badass music. That’s VAN HALEN in a nutshell.
Most people go to Van Halen to listen to high energy, masterfully crafted songs by exceptionally gifted musicians and see a show. You can see they absolutely loved performing music. The Clash, or Joe Strummer had a different outlook and audience. I agree with the problems Joe pointed out but he’s all over the place and that angst is not sustainable.
So many flawed geniuses were flaming out or starting to on that stage. Thank gawd VH still had enough life to push out one more legendary musical statement. I was old enough to be watching and waiting to see their "world premier video" drop and months of Friday Night Video Fights with friends, because the rest of my life really sucked in those years. Rush and VH more or less got me through it. All other age-defying music from then was either from the UK, and I didn't groove to most of it till the '90s (Police, Clash, Specials, Gabriel; going into Stone Roses, Shoe Gaze, etc.,) or it was over-cooked adults contemplating suicide but not even realizing it. Skinny-ass pansies trying to look tough and sell the notion that smoking cigs was some type of real rebellion. Imagine "rebelling" via themes nobody objected to and everyone's parents were still doing! The only (sort of) major act I can think of from the US at the time between DaVeH and Jane's/Soundgarden/Mother Love Bone that doesn't make me embarrassed for owning it was Bob Mould/Sugar.
Only problem with VH concert back in The Day was Dave was often to Drunk to put on any type of performance. When I saw 1984 Tour? He was passed out the whole show. It was basically a instrumental show. Tons of solos. Ha
They have a song called; “Im so bored with the USA” on their FIRST album. It’s pretty clear what you are going to get. Punk USED to be a movement of poor kids making their own scene. Bands like Green Day are not punk. No band that has a top 40 hit is punk anymore. They were out of place and also done by that point. Not a good fit for US fest clearly.
@@ToneTraveler When you drive by the local elementary school and the kids out front are walking around wearing Green Day shirts, you know they're mainstream, not punk.
No band can beat the attitude and swagger of Van Halen. I saw the '84 tour in Vegas, Dave said the only people that put ice tea in whiskey bottles is Quiet Riot.
I remember seeing VH in, I think 84, and it was the second night of a 2 night stint, and my buddy that was with me had been there the previous night, and said that the "stage act" was identical. While VH's stage act may not have been formally scripted, it was just that, an act. That's not a put-down, it's actually quite professional, but most bands are not nearly as spontaneously crazy as they'd like us to believe.
Saw VH in 1979 and there was nothing better than their first tour. As time went on DLR started talking too much in the middle of songs but the band still rocked. I loved the Clash too, not sure why he dissed them, they were the real deal. Nothing close to VH music but their lyrics were a lot more meaningful.
Wow! Great work assembling all this footage. I was at the first day. Hot and dusty. You could cut the smog with a knife: it was in a valley and there was an orange cloud sitting over the top of everything. I was way way at the back so it's great to see the closeup video. I had come for the Clash. They made us wait so long badmouthed the laser light show and the optimism, but in the age of Reagan, a cheerful Clash would have been a letdown ;-)
@@thebasedgodmax1163 nobody wants to go to a concert to get lectured how bad they are. That's exactly what he did. Who the hell did he think he was? What a tool.
I attended both US Festivals during high school. My high school coach got a few of us on the Cross Country team to work concessions through his college friend. It was one of the biggest highlights for me as a teenager to see all those bands while walking through the crowd selling soft drinks. So, as for the Clash and Van Halen... remember both shoes vividly. in middle school, Van Halen was my band, but by the time I got into high school I had all that teenage angst and The Clash had become my band. Joe was angry and got the whole crowd going... A giant mosh pit!!! Insane! As for Van Halen, from the get go David was smashed. Even before he came on stage, there was video footage of someone going back stage and opening a door and there is David apparently getting it on with a girl. Of course, the crowd is loving it, but when he came out on stage and is just started slurring and not remembering lines was disappointing. Yet, I did have a good time! So, I gotta go with The Clash because overall they were tight. Van Halen was entertaining, but sloppy.
... Yeah but...in the grand scheme of things. Van Halen sold way more records and inspired and entertained alot more people than The Clash ever did. And I really like When Ivan Meets G.I Joe..
I actually dig both bands.... but this was VH basically at their peak VS the Clash at their low point, with a drummer who had 4 gigs experience st this point plus all the tension. The Clash in 79 through 81 were every bit as good at what they did as VH was at what they did. They were the literal Apple VS Orange argument. Both bands were revolutionary , nuff said.
Slight correction- i think the replacement drummer was Terry Chimes, who was actually the Clash’s original drummer before Topper. He was on their first album.
@@LetsGoMetsGo33 Chimes was out before the final 6 (??) Show tour that was to prep new drummer Pete(?) Howard for US Festival. Howard then continued on in clash MK 2.
The last of the good concerts by The Clash. Everything after Combat Rock was just sad. Mick went on to start up General Public with Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger from The English Beat and then left right after their first album "All The Rage" and formed Big Audio Dynamite. Mick wanted The Clash to lean more towards funk and reggae and Joe wanted to go another direction, so Mick left.
@@WS102 what Rhodes did when taking over Cut the Crap has been debated to death so won't go into that but live recordings of the post-Jones lineup sound great. The new songs sound great on stage, too. Raw and aggressive, which is indeed where Joe wanted to go.
@@michaelshultz1590 Mick was right. Cut the Crap was almost universally laughed at in 1985 and Joe broke up the band (due to them sucking) in 1986. Mick forgave him and allowed Joe to help co-write most of the songs on Big Audio Dynamite's No. 10 Upping Street album. The Clash would have had continued success, but Joe blew it.
The Clash is my favorite band of all time. I did not know this happened. I saw Joe play at the 9:30 Club in Washington DC tight after 9/11. Awesome show. Cheers 🍻
I was at US I and II They were great parties. The video sound taken straight off the mixing board sounds better then the live concert P.A. system🎼🎵🎶🎙🎹🎻🎸 You didn't mention the pre-concert news conference where the Clash said they would donate all their money yet gave away nothing The group of friends I went with to US II ran out of food and money. We had several cases of beer and had to trade beer and weed for food. Still it was a great Festival
I was at 82 and 83. I hitch hiked from Santa Barbara in 83, took three hitches to get there and the last ride dropped me off at the gate next to the helipad. I used an MTV pass from 82 to get in with no issue. I had $20 and a backpack full of camera gear and lots of film. Crue did in fact suck, Priest impressed, and Bowie was OK. I seem to remember a camera crew looking for DLR before they took stage and finding him in a closet getting a BJ, projected on the big screen. If anyone remembers that, I would appreciate the confirmation. Things are fuzzy after 40 years. I still have hundreds of images in my archive. Someday, I'll print them and show them to my grandkids.
I was there for the first night in 83. Stray Cats stole the show. I was in the Navy and had duty aboard my ship in Long Beach on the second day but a shipmate who was there on day two told me about the " Cash drink tea out of Jack Daniels bottle" comment by Roth. I remember Ray Bradbury gave a short talk in one of the " tech tents". I spent most of the early performances in the " beer garden" which was really far away from the main stage, but they had interesting accoustic bands performing there including a Japanese drum group which was terrific. Plus there was beer! I made it to the front of the stage for the Stray Cats. Men at Work was a snooze. Clash was fun because I was drunk and there was a mosh pit.
The one thing you didn't mention was the hour plus The Clash made us wait before they even started there set. Super fun weekend, I have so many crazy memories. Thanks for the cool flashback!
I waZ there their for the Saturday and Sunday performances. What I have not seen in the comment section is that "MEN AT WORK" played from Australia, or Russia/USSR(forget which country) via satellite on the jumbo-tron(big screen above the stage) that is how Woz(co-founder of Apple/Mac Computers) wanted to showcase technology for that time period. During the CLASH performance on the screen or backdrop they were showing pictures of USA's Direct and INdirect intervention, involvement in Vietnam, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Chile and Guatemala. If you ask how was the USA involved in those countries, there's their's a federal agency that has dedicated itself and is funded for these purposes. Also on Saturday morning LOS LOBOS were playing in one of the beer gardens, for me that was an UNexpected pleasurable surprise. Before the SCORPIONS took the stage some military jets flew over the crowd very low... not sure why? REgarding BOWIE, he had just released "LETS DANCE" album and Stevie Ray Vaughn played on 2 songs... And supposedly BOWIE had asked him to tour as his guitar player on this tour, to which SRV said only if Double Trouble(SRV's band) could be an opening act on few of the shows, to which BOWIE said no. So SRV and Double Trouble toured on there their own promoting there their first album "Couldn't Stand the Weather"(SRV knew about climate change??), and the rest is history, as the saying goes. Also for this historical musical event it was the LAST time that "WALL of VOODOO" performed live also. And the following weekend(first weekend of June) was Country Western. As Me and my friend were leaving after the first day back to our camp site, mind you its now Sunday morning about 1am, and the Heavy Metal fans are already lined up to enter when the gates open at 8/9AM. And boy did those Heavy Metal fans rip into the "NEW WAVE" fans with there their homophobic insults. In the campsite/parking lot I saw license plates from NY, Massachusetts, Florida, and even Canada. Also there their were a few marines that attended because 29 Palms is nearby, a Marine base.... it's all just tid bits of useless information.
Me and my bros were all front row for The Clash at this gig. Three weeks after our high school graduation. We all got split up throughout the (very long) day. Hardcore OC punks all of us, we all found eachother upfront when The Clash (FINALLY!!) took the stage. We never knew it would be their last concert. The English Beat were also there earlier in the day (almost stole the show from The Clash...) Saxa refused to leave the stage until Dave came and took him off. Even though no one there wanted them to stop playing..😎 The chick from the Divynals literally scratched her arms right in front of us until she bled😲😬, and Wall of Voodo blew our minds with a Johnny Cash cover of Ring of Fire.... Oh yea. my friend OD'd and we had to leave him in the first aid tent, but then he recovered and he was up front by the time The Clash took the stage too.... For the record we LOVED The Clash. Always have and always will. And to be clear: The Ice Age IS coming. And the sun IS zooming in. A meltdown IS expected. And as of today's date (5/7/2022) the wheat IS growing thin "all over Kiev, and down to the sea.." Engines HAVE stopped running, but don't have no fear.... Kosmo Vinyl was the announcer who made the final statement at that now famous last gig: "The Clash have left the building..." If only we knew then that that would be the last time.....✌
With you my man,... All that stuff Joe was saying is SO TRUE,...been feeling a bit jaded lately, commenting on this and that,... Seeing this today reminded me that Strummer was such a great mentor to me and so many, (if they weren't just fighting for a good place under the lighting).
Ah,. I thought that voice sounded familiar! It was Kosmo!! AND, also, no wonder Joe took the pulpit somewhat- he knew it was their last show. Joe knows,. Joe always knows. I'm 58 ,still listen to CLASH EVERY SINGLE week,.. also really enjoyed parts of Earthquake Weather (Lepeordskin Limousines- just love that classical guitar)
I started watching as a skeptic, but you put together a great video. Thank you. 83 I was in 9th grade, probably still had skid marks in my Calvin Klein underwear, thought I knew it all. But o know one thing for certain: music was dominant force in my life and the US Festival was a big deal. Thanks again
I was there in 1983, I was a junior in High School - I just got my drivers license and I had a VW Bug. I could never get very close to the stage but it was a blast.... good memories - I didn't know much at that time - we couldn't hear the comments very clear. The music was clear enough... it was a great time. I still have the tees.
@@ohBwGuy Keith has clearly never listened to any women and children first or Fair Warning. Those albums have some of the hardest and most authentic rock and roll ever recorded
I was there. I was 20 years old with my little brother who was 18, and my sister who was 30 at the time and she was only 4 foot 7 inches tall. We were there for only about half an hour making our way through the crowd and there were so many people there that up closer to the stage everybody was squished up against each other. I, my sister, and my brother were all holding hands so as to not become separated. But, my little brother got bumped by somebody and let go of my sister's hand just for a moment and we did not see him again for three days. We looked and looked but we assumed he was ok, just lost. We assumed we would eventually find him but not right away, so we decided to just try to enjoy the show. She sat on my shoulders most of the time so that she could see over the taller people's heads. During the day it was hot so I just wore a very thin punk rock plastic jacket that was in style at the time and short shorts and sneakers. And she only had on a spaghetti string bikini and high heels which was fine during the day but at night the temperature dropped to about 55 degrees and it was cold so I let my sister wear my thing plastic punk rock jacket at night so I did not have a shirt. There were about one hundred porta-potties on one side of the field but if you had to go, you had to stand in line and there were hundreds of people lined up at each porta-potty. Many people could not wait so they went where they were standing in line. It stunk really bad like a sewer, and right next to the porta-potties was where they sold hot dogs, hamburgers, and cokes. Finally, on the third day, an announcement was made for us to meet our brother behind the stage. We were relieved. We then went backstage and got to see the members of Fleet Wood Mac and my brother was just sitting there talking with Stevie Nicks the lead singer of Fleet Wood Mac who he idolized.
My 2 all time favs are Vh and The Clash, both opposites Raw rage angst vs Technical metal party power you need both 🤘 to fuel the Fn 80s R&R train...greatest music of all time.
I am a huge Clash fan, but in 1983 they were just a shell of their former glory. Until 81 they were one of the best bands on the planet but after that it was just downhill. They developed an identity crisis. On one hand Strummer wanted to be in a peoples band that is accessible on the other hand they fill huge venues. You cant have both. The youth was also shifting away from Punk (if the Clash were ever really a punk band is up to you). They just wanna have a good time and not just hear music that is about the bleak reality. Basically the same story that happened in the transition from the 60s to the 70s when the hippie movement collapsed and the people favored glam rock like bowie and t rex over other bands.
The reason David Lee Roth said that about Quiet Riot is because Kevin Dubrow would actually put tea in the whiskey bottle and act like it was whiskey and then later it's told that it was tea because I guess someone accused him of being a bad influence on the youth. I saw Van Halen many times back then starting on the fair warning tour and caught Quiet Riot on their Mental Health tour.
Van Halen were from Pasadena and Quiet Riot was from Burbank, just 14 miles away from one another. They were rivals in the 70's and VH blew them away ... tho Rhoads went on to be the second greatest, of course.
The particular lineup of the Clash for this gig was in fact the last show, but The Clash continued on well into late '85 so....at little inaccurate account on your part, but thanks for posting the video. As far as Strummer's rants during their set, I think he hit some proverbial nails on the head where the organizers and sponsors perhaps didn't want to hear or admit to in regards as to the motivation and intents of the festival itself. David Lee Roth got press for saying that Joe and the Clash "Can't take life so goddamn seriously, honey...", and while I do like Van Halen and understand his statement from the other side of the scenario, I equally understand Strummer's point of view from their own appearance at the gig. It's a double-edged sword and as much as artists and musicians feel manipulated, jaded or used by the very industry that they bought into, at a certain point, one side of the faction feels frustration, while the other side basks in the adulation. Both groups were polar opposites in this respect and ultimately, I feel that the Clash shouldn't have been there in the first place. Their manager used that as a ruse of manipulation and seeking press from the other end giving an impression that the group were these modern day mercenaries of integrity and preservation of the punk aesthetic, when in fact, the said manager was really seeking exploitation at his client's expense to line his own pockets and not theirs.
i was there and they VH made us wait 2 1/2 hours after Scorpions set before they came out.Scorps played from 6-8 VH came out at 10:30-meanwhile the buses going back to our communities left at 11 pm so we only got to see them for 1/2 hour and they were all totally drunk-what a let down.
Went to that concert and the mighty VH was amazing! Scorpions also brought the house down as did every band on Heavy Metal day. Thought Missing Persons did a kick ass show along with the Divinyls and U2 on the other days. Bowie was boring. Sat down in his directors chair and sang.
Lucky me, I was there both years! Best concert memories ever. I did miss Country day in 1983 by staying in the camping area to recover. The Clash made us wait, and they were pricks, but they were good.
David always used the line, "I forgot the fucking words" in the same song just about every show. David was drunk but Van Halen put The Clash to shame. They were on their home turf and awesome as usual.
Look, man, I like The Clash too. VH was on home turf. The Clash were pissed because VH got paid more. I don't understand what the pissfest was all about. Did you attend the show?
Really enjoyed your take on all of this nonsense. Important to note that this was actually the second US Festival. The first one being held less than one year earlier on an even hotter weekend, Labor Day weekend, 1982. It was 110°F on that Friday 9/3 in San Bernardino. Great lineup of talent that weekend, too, including Talking Heads, The Police, Fleetwood Mac. The Dead actually played that festival, as well.
It was 115 one day. They brought out fire hoses to spray the crowd. The ground was springy due to the landfill. And the "scent" of the landfill..........yeesh. Still was an unforgettable 3 days.
I was there only on Heavy Metal Day. Many including me left early in Van Halen. It was freezing that night in the desert. David was just too drunk. And they were very late. Had to be at least 90 minutes after The Scorpions left the stage along with some stupid computer presentation from Apple stuffed in between no one cared about. Disagree with you on Triumph although they are definitely prog rock. They were tight and incredible. The Scorpions were definitely. Way tighter than Van Halen. Smart enough not to be plastered.
People seem to be misunderstanding my take on Triumph so I most likely misrepresented myself. I just thought they looked out of place on metal day with all the flying v's and leather.
@@mikeblaz Van Halen was so disappointing that night. Waiting an hour for the stupid UFO pissed me off. I left early next morning and witnessed a guy hit someone with a crowbar he later died. I gave him water he poured it on his bloody head and I realized he was in real bad shape. The media blamed it on Roth for saying F the police and inciting a riot
@@thereisatimeforwar7223 That sucks. I'm 52 and witness VH breaking out in the late 70s and really like their tunes (radio/cassette). But every time seeing them live I was turned off, mostly Roth but Eddie and Alex were no saints. My conclusion, Michael Anthony was the only cool one in the band.
So Steve Wozniak wanted to showcase tech with music... and there is no official concert video. A few bootlegs of a few artists. Does anybody find this ironic?
I was there -2 days
Metal day and Rock day.
Roth was so wasted.
You could see the headlights of all the people leaving the show on the horizon. Judas Priest and The Scorpions really took that show to another level. I had witnessed their first USA gig in my hometown of Cleveland at the ‘1979 World Series of Rock. I was at 2 of the greatest festivals ever next to Woodstock. Rock will never die!
I like how Van Halen had a favored nation clause in their contract. When Bowie agreed to play the show for $1.5MM, VH received an extra $500K. Their lawyers/management were on top of their game.
To bad no footage exists of David Bowie's performance on the last night. I was there. The crowd had started burning their tattered blankets and battered chairs after three days of non stop partying. Several huge bonfires were roaring when he launched into "Let's Dance!" Spontaneously, masses of people started dancing around each bonfire. It was one of the most beautifully tribal experiences of my life.
US Festival Heavy Metal day was THE concert, the one I dreamed of being at back in 83, wasnt even aware of it until Circus mag started covering it . That world back then & that environment ....... extremely different than todays world in almost every way. Its almost like that was heaven & this is hell.
Bono Can't sing. a big "L" ooser
Lol speak for yourself
Almost?! Most definitely the case! Music isn't even music anymore.
I used to work for Circus. But not till a couple yrs after this show. I did shoot this for Music mag out of Florida.
@@lockandloadlikehell Im pretty sure he was
The part where Roth “forgets the lyrics”, that’s all an act, he did that at numerous shows during “Romeo Delight”, it’s a “part”. Pretty funny since they reportedly received $1.5MM for that show
ahhh.. the dayys before the interrnet, when every show was brilliant n spontanious
He was still doing it on the last two tours.
Correct. I believe DLR wrote about it in his book. He said one time he really forgot the words and the crowd ate it up. So, he started doing it on purpose.
@@boxychubbo6922 Yeah, but stage spontaneity isn't always an act, and when it appears so it's far lamer than if the band just played it straight.
@@boxychubbo6922 I know. I'm old enough to remember when rock n' roll was a viable force culturally and commercially. Unfortunately, in that regard it's dead. Hip hop and flashy diva bullshit has been winning the race to the bottom for 20+ years.
I was there, at the soundboard area taking pix. Wearing my WQFM Rock On Milwaukee shirt. Went to the Van Halen aftershow party. I have never seen so much Schlitz Malt Liquor in one spot. Huge buffet. I was playing a video game. Tapped on the shoulder. "hi, I,m Edward" He asked me if I was having a good time. I asked him where Valerie was. She went home already. That was a great time for an eighteen year old.
I was there at the US FESTIVAL...... serving in the Marines in the early 80s. Southern Cal was the place to be for concerts back then. And yes the MIGHTY VAN HALEN was a force of nature!!!! RIP EDWARD
I waZ there their for the Saturday and Sunday performances. What I have not seen in the comment section is that "MEN AT WORK" played from Australia, or Russia/USSR(forget which country) via satellite on the jumbo-tron(big screen above the stage) that is how Woz(co-founder of Apple/Mac Computers) wanted to showcase technology for that time period. During the CLASH performance on the screen or backdrop they were showing pictures of USA's Direct and INdirect intervention, involvement in Vietnam, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Chile and Guatemala. If you ask how was the USA involved in those countries, there's their's a federal agency that has dedicated itself and is funded for these purposes. Also on Saturday morning LOS LOBOS were playing in one of the beer gardens, for me that was an UNexpected pleasurable surprise. Before the SCORPIONS took the stage some military jets flew over the crowd very low... not sure why? REgarding BOWIE, he had just released "LETS DANCE" album and Stevie Ray Vaughn played on 2 songs... And supposedly BOWIE had asked him to tour as his guitar player on this tour, to which SRV said only if Double Trouble(SRV's band) could be an opening act on few of the shows, to which BOWIE said no. So SRV and Double Trouble toured on there their own promoting there their first album "Couldn't Stand the Weather"(SRV knew about climate change??), and the rest is history, as the saying goes. Also for this historical musical event it was the LAST time that "WALL of VOODOO" performed live also. And the following weekend(first weekend of June) was Country Western. As Me and my friend were leaving after the first day back to our camp site, mind you its now Sunday morning about 1am, and the Heavy Metal fans are already lined up to enter when the gates open at 8/9AM. And boy did those Heavy Metal fans rip into the "NEW WAVE" fans with there their homophobic insults. In the campsite/parking lot I saw license plates from NY, Massachusetts, Florida, and even Canada. Also there their were a few marines that attended because 29 Palms is nearby, a Marine base.... it's all just tid bits of useless information... EYE agree VH definitely entertained.
Thank you for your service! It is appreciated.
Semper Fi Brother 🇺🇸 I was in 79-83, I was also at this concert, all three days, it was about one month before I EAS, my friends told me I had a great time ! ✌️🤪
Yea, I was stationed at 29 Palms at the time, but missed this show.
Where does one find a legit scene like this today on Earth?
Man that cymbal should press charges! She whooped the shit out of it
When people bring up the US Festival, Van Halen is for the most part the only thing people remember. Dave and his drunk antics play a large part in that. He knew how to work the machine;)
actually, the only legit new wave band was Wall of Voodoo
A consummate showman. I think people remember The Clash, too, but not because of a great show.
Isn't Wall of Voodoo new wave?
@@RobertFithen yes, probably the most unique band that played. No punk day 🤠?
@@RobertFithen That's not true. I spent a number of years interacting with Clash fans, the kind of devotees that have every bootleg recording in existence. Their performance at the US Festival always comes highly recommended from that crowd. In part it's because it was a soundboard recording, but that's not the only reason. It was Mick Jones's last show because Strummer and Simonon were fed up with his diva attitude. They were obviously all pissed off for various reasons. For a punk band like them it greatly worked to their advantage.
People don't realize how instrumental Berlin were in the formation of so many different types of music, one being electro, they were pioneers, and a genuinely good band, with fresh ideas, I sometimes don't think they get enough credit, so that's cool you gave them a shout out.
Berlin is still an amazing band and Teri Nunn is still touring. I've seen them 3 times over the last 20 years and every time was fantastic.
@@WS102 I wish I could see her, or them, I also loved The Big F, thought that debut disc was awesome.
Uh....no, Berlin are not pioneers of anything, sorry.
@@brianmcmanus4690 You just don't know WTF your talking about, you no music knowing. Wham! lovin troll, go listen to your Seals & Croft and let the adults who know what their talking about discuss musical history and the evolution of it, you obviously dont know it from a hole in the ground, cockroach
Great show! I've been looking for footage of both years and really liked it! Time in a bottle for sure. So many great performances. Love the Clash & VH
Thanks! Glad you liked it!!
I've always wished that the US Festival of 1983 was on DVD in its entirety! Not just 2 or 3 songs a piece, the whole event.
check tu bi. It's on there.
@@nitedreamer23 huh?
SERIOUSLY great job STEVE!
Saw The Clash in 1982 in Grand Rapids, MI. Still one of the best concerts I've ever been to.
Wow. GR is my home town & I was 18 in '82. Somehow I missed them but saw the Dead play the civic in 1980. Life changing.
Saw VH in 1983 and 1984. Great shows and wonderful memories.
I saw The Clash twice in 1982. One was opening for The Who in a big stadium. I still love them.
In Philly with The Who and Santana same year Clash got booed of stage
Same here. LA Who show and Santa Barbara show tlwith English Beat
I saw them once in 1982 or 83 in Nashville.
Yup….the Colosseum show …l was at the US fest. Both years. And the Who show. You , me , and at least a quarter million other fans.😎
Hard to beat that 82-83 VH set-list. What I would do to go back to 1980-89. Ozzy, Judas Priest, QR, Motley Crue and the Scorpions etc etc etc.
U2 played Monday at the U.S. festival and then that next Sunday at red rocks … iconic
I'm blessed to have been there. Loads of fun. The first day we did a lot of acid so it was really wierd. I enjoyed Oingo Boingo. I remember freaking out on the dude from Men at Works strange eyes. The Clash did seem agro but the sounded good. Heavy Metal day was hot as hell. These cute girls were trying to hook up we my friend and I but I was too much of a nerd and too high to seal the deal. What a dork I was! Anyway, Judas Priest blew my mind. Scorpions were awesome. Triumph was really good. Motley Crue sounded really off. Ozzy was okay. Quiet Riot was good and Van Halen was a Hot Mess!!! U2 was great on the last on the last day and Bono climbed hung up a big Irish flag and did Sunday Bloody Sunday. Terri Nunn was a wet dream, especially for a 14 year old boy. Yeah... US 83 was pretty killer. Thanks Woz! 😎
I saw VH 1984 & Fair Warning tours. Saw ol’ David Lee with his band on his Skyscraper tour also (Steve Vai and other hotshots in the band). Gunslingers all.
Say what you want about David, he knows how to put on a great show. I was there.
Even on David Lee Roth's most drunken stupor night, it's Van Halen by a Landslide. 👊
Roth is a big MC, party animal for a good times, party band. It’s Eddie’s showcase and David is just pumping it up out front and out very loud! He can get away with some of his antics because it’s a party band. All in the name of fun and badass music. That’s VAN HALEN in a nutshell.
Most people go to Van Halen to listen to high energy, masterfully crafted songs by exceptionally gifted musicians and see a show. You can see they absolutely loved performing music. The Clash, or Joe Strummer had a different outlook and audience. I agree with the problems Joe pointed out but he’s all over the place and that angst is not sustainable.
So many flawed geniuses were flaming out or starting to on that stage. Thank gawd VH still had enough life to push out one more legendary musical statement. I was old enough to be watching and waiting to see their "world premier video" drop and months of Friday Night Video Fights with friends, because the rest of my life really sucked in those years. Rush and VH more or less got me through it. All other age-defying music from then was either from the UK, and I didn't groove to most of it till the '90s (Police, Clash, Specials, Gabriel; going into Stone Roses, Shoe Gaze, etc.,) or it was over-cooked adults contemplating suicide but not even realizing it. Skinny-ass pansies trying to look tough and sell the notion that smoking cigs was some type of real rebellion. Imagine "rebelling" via themes nobody objected to and everyone's parents were still doing! The only (sort of) major act I can think of from the US at the time between DaVeH and Jane's/Soundgarden/Mother Love Bone that doesn't make me embarrassed for owning it was Bob Mould/Sugar.
Sad but true, that's the problem with people who keep insisting on being human....
Only problem with VH concert back in The Day was Dave was often to Drunk to put on any type of performance. When I saw 1984 Tour? He was passed out the whole show. It was basically a instrumental show. Tons of solos. Ha
They have a song called; “Im so bored with the USA” on their FIRST album. It’s pretty clear what you are going to get. Punk USED to be a movement of poor kids making their own scene. Bands like Green Day are not punk. No band that has a top 40 hit is punk anymore. They were out of place and also done by that point. Not a good fit for US fest clearly.
@@ToneTraveler When you drive by the local elementary school and the kids out front are walking around wearing Green Day shirts, you know they're mainstream, not punk.
No band can beat the attitude and swagger of Van Halen. I saw the '84 tour in Vegas, Dave said the only people that put ice tea in whiskey bottles is Quiet Riot.
I remember seeing VH in, I think 84, and it was the second night of a 2 night stint, and my buddy that was with me had been there the previous night, and said that the "stage act" was identical. While VH's stage act may not have been formally scripted, it was just that, an act. That's not a put-down, it's actually quite professional, but most bands are not nearly as spontaneously crazy as they'd like us to believe.
Am I remembering correctly that at some point Michael Anthony revealed his JD bottle schtick had been iced tea all along?
This is true…I have a bootleg album of VH’s 84 tour show at MSG in NY. He says that same quote about Quiet Riot
Saw VH in 1979 and there was nothing better than their first tour. As time went on DLR started talking too much in the middle of songs but the band still rocked. I loved the Clash too, not sure why he dissed them, they were the real deal. Nothing close to VH music but their lyrics were a lot more meaningful.
At least we got another great guitarist from quiet riot. Randy Rhoades. EVH is favorite but RR is definitely my 2nd fav
Wow! Great work assembling all this footage. I was at the first day. Hot and dusty. You could cut the smog with a knife: it was in a valley and there was an orange cloud sitting over the top of everything. I was way way at the back so it's great to see the closeup video. I had come for the Clash. They made us wait so long badmouthed the laser light show and the optimism, but in the age of Reagan, a cheerful Clash would have been a letdown ;-)
Thanks for the info! Legendary!
Diamond Dave is the greatest frontman who ever lived! He's a fucking LEGEND!!
Great upload.. Much needed right now! Thanks from London, England
Thanks!!
Two of the greatest rock bands ever. Diametrically different, but amazing both.
The Clash is as much fun as a root canal.
@@MagicRoosterBluesBand They were anti-establishment, but their music is friggin’ awesome, and fun.
@@carl_anderson9315 Yea... he looks like a barrel of laughs...
@@MagicRoosterBluesBand music doesn't need to be fun unless your taste is just cock rock.
@@thebasedgodmax1163 nobody wants to go to a concert to get lectured how bad they are. That's exactly what he did. Who the hell did he think he was? What a tool.
I subscribed when you hit those high notes showcasing Triumph 🎙
1983 when people had fun and didn't get offended all the time.
I attended both US Festivals during high school. My high school coach got a few of us on the Cross Country team to work concessions through his college friend. It was one of the biggest highlights for me as a teenager to see all those bands while walking through the crowd selling soft drinks. So, as for the Clash and Van Halen... remember both shoes vividly. in middle school, Van Halen was my band, but by the time I got into high school I had all that teenage angst and The Clash had become my band. Joe was angry and got the whole crowd going... A giant mosh pit!!! Insane! As for Van Halen, from the get go David was smashed. Even before he came on stage, there was video footage of someone going back stage and opening a door and there is David apparently getting it on with a girl. Of course, the crowd is loving it, but when he came out on stage and is just started slurring and not remembering lines was disappointing. Yet, I did have a good time! So, I gotta go with The Clash because overall they were tight. Van Halen was entertaining, but sloppy.
...
Yeah but...in the grand scheme of things.
Van Halen sold way more records and inspired and entertained alot more people than The Clash ever did.
And I really like When Ivan Meets G.I
Joe..
I actually dig both bands.... but this was VH basically at their peak VS the Clash at their low point, with a drummer who had 4 gigs experience st this point plus all the tension. The Clash in 79 through 81 were every bit as good at what they did as VH was at what they did. They were the literal Apple VS Orange argument. Both bands were revolutionary , nuff said.
It's more like apples and hand grenades than apples and oranges
Perfectly stated for this gig. Saw both bands in 82’ and 84’. Both amazing gigs.X
Slight correction- i think the replacement drummer was Terry Chimes, who was actually the Clash’s original drummer before Topper. He was on their first album.
@@LetsGoMetsGo33 Chimes was out before the final 6 (??) Show tour that was to prep new drummer Pete(?) Howard for US Festival. Howard then continued on in clash MK 2.
@@andrewsteele6287 i stand corrected. I had a sort of Mandela Effect there, thought I remembered TC was on up to and including Cut the Crap.
That wasn't The Clash's last concert. That was the last concert with Mick Jones
The last of the good concerts by The Clash. Everything after Combat Rock was just sad. Mick went on to start up General Public with Dave Wakeling and Ranking Roger from The English Beat and then left right after their first album "All The Rage" and formed Big Audio Dynamite. Mick wanted The Clash to lean more towards funk and reggae and Joe wanted to go another direction, so Mick left.
@@WS102 Mick was wrong.
@@WS102 what Rhodes did when taking over Cut the Crap has been debated to death so won't go into that but live recordings of the post-Jones lineup sound great. The new songs sound great on stage, too. Raw and aggressive, which is indeed where Joe wanted to go.
Shhh....lets just forget Cut the Crap, or rather, The Crap. Not a good time.
@@michaelshultz1590 Mick was right. Cut the Crap was almost universally laughed at in 1985 and Joe broke up the band (due to them sucking) in 1986. Mick forgave him and allowed Joe to help co-write most of the songs on Big Audio Dynamite's No. 10 Upping Street album. The Clash would have had continued success, but Joe blew it.
Yo this guy is a star. He has IT. Hes a perfect host
I remember calling into work to watch the US fest which was live on Cable.
Wow....that footage of Berlin makes Madonna look like a Disney character 🤔 Lead singer still looks smoking hot today 😍😍😍😍
Dave is awesome. It's all part of the act.
I was there and I was so incredibly baked, that to this day, I STILL feel it.
The Clash is my favorite band of all time. I did not know this happened. I saw Joe play at the 9:30 Club in Washington DC tight after 9/11. Awesome show. Cheers 🍻
The only band HOPE7747, the only band.
How could Woz fail at getting the best video documentary on high deed for the era?
I added your playlist to my playlist. I thank you for the effort. I will enjoy it
U2 were brilliant live for a few years after that.
1983 was about the time I became a fan of both bands. They were very different from each other but both great bands
I was at US I and II
They were great parties.
The video sound taken straight off the mixing board sounds better then the live concert P.A. system🎼🎵🎶🎙🎹🎻🎸
You didn't mention the pre-concert news conference where the Clash said they would donate all their money yet gave away nothing
The group of friends I went with to US II ran out of food and money. We had several cases of beer and had to trade beer and weed for food.
Still it was a great Festival
I was at 82 and 83. I hitch hiked from Santa Barbara in 83, took three hitches to get there and the last ride dropped me off at the gate next to the helipad. I used an MTV pass from 82 to get in with no issue. I had $20 and a backpack full of camera gear and lots of film. Crue did in fact suck, Priest impressed, and Bowie was OK. I seem to remember a camera crew looking for DLR before they took stage and finding him in a closet getting a BJ, projected on the big screen. If anyone remembers that, I would appreciate the confirmation. Things are fuzzy after 40 years. I still have hundreds of images in my archive. Someday, I'll print them and show them to my grandkids.
RIP Joe Strummer and Eddie Van Halen.
I was there for the first night in 83. Stray Cats stole the show. I was in the Navy and had duty aboard my ship in Long Beach on the second day but a shipmate who was there on day two told me about the " Cash drink tea out of Jack Daniels bottle" comment by Roth. I remember Ray Bradbury gave a short talk in one of the " tech tents". I spent most of the early performances in the " beer garden" which was really far away from the main stage, but they had interesting accoustic bands performing there including a Japanese drum group which was terrific. Plus there was beer! I made it to the front of the stage for the Stray Cats. Men at Work was a snooze. Clash was fun because I was drunk and there was a mosh pit.
Wow! That's the first time I've heard that Ray Bradbury was there.
"You make, you buy, you die" VS "Clash put ice tea in their whiskey bottles YEEEEAAAAHBAAABYYYYY".
This was a great video. Really didn’t search but I stuck around. Very informative.
I was there, and there will never be another concert like it.
Ever. Half a million people chillin together as far as the eye could see. It had a vibe all it's own.
The one thing you didn't mention was the hour plus The Clash made us wait before they even started there set. Super fun weekend, I have so many crazy memories. Thanks for the cool flashback!
It's great hearing from people who were actually there!
I waZ there their for the Saturday and Sunday performances. What I have not seen in the comment section is that "MEN AT WORK" played from Australia, or Russia/USSR(forget which country) via satellite on the jumbo-tron(big screen above the stage) that is how Woz(co-founder of Apple/Mac Computers) wanted to showcase technology for that time period. During the CLASH performance on the screen or backdrop they were showing pictures of USA's Direct and INdirect intervention, involvement in Vietnam, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Chile and Guatemala. If you ask how was the USA involved in those countries, there's their's a federal agency that has dedicated itself and is funded for these purposes. Also on Saturday morning LOS LOBOS were playing in one of the beer gardens, for me that was an UNexpected pleasurable surprise. Before the SCORPIONS took the stage some military jets flew over the crowd very low... not sure why? REgarding BOWIE, he had just released "LETS DANCE" album and Stevie Ray Vaughn played on 2 songs... And supposedly BOWIE had asked him to tour as his guitar player on this tour, to which SRV said only if Double Trouble(SRV's band) could be an opening act on few of the shows, to which BOWIE said no. So SRV and Double Trouble toured on there their own promoting there their first album "Couldn't Stand the Weather"(SRV knew about climate change??), and the rest is history, as the saying goes. Also for this historical musical event it was the LAST time that "WALL of VOODOO" performed live also. And the following weekend(first weekend of June) was Country Western. As Me and my friend were leaving after the first day back to our camp site, mind you its now Sunday morning about 1am, and the Heavy Metal fans are already lined up to enter when the gates open at 8/9AM. And boy did those Heavy Metal fans rip into the "NEW WAVE" fans with there their homophobic insults. In the campsite/parking lot I saw license plates from NY, Massachusetts, Florida, and even Canada. Also there their were a few marines that attended because 29 Palms is nearby, a Marine base.... it's all just tid bits of useless information.
Was Bill Graham in charge of the 83 one? That would’ve been epic if he went after J Strummer
I was at rock day. We camped out the night before and heard Van Halen. MASSIVE concert, crowd and experience 🙃👍👍😎
Triumph played an awesome show that day.
Me and my bros were all front row for The Clash at this gig. Three weeks after our high school graduation. We all got split up throughout the (very long) day. Hardcore OC punks all of us, we all found eachother upfront when The Clash (FINALLY!!) took the stage. We never knew it would be their last concert. The English Beat were also there earlier in the day (almost stole the show from The Clash...) Saxa refused to leave the stage until Dave came and took him off. Even though no one there wanted them to stop playing..😎 The chick from the Divynals literally scratched her arms right in front of us until she bled😲😬, and Wall of Voodo blew our minds with a Johnny Cash cover of Ring of Fire.... Oh yea. my friend OD'd and we had to leave him in the first aid tent, but then he recovered and he was up front by the time The Clash took the stage too.... For the record we LOVED The Clash. Always have and always will. And to be clear: The Ice Age IS coming. And the sun IS zooming in. A meltdown IS expected. And as of today's date (5/7/2022) the wheat IS growing thin "all over Kiev, and down to the sea.." Engines HAVE stopped running, but don't have no fear.... Kosmo Vinyl was the announcer who made the final statement at that now famous last gig: "The Clash have left the building..." If only we knew then that that would be the last time.....✌
What did your friend OD on?
With you my man,... All that stuff Joe was saying is SO TRUE,...been feeling a bit jaded lately, commenting on this and that,... Seeing this today reminded me that Strummer was such a great mentor to me and so many, (if they weren't just fighting for a good place under the lighting).
Ah,. I thought that voice sounded familiar! It was Kosmo!! AND, also, no wonder Joe took the pulpit somewhat- he knew it was their last show. Joe knows,. Joe always knows. I'm 58 ,still listen to CLASH EVERY SINGLE week,.. also really enjoyed parts of Earthquake Weather (Lepeordskin Limousines- just love that classical guitar)
I started watching as a skeptic, but you put together a great video. Thank you.
83 I was in 9th grade, probably still had skid marks in my Calvin Klein underwear, thought I knew it all. But o know one thing for certain: music was dominant force in my life and the US Festival was a big deal.
Thanks again
I was there in 1983, I was a junior in High School - I just got my drivers license and I had a VW Bug. I could never get very close to the stage but it was a blast.... good memories - I didn't know much at that time - we couldn't hear the comments very clear. The music was clear enough... it was a great time. I still have the tees.
Went to Both US Festivals, 6 of the Best days of my life..... Scorpion's smoked VH on metal Sunday !!!
I wish there was more footage available of the Scorpions set.
The Clash focused on serious lyrical content and Van Halen focused on fun sound.
@Billy Blaze Blazejowski yeah, that was The Clash! "London Calling" is a better album than the whole Van Halen discography.
@@keithkoenig5320 that is pure ignorance. You’re comparing apples and oranges
@@keithkoenig5320 yeah dumb comment there...... let's just be thankful that was the clash's last show.... n for good reason too
@@franksaldana6570Cowardice masquerading as rationality. Fuck apples, I’ll take the oranges.
@@ohBwGuy Keith has clearly never listened to any women and children first or Fair Warning. Those albums have some of the hardest and most authentic rock and roll ever recorded
I was there. I was 20 years old with my little brother who was 18, and my sister who was 30 at the time and she was only 4 foot 7 inches tall. We were there for only about half an hour making our way through the crowd and there were so many people there that up closer to the stage everybody was squished up against each other. I, my sister, and my brother were all holding hands so as to not become separated. But, my little brother got bumped by somebody and let go of my sister's hand just for a moment and we did not see him again for three days. We looked and looked but we assumed he was ok, just lost. We assumed we would eventually find him but not right away, so we decided to just try to enjoy the show. She sat on my shoulders most of the time so that she could see over the taller people's heads.
During the day it was hot so I just wore a very thin punk rock plastic jacket that was in style at the time and short shorts and sneakers. And she only had on a spaghetti string bikini and high heels which was fine during the day but at night the temperature dropped to about 55 degrees and it was cold so I let my sister wear my thing plastic punk rock jacket at night so I did not have a shirt.
There were about one hundred porta-potties on one side of the field but if you had to go, you had to stand in line and there were hundreds of people lined up at each porta-potty. Many people could not wait so they went where they were standing in line. It stunk really bad like a sewer, and right next to the porta-potties was where they sold hot dogs, hamburgers, and cokes. Finally, on the third day, an announcement was made for us to meet our brother behind the stage. We were relieved. We then went backstage and got to see the members of Fleet Wood Mac and my brother was just sitting there talking with Stevie Nicks the lead singer of Fleet Wood Mac who he idolized.
My 2 all time favs are Vh and The Clash, both opposites Raw rage angst vs Technical metal party power you need both 🤘 to fuel the Fn 80s R&R train...greatest music of all time.
I am a huge Clash fan, but in 1983 they were just a shell of their former glory. Until 81 they were one of the best bands on the planet but after that it was just downhill. They developed an identity crisis. On one hand Strummer wanted to be in a peoples band that is accessible on the other hand they fill huge venues. You cant have both.
The youth was also shifting away from Punk (if the Clash were ever really a punk band is up to you). They just wanna have a good time and not just hear music that is about the bleak reality. Basically the same story that happened in the transition from the 60s to the 70s when the hippie movement collapsed and the people favored glam rock like bowie and t rex over other bands.
The Clash started to go sharply downhill the moment Topper Headon was fired.
I was living in San Diego and my uncle went, I was 10 years old in ‘83 and I remember it well!
I was 15 and just missed it LOL. Robert you have a great style I'm subbing
Thanks! I appreciate that.
The reason David Lee Roth said that about Quiet Riot is because Kevin Dubrow would actually put tea in the whiskey bottle and act like it was whiskey and then later it's told that it was tea because I guess someone accused him of being a bad influence on the youth. I saw Van Halen many times back then starting on the fair warning tour and caught Quiet Riot on their Mental Health tour.
lol that's great!
Van Halen were from Pasadena and Quiet Riot was from Burbank, just 14 miles away from one another. They were rivals in the 70's and VH blew them away ... tho Rhoads went on to be the second greatest, of course.
Strummer probably was the only who had anything to say (and he was right - East LA, etc), but damn, that routine gets old REALLY quick
The Clash the only band that mattered
The particular lineup of the Clash for this gig was in fact the last show, but The Clash continued on well into late '85 so....at little inaccurate account on your part, but thanks for posting the video. As far as Strummer's rants during their set, I think he hit some proverbial nails on the head where the organizers and sponsors perhaps didn't want to hear or admit to in regards as to the motivation and intents of the festival itself. David Lee Roth got press for saying that Joe and the Clash "Can't take life so goddamn seriously, honey...", and while I do like Van Halen and understand his statement from the other side of the scenario, I equally understand Strummer's point of view from their own appearance at the gig. It's a double-edged sword and as much as artists and musicians feel manipulated, jaded or used by the very industry that they bought into, at a certain point, one side of the faction feels frustration, while the other side basks in the adulation. Both groups were polar opposites in this respect and ultimately, I feel that the Clash shouldn't have been there in the first place. Their manager used that as a ruse of manipulation and seeking press from the other end giving an impression that the group were these modern day mercenaries of integrity and preservation of the punk aesthetic, when in fact, the said manager was really seeking exploitation at his client's expense to line his own pockets and not theirs.
Great video fella!!
Dave was the master of ceremonies for the immoral majority back then. My heyday. Loved everything about that drunken VH show. 🤘🤘🤘
He wasn't.
@@Lil.black.dress84 Of course he was. Idk what you were paying attention to back then.
i was there and they VH made us wait 2 1/2 hours after Scorpions set before they came out.Scorps played from 6-8 VH came out at 10:30-meanwhile the buses going back to our communities left at 11 pm so we only got to see them for 1/2 hour and they were all totally drunk-what a let down.
was there and between scorps and vh a ufo hovered over the crowd and up on 3 screens they broadcast an alien onto talking to us.
Went to that concert and the mighty VH was amazing! Scorpions also brought the house down as did every band on Heavy Metal day. Thought Missing Persons did a kick ass show along with the Divinyls and U2 on the other days. Bowie was boring. Sat down in his directors chair and sang.
Really enjoyed this...thanks
Lucky me, I was there both years! Best concert memories ever. I did miss Country day in 1983 by staying in the camping area to recover. The Clash made us wait, and they were pricks, but they were good.
It must have been incredible!
This was great! I liked your commentary. And nice music room too!
The Hank Jr impression was epic. Thanks for that, Bro.
Nice collection, man. You are a serious man.
David always used the line, "I forgot the fucking words" in the same song just about every show. David was drunk but Van Halen put The Clash to shame. They were on their home turf and awesome as usual.
Can Helen put the clash to shame?????? Pfffffffffffft: NO !!!!!!!! THEY DID NOT !!!!! FUCKING FANTASTIC SHOW THOUGH!!!!!!!!
Fuck off, the clash were much better band musically than halen.
@@ChrisCrossClash "The only people that put iced tea in a Jack Daniels bottle is The Clash Baby!!!"
@@KopperafielThat drunk talentless hack hasn’t got half the talent Joe had.
Look, man, I like The Clash too. VH was on home turf. The Clash were pissed because VH got paid more. I don't understand what the pissfest was all about. Did you attend the show?
Really enjoyed your take on all of this nonsense. Important to note that this was actually the second US Festival. The first one being held less than one year earlier on an even hotter weekend, Labor Day weekend, 1982. It was 110°F on that Friday 9/3 in San Bernardino. Great lineup of talent that weekend, too, including Talking Heads, The Police, Fleetwood Mac. The Dead actually played that festival, as well.
It was 115 one day. They brought out fire hoses to spray the crowd. The ground was springy due to the landfill. And the "scent" of the landfill..........yeesh. Still was an unforgettable 3 days.
13:10 Joe Strummer's rant is bizarre as shit, just makes me think of one of Rik Mayall's tirades, except Joe's serious.
I was there all 3 days. Sorry, I don't remember much. Almost 40 years ago!!!
I lived in LA at the time...I didn't get to go but I remember all the hype surrounding it
The infighting with the Clash made them working together a near impossibility. They certainly weren't a band of brothers at the US festival!!!
What a fun video. Great commentary, well researched, stories I'd never heard before. You did your homework. Thanks so much.
Thanks!! Glad you liked it.
So glad I grew up during these times.
these are the kind of stories I love
Wow, we drink a lot of whiskey, we must rock! 🤣
Great video man!!
I was there only on Heavy Metal Day. Many including me left early in Van Halen. It was freezing that night in the desert. David was just too drunk. And they were very late. Had to be at least 90 minutes after The Scorpions left the stage along with some stupid computer presentation from Apple stuffed in between no one cared about. Disagree with you on Triumph although they are definitely prog rock. They were tight and incredible. The Scorpions were definitely. Way tighter than Van Halen. Smart enough not to be plastered.
People seem to be misunderstanding my take on Triumph so I most likely misrepresented myself. I just thought they looked out of place on metal day with all the flying v's and leather.
Oh ya it was a UFO. It was stupid.
@@RobertFithen Triumph was the tightest band who played w/o stupid drunken dumb antics but I agree they are not metal. VH sucked IMO...
@@mikeblaz Van Halen was so disappointing that night. Waiting an hour for the stupid UFO pissed me off. I left early next morning and witnessed a guy hit someone with a crowbar he later died. I gave him water he poured it on his bloody head and I realized he was in real bad shape. The media blamed it on Roth for saying F the police and inciting a riot
@@thereisatimeforwar7223 That sucks. I'm 52 and witness VH breaking out in the late 70s and really like their tunes (radio/cassette). But every time seeing them live I was turned off, mostly Roth but Eddie and Alex were no saints. My conclusion, Michael Anthony was the only cool one in the band.
Robert...You did a great job on this! Thank you
Thanks!!
I was at the Saturday show. Great show. Clash were worth the wait.
Great clip by you. Appreciate it.
No mention of Missing Persons…..they were awesome as well 👍 Great concert from all the bootleg I’ve seen. VH rocks!🤘
Daaaaamn what an awesome music collection.
Good job sir on your video well done I enjoyed this.
I was at US in '82 and '83, but missed Country Day. Drove down from San Hoser, eh. In my VW Bus. Brought some friends, too.
Thanks Rich Hall🙂
My first concert. Heavy metal day, awesome.
So Steve Wozniak wanted to showcase tech with music... and there is no official concert video. A few bootlegs of a few artists. Does anybody find this ironic?
BROOOOOOO...TRIUMPH??? Hard enough for metal day!!!
Musically, minus Roth, VH was top notch!! 🤟
This is a great video! Thank you