Bootleg Rodeo: The Clash’s Have A Drink On Me (2025)

Album of the Day: The Clash’s Have A Drink On Me, a dodgy two-LP import (i.e. bootleg) comprised of a live performance at Academic Community Hall in Kowloon, Hong Kong on February 25th, 1982. Released by Dear Boss in the E.U. this show has been booted at least a couple times that I’m aware of, including on CD last year as Hong Kong 1982 by the Wicker Man label. 
The CD includes five more songs, but the double-flapjack still sports 29 tracks, including all the good ‘uns like “London Calling,” “The Guns of Brixton,” “Train In Vain,” “I Fought the Law,” “Career Opportunities,” “Police and Thieves,” “Complete Control,” “Garageland,” “Clash City Rockers,” and “I’m So Bored With the U.S.A.,” all of them my faves. 

Allegedly sourced from an FM broadcast, the sound quality plays like a mediocre audience recording with hollow, cavernous echo, muted instrumentation, and plenty of the dreaded “tape warble.” The band’s performance is aces and makes me wish there was a legit release of the show (like the RSD release of the Nakano Sun Plaza concert from the same tour). Considering the shabby sonics, I can’t really recommend ‘Have A Drink On Me’ for anyone other than Clash fanatics (a club of which I’m apparently a member...).