ABSTRACT
A fear already shared by legendary rock critic Lester Bangs when he first encountered the Clash in 1977, on British soil this time, before their first tour of the USA: "The Clash are so committed they're downright militant. Because of that, they speak to dole-queue British youth today of their immediate concerns an authority that nobody else has quite mustered. The Clash did the first US tour in 1979, famously called the Pearl Harbor Tour, with posters showing the Statue of Liberty all bundled up in rope. In New York the Clash therefore managed to connect with some of their cultural heroes, and both Paul Simonon and Joe Strummer got to meet cult-figure Andy Warhol, giving each their own point of view. Combat Rock, the Clash's most successful album was first recorded at the beginning of 1982 in West London. Combat Rock's success gave the Clash a rock star status and strengthened their position on the US market.
