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A Groundbreaking NYC Hip-Hop Group Was Booed off the Stage While Opening for the Clash on This Day in 1981

For their New York City shows in 1981, The Clash booked an eclectic mix of openers that the fans didn’t always appreciate.

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The Clash were known for fully embracing the New York City hip-hop scene and the genre’s crossover with punk in the 80s. While playing a handful of concerts at Bonds International Casino through May and June 1981, The Clash had an eclectic mix of openers. Among them were Dead Kennedys, Bad Brains, The Fall, and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.

But while the U.K. punk band was receptive to American hip-hop, their fans were decidedly not. On May 28, 1981, The Clash booked Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five to open their run of shows in New York. The group was starting to make waves with their first hit single, “Freedom”. They would soon go on to become pioneering figures in hip-hop.

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