Paul Simonon raising his Fender Precision bass on stage at The Palladium in New York City , seconds before smashing it to bits , September 21 , 1979 .
©️ Pennie Smith
‘The Palladium was an all-seat venue and the Clash were used to a more raucous crowd. As the band tried to rally their fans to their feet, the bouncers pressured them back to their seats. ‘That frustrated me to the point that I destroyed this bass guitar,’ explained Paul Simonon in a 2011 interview with Fender. ‘Unfortunately you always sort of tend to destroy the things you love.’ The bass was destroyed utterly. But even on the night, the band seemed to be somehow aware of the significance of the act. ‘Strummer took one of the pieces and was about to walk off with it,’ recalled Simonon. ‘I just grabbed it back and said ‘I think that belongs to me.’ Simonon still has the remains of London Calling bass today .
