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Sunday 4 October 2009

CLARKS COMMANDOS - 1980

Making one of their earliest raids into the Dundee music scene is, Clarks Commandos, seen here invading the stage and taking control of the situation. The crowd were hostile at first but the unit did eventually manage to win the hearts and minds of the locals.
In charge of Operations was Major Gary Clark. 2nd in command was Officer Ged Grimes. Assisting manoeuvres were Sergeant Derek Thomson and Corporal Brian McDermott, who saw some rear guard action.
After this successful mission, certain members from this 80's Battalion went on to become involved in further sorties such as, Operation Spencer Tracy, and their greatest triumph, Operation Danny Wilson.
One of Clarks Commandos original documents became declassified last year and made available to the public for viewing, and you will find this previously top secret item in the October 2008 archives.
Thanks to Mike Gallacher & Billy Graham
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8 comments:

  1. Craig4 October 2009 at 15:30

    As I remember it they never played in the main "punk" venues in 1980 (eg the Galleon, the Tayside Bar). Am I wrong?

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  2. Anonymous5 October 2009 at 01:03

    Clark's Commandos were also a style of Clark's (Shoes) trainers, right?

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  3. TONI SCOTT5 October 2009 at 04:06

    Maybe they were scared to play the tougher (musically critical) venues what with Jock standing with paper and pen at the ready!

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  4. innercitysound5 October 2009 at 05:14

    yes you are wrong. we were almost resident at the TSB. One year Ged built a nativity scene inside his tea chest.

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  5. Anonymous8 October 2009 at 03:03

    G.C here. The Tayside bar was practically our home. We were signed by Virgin after being reviewed in NME (as Spencer Tracy) by Bob Flynn for a gig in the Tayside bar. Our side project The Chilli peppers (long before the red hot ones), which was basically all members of Danny Wilson plus Allan McGlone on Sax, used to go into the tayside bar after busking sessions where Brian would exchange our coinage for note-age which we would then re-exchange for pint-age and Wallace's pie-age.

    ps Clarks Commandos were shoes that we wore as kids. Tv advertised, they had a compass in the sole and animal tracks on the sole.

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  6. Anonymous8 October 2009 at 03:07

    G.C again

    pps Brian McDermott also went on to hold rear guard for Del Amitri for quite heroically for a number of years.

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  7. RETRO DUNDEE8 October 2009 at 08:46

    You're right about Clarks Commandos being a range of shoes, but they are not as you described. The animal track & compass shoes were called Wayfinders. You can see them in my November 2008 Archives, or just stick Wayfinders into the Retro search box. The ad is from 1966. Commandos didn't have any memorable features in particular, but you did get a free badge with a big "C" on.

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  8. Anonymous9 October 2009 at 11:36

    I remember it was sunny one Saturday in the overgate just ootside Dixons, GC playing guitar, GG playing a tea chest (I think) someone playing the trumpet, and a wee gorgeous black singer,(saying come on be generous we are poor students) remember the guitar case brimming with cheenge..and this is sad I know but GC was wearing a blue and white striped shirt..that is my first memory of GC et.al

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