The Clash made their live debut on July 4, 1976. The future punk legends played their first gig in an unannounced spot opening for the Sex Pistols at the Black Swan in Sheffield, England. The group was comprised of members from the recently disbanded pub groups the 101ers and the London SS. They reportedly wanted to make their live debut before the Damned, made up of rival musicians. Band member Joe Strummer and his former 101ers bandmate Keith Levene had teamed up with former London SS members Mick Jones, Paul Simonon and Tony Chimes to form the new group just one month before. They rehearsed in abandoned buildings and squats and after their first show, manager Bernie Rhodes demanded that they begin rehearsing intensely. Levene left the band in 1976 and soon after they accepted a position opening for the Sex Pistols on their “Anarchy in the U.K.” tour. They became a mainstay of the growing U.K. punk scene and were offered a then-staggering $200,000 record deal by CBS in 1977.