Morning, I hear it’s raining and not too summery back in London today, you lucky bleeders. Before my Clash update I wanted to share this article about Afghanistan with you from the Times. Are there any right thinking individuals out there that think this is suddenly going to become easier? Does anyone in a position of power even own a history book? Obviously the situation is far more complex than I’m going to dig  into within this forum, but who are ‘we’ trying to make safer? Moderation might not be in vogue, but is that because it might prove that the current path is rutted with holes?

Belfast 1977

Right, on to other matters. Stiff Little Fingers were one of the better bands to emerge from the spillage that the eruptions of 1976-7 caused. The impact of The Clash on the bandwas apparent in their sound and they were never shy about marrying political themes to their great guitar buzz.  In the 1970′s Belfast was a city under siege and the daily environment was a natural catalyst for SLF. I found this great interview with Henry Cluney from the band last night, the memories of those indulgent times are pondered and it’s great to see him still performing.

An Alternative Ulster
Grab it and change it it’s yours
Get an Alternative Ulster
Ignore the bores and their laws

Looks to be 100% that Mick Jones will be appearing at the JGD event with Billy Bragg tomorrow. It kicks off at 2pm and its free.

If London had McLaren and Rhodes then Manchester had Tony Wilson, but it also had Bruce Mitchell. Mitchell saw The Clash in their early days and his call to arms was complete. It can’t be overstated that in the days before myspace, MTV and 24 hour access to information having people such as Mitchell getting your name out there and gigs booked was a crucial element in terms of the punk scene and then the indie revolution that followed. The Guardian has a great feature on Mitchell today.

Right, I’m off for now enjoy your weekend wherever you are. Good hip hop in Islamabad?

Tim

Hello from ClashBlog central, hope its going good. Here in Phoenix AZ we’re heading into the local equivalent of our inverted long winter. It’s just below 100f at midnight and might reach 115f on Sunday. I’m supposed to play football (soccer u.s.) on Sunday so if there’s no post on Monday morning call out the army.

Speaking of the Army I wanted to mention Billy Bragg (again) who is part of another Jail Guitar Doors event this Sunday in Kentish Town N London. I’m posting the info again as for some reason the official JGD site hasn’t provided up to date news. Note to any worthy project looking to promote fundraising and awareness; when you are within 48 hours of an event that showcases your mission and two of it’s figureheads, it’s a good idea to post this on your official website. I say two figureheads as by all accounts Mick Jones will be at the event this Sunday evening. Hopefully someone reading this can get along to the event and furnish me with details, I’d be grateful. Lacking info from the official (with a small o) site Bragg was in tune enough to post this on his site. If someone knows someone who owes someone a fiver at JGD tell them to email me, the Clash Blog is my hobby but we design web sites and I’d be keen to get yours current!

Ford Motors in Dagenham

I mentioned the army as Billy Bragg did spend a short time in a tank regiment after leaving school and being in a band. Bragg grew up in decidely blue collar Barking in East London where the options resided between the dole, working at Ford Motors in Dagenham or making a dash to anywhere else. Bragg has a series of Podcasts celebrating his history which I can’t recommend highly enough, this one focuses on his time after Punk and what he did next which was joining the army. I’ll keep flying the flag for Bragg as he continues to celebrate mixing music and politics, raising awareness, and to my mind embodying the spirit of The Clash.

I’ve started the legwork into getting an interview with Billy Bragg to discuss Jail Guitar Doors, The Clash and of course his career. I hope to share positive news in the months ahead.

Thanks for your support on the blog, I’ll be rounding up the blogs and newswires this weekend and completing part 3 on The Rainbow. If there’s anything you want to read more about or contribute any articles let me know.

Tim

Hello all, the world has been a lot busier than myself these last few days it must be said. Naturally I intend to always write about The Clash but at times I’m going to be distracted. The events in China yesterday need more scrutiny and for my part better understanding to post any thoughts of value, however to not be outraged by the carnage in a single day would take detachment to a new level. In addition the political minefield the U.S. is placed in with regards to Honduras‘ ousted leader is a wriggle worth watching.

Yesterday in Urumqi

Simultaneously watching the media here in the States try and give the Michael Jackson funeral/carnival/tribute ample coverage and not neglect actual news events is amusing at best. I feel like Washington Bullets should be the soundtrack to the headlines, just change a few of the lyrics and you’re all set. Afghanistan and Iran were issues back then too after all.

Alright, I’ve slid the soapbox back in the corner let’s see what we’ve got going on. First of all an enjoyable article reveals that Richard Dudanski who was in the 101′ers with Joe has  contributed to a project with Canyon Cody and GNotes. The results sound utterly fascinating and worth tracking down. Dudanski has lived in Granada for some time and this corner of Spain seems to be a vibrant collective of ideals. From the article Cody states -

There’s a lot of communal loitering in Granada, people just hanging out in the streets together playing music for free

I recommend this story from the Edinburgh Evening News that revisits the burgeoning music scene of the early 1980′s in some detail. Naturally The Clash get a reference or two and it’s important to remember how vibrant the industry was for a few years back then. Independent labels were gathering a head of steam and new bands were popping up like weeds. One of my favourite bands from that era Josef K are discussed, if you missed out please check them.

Josef K

Please note I’ve been updating the C.I.A. section of the site and need to also update the Global a go go page (thanks for your emails), 50 nations by end of month?

Cheers – Tim