Hello again and we’ll come back to another action packed dose of The Clash Blog. As if by magic it’s already Thursday evening which seems a bit early if you ask me although I am sure it won’t raise any complaints with you with the weekend on the horizon. I know tonight represents the first Big Audio Dynamite concert on these shores since I was just a young lad and tonight’s post should be about that but alas I’m 370 miles away and couldn’t justify the added expense the same week that taxes are due (or the pleasures of being self-employed). Therefore I’ll have to rely on some of who hopefully are currently drinking Stella out of a plastic mug wondering what time B.A.D. will eventually appear on the stage at The Roxy. I’ve not had enough time to properly research this week’s concerts as to whether was a support band tonight, what was confirmed with the rather disappointing news that the band wouldn’t be appearing on network TV on tonight’s Jimmy Kimmel show as had been previously announced. Would’ve been great to see some footage on the old bigger cameras. Speaking of plastic mugs – Harry Redknapp and Fernando Torres.

So ideally I’ll be back over the next few days with reports as I receive them from L.A., Coachella and then the big one in New York.

I’ve been spending a bit of time jumping in and out of a book that I wrote about last year which I ordered a copy of “A Cultural Dictionary of Punk” by Nicholas Rombes. It’s not a book you would take on over just a few sittings, its encyclopedic format lends itself to reading a page here and there, bookmarking it and then returning to other things. I’ve actually got this really annoying habit of reading multiple books at once and am currently in the middle of three which is trickier than two (you don’t say). The book takes an interesting look at the less obvious components of punk history; sometimes a particular record, a book or film, an interview or a scene. Some of this is more interesting than others although there is a recurring (it’s his area of expertise) theme of Cleveland running through the book. If you are especially partial to northern Ohio or were part of that scene in the book would have an extra appeal of course. Some of what he writes is intriguing while other elements are essentially a bit of a stretch to link into a book about punk. Where I think Rombes succeeds most frequently is posing questions that make you think while not necessarily even looking to provide a specific answer. For a book that takes on such a broad swathe I think leaving those questions unanswered is probably quite a wise approach. One great example I noted last night – try this on for size.

He asks whether punk (and for ease of definition lets go with the US version from 1975 and the UK version from 1976) was ultimately a critique of the 1970′s up to that time, or simply a byproduct of that time period?

Joe Strummer, Swindon. 1977

It’s an intriguing question because I don’t know that there is exactly one correct answer and perhaps reality is that the music, the scene, the energy and the attitude were a result of both things. I do think that the US version was more structured around boredom and breaking down scenes that were well past their sell by date but by no means was it a national phenomenon, even a few years after it commenced. It was a few cities at a time, becoming regional at best. Such distances between cities meant that scenes (such as NE Ohio) could be essentially self-sufficient. Looking back at what happened in London and elsewhere in 1976/7 I think that same boredom was at the heart of the lyrics, but much like New York it was a scene that revolved around art, fashion and something unifying for a few people which got things started. With hindsight it appears that the British bands were more political and more actively looking to critique and change things from the rather grim times that were the mid-seventies while the more political furious aspects of punk weren’t seen in the US until the advent of hardcore a few years later. With all that said I’m taking a revisionist history approach to this based on all I’ve read and seen. I was too young (born in ’67) to have any first-hand impressions that truly help answer the question posed, but I know there are a good number of you a few years senior who were ‘there when it happened’. I wonder how you answer the question if you had to? Were the events (not just the music that got recorded) simply a natural byproduct of the better part of half a decade of blandness and decline in general terms – or do you think social commentary and criticism of the way things were heading quickly became the most important piece of punk? In which case you could argue that it accomplished what it set out to do almost immediately but would then have no choice but to become symptomatic of the problem it was trying to address as early as the summer of 1977 in London as has often been written. I suppose part of how you answer might depend on whether you consider it to be a style of music or something bigger, a way of thinking, an attitude and a new approach.

I’ve long held that any band much like any individual can only truly be in the rawest state of being ‘punk’ for quite a short time – after that it is more about how your thinking changes from that point forward. Hopefully forever. The idea of DIY creativity and questioning not just what’s already happened with the current status quo isn’t limited to the summer of 1976 or the winter of 1983. Questioning authority doesn’t necessarily match up with the calling card of being 17 or wearing certain clothing – I think for some of us at least – it remains an ideal that you consider often. Perhaps not always built around destruction and chaos so much as around knowledge and accountability – questioning why things are as they are and if the potential for change has even been explored properly. I don’t see why that has to be left behind.

Hopefully that unscheduled ramble makes some sense but wondered what you thought? Answers below if you can!

Good morning and welcome back, I’m not sure where to start and don’t have much time – so armed with a strong coffee and some notes from yesterday I’ll try and link you to the best stories related to the B.A.D. tour thus far. I’ll finish compiling notes from last night’s gig in Glasgow and include that as a new post late tonight I hope so if you have any comments you’d like to include for the blog please get in touch and I’ll work them in. By all accounts it was another great gig in Scotland.

There were a series of other interesting things online over the last 24 hours or so that each deserve a mention so let’s get to that. I’m somewhat surprised that the media in the UK are making quite such an event of the reunion but that’s perhaps part of that ‘late to the party’ recognition that everything Clash related seems to attract from from quarters. Almost want to say it’s our bandwagon but welcome aboard! Anyway, first up is a brief interview conducted by BBC 6 Music’s Elizabeth Alker immediately after the Liverpool concert with Mick Jones. Definitely worth a listen and you can hear just how happy Jones is:

Next up was an interview Mick conducted with The Telegraph (!!) about the reunion but much more besides. I usually am wary about visiting the Telegraph’s website in case I get infected with a virus that makes me want to close down hospitals, break down the unions and go fox hunting but I took those risks for you my wonderful readers because, well because you are all worth it. Please take the time to visit the site for the full interview but make sure you run your spyware afterwards. Talk about dangerous websites. To be fair it’s a good interview and Mick explores some interesting thoughts about the reunion itself, working with Joe Strummer and his own personality traits.

“Everybody knew the story of the Clash, so it always had that limitation to it, and, in the end, it’s just like a beautiful memory to everybody. With BAD, we weren’t overplayed back then, so we’ve got more of a chance as a present thing. It’s about doing something that fits me as I am now. I don’t want to be chasing some illusion continually into old age. That’s not a good look. The best reunion gig I’ve seen was Mott the Hoople, because two of those guys hadn’t played at all for 35 years. One had been an antiques dealer, so they came back with fire, with meaning!”

For all those who criticised Mick for joining the global tour of Gorillaz it’s interesting to note that doing so helped convince him that a B.A.D. reunion was something he really wanted to try. Having said that that could be the same cross-section of Clash fans who aren’t pleased with a B.A.D. revival (I chose that word after it being suggested, though I dislike it). However let’s be honest, short of getting back together with General Public or Roddy Frame this was a natural thing for Mick to want to do. I think the friendship and influence of Don Letts also plays a big part and as many have already written it has been the enthusiasm of Letts that have held the gigs together.

I mustn’t ramble too much this morning so one more quick link to keep you going but lots to follow later. I really enjoyed this review of the Liverpool gig which looks at the audience as well as the show itself. My thanks to Paul Waring for allowing me to share the piece – you can follow Paul on Twitter via @BluePaul if you are a tweeter, lots of good thoughts about music and such. Speaking of Twitter…I reached 500 followers yesterday…so thanks if that’s your bag. I treat Twitter a bit like some people eat junk food…I know its not good for me so I ignore it most days and then go a bit overboard. Oh yes sorry…the link for the review.

Right then, much more later. I’ve been toying with the idea of a post that is mostly video and photos from the shows if you’d be interested? Yes you can find the bulk of it online yourself but maybe I should save you the time….let me know. Tim

Good morning once again and welcome to your tear-stained (Arsenal supporter you see) Saturday morning edition of The Clash Blog. Hoping that your weekend is off and running in good fashion, I’m left with trying to be hopeful about a team that can’t defend…I’m convinced we won’t concede goals quite as stupid again as today but I said that a few weeks ago.

Of all the moments of Clash history that I think I’ve enjoyed reading about most it might be the anecdotes about the regular sessions the band and supporting cast had playing football during the recording of London Calling that make me grin. Much has been written about that in terms of it building camaraderie and loosening any tension within the band and was apparently a near daily occurrence at the adjacent school playground in Highbury when the band were working on the album in the summer of 1979. It was a time when the band felt there backs were against the wall in terms of money, direction, management and the music press which was previously adoring had turned sour. From that came arguably the greatest record of that (or any generation). I remember getting the record as a 12 year old kid and even before listening to it in depth being thrilled at the cover photograph, the fact it was a double album the first I owned as a kid, the lyrics included (the first time for The Clash) and all the inner sleeve photographs. Something special was in my hands and I still remember telling anyone who would listen at that time in school that this was the album you had to have. Anyway, I just was thinking about that this morning and wishing I had photographs of The Clash and crew enjoying a game of 5-a-side football that summer. I don’t think any photographs exist – but if you know differently prove me wrong.

Also I noticed after the event that yesterday was the 34th anniversary of the first ever record released by The Clash as CBS 5058 was released on a pretty unconvinced British public. White Riot came out on March 18th, 1977 and began the  recorded history of the band by just breaking into the UK top 40 peaking at number 38 which of itself wasn’t a poor showing. When you look back at the sleeve of that 7″ single (pictured left) how could you possibly have walked into a record shop in Dundee or Derby and not at least have been curious enough to purchase it. Hopefully some of you reading this actually did so in those first weeks of release, I acquired my vinyl copy some years later. If you’re of similar vintage to me and want to put perspective on how long ago this was now, it was the same month when the worst airline disaster in history occurred when two 747′s collided on a runway in a fog bound airport in Tenerife. Yes, it was a long time ago. I’ve got vague memories of that (I was 9) as I remember being worried about my parents who were at the time on holiday in the Ivory Coast and I naturally thought flying was the most dangerous thing in the world. Turns out I was wrong.

As far as timeless lyrics did Joe ever capture the mood of England at the time with White Riot? He writes of not wanting to go to jail, but not wanting to take orders. Of rich and poor and the haves and have-nots. Here we are over three decades later and we are seeing riots and protests being a focal point of current unrest (and the outrageously immoral reactions) in many Arab states. A riot of our own? Let’s be having it.

all the power’s in the hands
of the people rich enough to buy it
while we walk the streets
too chicken to even try it