Well hello again to you all and thank you for dropping in The Clash Blog for your 1st or 101st visit, either way you’re very welcome and please come again. I’d love to be able to report that the situation in Japan had marginally improved since I last wrote but as you’re all aware conditions there seem to be getting more difficult and even more devastating than we had imagined just a day or two ago. Even at the weekend though when watching some of the many viral videos that were popping up online it was obvious that the extent of loss was going to far exceed the simultaneous information being provided by the media. Incidentally if you’re in the states and are tired of the endless pontification by CNN you can actually get access on their own website to Japanese television coverage on NHK in English if you prefer or just use this link to watch the channel. As I mentioned previously I do hope all of our many readers in Japan and their families are safe and managing to cope during this terrible time.

On a brighter note I managed to score the winning goal when playing football on Saturday which in itself is quite remarkable but what escalates this to the level of disbelief is that I actually did it with my left foot which I usually use just to stand upon, so that was good and it probably won’t get any better than that. Now today wasn’t exactly a quiet day in terms of Clash news either but the main story tonight does end over a year of speculation that I’ve had. The rumour that Big Audio Dynamite were about to reform originally started circulating about this time last year but the idea never made it into second gear due to the commitment by Mick Jones to play live with Gorillaz which for all intents took up more than half of 2010. So when news of the band reforming did eventually come through at the start of this year for live dates it wasn’t the largest shock of the year (that would be me scoring with my left foot). Although I’ve hinted at my curiosity about the potential longevity of a B.A.D. reunion I never came right out and posed the question of would they now be recording new material, I was simply happy at the prospect of them touring for what might be one last time and assumed that Mick had been bitten by the playing live bug after 2010 but this would be short-lived primarily due to the ongoing existence of Carbon Silicon. The idea of the band reuniting wasn’t that far fetched in the first place as Mick’s relationship with both Don Letts and Leo Williams had always been maintained over the years. I presumed things were going well and the commitment looked to be a little deeper when over the last few weeks a series of summer dates in Europe and Japan were announced which in turn would keep the band ‘together’ for a least a few months more. Now it seems that the band plan to actually record a brand new album – although I must stress I can only find articles that refer to an e-mail announcement from Sony music – rather than an actual press release. So while I’ve no reason to doubt the story on the other hand I can’t guarantee that it is accurate. It looks like the original source of the information  was the always enjoyable ‘Slicing Up Eyeballs’ site which constantly provides excellent news about artists who were most prominent in the 1980′s. Bookmark the site as it’s a great source to learn about re-issues, reunions and other bits and pieces. Here’s a link to the post from Slicing Up Eyeballs that was released early this morning which is quoted from beneath:

“Turns out the reunion won’t just be about looking backward: Mick Jones and Co. “have plans in the works for a new Big Audio Dynamite album,” according to a news release e-mailed late Monday by Sony Music promoting the band’s three upcoming U.S. performances. No other details of the project are known”

So I’d suggest that we keep our ears to the ground for further word on this but as a rule I do trust what comes from this particular source. The idea of B.A.D. writing about things in 2011 is definitely one that appeals to me especially when combining the enthusiasm of Don Letts with the added experiences that Mick has had since the band last were a going concern. Let’s hope it’s true and made more official over the coming days, I do have other news about B.A.D. which I’ll save for this weeks podcast which should be on Friday. Incidentally Steve Jones from The Sex Pistols has been confirmed as the master of ceremonies for the B.A.D. gig at the Roxy in Los Angeles (makes sense as he lives there), and speaking of MCs I’d be neglectful to not mention the sad passing confirmed today of Smiley Culture. He was one of the best UK reggae artists/deejays of his era and instantly reminds me of being 17 or 18 again. His recent years were blighted by a lot of difficult times it would seem so instead I suggest you listen to some of his music and read this more positive piece in The Guardian today. He was just 48.

Right, I’ve got a lot to get to tomorrow, so expect more then. Take care – Tim

Hello and welcome back to the centre of all things Clash. Thanks for dropping in although I’m not sure if I can live up to that initial pronouncement. I hope your day went well (Wednesday as I write, probably Thursday when you read this), mine was kind of like the Morrissey album Southpaw Grammar – it looked okay on the outside but the contents were similar to the feeling you get when you’ve stepped in dog waste. So the less said about today the better although I did have a revelation and determined the root cause – Mick Jones.

Perhaps I should explain, although my eyesight (still 20/20 and a great source of personal pride) serves me well at my old reasonable modest age of 43, my hearing is not faring quite so well. I guess I’ve been aware of that fact for the better part of seven years, in the office where I used to work I would always cradle the telephone to my right ear because it was easier to hear the other party that way. It seemed like common sense but it just became a habit to the point where I now never use my left ear if I’m on the phone, more recently I’ve noticed that if somebody’s sitting to my left it can be slightly more difficult to hear them, but seeing as I drive in preference to being a passenger I can always hear whoever is sitting in the passenger seat, regardless of wanting to. I don’t have a solution for that should I move back to England however.

I probably should have it tested but have reluctantly accepted the fact that it’s probably been this way for many years and chances are that it was set in motion when I was in my early teens. When I first went to concerts my priority was to be nearest the part of the stage that would be inhabited by Mick Jones or at least (if it were another band) the most likely location for the band’s guitarist. The trend became the norm and looking back I probably have headed to the front left as you face the stage 80% of the time at all concerts I’ve attended. It’s ensured that I’ve had up close views of Will Sargent, Johnny Marr, Graham Coxon and loads of others too numerous to mention but it’s also placed the left side of my head nearest in exposure to the PA stack at countless concerts over the last almost 30 years. It makes perfect sense to me now and of course I don’t regret a single thing, although I do wonder just what I was thinking when I would settle down 10 feet away from the noisiest possible place when seeing My Bloody Valentine or The Wedding Present. Within the last decade I’ve now spotted younger concertgoers downing their pint of Stella and adjusting their ear plugs before the headline act arrives on stage. I can even recall scoffing at their tenderness and wondering when everything changed although I’m sure they are capable of ambidextrous (is there a word for both ears?) telephone use. I guess I don’t mind really but I’ve just given away the game as to how I feel about you if I insist you sit on my left. As for Mick Jones, there’s no hard feelings I just wonder if a high ratio of 40/50-something female Clash fans are suffering reduced  hearing on the right side due to their insistence to be near Paul Simonon whenever possible.

Not for the first time I’ve gone completely off track but I do have three short things to attend to all of which can be related quite quickly.

One – The Clash feature in the newest edition of Rolling Stone. It’s nice to see the bands name on the cover of the formerly esteemed publication, but why there’s a photograph of some young lady named Justin on said cover is beyond me. As for the article, do what I did at the supermarket the other day, after grabbing some pears and a selection of fine cheeses make your way to the magazine aisle and save the $4.99 and read the article in-store. It’s not that good anyway, however a note to Rolling Stone – if you had put The Clash on the cover I might have purchased your magazine.

Win Butler...comparisions with Joe?

Two – The NME is still going strong and apparently the new issue features a list of the 50 best front men of all time. If you happen to be in England and want to try the same shopping trick I’ve outlined above could you please advise exactly where Joe Strummer ranks on that list? I’m hoping and assuming he’s in the top five but you never know with the modern and forgetful NME writers. Incidentally you can see those who ranked 26 through 50 on the NME website if you’re so inclined.

Three – Win Butler should be a name you know (if not, he is the vocalist of the recently Grammy grabbing Arcade Fire). I’m seeing a number of tweets, articles, comments and posts that the Californian/Texan/Canadian front man of Arcade Fire is somehow channeling the convictions, spirit and/or the appearance of Joe Strummer. Does anyone else support this concept? At the risk of being beaten down I’ll confess that I do like Arcade Fire very much but as an authenticity measure let me point out that I bought their debut album within a week of its release and saw them at a venue (Modified) a few weeks later that holds fewer people than the average Burger King. Having seen him at close quarters and of course subsequently apart from the semi-Mohican hair currently being sported I don’t find any of the connections with Joe to truly be applicable. So please tell me where I’m going wrong? A related note – I do like the bands cover version of Talking Heads ‘This must be the Place (naive melody)’ I wish that they had never tackled The Guns of Brixton. It doesn’t work for them.

Right that’s me checking out for the time being, much more to follow including a podcast and other news as it comes in. Cheers – Tim

Good morning, I’m writing this piece the night before but I can’t let February 1st past without acknowledging a very sad anniversary for anyone who followed/follows Manic Street Preachers during part or all of the band’s history that now stretches back almost 25 years. I find it hard to believe until I look in a mirror that sixteen years have passed since Richey Edwards ‘vanished’ on the morning of Feb 1, 1995 after checking out of his hotel in London early in the morning. Edwards was never found and the only clue turned up over two weeks later when his abandoned car turned up near the Severn Bridge which connects England to Wales spanning the River Severn. It was widely assumed but never categorically proven that Richey had committed suicide at some point during that month, but as the weeks turned into months the Manics themselves and the fans of the band held hopes that gradually diminished that Edwards might either return or have the mystery behind his disappearance answered.

It wasn’t anything like a Kurt Cobain or Sid Vicious moment in terms of stark finality, it lingered for so long in the press as speculation and rumours. I was and remain a fan of the band – my initial interest initially seized by press comparisons with The Clash and interviews that included the band speaking out about the world as it then was in the same manner as Joe Strummer had done years earlier. The actual manner of losing Richey Edwards didn’t allow the band or the fans to grieve or get answers, it was more like air slowly going out of a balloon. As the 90′s rolled on so did the Manic Street Preachers, at first I was shocked that they would continue but the music and lyrics stayed strong – perhaps drawn tighter together by the loss of Edwards. Richey provided a lot of the flair and art to early work by the Manics, including record sleeves and setting the tone for the look of the band. The parallels between the part he played and the one provided by Paul Simonon have some merit. His story remains unfinished, it even took until 2008 for his family to ‘officially’ consider him deceased, a sad measure of a story with no proper conclusion.

Richey Edwards was by all accounts a troubled and brilliant young chap, his influences along with his self inflicted scars were worn on his sleeve. He loved making music and literature fed his mind always, but his demons of addiction were never far from the centre of his time in the band. If you haven’t discovered Manic Street Preachers I’d suggest doing it chronologically like I’d suggest for all bands. Each of the three albums made before Edwards vanished were distinctly from one another but I feel The Holy Bible is amongst the 4 or 5 best albums of that entire decade. The Clash comparisons sit well with some people I’ve spoken with while others rebuke that entirely, I do think they have more in common with The Clash than any other act that began from ’85-’95. Post punk is a broad term, but at least it holds more clarity than ‘alternative’ and I’ve always felt that the Manics closed out the post punk era by being a very pure purveyor of the sounds and ideas. While they were extremely controversial, press coverage and headlines fade over time to little more than novelties. What stands the test of time is the music and so much of what they recorded both pre and post Richey only grows in stature rather than fades. Like Joe Strummer said – we’ve had enough of bands saying ooo baby I love you it’s time to say more (paraphrased) – and the Manics were always playing like Joe’s words were pinned on the wall of the stage or studio. I was always impressed that deciding to continue after Richey proved to be a wise decision as it looked a bit dodgy at the time, but they’ve gone on to make more excellent music than much of the competition. Sadly some of the best  songs he co-wrote were to appear on the first album after he vanished the 1996  “Everything Must Go”.

While the media and record buying masses mourned the loss of Cobain as being the pivotal moment of 90′s indie music tragedy, as a Clash fan the Manics hit the spot with me far more than Nirvana could hope to and thus 16 years after the fact the death of Richey Edwards continues to echo.

More later…Tim

Manic Street Preachers – Yes (Glastonbury ’94)