Hello again, I’m back again and so I hope, are you. It was a perfect day today, the sort where you feel like leaning against a tree with a good book and just letting the sun warm you and the wind create the only external sounds. Alas I had to work. Then again I’m glad to have work so one can’t complain.

I hate it when I’m unintentionally late with event news on The Clash Blog but I regret it’s happened. I recall asking months ago for a secretary to help keep the blog current, where is that mystery girl (or boy if need be)? This post won’t be very lengthy as I want to be sure that those readers in and around London are aware of a rather special night tonight (Thursday December 1st) that’s about to take place. It happily coincides with the first night of the Mick Jones review and I’ll have more on that later I’m sure, but for those in the capital that need a Clash fix before the Justice Tonight tour hits town you can get your dose a week early.

Here’s the short version – an action packed Clash themed evening down at the Earl of Chatham in Woolwich SE18. The night is designed to ‘remember Joe Strummer and celebrate The Clash’ and will be headlined by punk tribute band 48 Thrills with a raft of special guests. Here’s the official blurb:

Arms Aloft in Acton Town are pleased to support a Jail Guitar Doors benefit taking place on Thursday 1st December 2011 at The Earl of Chatham, close to Woolwich Arsenal station. Quality punk tribute band, 48 Thrills will play a Clash-heavy set to mark the 35th anniversary of the start of the Anarchy Tour (the first important Clash tour); to remember Joe Strummer (close to the 9th anniversary of his passing) and celebrate the 50th birthdy of 48 Thrills frontman, Joe Williams. ‘Rude Boy’, Ray Gange will play a DJ set and former Clash road manager, Johnny Green will sign books.

Tickets are £10 from which proceeds will go to Jail Guitar Doors and can be purchased via Pay Pal by clicking the button below. In the spirit of back-to-basics punk rock you have to buy each ticket individually – apologies for the inconvenience! Please bring your e-mail confirmation to the venue where it will be swapped for a souvenir ticket.

Tickets are available online via this link but are also available on the door. More excellent news is that proceeds will be going directly to helping the Jail Guitar Doors cause. There is also a facebook event page with more information and the site from 48 Thrills as linked above.  I so wish I could go…for the music, for Ray Gange and his DJ stint and in addition to Johnny Green author Pat Gilbert will be there. It should be a blinder of an evening. If you happen to be going please share with us how it goes. Please do all you can to share this event on Facebook and via Twitter even though it’s at very short notice hopefully more will make it down. Sorry about that (my tardiness) but please tell Ray, Johnny and Ray that the Clash Blog says hello! Here’s a timetable of events for the evening:

REMEMBERING JOE STRUMMER – CELEBRATING THE CLASH

Earl of Chatham, 15 Thomas Street, London SE18 6HU

7.30pm Doors open  
7.40pm Rube Boy screening
8.45pm Book signing
9.00pm 30 minute DJ set
9.30pm 48 Thrills live
10.15pm Clash Poster Auction
10.30pm Pat Gilbert Interviews ‘Live On Stage’
10.45pm 30 minute DJ set
11.15pm 48 Thrills live
11.45pm 60 minute DJ set
12.30am Last Orders
1.00am Finish

The Earl of Chatham is at 15 Thomas Street in Woolwich SE18, nearest rail station is Woolwich Arsenal. More details on the map above. Hope some of you can get along to this one. Cheers – Tim

Hello again, I’m just about to have a bit of lunch so I thought I’d get a short update together while I’m at it. Hope the weekend went well and you’re fighting the good fight at work or school. After yesterday I didn’t fancy the loss of another icon but indeed I hear that Ken Russell has died at age 84 today – if you ever wanted to know what a punk rock filmmaker in the 60′s & 70′s looks like you’d do well to check out his career. I’d sum him up in one word – brash – in an industry that is so often dull and predictable which makes it more of a shame that he spent the last 20 years on the sidelines from notable success. Right then, some Clash related things to rifle through.

I’ll argue at length that alongside The Clash one of the most important British punk bands were Buzzcocks and even if others may have developed a bigger following I think they have inspired loads of great bands since in addition to their own brilliance. What was very unique about them was that a key member left right as the band were getting started. Howard Devoto was an integral part of their formation but departed after they only played live eleven times but not before they had completed the brilliant spiral scratch EP. Devoto didn’t vanish though as he immediately formed the very different but exceptionally good Magazine who soldiered on until 1981. Therefore if you’re one of the few who saw the original lineup of Buzzcocks you’d be one of a very rare breed of probably less than 3,000 people. Does that apply to any of you? (we may need proof). However I just read via Louder Than War that the original members are going to play two very special shows together for the first time since ’77 next year. The concerts take place May 25/26 in Manchester and London and I know that’s a long way off but if you’re interested I’d nab a ticket immediately if I were you. I should get over eh? Ticket details are via the linked page above.

Clash collections might be getting a little larger in the printed variety this week with Uncut Magazine released a 148 page special edition devoted to nothing but The Clash. I don’t have a copy yet but it will feature reprints of old interviews, some summaries, dozens of photos and a specially written introduction by Mick Jones. I’ve picked up a few of Uncut’s previous specials and they are good if you’re a collector so look out for one. If you’re in the UK they are at newsagents for £5.95 if you’re elsewhere good stores that offer import magazines should have it within a week or so. Failing that you can order a digital version online here and also be environmentally friendly or ask someone on the blog or facebook page to send you one for Christmas. You can help me get one or grab me a coffee over on the right too….

I need to get back to work, but you can keep in touch via Facebook, Twitter or get the RSS feed  thanks for reading. Tim.

Good Saturday morning Clash people all over the globe, this morning I feel like last night consisted of copious amounts of vodka, gin, rum, cider and unfiltered cigarettes however the truth is nothing happened last night and I just still have a stinking cold/flu combination which I think is about to run its course. The former sounds far more exciting however doesn’t it? Hopefully some of you have legitimate hangovers.

This time next week the Justice Tonight tour which features Mick Jones will be underway and I know from many of your comments that expectations are running high for this and rightly so. I think it’s fitting that it took a series of concerts for such a worthy cause to have Mick take this unprecedented step of playing live and featuring Clash songs rather than just a chance to line his pockets with cash. That speaks volumes about the choices that Jones makes, he could have pulled together an all star band of friends by calling in favours at any time over the last decade and gone out on a money spinning tour playing Clash songs over the last decade. He’s never taken that option because it never seemed right but the Hillsborough Justice Fund coupled with his friendship with Pete Wylie and others means next week will be something really special. I think what makes it even more enticing is that I don’t think it will happen again, I can’t see Mick calling up Paul and Topper in 2012 and proposing the ‘almost-Clash reunion’. Nor do I think they’d be interested. Anyway, I’ve rambled on at length enough probably and that’s partly cos I’m frustrated that I’m too far away to attend plus the cause is very important to me.

As for that short tour next month, thanks to those who have volunteered to cover the concerts for the blog in London, Glasgow, Manchester and Liverpool. I’ll contact you next week so we can keep current on the blog, if anyone is attending Cardiff or Sheffield and would like to contribute to the blog please let me know. As for the tour itself the special guest spots are really taking shape now and there’s some seriously good people making up the bill dependent on the the city in question.

In Cardiff Manic Street Preacher James Dean Bradfield will be the special guest whilst in Glasgow Glasvegas singer and poor man’s Joe Stummer impersonator  James Allan will be added to the lineup. In London guest stars are expected to include the excellent Bobby Gillespie of Primal Scream/The Jesus and Mary Chain plus Don Letts as DJ and in Sheffield guests include a favourite of mine Richard Hawley plus Jon McClure (good article here in The Star). Hawley will DJ in Sheffield which I think would be a great night to make it along to. By all accounts there will be more guests announced as the dates draw closer and some who will probably remain as surprises until the very last minute. Rumours that Mr. Simonon might appear in London are just that at this stage but never say never, wouldn’t that be something? If you learn of other special guests before I do just add them to the comments and I’ll spread the word. Confirmed rumour is that more Clash songs are being added to the set.

It seems that London tickets are still doing the rounds on ebay but at exorbitant prices which seems like bad form for a charity concert. If anyone has unused tickets for any of the nights let me know via the blog and we’ll try and find you a taker from the readers. That’s all from me for now, thanks for reading.

This just in – tickets for Sheffeld on Ebay for just £10.00 are currently listed. Also, keep me posted via via Facebook, Twitter or get the RSS feed  thanks for stopping by.