Another quick update for you, you’ll have to bear with me as I am finding the energy to type with the brief return to cooler weather. Just ate the nearest thing I’ve had in years to a North London kebab from this new Greek place that has opened nearby. If it were raining and 35 degrees colder I could have squinted and pretended I was walking down to Turnpike Lane tube. His menu I must mention, he was Greek but decided anywhere that bordered the Mediterranean was fair game, Greek food rubbed shoulders with Italian, Turkish, Middle Eastern and Moroccan.  Couldn’t help but think of Joe singing Bhindhi Bhagee as I scanned the menu, welcome stranger to the humble neighbourhood indeed.

Regular readers will remember a lot of the work last year and this Spring that centred around the Jail Guitar Doors project. One of the many special moments was the rare reunion of Mick with Topper Headon as they partnered with Billy Bragg to record a new version of the song that christened the project, the original post was nearly a year ago which is hard to believe.  Since that time the Alan Miles film that chronicled the project has helped raise awareness along with the continued efforts of Bragg plus Wayne Kramer who launched JGD USA.  Following a year spent touring and being an activist for electoral reform in the UK plus his protests against RBS bonuses Billy Bragg is back to help Alan Miles with a Scottish leg of the project. To date only one prison in Scotland has allowed Jail Guitar Doors to donate guitars to inmates but the hope is that may well change soon. Bragg and Miles were in Edinburgh for the Scottish launch of the film Breaking Rocks this week at the Cameo Cinema in the city. After the film Bragg plus two former inmates performed tracks from the cinema stage. I’d like to link you to Reel Scotland.com who have a nice feature on the event in addition to exclusive audio interviews with both Billy Bragg and Alan Miles. Nice work by all!

Meanwhile in the USA you really should follow Wayne Kramer on facebook, lots of information always added plus photographs etc and former MC5 star is a really humble bloke too. Speaking of prison I watched Shawshank Redemption again recently for I don’t know the 30th time, I keep waiting for that film to seem anything less than brilliant and I don’t think it ever will. Just a brilliant film. Lastly….Gorillaz….(sorry) but it seems .5C/G are taking the piss a bit announcing just one date of the US tour in New York’s Madison Square Garden on October 8th. Are they going to announce one venue per day for the next two weeks? Feed Good (inc) not really just a bit of an needless extended wait to find out how far we’re all going to need to drive/fly.

OK I think I’ll wrap it up there and go back to thinking of Greek food and North London.

Hello again…thanks for dropping by and as promised a new post to go hand in hand with a new day. I was working today and quietly having a very normal quiet morning with a cup of coffee when I turned on the BBC (online of course – I don’t have the world service aerial rigged up these days) when the news from Cumbria started being broadcast. So much for a peaceful morning and I’ll not even try and understand that sort of carnage which thankfully is a very rare event in the UK, but with Dunblane and Hungerford still in the memory that’s often enough for me. I hope that the communities impacted pull together after such a dark dark day – not much more to add. The Cumbrian coast and Lakes are amongst the nicest parts of England, which only adds to this surreal event shrouding those towns.

Fortunately a bit further South in Manchester, Manchester Rugby Club hosted a much happier event this past weekend. Strummercamp was apparently a huge success and under normal circumstances (the blog being up and running!) I’d have been able to be part of the build up to this years event. The two day non-profit festival celebrates the life and influence of Joe and was well attended again this year. The lineup was sadly lacking The Godfathers (what a great live band…I saw a few of their St. Valentine’s Day shows back in the day) but still offered a great festival where you didn’t have to travel into the wilds of the West country to get a fix of good music and entertainment. A good summary appears on this post from e-festivals.co.uk. If you happened to attend last weekend please write in and share your report!

Off topic (back to the old flow, you’re probably used to this) a great friend of the blog tells me that the new Iron Man film (imaginatively titled Iron Man 2…or IM2 she regaled me) features two songs by The Clash during the comic book turned Robert Downey career resurrection vehicle. Should I Stay popped up early on but of course that’s been used by Hollywood (and Levis) on prior shifts, more encouragingly Magnificent Seven also makes an appearance. Can you imagine….little Billy marveling (pun intended) at the antic of Iron Man and you’re mumbling ‘Cold Water in The Face’.

Trying to pull all the loose ends together, but as you might recall Carbon Silicon (Mick’s proper band) played a unlikely gig in Zagreb, Yugoslavia (fuck it I’m going old school) in early May and a very enjoyable video surfaced of the event. Thus you’ll find it beneath for your viewing pleasure.

We’ve got plenty of videos to get through including so many of Mick and Paul it may have been a good thing I wasn’t bombarding you with those the last 6 weeks. Back soon – and thanks for your messages condoning my return.

Tim

Damon Albarn you deserve a medal mate. You should probably recognise the two chaps dressed as sailors playing with Gorillaz in Portsmouth on Sunday evening from the live video below. Seems the rumours were true….Coachella next I’m guessing.

More on this soon…..Tim