Dear Mick Jones, Can you bring the show on the road?
The Library....
From the original Mick Jones exhibition in Chelsea in March through to the soon to end display under the Westway, Clash fans away from the capital have pondered the same thing – Can this exhibit travel? Not for us the pleasure of sitting on a humid carriage on the central line, the seething mass of people during the Notting Hill Carnival, nor the chance to spend three pounds fifty for a pint of proper Guiness (almost…Dublin takes that). We can miss out on all those delights of West London life, but missing the Mick/Clash/Pop Culture exhibition is painful to us. The photos help of course, and so do the accounts. Can some (any) of this be brought overseas? Even as part of a CSi tour?
With that said – Shannon from Ohio (it’s up North and East, English readers..not quite the midwest, not quite the East Coast but Devo came from there) got in touch and is attempting a grassroots campaign to try and let Mick know how much others would love to have a chance to see a slice of this Clash filled pie. Her account follows:
We want a traveling version of Mick Jones’ Rock n Roll Public Library!
So demands the newly forming collective of Clash fans and folks on Facebook. Please consider becoming one of the growing number of people who are joining this group, one person at a time, called the “Unofficial Campaign to see Mick Jones’ Rock n Roll Public Library mobile!”
After one week of existence the word is spreading and every day the membership of the group increases bit by bit, but your help is needed to make this number surge. The more people on board, the louder we can become. Our Campaign has three main goals, the first of which has already been mostly achieved, the second and third will be on-going.
#1: To make a call for a traveling exhibit, and for that call to reach the ears of Mick and those who have been involved in the Library’s creation. I’m certain I’m not the only one who has thought of it, but I wanted to make sure it was known how much there is support for it.
#2: To attain a staggering number of members so that if (or shall I be optimistic and say when?) a discussion of a traveling exhibit is on the table, there is a large group ready to support the effort in any way to help make it a reality.
#3: To further help gain exposure for the existing Library and to support their effort to give it a permanent home, which is priority number one.
The backstory of how this group came to be and what prompted me to form it is a good one. Due to several serendipidous events recently, I made the acquaintance of a graphic designer from London on a design forum we both belong to. Very quickly through a few of his first posts we established that we both shared a common love of the Clash. Through him I came into contact with other Clash folk and seeing more and more photos from the Rock n Roll Public Library, which I had been following with great interest from afar. As I now jokingly like to say, in a fit of jealousy because I currently have no means to make the journey to visit it myself, I formed this group, knowing with certainty that I am not the only one who would love to see the exhibition travel in some shape or form. I thought I’d give it a go to see where things would go. Already, along the way, I’ve met some great people and just the coming together and celebrating the existence of the Library and what the Clash et al have meant for so many of us has been worth it. But it’s been more than that even.
Come on Mick....we're waiting!
Through friends of friends more people have begun to join up, post up and discuss, and the groups existence has made it’s way to the ears of some important people. Enthusiasm is building, and now that the group is under way, there’s no turning back and it’s time to really get people moving and making the number of members swell!
For now the group resides on Facebook, so if you have a presence there, please consider joining the rest of us, and once you do, sharing that page on your profile page so that others will learn of it as well. Hope to see you there.
**Thanks Shannon. I appreciate you taking the time to scribe this and I hope that the group grows. I’ve a vested interest as I’d travel almost anywhere stateside to see this if it can but happen. I do know that Mick Jones remains amazed at the continued interest in all things Clash from far afield.
Tim
Hi Shannon,
I was so lucky to spend some time – a couple of evenings – with Mick down at the current incarnation of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Public Library and I think I’m one of the people who told Tim at Mick’s amazement at the continued interest in all things ‘Clash’. There is genuine surprise in his eyes, if not some slight bewilderment, followed by that familiar toothy grin…
The exhibition is so much more than just Clash memorabilia, but I can’t see a reason why it couldn’t travel. Perhaps you should approach people like his good photographer friend Bob Gruen in New York to ‘gently persuade’ Mick it’d be a good idea to set up stateside ! There is a hell of a lot of stuff to travel though !! His young American assistant Jamie could also be approached.
I may see him at the gig this Friday evening under the Westway. I’ll see what he says !
Pete,
Acton
Pete,
Don’t twist his arm….but yeah twist his arm! You are indeed one of those who says Mick’s shocked at the interest…there’s been a number of interviews this decade where it seems like he felt that an interest in The Clash and himself could only be in decline and was therefore amazed at the response from corners near and far. It’d be like Thomas Edison being at odds with people saying cheers for the electric light…or somethin’ like that!
How’s Acton this week? I owe you an email or 3….Did you go to Eire?
T
Hi Pete,
That’s just so amazing to hear that Mick is surprised at the continued interest. The Clash built something so incredibly unique, and to me it’s only natural that people continue to revel in it.
For me the group is meant to be a cheering squad, and in a way promoting something before the fact, which is great because if a traveling exhibit does make it to the discussion table and become a reality, then there will be a an audience ready for it!
Thanks Pete! That would be fantastic if see him and pass the good word on. Please keep all of us informed!!
PS I like the icon that’s been assigned to me, will he stay every time I post?
It would appear that the blue monster is all yours…
Thanks to all the people that joined up on the Facebook group in the past few days, the number is growing still!
I’m happy to have laid claim on the blue monster by the way!
I live very far away from England and I just wish that the library would come here, because I would love to see it!!!
Following on from the 19th August posting….I did see Mick that evening, in fact bunked into his gig with him through the Strummerville security cordon. I just waved the camera, pointed to Mick who was just in front of me and said “I’m with the band !” Mad !! From conversations with Mick and others involved it seems that he wanted to run the library for longer in its current location and would love to tour it too. Logistics are difficult though and costs could be possibly prohibitive. You should remember most of this stuff was only transported three miles from North Acton….
Hi Pete, just happened to see your comment and update here. That’s all great stuff and good news! I’ve worked for a museum for years (partly why the thought of traveling exhibit entered my mind in the first place) so I understand about the logistics. Hopefully it’s something that won’t be a barrier. I could see it becoming an all hands on deck type of affair, and I know there’s probably legions of people who would help out if they could. Thanks for sharing that!
I’m with Shannon on the “all hands on deck” statement. Discussions between us have been in that vein — we would do our best to find free spaces for the exhibit; help to coordinate the setup; and contribute to the exhibit with our own personal pop culture memorabilia to make each location’s exhibit unique. Mick if you see this (or Pete if you see Mick)— we WANT to help! and most of all we want to do what we can to help your library be seen by as many people as is possible, which of course is what you want too.
This is definitely a situation where everyone working together, each doing their own part, could make a difference.
To all who have been encouraging about this, THANK YOU! It’s great to have a common goal; a goal that is universal in appeal and reach.
LOVE TO MICK and all the others who have done such a tremendous job already with this library.
Fondly, Joannie from jersey
xxx
PS I miss Snoopy
[...] more reading, I will once again point you to Tim Merrick’s great Clash Blog for one of the posts that helped jump start the group and at the end of the article there are several links to other [...]
[...] more reading, I will once again point you to Tim Merrick’s great Clash Blog for one of the posts that helped jump start the group and at the end of the article there are several links to other [...]