Hello again, nice to get back in the rhythm of blogging once more, I actually missed it this weekend. I’ve got to put that CLASH77 license plate on the car soon…it’s sitting on my Clash shelf at present just apparently there to make me smile it would seem. I’ve a few headlines for you which I’ll get to but first I wanted to say thanks for all your growing support for the blog – August has been the busiest month of the year for the blog and its great to see so many return visits so I appreciate that. In the next week or so I’m excited to say we will be welcoming our 200,000th visitor ever to the blog and this week will see our 100,000th visit of the year – so cheers to you all on helping reach both landmarks! September will also see the introduction of our monthly interview series – so keep your eyes open on that.

So the last few days…..Don Letts usually manages to get flagged down around the time of the Notting Hill Carnival and this year was no exception. It was Letts of course who features on the striking cover of Black Market Clash as a then 20 year first generation proud young black man walking the tightrope of tension that was the riots of the summer of ’76. I can’t say enough about Don Letts, he’s just such a likable character and always looks to be moving the tide forward and celebrating the unique period of time where he grew up and helped reggae and punk reach to cross sections within both camps. In addition he always shows pride and optimism which are so often lacking in some quarters. Anyway, getting back on track I’ll point you in the direction of both recent interviews with Letts as he sat down and spoke to the Telegraph and SKY TV in recent days.

Over at the Telegraph check out the feature on Don as he talks about his heritage, racial integration and his part in what was to be the forming of a soundtrack for mid/late 70′s Britain. Letts was always it seemed in the right place at the right time, or was that part of who he was? Hanging out with Malcolm McLaren and the various incarnations of his shop on the Kings Road, becoming the resident DJ at London’s first punk club The Roxy, befriending The Clash and later even Bob Marley. Then to follow that up as a member of Big Audio Dynamite and an accomplished filmmaker. As Letts himself explains he had an early taste for the counter culture from McLaren and it seems his thirst has never left him in the decades since. As for the music – he knows how vital it was to his peers:

As first generation British born blacks, we copped it the worst. But we came up with a good soundtrack. Tell you what!  They’d better come up with a good soundtrack, these eastern Europeans – that’ll help ‘em!”

Letts shares a sentiment that many of you reading this of a certain age probably reflect on all too frequently, with the current social upheaval globally and lack of equality its remarkable that music/culture seems so passive…so pedestrian when surely the need for a real change resonates as loudly as ever. Letts puts it in better terms than I can:

“Right now it feels like punk never happened. All the things that helped create punk rock, racism, recession, strikes – other than power cuts – all the things we had in the late seventies are happening again today. What’s happening about it? I don’t know. All I know is that all the interesting ideas are coming from the amateur and the naive, and it’s increasingly difficult to find anyone who meets those criteria in the west”

He’s right….and I don’t even know why apathy is suddenly the most popular flavour for much of the generation who should really be tearing down the walls instead of watching the bloody television and youtube. Don is doing the rounds partly because he certainly should but also because two of his more recent projects are getting released to UK cable television and a special film fest at the ICA respectively. More of that in a minute but  the Blighty channel  also premiered at the weekend the Don Letts film Carnival (Notting Hill Documentary from 2009) and interviewed him in conjuction with that event. Well worth a read and a good taster for the film also, full information via this link.

As a reminder – the Don Letts documentary about his life will be getting its UK premier at the ICA (talk about a historic venue!)  ‘Superstonic Sound, The Rebel Dread’, shows at the ICA on 6th, 9th and 10th October. Ticket information and to purchase via this link.

Superstonic Sound: The Rebel Dread plus Q&A (Don Letts will appear at the Oct 6 Screening)