Down from the edge of London….
Friday night then…well done the lot of you for making it through another week. I must say its nice to be back blogging again, I feel like I’ve had an off-season and ready to challenge for the league title again after we get through some pre-season friendlies. One of the best things about the Clash Blog is the assistance, ideas and comments from you who drop by and read the blog. While I welcome all readers I find it amusing to come back to find that something I wrote last August about The Stranglers still seems to be pissing people off (see comments at end of the post). Point being if JJ Burnell ceased claiming to have invented The Clash I’d have no provocation in the first place. It sounds a bit like a soon to be divorced former US Vice-President claiming to have invented the internet, further complicated by the apparent will of Stranglers fans to believe this nonsense. While not wishing to turn this into the anti-Stranglers blog I do find this old chestnut fun to revisit. Some people love The Stranglers, some people love The Clash and I’m sure many of you reading this like both bands to varying degrees. What I don’t buy into is that an old keyboard based pack of pub-rockers from the wilds of Surrey were Joe Strummer’s blueprint for what The Clash went on to accomplish. Though it makes for bloody funny reading all the same. Now while I always try and run an uncensored blog if you come in to the party like an uncivilized yob steamed on cheap lager and wanting to fight everyone (and I consider my readers my guests) it just reeks of arseholeness, at the end of the day its my blog and I’ll take my chances by saying you sound like a complete imbecile…I’m a huge fan of well-positioned arguments and persuasive debate (see some of the earlier comments on that same post) but “The Clash were utter piss” doesn’t really open the door to much dialogue does it? Anyway enough of that.
I know for some of us the next 4 weeks might be dominated by the World Cup and while next weekend sees England play the USA, do you have plans for the following Friday night? If not and you happen to be in or near London this might be worth jumping on the tube for. The location is Westminster Reference Library (just off Leicester Square) and its a bookish sort of night, but don’t let that put you off. On Friday June 18th from 630pm-800pm former Clash roadie and author Johnny Green will be reading from his book ‘A Riot of Our Own’ and answering questions about his days with The Clash. The book is a great read – and is still in publication and available to the best of my knowledge. If you’re able to make it along I encourage it, it seems reservations are needed so:
To book a place, please telephone: 020 7641 5250 or email referencelibrarywc2@westminster.gov.uk
Link to the event is here (scroll down) and directions to the venue are here.
Don’t you ever wish you were a bit older in 1975 (maybe not…I don’t know how old you are, although I’m sure The Stranglers never wish that). Well I sometimes do as my only major Clash related regret is not having been about 16 in 1976 and able to follow the band from the very beginning. Steve Levine was of age back then, though he might not be a name you know. He started working with CBS as a tape operator in 1975 and went on to work with The Jam, XTC and The Vibrators though most relevantly to us he was on hand during the making of the debut Clash album early in 1977. Thirty five years on he still is very involved in the industry and this article about him on CaliforniaChronicle.com is well worth a read.
Final thought — I’m beginning to feel very sad about being so far away from this years Glastonbury festival and unable to attend with the thought of missing Mick Jones and Paul Simonon on stage as part of Gorillaz. To rub salt in the wound I just saw the list of headliners at the rather brilliant left-field tent that same weekend at Glastonbury. The three nights are headed respectively by Carl Barat (Libertines, Dirty Pretty Things), Billy Bragg, and Paul Heaton (Housemartins, The Beautiful South). If you are in England and plan to go can we swap places that weekend?
I just finished reading Russell Brand’s ‘My Booky Wook’ – and yeah I find him bloody funny although the book shows what a selfish sod he was until he sobered up around 2002, not coincidentally his career took off very soon after. A good piece on him in today’s Guardian.
Cheers for dropping by – I’ll be back over the weekend.
Hiya Tim,great to have you back I’m sure I speak for everyone by saying how much we’ve missed you.I just had a look back at The Clash/Stranglers debate,I remember reading it at the time and although finding it amusing thought it a complete waste of time comparing the two.However until today I had not read the comments that followed.You did very well controlling yourself with your reply to each comment although you seemed slightly bored(I’d have given up the will to live)as the comments got more petty.I think we all agree or surely we wouldn’t be Clash fans that people should be allowed to put their view across but it’s a shame such a great blog is spoiled by people talking crap and just trying to score points in a really childish way.I remember similar debates at the time 30 yrs ago and found them annoying then,surely we’ve grown up a bit since.Come on people lets loose the negativity,PAUL wrote POSITIVE on his bass for a reason.As for the Scottish “gentleman” at the end leave it out mate,there are plenty of Facebook pages that would enjoy and appreciate your comments,but not here.Try the NME page you’d be in good company.Anyway enough said once again welcome back TIM keep up the good work mate.
David,
Thanks for that ~ especially the Paul / Positive comment which made me think. I really don’t dislike a reasoned debate as I think with the right approach from the other side that I’ll probably learn something or at least wish to understand it more. Just not in the mood for sweeping statements about a band that actually taught me the value in reason. Nice to see you back reading the blog too David.
T
Unlike those useless comments, at least you have something to say, Tim. Stay positive! Clash fans would have it no other way
thanks ~ and yes I shall. In truth that spiky reaction from Stranglers fans is pretty funny and reaffirms my musical taste. I never met a Clash fan I didn’t like…
The Clash stink and Strummer sucked. The Stranglers were far better musically and more punk in attitude. Strummer wanted to be Cornwell, Siminon or whatever that berk was called got knacked by JJ. Clash were just pretend punks pretending to be hard whereas Stranglers had real guts, musical ability and the strength to back up their words. Nuff said.
More brilliant analysis from a Stranglers fan, so now we know The Clash secretly aspired to simply be The Stranglers. Fortunately they didn’t reach that goal. Therefore a pretend punk ‘is not’ a band that operates under a different flag for over 2 years (let’s call it pub rock) and then happens to play with artists considered punk and magically become punk? That’s the pronouncement from Mr. Pothole and like most potholes should be covered in cement.
i was and still am a lover of the clash and the stranglers however i saw the stranglers as ageing hippies doing punk while the clash where the real Mccoy. By the way i think this blog is too good to be used as as a forum for a shouting match. Was at a Rory Gallagher tribute night last night Sinner Boy how unpunk is that
all the best
I’ll tone it down a bit….don’t they have their own blog? They started it….
I’d always assumed that JJB was referring to the cameraderie of the band at that time, rather than any kind of musical influence. The Stranglers back then were a very strong band unit, having gone through some very sparse times money-wise, and having gigged themselves silly during the early years, and I would think JS was referring to the band “family” rather than musical style.
Anyone who suggests that The Stranglers were a pub rock band that took advantage of being in the right place at the right time when punk “struck” would, of course, be absolutely right. And I don’t recall reading anyone in the band denying that recently. Jet Black for one has maintained recently that they were a lot more shrewd about these things than people assumed. As for what they said at the time, well, you can’t take that kind of stuff seriously, that was the kind of swagger that young pop stars do.
(Disclaimer: big Stranglers fan for many years, somewhat Clash fan but not as much).
Mike -
Thanks for a balanced approach to that topic…I’ve felt some of the flames were fan based rather than ‘band based’ and you’ve redressed some of the balance.
Cheers