Great account of Jail Guitar Doors gig and some Ray Gange
Hello – Saturday and football is back! Arsenal played out a 2-2 draw with….sorry wrong topic…The Clash!! Yes, coffee on hand I’ve got a piece for you to get started with today. A personal account of last Sunday’s JGD event at The Flowerpot in Kentish Town has been kindly forwarded by ‘Lily and Ruby Gange’ more on them in the footer. For now though, over to the the ladies….
Jones Highlights Punk Tribute at the Flowerpot
Not many diehard punk fans can claim to have witnessed music history, but on Sunday 12th of July the audience at the Flowerpot in Kentish Town were privileged enough to.
Former Clash lead guitarist Mick Jones performed a Clash song for the first time since playing alongside band mate Joe Strummer in London in November 2002. This was one of the final shows prior to Strummer’s unexpected death a month later. Jones graced the stage for the ecstatic fans to perform “I Fought the Law” alongside featured band Night of Treason at Billy Bragg’s charity project ‘Jail Guitar Doors’.
The charity founded by Bragg himself takes instruments to prisons all over the UK so inmates can express themselves as a creative form of rehabilitation. Participating bands of inmates took to the stage and rocked out at the free all day gig, which was all in all an amazing treat displaying true talent in the Flowerpot’s generous venue.
‘I Fought the Law’ was a taste of good things to come as Mick Jones reappeared in his cousin’s band, Rotten Hill Gang. Though most wouldn’t pick Jones as an experimental/ hip hop kind of musician, Jones provided steady riffs for the animated Rotten Hill Gang’s energetic beats & urban rhyme.
Thanks so much for that account, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit jealous.
Ray Gange
Billy Bragg has meant to much to me for such a long time also. I hope that JGD along with the all of the Strummerville projects are on your radar as they really make a difference.
A bit more about the authors, who write a entertaining music/urban blog that you should check out. Two London based music lovers/ sisters who go by the names of Lily and Ruby Gange- a tribute to original Rude Boy Ray Gange of the 1980 film Rude Boy. Since starting up their blog they’ve have been privileged to become friends with Ray Gange himself, who actually reads the blog. It was Ray who invited them Flowerpot Jail Guitar Doors gig, and they shared:
It was out first time meeting Ray in person and we were lucky to hang with him most of the night and chat about everything from family vacations and IKEA (?) to Joe Strummer. Ray also discussed Rude Boy, his days with The Clash and what the film means to him. The JGD gig was fun and we were pleasantly surprised at the diversity of the crowd- young and old, but all friendly faces and general punk fans. Unfortunately we weren’t able to stay for Billy Bragg’s performance, which must have been amazing.
Thanks again, I’m really thrilled with how the blog is becoming a place for others to contribute as it breaks up the ClashBlogger’s working week a bit. Thanks – and I’m keen to hear from more of you. Loads to come over the next week – some guest interviews, exclusive images and more analysis and debate along with the usual news and updates.
Tim
Sorry to be a trainspotter but that was not Mick's first since 2002 at Acton. I was fotunate enough to witness him encore with Rachid Taha at Patti Smith's Meltdown '05,where they performed Casbah (With Patti on clarinet) Also, during last year's Carbon/Silicon residency at the Inn on the Green SISoSIG, Train in Vain, Hitsville and Stay Free all featured and I've a feeling the night Topper played they may have even done Casbah.
Hi Karl,
These were my guest reviewer's comments – let's welcome her and go easy ! I thought she/they wrote a great summary of seeing Mick for their first time.
But…in the interest of accuracy I'll pass along your comments. (I thought the same thing in reference to B.A.D. but let it slide). Trainspotters are always welcome on the blog.
Cheers,
Tim
And another thing. Were BAD not a little experimental and there was certainly more than a hint of a hip hop groove in much of their catalogue.
And another thing….you liked Edwyn Collin's 1977….
Sorry – just being an arse.
T
Good blog. Give the guest reviewer's blog a break, it's very informative. WOO!
Hi Karl, thanks for responses. Firstly I was misinformed by more than 2 sources that this was Mick Jones's first time performing a Clash song since Strummer's death, but that just goes to show that you can't always trust your sources! Secondly- I was at a loss for words when catorgorizing Rotten Hill Gang's genre- it is very diverse and has it's own unique sound, so I left it up to what Rotten Hill Gang classified themselves. On the bands personal myspace- "Experimental". Not my words. I would never have chosen to call it experimental.
Also, I did mention hip hop.
Lily (R) – Thanks for getting back to me, and explaining all of that. I appreciate you dropping everything to share your recap of a great night with everyone. Karl was being an anorak (self confessed) but these things will happen. The blog will be as friendly as it should be – if facts are in limbo we'll get them sorted.
In no way will anyone's opinions or adjectives be altered as I totally encourage everyone taking part. Talk soon.
T
Lily and Ruby, Please acccept my apologies. Great review and my corrections were mainly down to the fact that I couldn't be there and had the hump. That and at the time of writing I was suffering a bit due to an over indulgence of Stella that afternoon. Keep up the good work.
Thanks Karl….but also, I do appreciate the accuracy!
(I'm peeved I couldn't be there also)
Tim
No Casbah wasn't peformed at the Casino gigs SISOSIG was though twice and Mick played it with the Dirty Curtains as well,and also when CS played their last gig in Portugal in June…..Mick also played a few Clash tunes with Ebba Gron at a Joe tribute night in Sweden and did Train in Vain with Dead Men Walking at Shep Bush Empire 2003 ish..and played a few more at Kate Moss's birthday party 2005 and at the Ronnie Laine memorial gig?
Now thats train spoterish for you , having said that many people think joes last ever gig was Acton so there you go we are here to inform and entertain , and the girls did a great review of a brilliant night and how great would that have been if it had been the first time Mick had played a Clash song since Acton especially as it was with Night of Treason a band featuring not only Pat Gilbert but me as well !!….
Train spotters unite…..but I'm always pleased at all of the details provided, helps me from hacking out all sorts of info and portraying it as gospel!