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 12^th 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