Hello everyone and welcome back to the blog, hoping your weekend allowed you to recharge for the week ahead. Not much to report from here, in truth a bit of a rut often snares my attitude in the late summer here (might be the closed windows and daily temperatures over 100f) but I recognise it and will be just fine I’m sure. That rather impressively thick Jon Savage book arrived in the post today so I think that will occupy quite a few hours of my time in the weeks ahead, I usually can’t delve into books over 700 pages unless they are historical but I think this qualifies. I also need to go and see some live music, I keep waiting for acts I really like to stop in Phoenix but it might be a fruitless wait on my part. Here’s a list of what is coming over the next few weeks to this dusty desert oasis – have a look and make a recommendation for me! Calexico are rather wonderful live so that looks good for the end of the month (and it’s free!) and also amazed to see The Legendary Pink Dots are coming here – it must be 25 years since I saw them last at I think Dingwalls in Camden. Good old Dingwalls!

The Highbury Garage, before it was so Relentless

I wish we had a local Joe Strummer event of some sort to head out to this Saturday (Aug 21) to celebrate his birthday, but wisely due to the heat our annual Joe Strummer tribute night in association with Strummerville takes place in December. I’d have to fly to San Francisco or drive to Austin Texas to be witness to a tribute but neither time nor currency will make that practical for this weekend coming. I’ll do a final reminder of all the events later this week but wanted to bring something to your attention in London – not an official Strummer night per se but a good place to be this Saturday if you are a Clash fan and want to be with like minded people.

Buddy Ascott of The Chords (played at 100 Club last year in July with Mick, Glen & Steve Diggle) emailed our key man Pete in London – and as part of a reunion tour they will be playing The Garage at Highbury Corner – now renamed the ‘Relentless Garage’ – on 21st August this month. Buddy inferred (don’t hold me to this) that the band will include a Clash song in their set. Above all else they are big fans of the band and definitely influenced by The Clash and this is as fitting a location as any that night. I’ve had many a good night at The Garage back in the 90′s and would very much like to be part of this so hopefully some of you reading will be able to make it along. Much more info about The Chords is available via their myspace page – Pete also suggested the track below as a reminder – I confess I’d forgotten how good this sounds! Yes it might remind you of The Jam but that’s no bad thing in my book – besides which the mod revival label doesn’t capture the whole range of the band. Incidentally last year’s album by Pope ‘Tall Tales and Cheap Thrills’ is definitely worth getting hold of.  More details about The Garage via this link – I don’t think I can add ‘relentless’ to the name. Why does a venue need to be ‘relentless’ or even ‘sporadic’ for that matter? Come to think of it Arsenal are at home earlier that afternoon so you could spend your entire Saturday in one very special corner of London!

The Chords ‘Maybe Tomorrow’ (1980)

Would chat more but something I ate earlier is not falling for my brain’s idea that extra spicy Thai food sits well with this Anglo/Celtic man’s stomach. Bah!